It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.” —John 15:16-17 I’ve been in Guatemala for about three-and-a-half weeks now…… Continue reading We are not discouraged
Category: Guatemala
The day of 199 earthquakes
With the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, you will learn even better how to read events so that they have a salvific, liberating, sanctifying, and hopeful ending. It is your mission to be a visible sign in the world that everything can be seen with the eyes of faith and love.”—Lectio Divina, el sábado 12…… Continue reading The day of 199 earthquakes
It’s up to us to do the walking
…I came to learn that God never shows us some-thing we aren’t ready to understand. Instead, He lets us see what we need to see, when we need to see it. He’ll wait until our eyes and hearts are open to Him, and then when we’re ready, He will plant our feet on the path…… Continue reading It’s up to us to do the walking
What is it like to fly on an airplane?
“Not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their needs, so that their abundance may also supply your needs, that there may be equality.” 2 Cor 8:13-14 Every group that comes to Guatemala to participate in a Vision…… Continue reading What is it like to fly on an airplane?
Charity expects a lot from us
I’ve been in Guatemala for approximately 12 days, and I have been some kind of sick for roughly 10 of those. At first, the pollution and smoke pierced my lungs with the particulates somewhere in the range of 155 on the air quality index. Locals and tourists alike complained of headaches and difficulty breathing. Guatemala…… Continue reading Charity expects a lot from us
Otra aventura
When I arrived on this trip, it felt different. I’ve landed in Guatemala six other times with a variety of strong emotions, ranging from nervousness to discomfort to anticipation to joy, and everything in between. This time, it was home.
Set out to wonder how people are doing
When I first arrived in Guatemala in 2017, the level of poverty convicted me in a way nothing else ever had. My first home visit will forever provide the framework for how I understand poverty in the developing world—no running water, limited electricity, dirt floors, holes in the ceiling and extremely limited access to food.
What Father Rother’s ministry can teach us about serving people across the border
Father Rother arrived in Santiago in 1968 to serve and advocate for the poor people of the lake. He worked tirelessly to make sure the Tz’utujil people had food, shelter, medical care and a place to pray. He even translated the entire New Testament into the native language.
A second funeral, reintegration into life in America and my final day in Antigua
Three parents from Escuela Integrada died in the last 12 months. That’s reality in Guatemala — lack of access to health care, lack of sufficient doctors, lack of medicine, lack of time or transportation to go see a physician, and, as a result, high mortality rates in infancy and adulthood for families in poverty.
Encountering the trap of poverty in Guatemala
Poverty in Guatemala traps men, women and children, both in terms of physical commodities and mental states. They have little choice but to put their energies toward “the sheer struggle to survive… immediate problems of existence” — food, clothing, shelter. Everything else comes second, including child rearing, financial literacy and education.
The Faithful Writer 