“On day three we set out to install stoves in widow homes. Halfway through the day, we pulled off to the side of the road when seemingly out of nowhere; swarms of children came down the mountain tops. Their eyes gleamed in hopeful expectancy for a treat but at this point we didn’t have much to give. We had just handed out the last sandwich and I felt terrible for not bringing more, giving more. I wished I had something more to offer. I glanced up again and saw the kids crowding in around Mark who was passing out handfuls of fruit. Handfuls of little peaches that a widow from our first house had picked from her fruit tree and given to us out of gratitude. Handfuls of fruit that we had carelessly tossed in back of the truck, with the intention of throwing it out at the first chance we got. To us, the fruit was unusable, rejected, worthless, but in the hands of God, it became a beautiful blessing. Over the last week, I can’t help but reflect over this moment and realize again and again that we serve a big God, a Holy God, who can use all things for his glory. He can use a handful of fruit to bring laughter and joy to orphans. He can use a bottle of fingernail polish to make a widow fee beautiful and loved again. He can use a girl like me to change the world.”
-Sara, 30 (Nevada) Guatemala Trip May 16-21, 2011
“This week in Guatemala was incredible. I can barely fit all of my thoughts and stories on paper. Before the trip, I was most nervous about not knowing anyone and building relationships. God completely had that covered though. Everyone on the team is so different and we are all in completely different walks of faith. We all worked so well together and I built relationships with people that I will never forget. I will be taking so much with me from this trip. The one word used to describe everything here in Chichi is joy – complete joy. The faces of the children and widows are always so lit up. They have almost nothing, but smile as if they could have everything they ever wanted. The first day of house building was the most memorable for me. Throughout the building process we took some time to give gifts to the widow and her children. The widow, Mekayla, was so overwhelmed with joy that she began to weep. All she could do was smile and say gracias over and over again. It was at this point that I became choked up and realized how much of an impact something so small can have on someone. I came to Guatemala to show compassion and reflect the love of Jesus to complete strangers. Ironically, the opposite happened as well. The widows and children showed so much love. They were so welcoming of the team. I know God sent me here for a reason and I know it fits into my plan. I hope to make many more mission trips/Good Goers trips, and someday maybe even lead a Good Goers team myself. I won’t forget any of the orphans/widows. The hundreds of hugs, smiles and laughs will leave a lasting memory!”
-Samantha, 20 (Michigan) Guatemala Trip August 1-6, 2011
“Guatemala to me was a once in a lifetime experience. From the start of the trip, it was obvious that God’s hand was upon our group, because there were 18 of us who came from all different cities and states across the United States and immediately we were a family of believers. It was amazing to experience the power of faith coming together and uniting such a big group, and not just in a surface way, but in a supernaturally connected way that created the perfect environment for us to serve together and reach out to the children and widows in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. During this week, one of the most touching experiences of the trip was on the day where our group was able to bless multiple widows with new stoves in their homes. It was obvious that there previous way of cooking created an unsafe environment, was extremely time consuming and required a lot of wood and energy to get a fire going. The new stoves only required a small amount of sticks to get the fire going, created a protective area around the fire so that it remained contained and most importantly it had a vented system, so that smoke did not consume the lungs of the family. In one of the houses we installed a stove, we ended the installation with a moment of prayer over the family. As our group began to pray, a little girl came and stood by me and immediately started to cough. Coughing to her was normal, because she was constantly breathing in smoke from her previous stove. At this moment, I reached out and touched the back of this little angel, prayed God’s grace and love over her, and I was filled with a strong peace, because I knew that her cough and life would forever be changed because of the free gift that we came to share with her. We came to not only bless the family with a free gift of the stove, but also to share about the free gift that was given to all of us: Jesus Christ. I know that each of the families that we met on this trip were blessed by our work, but I can truly say that I left more blessed than them, because I was able to understand more completely the love and awesome grace of our God. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to be a Good Goer, and I can’t wait to take another adventure to share more of God’s goodness with others.”
-Patricia, 26 (Nevada) Guatemala Trip May 16-21, 2011
“As I walked into the room where the kids sang and worshiped Jesus, I noticed a little girl who was around eight years old. There was an empty seat next to her and I gladly enjoyed her company during the children’s service. She wore a cute little torn up pink sweater ansd her sandals were torn and her feet were covered with dry mud. I asked her name and with such a timid spirit, she smiled and said, “Laura”. As the kids danced and praised God, Laura was very hesitant to dance. I tried holding her hand so she would dance with me and she quickly giggled and turned away. She was very attentive to the Bible study and there was something about her that reminded me of myself when I was her age. I asked Laura if she had any siblings and she said she had four younger brothers. All I could think of was how this special time with the Lord meant so much for her – how it might have been the only time she could spend some time away from always caring for her brothers, and good time with the Lord. Towards the end of the service she trusted me and danced with me as we praised Jesus together. Finally, it was time to eat and she patiently waited in line with a left over baggie in hand ready to put whatever food she did not eat and save for her family. Laura agreed to take a picture with me and smiled as I showed it to her. She is one of hundreds who walk miles to eat one meal and also eat the Word of God. I thank God for programs like the feeding programs because they will benefit physically but most importantly spiritually and eternally!”
-Malaya, 26 (Illinois) Guatemala Trip August 1-6, 2011
“When I initially signed up for the trip to Guatemala, I thought yeah, it would be great to help others in need. I never imagined how much it would impact me, my daily life and the constant reminder that with God all things are possible. When asked for “picture” of the week I couldn’t decide on a specific experience or observation to share with others because there were so many. From the moment I landed in Guatemala, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be in Gods plan, for not only the widows and children of Chichicastenago, but for myself as well. One particular experience that I will remember forever was going to our first feeding program in Paquixic. We were informed ahead of time that some of the children don’t eat their food that they place the food in their bags to take home to their families. So although I was informed of this, seeing it first hand not only broke my heart but made me eager to spread the word to others at home that we can not forget about these children. I spotted a young girl, Thomasa, she was handed her plate of rice, beans, boiled egg, tortillas and some sticky liquid substance that smelled like broth and looked to have chunks of some sort. Thomasa sat by herself so I immediately went over to say hi. She was shy at first, but very nice and smiled as we talked. She looked the same age as my niece, 11 or 12. I noticed she wasn’t eating her food, she sat there and listened to me try to entertain her. I decided to say hi to a few other girls sitting close by and when I turned back to Thomasa, her plate and cup of soup were empty and I noticed her tying up her bag. Seeing how selfish less these small children who have very little to begin with were, made me who was blessed with so much determined to share my blessings with others. This trip had so many inspirational, memorable moments that I will keep in my heart forever. God showed me those who needed help and compassion, and he gave me the mental and physical strength to do something about. I am thankful for the amazing people I got to experience Gods work with and will continue to pray for the people of Chichicastenago in hopes that they continue to know Gods love and mercy as I do.”
-Maria, 28 (Ohio) Guatemala Trip May 16-21, 2011