Thoughts from our last night

Noah volunteered to lead us in devotions for our last night. He opened with one of Craig’s favorite passages found in Matthew 25. It tells us that when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, or clothe the naked we do it for Christ. When we help the very least, we are doing it for Jesus.  Noah went on to tell us that that is what we had been doing the whole week. He then asked each of us to share our experience.  There were many common themes. When anything was mentioned we all agreed that it was important.  

One thing we all agreed with was the opening of our eyes and hearts to what need there really is.  Four year old Roxana Naomi expressed her joy over having her own bed by jumping up and down.  The squeal of delight for her Mama by the little girl receiving a jacket at a food distribution is not something I will soon forget. The great desire to be fitted into a black pair of school shoes by both boys and girls was eye opening. Our young men expressed their distaste for going shoe shopping, while one of our girls reflected on how many pairs of shoes she had in her closet. The tears of joy from the recipients of the houses we built moved us to tears. Elena expressed that she would now have somewhere to live without fear of being kicked out.  Living in the States, we know all this, but witnessing it is something else.

Depending on God was another common theme. We found early on, and were reminded daily, that we needed to rely on God. In our first devotional we talked about the need to come as a little child. A child is dependent on others to care for him and guide him. Daily we recognized our need for God to give us strength, wisdom, understanding, compassion, and direction.

We agreed that the relationships that have been growing between our team members and the Guatemalan people is to be cherished. A consistent highlight for a returning team member is visiting with the people we have helped in past years. The discussion then shifted to the relationship building between team members. Sharing the same memories bonds you forever.

 Joshua Clegg, a first year team member, wants desperately to now share the experience with his sister. We agreed that this is how we felt as well. The first year I went with Emily and Stephanie. The next year there were seven Wrights on the team. Juliet Ness went one year. The next year there were three Nesses. This was Lauren Wallace’s third trip, but this time she brought her mom. It was a wonderful thing for Pat to share in all that Lauren has been doing.

Those of our team who know Spanish enjoy being able to facilitate communication between the Guatemalans and us. This was especially meaningful for Lauren as she interpreted the heartfelt thanks from Marisol for her house and then went on to pray for the family.

We all agreed that our time in Guatemala is filled with joy. There is much laughter on the job site. We have a lot of fun as we work hard in unfamiliar surroundings. The joy of giving to others is even more potent. Witnessing the joy of the Guatemalans, who in our estimation have nothing, is the most amazing. The joy is perhaps what draws us back.

We all agreed that each of the experiences shared applied to all of us. We were all touched in so many ways. We were very blessed to be allowed to spend the week blessing others. We agreed that our goal is to come home and continue to be a blessing to others. 

Marcy