Today was a day that reminds us God has a plan that he will reveal to us in his time. God's plan is not always what we think, nor is it always what we expect...
We had a 2 hr drive to Buena Vista starting at 7 am this morning. No, this is not the same Buena Vista that is associated with the Happiest Place on Earth. This is a remote community on the edge of the rain forest that is surrounded by a river and sugar cane fields. There are no paved roads, they just recently acquired electricity, and their main source of drinking water is from a well or the river (where they also bathe, wash, and clean dishes). There is a large population of single mothers as men are not very family oriented. Many teenage girls are pregnant or have small children. Pigs and chickens share the same space as the families. When we arrived, this appeared to be a great opportunity for us to spread God's word and provide hope and comfort to those in need. However, when it comes to God's plan, things are not always as they seem.
Our first stop was the local school where classes last only half the day. There were 3 classrooms K-2, 3-4, and 5-6. Education does not extend beyond 6th grade and there are no opportunities for children to further their education. There were no text books and the teacher's only tool was a dry-erase board. There was no bathroom and no running water. The children had to drink from barrels that collected rainwater which was filled with mosquito larvae (this is an area where the Zika virus is prevalent). Through all this, every child had a smile on their face. They wanted to show us their work as they were proud of their accomplishments. Their teachers smiled and laughed along side of them as they were going through their lessons.
Our next stop was to meet Juan, the owner of the local mill. For $.13, he would grind corn for the local women to make 13 tortillas for the day. Juan told us about his oldest son who was a bus driver in the city. He was ambushed by the gangs and shot because the company he works for did not pay protection money for his bus. Due to this, he lost his site and ability to talk. Juan's wife passed away a few years ago and rather than abandoning his family, Juan has kept them all together. He has encouraged his younger son to be faithful to God and to family and has set this example for him. Juan told us that through the grace of God, his oldest is still alive and his youngest now has a family of his own. Juan encouraged us to stay strong in our faith and trust in God to see us through all hardships.
Our next stop was with Veronica and Sebastian, a 35 y.o. mother and her 1 y.o. son. Veronica's husband was working in the sugar cane fields. She asked that we pray for the health of her children and husband. As we left Veronica's house, we walked past the elder statesman of the family. Sebastian, little Sebastian's 75 y.o. grandfather was sitting and reading his bible a few doors down from Veronica's house. He called to us and thanked us for sharing the Word with his daughter and Grandson. He told us it was rare in his community to see men that were strong in their faith and he complimented Harrison, Hayden, and I on our willingness to share God's word. He then asked about us and Harrison and Hayden told him they were in school. Sebastian said he never went to school and said that education was a blessing. He encouraged the boys to work hard in their studies as this would take them far in their lives.
Sebastian reminded us that God can do all things. He told us that God had a plan for our lives and he appreciated that we were in Guatemala, in their village, sharing God's word. He said that we were there to pray for him, but he would pray for us also. He said as Christians, God calls us to encourage one another and to pray. Sebastian hopes to meet us again one day, if not in Guatemala, in God's kingdom, where we can share God's word again.
Our plan was to encourage these people through their hardships. God has recognized that we also need encouragement. I have never felt more blessed than I did today, knowing that individuals like Juan and Sebastian are praying for me and encouraging my family to remain steadfast and have hope and faith in God's plan.
Dios le bendigo,
Aaron, Harrison, and Hayden Clark
We had a 2 hr drive to Buena Vista starting at 7 am this morning. No, this is not the same Buena Vista that is associated with the Happiest Place on Earth. This is a remote community on the edge of the rain forest that is surrounded by a river and sugar cane fields. There are no paved roads, they just recently acquired electricity, and their main source of drinking water is from a well or the river (where they also bathe, wash, and clean dishes). There is a large population of single mothers as men are not very family oriented. Many teenage girls are pregnant or have small children. Pigs and chickens share the same space as the families. When we arrived, this appeared to be a great opportunity for us to spread God's word and provide hope and comfort to those in need. However, when it comes to God's plan, things are not always as they seem.
Our first stop was the local school where classes last only half the day. There were 3 classrooms K-2, 3-4, and 5-6. Education does not extend beyond 6th grade and there are no opportunities for children to further their education. There were no text books and the teacher's only tool was a dry-erase board. There was no bathroom and no running water. The children had to drink from barrels that collected rainwater which was filled with mosquito larvae (this is an area where the Zika virus is prevalent). Through all this, every child had a smile on their face. They wanted to show us their work as they were proud of their accomplishments. Their teachers smiled and laughed along side of them as they were going through their lessons.
Our next stop was to meet Juan, the owner of the local mill. For $.13, he would grind corn for the local women to make 13 tortillas for the day. Juan told us about his oldest son who was a bus driver in the city. He was ambushed by the gangs and shot because the company he works for did not pay protection money for his bus. Due to this, he lost his site and ability to talk. Juan's wife passed away a few years ago and rather than abandoning his family, Juan has kept them all together. He has encouraged his younger son to be faithful to God and to family and has set this example for him. Juan told us that through the grace of God, his oldest is still alive and his youngest now has a family of his own. Juan encouraged us to stay strong in our faith and trust in God to see us through all hardships.
Our next stop was with Veronica and Sebastian, a 35 y.o. mother and her 1 y.o. son. Veronica's husband was working in the sugar cane fields. She asked that we pray for the health of her children and husband. As we left Veronica's house, we walked past the elder statesman of the family. Sebastian, little Sebastian's 75 y.o. grandfather was sitting and reading his bible a few doors down from Veronica's house. He called to us and thanked us for sharing the Word with his daughter and Grandson. He told us it was rare in his community to see men that were strong in their faith and he complimented Harrison, Hayden, and I on our willingness to share God's word. He then asked about us and Harrison and Hayden told him they were in school. Sebastian said he never went to school and said that education was a blessing. He encouraged the boys to work hard in their studies as this would take them far in their lives.
Sebastian reminded us that God can do all things. He told us that God had a plan for our lives and he appreciated that we were in Guatemala, in their village, sharing God's word. He said that we were there to pray for him, but he would pray for us also. He said as Christians, God calls us to encourage one another and to pray. Sebastian hopes to meet us again one day, if not in Guatemala, in God's kingdom, where we can share God's word again.
Our plan was to encourage these people through their hardships. God has recognized that we also need encouragement. I have never felt more blessed than I did today, knowing that individuals like Juan and Sebastian are praying for me and encouraging my family to remain steadfast and have hope and faith in God's plan.
Dios le bendigo,
Aaron, Harrison, and Hayden Clark
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