Today was a day we will long remember. It was such a privilege to travel outside of Guatemala City to the countryside! We were so surprised by the beauty. It is very dry here, but rolling hills were spotted with trees among fields. Corn was growing on the sides of mountains! Cows, goats and burros were grazing along the roads. And men were cutting grass with machetes! Our family decided we like the country much better than the congestion of the city! We drove 87 kilometers (about 50 mi.) and it took 3 hours!! We were so grateful to our driver, Mariano, for getting us there and back safely! Neither Mark nor I would EVER want to drive in Guatemala!
It was amazing to be able to visit a Compassion center. We were so humbled to see the place where children learn. There were no enclosed windows and the desks and chairs were circa 1950s! But the classrooms were decorated with art and there was such a spirit of love. We learned so much about Compassion and are more passionate than ever about this organization. Compassion International partners with local Guatemalan churches to provide a place where children can come for tutoring and discipleship after school. Older students also receive vocational training and some enrichment classes. Additionally, students are provided with the necessary school supplies at the start of every school year. Every center has one paid administrator, but is largely powered by volunteers. And the sponsoring church cares for these kids and their families even after the kids have aged out. There are 35,000 children enrolled in Compassion programs in Guatemala!
We met Donai, age 15, and his mother and 4-year-old sister, both named Maria. Donai is a handsome, polite boy who met us with a huge thank you card. He and his mother and sister captured our hearts! They invited us to their home which was a 15 minute drive and then a 5 minute walk down a mountainside. His "village" is a cluster of homes on the side of a mountain, accessed only by walking paths. When we walked, we cross a small creek where a girl was washing dishes in the water. His mother has to walk 15 minutes to haul fresh water back their house! And cooking occurs on open fires. Evidently, Donai's home washed away 2 years prior during an exceptionally rainy season. They were living in a nicer adobe home, provided by friends who had moved into San Pedro Pinula. Our time with them was such a blessing. We prayed together and while Mark prayed, Donai's mother prayed and Cruz, the center director prayed. Our interpreter, Lucia, told us that the entire time that Mark was praying for Donai's family, his mother was praying for ours. Isn't God amazing to bridge people across cultural, language and economic divides? His mother radiated the love of Christ even when we couldn't understand what she was saying. We all drove to the town of Jalapa to have lunch at Pollo Camporo. . . Guatemalan fastfood!! The day was very eye-opening for all of us. We are so grateful to our Compassion host, Lucia, who interpreted for us and taught us so much about Guatemala and Compassion in our two days with her. I am amazed at how so many children's lives are made fundamentally better by being in a Compassion project.
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