snapshot of guatemala

Almost two weeks back in Guatemala and man….it feels like home. It feels so good.

My team, Fuente de Vida, is serving alone as a team during our time in Guate. We are partnering with Love. Serve. Guatemala and the Misteco Family. Let me tell you, the people we get to live and serve with are really special!! They embody “life is ministry, ministry is life” in everything they do. It is truly inspiring.

 Here is my team and the Misteco brothers driving to ministry in the back of Craig’s (our hosts) pickup! What sweet mems are made crammed in there!

— Ministry —

Our weeks will look different depending on the ministry’s needs but we get to get our hands dirty in many different projects. 

CONSTRUCTION

Part of the Misteco’s ministry is building houses for families in need and we get to help rebuild a house for a family of 11 in their community. The days spent at the construction site have been full of such joy and I’m learning SO much from them!

Our first day was demolition where we got to take sludge hammers to the walls of the old house and haul off all the debris. From there, we then dug the trenches surrounding the current foundation. We learned how to build all the different rebar supports and hooks, mix concrete, and the process of laying the foundation and blocks.

A few progress pictures of the house — I forgot to get a before picture but it’s coming along!

 

SOUP KITCHEN & KIDS CLUBS

In addition to long days of construction, we get to help prepare meals for a soup kitchen and host kid’s clubs in different communities which includes packaging food bags to distribute afterward to those families.

MEDICAL CLINICS

ALSO, our host is a pharmacist and my team just so happens to include two nurses, a dental hygienist, and a med student which means we get to join in on medical clinics!! We are partnering with other ministries called God Said Go and J33Medical to host free clinics in local towns. We had our first clinic this Thursday at a church in Patzun and were able to serve and treat around 150 people. It was sweet to be able to see my teammates in action treating people, praying for people, and loving on the sweet kiddos.

 — Prayers — 

Last week we went to assist a neighborhood near Antigua that had a fire completely destroy six houses (home to 27 people). As they continue to salvage their belongings and begin clearing the rubble, we’re praying to have materials to possibly assist alongside other ministries in rebuilding their homes after we complete this current house. 

I’ve been studying my Spanish HARD and the Misteco brothers have been so helpful and patient as we teach each other English/Spanish. I’ve never been more inspired or motivated to learn the language and it’s finally clicking in my brain…thank you, God!!

It has been so sweet to be back in Guatemala. There is such peace that covers Guatemala and a joy that exudes from everyone here. It just feels right to be back here and I can’t believe I get to spend TWO whole months here. I’m thankful for a sweet sabbath today to rest before another full week of ministry(:

All my love, 

KK