Day 2, Stoves, Foundation building, Home Visit
Jacob & Shaylee Adrian | Stove Installations
Today, a group of 6 of us did three stove installs. Our first home was a family with three children ages 13, 9, and 7, a mother, and a grandmother. The oldest daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. We were able to give this family some food and a Bible. When their stove build was finished, they picked fresh coconuts out of the tree in their front yard, cut off the tops with a machete, gave us straws, and we all sat down and enjoyed fresh coconut water together. What an experience! We are learning that Guatemalans are very hospitable and kind. At the second home, we met a mother with a joyful smile and her three children. The mother was making fresh tortillas on her old ‘stove’ (open fire) when we arrived. We passed out gum to the children, and they were giddy with giggles. The last stove install was for a mother and her four children, ages 18, 15, 4, and 2. The older sons were playing a soccer game at the soccer field, and the young girls were a little afraid of us at first. They were less shy after we passed out some toys and gum. After putting together the stove and the piping for the chimneys, Saul seasoned the cooktops and showed each family how to use them. We prayed for each family at the end of each visit. Everyone was so grateful for their new stoves and for us being there, but what a blessing they were to us as well in their joy, gratitude, and hospitality.
Ryan Miller | Home Visits
Five of us had the privilege of doing home visits with four families today. One thing that stood out to our group was the joy on the children’s faces when we gave them clothes and shoes. It was apparent that these small gifts meant so much to them!
A takeaway for our group today is that just as we visit people here in Guatemala and ask about their health, jobs, schooling, dreams, etc., we can carry this home with us. We do this to build relationships and to share the hope of Jesus. Our call to share Jesus with the nations is applicable no matter what country we find ourselves in.
Elyse Jacobi | House 1 Foundation Day
We got there, and the Little boy at the house came around right away and gave everybody a hug. The first thing we started to do was shovel the gravel base with the sand. Then we put down all the bricks from the foundation, mixed the cement, and used wheelbarrows and buckets to carry the cement to the house foundation. We also put in a small foundation for a new toilet.
My favorite part was when the little boy at the house would run around after I chased him. I was really impressed by how they were all very happy, even though they didn’t have a lot of the things we have. The family also jumped right in and helped us with the cement, and they were working really hard at it.
Day 3, Home Building, Foundations, Home Visits
Savannah Whitford| Home Build
Yesterday, a group of our team laid the cement foundation down, so we could build a house for a family today. First, we built the walls, then we added a door, windows, beds, and a stove. Although it took all day in the sun, it couldn’t have been more worth it! The family we built it for had been living outside for a week, so being able to help was a blessing in itself. Our team of six worked well together, encouraging one another when the work was hard and the sun was hot. We loved interacting with the boy who was part of the family. The parents were so grateful for their new home and thanked God for bringing us to build it for them.
Nate Holler | Home Foundation Building
Another hot day in Guatemala, but a great one! The team that laid concrete showed up ready for some hard work and had a fun time doing it. The family was very grateful to have us there, interacted with us, and helped throughout the day. The family consisted of a single mom with three kids and some grandparents. The grandpa Gregorio was out digging, the kiddos were hauling buckets of sand, and a family friend was there for some help with translating and treated us to some Coca-Cola for a much-needed treat partway through the hot day. The 3 kids (ages 6, 6, & 9) loved talking with and trying to play with Elsa, and she was trying to teach them some words in English. It was a true team effort as we took breaks as needed but powered through and got the full foundation laid so that tomorrow we can frame & finish the family’s new home.
Aaron Barnhart | Home Visits
Our day ended with a visit to a family of four. The father told us his story of suffering as of late, where he unfortunately lost all vision in his right eye and some of his vision in his left eye. This caused him to lose his job. Now he wakes up every day and tries his best to find a job to do for the day. His wife works by cleaning houses for three dollars per day. Through all of these trials, they firmly told us about their belief in God and the hope that they find in Him. They even attend their local church every single day at 3:00 pm. It was amazing to all of us listening to hear their story of unwavering faith in these times of great distress for their family. As we talked more with the father, he opened up to us about his anxiety that he has felt as of late, which prompted one individual in our group to read him a bible passage. That passage being Philipians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This seemed to be uplifting to him, and I’m glad the Holy Spirit led us to share that passage. At the end of our conversation, we were able to give clothes to their children and around 50 pounds worth of food for their family. We are glad that we were an encouragement to them, because they were certainly an encouragement to us.
Day 4, Home Visits, 3rd Foundation, Home Building
Scott Sayre | Home Building
I had the opportunity to build a home for a family today with a wonderful team. Our team has grown to care for each other and serve each other as we minister to the Guatemalans. The Guatemalan people are so gracious, warm, and easy to love. The work is very difficult, but so incredibly satisfying. It’s a satisfaction that I can’t quite describe. It’s been great for me to see the needs of others. I’ve really enjoyed the general routine of our trip. Breakfast, devotion before we head out, serve, eat, serve some more, eat, devotion, hang out, and go to bed. It’s been full in a number of ways and very good.
Lauren Jacobi | Home Visits
Today, our group was able to go on home visits. This was one of the things I was looking forward to most of all… little did I know, the previous 3 days were going to be absolutely incredible, and I didn’t realize how much a day like today would impact us emotionally. We had 3 home visits, where we learned about the family, what they needed, and what their prayer requests were. The second house was the one that would impact us all for life. The second home included a mother, father, and four children. The father recently had appendicitis and became septic, so he had been out of work for over 3 months. The mother stayed home with the children, and the children gathered around her during the visit. We noticed that the children had very low energy (not talking, sitting, barely smiling), and were incredibly thin. When Ben asked the mother when the last time the children ate was, she admitted that it had been over 24 hours, and the ONE “meal” the day before was a little bit of milk and bread that a neighbor dropped off. This was a common occurrence – IF they were able to eat once a day, it was a good day. ALL of our hearts ached so much to see this. When we gave the children candy and small gifts, their eyes lit up like nothing we’ve ever seen. We were able to provide the family with meals that will last a few weeks, some money to help pay for groceries, and a Bible, among other things. The mother was thanking God this whole time – she said that before her husband’s surgery, they didn’t trust in God as they do now. She said that she has seen God again and again in how He provides for them. She knows she has hope in Jesus and that He will never leave or forsake her. She continued to praise God – it was amazing to see. We can’t even describe in words what this did to all of us….. our hearts are forever changed, and our vision has become even more Christ-focused.
Aaron Barnhart | Laying Foundation
Today our group was able to complete the third and final concrete day. Most of the people in our group had done one concrete day already, so everything ran a little more smoothly now that everyone had an idea of what was needed. One of the things that really stood out to us was the group delivering the sand we needed for the foundation of the home. They really went above and beyond by not only delivering us what we needed, but they also helped us move the sand to where we needed it for the home. At one point, they were carrying wheelbarrels full of sand over 100 yards to help us, which they did not need to do at all. This helped us complete our day so much quicker, and we were all grateful for their help.
Once we finished our cement day, we realized one of the trucks would not start. Since it was a manual vehicle, we decided to push it down a hill in order to perform a bump start, but that did not end up working. Our next plan was to hook up a rope to our other vehicle and pull it all the way home. Unfortunately, the normal brakes on the truck did not work, so we were forced to use the emergency brake whenever we needed to stop. About halfway home, the tow rope broke in a busy intersection, and we had to get out and fix the problem, which we thankfully were able to do quickly. This situation reminded some in our group of something our leader Ben had told us at the very beginning of the week – “Things will not go according to plan every day, so blessed are the flexible for they will not get bent out of shape.” Even though lots of things did not go to plan, we were still able to thank God for a great day where we accomplished what we needed, worked together great as a team, and were able to get home safely.
Day 5, Work Continues
Yesterday the team finished a house build, delivered and setup three stoves for families, and went on several house visits. They returned late in the evening last night and weren’t able to send individual blog posts. Below are several photos they’ve sent documenting their work in Guatemala so far.
Day 6, Wheelchair distribution
Ryan Miller | Wheelchair Distributions
This morning we set up at the church where we held the wheelchair distribution. We had some technical difficulties and got there a little later than expected, so quite a few people were there waiting for us when we arrived. With our large group, we were able to have 5 stations for wheelchair fitting and this really sped up the process.
Everyone worked together really well, even though we were in a small space, which made it chaotic at times with all the activity. Both the people receiving the chairs and their families were so thankful to be receiving a chair for the first time or to have a worn-out one replaced. Saul, one of the Bethel staff, did a great job of explaining to the people that these chairs are a gift from God and a demonstration of His love for them.
Everyone worked hard, and all of the people who showed up to get a chair were taken care of before lunch. We ate lunch and then loaded up for our 3-hour ride to Chimaltenango, which is close to Bethel headquarters, where we are spending the night before touring their shop and warehouse in the morning.
Shaylee Adrian
Today was wheelchair distribution day! We woke up and ate breakfast at the hotel before heading out to the church which would be our distribution site. We unloaded the wheelchairs, walkers and crutches and got the chairs set up for the families there to receive. After a short introduction from Saul, we split up into groups of three and began calling numbers to fit people one at a time. To each chair we added seat belts, adjusted foot pedals to the height each individual needed, and put a cushion against the back of the chair if they needed to be closer to the front of the seat. We passed out candy, stuffed animals and legos to any kiddos we saw, and that was a very exciting thing for most of them. Throughout the day we fit four children in pediatric chairs with various disabilities from motorcycle accidents to cerebral palsy and scoliosis. Close to 30 adults were fitted for wheelchairs and multiple walkers and crutches were passed out as well. After receiving their wheelchair, each family talks to the local pastor, gets prayed with, and takes home a Bible. The goal is to provide the families with hope. Hope through wheelchairs that offer a better life for the individual and the family that will no longer have to carry them everywhere. But more importantly, hope in Christ. The local pastors are able to check in on these families after the fact to continue to help with their physical and spiritual needs. After distributing the wheelchairs, we ate lunch as a team and hopped in the vans to head to Chimaltenango. After about a three hour drive, we arrived at the hotel at 4:30pm and some of us were able to swim before going to supper, doing devotions and finally to bed.
Day 7, Visiting Bethel Headquarters
Lauren Miller
This morning, we loaded all of our luggage onto the van and drove to breakfast. Following breakfast, we made a short drive to Chimaltenango, where we toured the Bethel shop and warehouse. We met the Bethel staff, including office workers, social workers, wheelchair restorers, and a seamstress. Two of the staff are actually the founders of the wheelchair ministry that is now known as Bethel. Most of the wheelchair repair staff are in wheelchairs themselves, so the job is also a mission.
It was interesting to see the behind-the-scenes of all the work we were able to do this week. The warehouse renovation is going well, and is fully funded, which is a huge praise! We then drove to their other property, where another warehouse is located. At the warehouse, we got to see the fabrication of the house pieces as well as all the wheelchair storage. The racks that hold the wheelchairs were much emptier than usual due to a lack of donations. The racks should start to fill up soon, because wheelchair collection is picking up again post-COVID. We are happy to have Grace become one of the collection sites for Bethel.
We got the chance to see the Crossroads school, which has been open for three years. At the school, we met the three teachers and twelve students. The purpose of Cross Roads is to offer education to students with disabilities, since that is lacking throughout Guatemala. It was sad to learn how these students were treated before, often getting rejected from school and having poor self-esteem because of their disabilities. It is common in Guatemala for people with disabilities to be referred to as someone who has a minus value. However, it was encouraging to hear about the transformation that has taken place in these same students over the past three years that they have been able to attend school.
Right now, construction has begun for an addition to the school, which will be a place for the students to receive physical therapy. After seeing all of the aspects of Bethel Ministries, we piled back in the van and enjoyed the afternoon exploring Antigua. Before heading into the city, we went up the Hill of the Cross and saw the view of the entire city. After enjoying the view, we started to head back down the mountain when the van got a flat tire. Thankfully, we had a spare, so we were back on the road quickly. We finished the day with a drive to Guatemala City, where we spent our final night in Guatemala.
