SMCC – GUATEMALA 2023

Mindy: As I woke up this morning and was reflecting on the past week, my heart is full of gratitude and the sweet and gentle love of Jesus.  What a blessing it has been to spend the week touching the hearts of the people of Guatemala and also getting to know new friends from our own SMCC community.  I am filled with so many feelings and emotions from the week.  There is both joy

Today we began a new project in the mountains of Patizcia.   As we traveled to our destination, the landscape began to open. Often when traveling through the city streets, your view is obscured by the walls and gates of the city. As we drove further the hills and countryside revealed themselves. The beauty of Guatemala unfolded as we traveled deeper into farming country. In Guatemala they farm every available space, including very steep hillsides. As

Kelly: The team went to the house we have been working on the first thing in the morning. Fernando’s family had taken down part of the old house prior to our arrival.  This really opened up the space and we could see the bigger picture for the overall project. The team broke off into two elements, one staying to finish building the wall and one went to the Fernandos’s house to learn to make

James and Itylee The entire team arrived early and worked together this morning to make a large dent in the completion of the house building project. Much progress was made working as a team. We still took our coca and snack break, which is Fernando’s way of reminding us to see the larger picture of what we are doing and why we are doing it, building relationships with each other, working for the glory

Carlie Hola, from Guatemala! Feliz Miercoles! (Happy Wednesday). Today was a gift. The opportunity to serve presents itself in so many forms. It can be found in medial task like washing carrots, stacking cinder blocks, or even stirring cement. Relationships with people and with God grow with every chop of a knife and every new Spanish and English word learned. After today I’m not sure who is more blessed the community or us. At

Dawn:  We woke up to bedrooms which had cooled off overnight from a nice breeze and the help of some very loud fans.  Then we discovered a rooftop balcony with views of the 4 volcanos around us;  Pacaya, Agua, Fuego, Acatenango.  The air was thick with moisture, and the mountains were visible as though viewed through a foggy mirror.   Fuego appeased us by choosing that moment to have a minor expulsion of soot and