Post by Brett

Wow….Today was something special for me. Here’s my experience in a big nutshell.

So, it was interesting… We started off our trip here in Guatemala with a “Day Off…”  Our “Day of Rest…” Even though we didn’t actually do too much resting. We were out and about all day, having a great experience. Our team and I anxiously awaited to start so that we could try and make an impact with the community. This morning we got our first chance! It was exciting.

We got up bright and early, grabbed our cup of joe, and out the door we went. We drove to Patzicia, a small village in the mountain area. We arrived at the home of a somewhat reserved, yet very kind, mother. Her daughter and shy grandson lived with her also. There are a few things we were able to work on today. We gave out these nifty water purification systems and while visiting this family, I saw first-hand how a lot of these amazing, God loving people, rely fully on hand dug wells when it comes to water. I mean, obviously I know this is just how parts of the world are, but it’s very humbling seeing it first-hand…it makes me cry when I think about it. We were able to till an old patch of land that was on the side of her home. Our guys created a very nicely made garden where we helped plant some small vegetables that will help them become more self-sufficient. It turned out beautiful. A few of our teammates went to visit a couple different families in the area. They all agreed that it was very fulfilling. I got the opportunity to help build and construct a chicken coop! How cool is that!? This chicken coop that you would think was built by professional architects, will also really help them when it comes to having food and gaining a small source of income. Again however, I found myself reflecting on the amount of lack there is in parts of the world. But that’s why we’re here, right? As Christians… To be God’s hands. To do His work. Little by little…Chicken coop by chicken coop.

I’ll tell you what, I had a blast making that elegant chicken coop come to life with those guys! I really enjoyed playing around with the kids I met. I gave them such a hard time, constantly just playing around. We laughed all day. Even though it was hard to tell if they were laughing with me or laughing at me. LOL. Probably whispering to each other in Spanish “loco gringo.” Either way though, it was pretty awesome! My new friend Luis invited me to take a walk with him to go buy drinks for the crew, which was cool, He’s a 27 year old, full time Guatemalan missionary. So I went. Unfortunately, I didn’t know until after, how loooooong of a dirt road it was to this little market, and how steep of an uphill walk it was coming back. However, it was very fulfilling because we got to have a very human conversation about each other’s lives. We walked with each other, we worked with each other, and we laughed with each other… What’s better than that? Long story short, I feel like we would be great friends if we lived in the same part of the world.

I am very happy and blessed to be able to be back in Guatemala again, after a long five years.

I’m so thankful for all my family and the people who support me. Love y’all!

God is great. =)

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