Guatemala: Serving vs. Fixing

God was very gracious to give me the opportunity to serve in
Guatemala alongside Redeemer's House International. 

I didn't plan to go on another mission trip this year. 

It didn't seem appropriate.

It didn't seem wise.

The calendar is full,

so it didn't seem practical. 
Not going to serve orphans,

it didn't fit my plan. 

With the first nudge felt to go,

I questioned and prayed.
Alongside my reasons to not go,
I needed to evaluate my reasons TO go.

You see, I love to travel, love anything cross-cultural,
love the feeling of serving, and also love me some adventure. 

As things often are with God,

it just didn't make sense,

Still, I felt the stir to go. 

When I evaluated my reasons for not going,

they were me-focused and me-reasoned.

Truly this was a trip of the heart. 

God had things to show me. 
My heart, heavy with memories of other trips, have been processing serving without hurting, and I needed to see it in action.   

Redeemer's House works to restore, redeem and release people in poverty in Panajachel, Guatemala. 

How? 
Carefully, intentionally, and prayerfully.

They aren't seeking to bring America to Guatemala.

Much of their work (in addition to working with a local school) involves building relationships with single mothers.  Each afternoon during our trip, small groups of us visited these families.  With a small bag of rice, beans, fruit and veggies in hand, we visited as friends.

Walking into homes where three kids slept on a stack of cardboard boxes, where rain poured in through cracks in ceilings,
where there was no electricity and no water, and
we simply talked, laughed, and connected.

Though everything in us wanted to start making shopping lists and organizing building teams,
we simply connected.

We honored their lives and their homes. 
We fought the urge to make them dependent on us,
to be the saviour,
to create competition between families and neighbors,
to put local businesses out of jobs by bringing suitcases of clothes,
shoes and gifts,
to make them somehow think that WE were what they needed. 

Did we help?  Yes. 
We brought some food, a water filter and raised some money for a doctor's visit. 
But our help?  It is short term.  Material.  Surface-level.

Our hope was that they see God as provider,
as healer, and Jesus as their hope.  
Our hope was to serve only in ways that were sustainable and
God-focused. 

"Our relationship with the materially poor should be one in which we recognize that both of us are broken and that both of us need the blessing of reconciliation.  Our perspective should be less about how we are going to fix the materially poor and more about how we can walk together, asking God to fix us both. "
-from When Helping Hurts