Guatemalan Journey

A Freak Accident to a Good Friend

About a week ago, Dick received a phone call (which I translated for him) from a man in Huehuetenango, telling us that our good friend, Maria Garcia, had been seriously injured in what can only be described as a freak accident.

Maria and a friend were praying in the small church near her home, and about a quarter mile away some men were working on a bridge up the side of the mountain. They were putting in a new approach and decided that dynamiting the existing structure would be most efficient. As is all too often the case here in Guatemala, they evidently were not skilled in using explosives, and the uncontrolled blast sent rocks and debris in all directions.

Sadly, a four pound rock from the blast flew the quarter mile, went through the roof of the church, and hit Maria Garcia squarely in the head. Her husband told us that when he came, she was lying in such a large pool of blood that he thought surely she was dead.

Maria Garcia, July, 2012, standing in the church
where she was severely injured.

By the grace of God, she was not. And by his miraculous protection she stayed alive for the half hour it took them to find a pick up truck to take her to the hospital as well as for the hour it took to drive to the hospital in the city of Huehuetenango. (No ambulances in this remote part of the country. Can you imagine the excruciating pain for traveling mountain roads in the back of a pickup with a head injury? I can’t bear to think of it.)

I met Maria Garcia on my first trip to this area, years before I moved to Guatemala. She has been a good friend and strong example of living the Christ-life without fear or reservation. Her dedication to her God and her people has inspired me many times.

Maria is what would probably be called a community organizer in the US. Her late son started working with the people in their area to help them better their lives, and when he died, his mother took over his work. She has helped Dick, through Bethel Ministries, provide food and educational support for many of the families in this destitute area of Guatemala. In addition, she shares the love of Jesus with all she touches, both through her words and her actions.

In return for her efforts, it seems she has received nothing but trouble. A few years ago, she was severely beaten by a group of her neighbors, who either were jealous that she was not providing them with assistance, or, we have been told, did not like a woman having the power she had. She was left for dead, but managed to survive.

About two years ago, she was afflicted with severe sores in her mouth which took months and months to heal. She could hardly speak, and could not carry on her usual ministry in the area. Her daughter, Blanca, however, stepped in to fill the gap and the work continued.

Now this. I have no doubt that in these instances, my sister in Christ has been fighting, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. And repeatedly, God has shown His faithfulness to His servant.

We didn’t know what we could actually do, but we knew we had to go and visit her and her family. We did bring a wheelchair with us, but knew that the personal contact and encouragement to her and her family were the real reasons for our long trip.

Visiting with one of Maria’s daughters
as Maria slept in the background.

We arrived 15 days after the accident, not knowing what to expect. Maria returned home after five days in the hospital where she had surgery to remove numerous bone fragments from her skull, received a metal plate to cover the damaged area, and left with more than thirty stitches which span from one ear to the other, across the whole top of her head.

When we arrived we found Maria in bed sleeping. She has been told she will need to be on bed rest for six months. As we sat visiting with her daughter, she soon awoke. I was amazed to find that she recognized us, and could speak to us, though barely above a whisper. She is able to move her entire body, and even sat up a bit to visit with me. Though she is in intense pain, she did not speak a single word of complaint, and joined in as we prayed together for her recovery.

As I stood there, staring down at the huge wound on her head, I couldn’t help but praise God for His faithfulness in the face of this disaster. My common sense tells me that she should be in a coma, if not completely paralyzed. And here she is, talking to me, thanking us for visiting her. I am standing in front of a living miracle.

Please continue to pray for Maria, her recovery, and her family. They are very poor themselves, and the almost $100 a month she now needs for medicine is almost impossible for them to raise. We were able to provide for one month’s supply, but if you would like to contribute to help the family pay for her medical expenses (they borrowed over 50,000 quetzales or about $6500 to pay just for her surgery and hospital care), please email me and we’ll arrange it.

Please keep Maria Garcia and her family in your prayers. Her daughters have agreed to continue serve as the liaison with the families in this area who are served by Bethel Ministries. In addition to caring for their mother, this will be quite a job for them. We are grateful for their willingness to serve their people.

Fidel—His Family Finds Him

One Friday night, Fidel received a message on Facebook, asking if his cousin could come and visit him the next day. Of course, he could, and early Saturday morning we welcomed Fidel’s uncle, cousin and nephew who had come from Totonicapan for a visit.

Fidel was so excited he just about jumped out of his chair. It had been more than ten years since he had had a visit from anyone in his family! He had been in contact with his sister, who lives in the US, through Facebook, but never imagined his family would visit.

Fidel’s Uncle Valentino sharing his faith with us over breakfast.

During the visit, Fidel’s uncle shared with me that they had been told that Fidel had died in the orphanage. When he showed up on Facebook, they couldn’t believe it was him. In fact, they admitted that part of the reason for their visit was to find out if it was really him, or someone impersonating him who would then try to extort money from the family. It never occurred to me that this would be a concern for them, but, knowing the conditions in Guatemala, it is more than reasonable for them to think this. They were overjoyed to find out that he not only was, in fact, alive, but living where he is well cared for and loved.

Fidel enjoying meeting his nephew.
His mother, Fidel’s sister, is in the US.

We had a wonderful time visiting with the three of them. Fidel’s nephew, who was nine years old, couldn’t understand what was wrong with his uncle, so I was able to explain a bit about cerebral palsy to him. Fidel’s uncle, especially, kept repeating, “You mean his mind is okay? His mind is normal?” It was such fun to share with them all the things that Fidel is able to do in spite of his physical limitations. Fidel beamed with pride as we talked about him.

While I had hoped his family would begin to take an interest in him, I never imagined that they would want to become involved in his life again. They are unable to care for him themselves, but you could see their concern for him. They brought him a few small gifts, including a new set of clothes, and gifted him with some spending money.

Though I offered for them to spend the night, they said they needed to return to Totonicapan quickly, because they had commitments the next day. They had traveled more than six hours by bus during the night, just to see Fidel. And they were making the return trip after only a few short hours of visiting with them. I hope they can stay longer next time, and we promised to keep in touch by phone.

It was a good day!

Graduation at Santa Maria

The school year at New Life in Santa Maria de Jesús ended while I was in the States, but I through my friends, I was able to share a bit of the Clausura (closing and graduation) this year.

Marlin, the kindergarten teacher, and Judy Kerschner, the founder of the school, with the kindergarten students

For the first time this year, our kindergarten students “graduated” to first grade. They are so darling, and this was such a exciting time for them. In the group picture, though, they look a little tired out from all the activity this day. Many of them will be moving into a special transitional kindergarten-first grade class. I am honored that Marisol, the Director (principal) of New Life has asked me to help them develop the curriculum for this new class.

I remember so well Yudy’s (on right) first day of school two years ago. She was so afraid of the “gringas” (white women) that neither Judy nor I could enter her classroom without her crying or hiding behind her teacher. She’s come a long way!

Graduation from 6th grade is a big achievement in an area where 3rd grade and an illiteracy rate of 44% is the norm. Many students come to us after failing in public school several years. This is why our graduates are older. A number will continue their education through high school correspondence classes, working with Profe Manuel in the afternoons.

Our sixth grade graduates, with Marisol, the Director of New Life, and Profe Manuel, their teacher.

I have to admit that sometimes, here in Guatemala, we measure progress a bit differently than in the US. Below is a picture of one of my students, Joel, right after he was caught saying a naughty word in Kaqchikel (the Mayan language spoken in Santa Maria). The good news is that, thanks to the hard work of our Speech Therapist, Jennifer Giesmann, we were able to understand what he said clearly! I call that a win!

Time with Family

One of the best parts of returning to Omaha is getting to spend time with my kids, and especially my grandsons. They are at ages now where they are growing up so fast that it seems they are each a different person on each visit.

My son, Jeremy, is traveling a lot for his work these days, so I was tried to help out Lin, my daughter-in-law whenever I could. She had her wisdom teeth removed while I was home this time, and I was so glad to be there to pitch in a bit.

One of the reasons I pick this time of year to visit is to be here for Nate’s birthday. This year he turned 4, and has become quite the little man.

As usual, the boys did a bit of “grandma-sitting” while I was there.

Nate driving his car. Should I be worried that he wears a “crash helmet” when he does this? This is one of his favorite things to do, along with calling, “Grandma, look at me!”

I don’t know if you can read this, but Zach, who is in second grade this year, decided I needed to take a spelling test—in English and in Spanish. Of course, he would have to ask me how to say the words in Spanish. I passed and even got a sticker to prove it!

And both are getting old enough now to go on “grandma dates.”

Nate is content to hang out wherever, and loves to go to McDonalds.

Zach, on the other hand, has definite preferences. One time we went to Dave and Busters and played Ski Ball. He beat the pants off me.

He also chose a trip to the Jocelyn Art Museum (where did this kid come from?). Guess he really is growing up!

We packed in as much as we could into the short time I was in Omaha, including a trip to Nebraska City to pick apples. (Apples are mainly imported here in Guatemala, and it was so nice to have so many varieties to choose from, at decent prices!) I even bought some apple butter to introduce my guys to this American delicacy.

Mikayla even managed to join us for the morning.

Since I didn’t go to Chicago this trip, my brother, Jim, came over for a weekend visit.

And I got in on the last of the season’s soccer games.

Leaving the boys was a bit harder this time. Zach now understands how long it will be until I come back again. He had a long talk with me, explaining all the reasons why I should not go back to Guatemala. I tried to explain to him why I am here, but that’s quite a bit for a seven year old to understand. I pray he will one day.

A Taste of Guatemala

On September 28, Causa de Esperanza, with the help of Westside Church, hosted a dinner and silent auction to help support Casa de Esperanza. Due to the hard work of so many people, the turnout exceeded my wildest expectations. I am humbled by the friendship that was extended to me this night.

We served over 100 dinners, and through donations and the auction, raised enough support to pay our rent for three full months.

Better yet, we got to share what God is doing through our ministry in Guatemala. It was such fun to get to introduce, in person, so many of you to our residents and our ministry. A number of people commented that this has made it easier for them to know how to pray for us. THAT’s what I call a success.

I only wish I had had more time to visit personally with each of you who took the time to come out to support us. I hope you know how much you encouraged me by your kind words and your presence. And, many of you who were not able to come, were so kind to send your thoughts in email.

While I have to admit I was a bit overwhelmed putting this all together, I also have to say that I can’t wait to do it again next year.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped us with the evening:

from those who helped prepare and set up,