Mission: Guatemala 2007
After church on Sunday, we had the great opportunity to go out into the poorest district in Guatemala City (Paraiso) to visit several families of the church so that we might better understand the situations in which many of our soon-to-be patients live. Mark Smith, missionary here for three years and originally from Franklin, TN, led our group, telling us about the area and the people. As we began to exit the bus for our first walk, a police car pulled up behind us and a couple of officers stepped out to provide us an unplanned escort for the duration of our time in Paraiso. What a blessing! Though the bus drove us as far as possible to each house, we had to walk quite a bit up and down steep and sometimes narrow walkways made of dirt and rock. Apparently, the neighborhood began with squatters claiming land that was too steep or rocky for farming. The poverty is staggering! The first family we visited was a mother with 11 children.

The Shalom Foundation recently helped add on two small rooms to their one-room shack. I tried to wrap my mind around the logistics of their living situation and I simply could not. The next place we visited was the home of a very poor family also, whose two girls (aged 13 and 17) attend the Shalom school by way of an American sponsor. They have not had running water for 5 days. The last place we visited was home to the lady that cleans house for the missionaries. Her home was modest as well but much cleaner with nicer things, reflecting the benefits of a steady work position. The hospitality of the families we visited made us feel so welcome, especially considering our relatively large group of 13. While we were out, we saw two ladies making homemade tortillas and bought ~15 for about a quarter. They were hot and tasted great!

Upon arriving back at the seminary, we rested and enjoyed another wonderful dinner provided to us. We were blessed to hear Todd Lake speak us at devotional time on the passage in Luke 4 of Jesus’ “first sermon.” He emphasized the words of Jesus concerning the poor and oppressed and then noted the reaction of the people when they were called on to love foreigners as well as their own. It was a great time of praying, singing, reflecting and preparing for the week.

Mission: Guatemala 2007
This morning (Sunday) our group was surprised to find thick fog and cool temperatures to begin our day. The fog really made the seminary where we stay feel even more surreal to me. After a great breakfast served by ladies at the seminary, we headed out to Sunday school at the Iglesia Bautista Shalom. The building which houses the church also houses a school for 700 children. The school was created several years ago to serve children who could not afford to go to school. Of over 200 schools, the school ranks in the top 10 in the country, and they’ve even received an award from the government for their excellence. In fact, they’ve seen such success that many of the more affluent families are now paying tuition for their children to attend: (Contact the Shalom Foundation, info@theshalomfoundation.org if you want to help send a child to school – ~$35/mo. – that would otherwise be on the streets.)
I digress, back to the Belmont group…after touring the school, we were blessed to receive a lesson from the pastor especially prepared for us. He spoke from Psalm 41, emphasizing the blessings that God gives to those that “give regard to the poor”. Following Sunday school, we joined the church for a great (if quite lengthy) worship service. During the service, we witnessed a baptism, the ordination of a couple of men, a man’s new commitment to Christ, and a powerful song service. The children of the church swarmed to us, hugging us and holding our hands. Many of them sat with us throughout the service. I was told that the minister provided a great message, touching on a great number of useful topics. No translation was provided which allowed us to participate in a different way to see the typical worship scenario of these beautiful people. It was really nice to see the interactions, so casual and familiar, between the members.