Reflections from Guatemala

The prayer team that traveled to La Limonada, Guatemala in November with Lemonade International will share about their experiences during Adult Ed. tomorrow from 10:15 to 11:00 a.m. We asked two of the team members to share some written reflections with us beforehand. Here is what they had to say.

Beth Weicht
La Limonada is beautiful. I heard this several times over the course of the week we were there, from people who lived and worked there, and it is true. Coming from the outside, and being used to the large houses of US suburbia and all the material goods that are the focus of our society, it’s easy to focus on what is lacking: private bedrooms, running water, money, “stuff.” But if you have the eyes to see (and the people there will help you, if you are willing), you start to notice how if they can afford it, people paint the outside wall of their house in bright colors; there are carefully tended plants in pots on the second storey ledge; the children (for the most part) are happy; they have deep, loving relationships with their siblings and whoever their caretaker is, be it mom, auntie, or grandma. The academies are a haven before or after school, where the children come and are nurtured by caring teachers who, despite having grown up with trauma and loss, are able to transform that into love. We heard stories of kids who have made it through the academies into high school, have graduated and now have meaningful jobs and have escaped the gang involvement that is so prevalent. So many people are working to make La Limonada a better place. Yes, it is a slum with drugs, gangs, and violence. And yes, it really is beautiful.

Something else that made a big impression on me was the theological reflection that Teddy gave at the cemetery. He was from the Center for Transforming Mission, which works collaboratively with Tita’s Vidas Plenas organization. He spoke about the four wounds of Guatemala as he recounted its history. It was sobering to hear how the United States’ involvement with Guatemala had so often led to the increase of suffering of its people. Like he said, it is important to talk about the wounds, so they can be exposed and heal. I think we need to own up to some of these things and seek reconciliation. He also said to go back and look at our own cities and see if there are places that represent the wounds in our history too, and talk about them and seek healing. I immediately thought of Indian School Road in Phoenix. Just as we can see the children of La Limonada in their difficult circumstances and desire to remove them from their environment, that is what we did to Native American children not so terribly long ago. The Heard Museum has an exhibit that makes it clear how much those children suffered being taken from their families and communities, not allowed to speak their own language, wear their own clothes, or grow up with their own culture.

That is what makes what Tita and Vidas Plenas are doing such a great model. It was started by someone in the community who had a vision of how it could be transformed. People from that community do the work and as outsiders, we just come alongside to help in the ways that they ask us to. It is sustainable and will not cause the hurts and scars that happen when someone comes from somewhere else and decides what needs to be done. It was a real blessing to be with the lovely people of La Limonada, pray with and for them, hear their stories (both the deep pain and the joy) and gain a little bit of an understanding of what they are going through and their hopes for the future.

Wendy Pitha
This was my second trip to La Limonada. The first trip was amazing and I was impressed beyond words with the work that was taking place down there by Guatemalans. To have such a program initiated and implemented by those native citizens and partnered with the Lord was amazing to me. I was moved to sponsor two staff members working in the academies.

I was a bit ambivalent about spending the fair amount of money to go down there again for prayer when I thought that the Vidas Plenas could probably use what I was spending better than my physical presence. On the trip down there, I figured that it would probably be my last journey there. I knew that prayer could take place anywhere and a physical presence wasn’t necessary. I was in for an amazing revelation.

One of the things that moves me so about La Limonada is the dire circumstance under which people live in that slum. The violence, the despair, the poverty, the fact that it is a red zone where even the police don’t enter, and their untouchable status to the outside city are all such a crushing burden, yet I’ve never felt God’s presence and activity so completely as I do there. The people we work with are so mightily people of God. True transformation is taking place in that community.

When we prayed with the members of the community I was unprepared for the depth and breadth of their concealed pain and challenges. We prayed individually with both children and adults as they were accessing new reading glasses. We entered into a holy space with them. The power of the Holy Spirit was palpable in our presence. We shared tears, love, and prayers, but most of all, we shared hope. We were God’s people doing what God asks us to do and that is to lean into Him and reach out to others. It was hard to imagine how these people get up in the morning and face the day with the tragedies, heartaches, and difficulties they live with. But on the contrary, they are living witnesses of what God is doing. Our faith is in eternity and our lives are but a preparation for that glory. It is our time to claim Jesus as our Savior and place our faith in God’s love for us and the power and strength we get from the Holy Spirit to sustain us through our days. Our presence in their midst reminds us that we are people of means and resources and they are not. It prompts the desires of our hearts to actively be the hands and feet of the Lord in ways in which we are able. It reminds us that God works through us when we are present and our physical presence was witness to our love and compassion for these precious souls. It reminds us that there isn’t a monetary value on embraces, tears, prayers, smiles, and love demonstrated.

I came away with the understanding that there aren’t enough hours in the day or opportunities in our lives to fulfill the profound need for prayer, encouragement, and offering to the lives of these people. Every opportunity taken to express our love, pray with these suffering people, and give of our bounty is a divine appointment. Thanks be to God! Amen.