Well, I’m back in the good ole midwest after a week of serving with Casas Por Cristo building a house for a family. I’m happy to be back and see some loved ones however i’m not happy that i had to leave some loved ones and people whom i grew close to while my time in Guatemala! here is a synopsis of my week.
Day Uno
Landed safe and sound in Guatemala City this afternoon. Was sooo excited to see Tyler and Brandon (good friends living there) and meet new people that i was on an adrenaline high. Well, whats a trip without a health scare. On the bus ride to the place we were staying at i started to contract some seizure symptoms. I’m guessing from the lack of aqua, sleep, a new culture shock and being soo excited that my brain just couldn’t handle all the stimulants. I blocked out everything around me and prayed i would not break out in seize mode with a bunch of people i’ve never met before around me. I guess God had some other neat plans for me as i slowly started feeling better. Met our Casas team tonight. The team was made of a family from North Dakota, a couple from kansas, and another mother with her daughter who had down syndrome. So excited to get to know them better!
Day Dòs
Today was HARD, let me just tell you that again. Today was HARD. You never know how grateful you are to have cement trucks until you don’t have one and make everything by hand. Our site was at the top of a steep, slanted hill with all the supplies at the bottom which meant hauling buckets of sand and rock up the slippery hill every second haha you work with what God gives you i guess. The thing about doing Team Casas trips is that its all different people, groups, dynamics, families, and attitudes. The thing thats amazing is our focus and hopefully purpose is to glorify God in our build. to show Christ’s love in all that we do. Its not just to build a house. Its to build a relationship. Today i also handed out bracelets that one of my best friends sister, Maggie, made. I am so proud of Maggie. She is a nine year old girl from my town that took the time out to make bracelets for kids she didn’t even know. Heres a picture of some of the kiddos receiving Maggie’s bracelets.
Julie receiving a bracelet
Day Très
Today started off rough. The dumb nails just wouldn’t go into the wood. Low and behold i switched hammers and Bam! they finally went in. Walls went up today and even part of the roof. This is the exciting day where you begin to see the house take shape. One of the things that hit me today was watching a girl on my build Matalia who has down syndrome sit on the ground with guatemalan kids surrounding her. Everyone smiling and laughing and the kids teaching Matalia spanish words. Matalia was a huge inspiration to me. She has so many disabilities and to see her come with her mom and just submerge herself in the culture was adorable and incredible. In Guatemala a lot of the men make fireworks for the brand Bobcat fireworks. In devotions we were talking about how they make most of them in their kitchen over their stove. You might see people walking around with burns on their face or arm just because they are trying to provide for their family. They make near to nothing doing this.
Day Quatró
Today we finished siding,roofing and played with the kiddos. Its interesting to see the different family dynamics here. Some kids were well behaved and face was semi clean and others were crazy and just needed a wet wipe across their face. Don’t get me wrong they all live in poverty, you can just tell which children looked neglected and which don’t. It just breaks my heart to see this baby in dirty clothes, dirty face, and snot running down and just sick looking not to mention he was being carried by his 7 year old looking sister. I look into the faces of these kids who have rotting teeth already and their only 3 or 4 years old. I’m gonna be honest i lost my patience a couple of times. Each day and hour more and more kids would show up at our building site. If you know me, you’d know when i’m surrounded by a lot of people i tend to freak out a little(i can be claustrophobic at times). Through my patience loss i had to honestly look at each person as a child of God(which they are) and just chill. God loves them so much and i know i should love them as best as i could to replicate Christ’s love. I pray that God will give me a giving spirit, heart, soul, and mind tomorrow as we dedicate the house.
Day Cinco
Dedication Day~ A picture is worth a thousand words
The team, the family we built for, and their new house.
Day seís
Today is travel to Antiqua Day. Antiqua is a touristy town located an hour and a half away from San Raymundo (the town we built in). Unfortunately, this is our last day in Guatemala. It was spent shopping, walking, and just being gringo tourists. Also unfortunately i either ate something bad, had a parasite, or just had a stomach bug because i spent the bumpy, curvy, bus ride back to San Raymundo puking every half hour. There is nothing more humiliating running off the bus and puking while everyone watches from the inside….no bueno. The day ended with spending the night in my room sleeping and ignoring my tummy ache while listening to everyone enjoy the fiesta that took place the last night. Yes, it was lonely and sucked. I’m a social butterfly and wanted to enjoy the party with everyone else but hey what can ya do. Instead i reflected on the week of making new relationships.
“My Adventure to Guatemala was definitely an adventure worth taking. Who knew i could fall in love with a country with only being there one day. Who also knew i could want to go back after spending the last day puking and being miserable. I guess i can also say i left a part of me there, being that i forgot my phone there too. God can do some incredible things in the matter of 5 days. Thanks for letting me share my week with you. I leave you with a photo of some cute kiddies that will melt your heart.”
Smiles for Miles
Photo Cred: Olivia Abuhl
leahdelany 