I couldn't have imagined a better experience. Several people came to know the Lord. We had an awesome worship experience. We rebuilt a house. We built a roof. We installed walls and doors. We spent time sharing our faith and living out the Gospel. It was awesome!
The highlight for me was the 2 1/2 days we spent with a family of 14 in desperate need of better living accomodations. I thought going to Guatemala that we were going to work on the roof. Little did I know that meant roof plus the walls that support it. The family went from looking at us with a bit of distrust to smiles and true feelings of togetherness in the Lord. On the last day, the father knelt and prayed with two of the team members. The women in our group got to do several home visits where people were saved, but the guys were working on this house. The fruit came on the last day when the father was praying. I was so involved in working that I failed to realize we were doing an extended home visit!
Another thing that I will treasure forever was spending time trying to communicate with members of two different families. My Spanish is poor at best, but I had a blast trying to converse with the children. It solidified what God had been saying to me for a while that it doesn't matter where you're from, people are just people. We all have basic needs and we all are in need of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I also thought it was great that the trip wasn't just focused on helping others but was also about working on our own walk with the Lord. I enjoyed the recaps each night, hearing what God was doing in and through each person. I pray that I have the opportunity to return to Guatemala.
This post was written by Chris Button of Huntsville, Alabama, who traveled to Guatemala in March of 2012 as a mission trip participant.
