11/4/17
Guatemala
2017! As I write this, we bounce along in a chicken-bus towards Panajachel, at
the conclusion of our first week. Our time here so far has been full of things
to do, places to see, Spanish to learn, and, most importantly, people to meet.
All of our training, skills, and reading has been to prepare us for missions
just like this. For some, the foreign mission field is nothing new (even if
Guatemala is); but for the rest of us, there have been a lot of “firsts”: first
time outside of the U.S., first mission trip, first chicken-bus ride… but for
all of us, there is a new and fresh experience in the community of Magdalena.
There
is so much to describe; this place is so different than my home in New Jersey.
The thing that comes to mind first is the chicken-bus, a social necessity here
that has public transportation as a loose relative back home. There are no
seatbelts, and sometimes people just stand in the aisles. Essentially they are
school busses that have been painted in unique and flashy patterns and colors,
but what makes them truly unique is the reputation of the drivers. Driving two
inches away from a building, going uphill, at night, backwards, has sealed in
my mind that these fine gentlemen are either absolute experts in contention
with the best Nascar drivers, or are completely mad and ridiculously lucky.
We ride
the buses at night and between communities, but for the most part, all of the
places we go to by walking are in Magdalena itself. We live in the homes of
host families, who have generously opened their modest means and boundless love
to complete strangers. We spend the night in our host homes, and walk to the
Students International center each morning. During the day we work with local
missionaries partnering with S.I. Each missionary runs a “ministry site” that
addresses needs in the community. There are a handful of sites, from social
work, to sports, to veterinary services.
The site I am working at is a creative
arts school, run by a man named Alvero. People from the local community can
come for free and use watercolor, acrylic, and oil paint, under Alvero’s
artistic and spiritual tutelage. If the artist wants, they can sell their
paintings through the art school and make 50%; the other 50% goes to the school
for supplies. Our contribution so far has been to help him help the students
and arrange paintings for sale.
The
best part of our site (and from what I’ve heard, every site), is the witness of
the missionary. On the walk from the student center to the art school, we are
always stopped at least twice by children who want to talk to him: current,
former, or prospective students. And, by getting to know the children in this
tight-knit community, Alvero has access to witness to their families as well.
I’ve decided to keep track of how many people in Magdalena don’t know him. I think the list would be small – and I think the
same goes for the other missionaries. By building a reputation of love and
sincere Christian kindness, they can earn the trust and admiration of their
neighbors and be the face of Christ in a lost and sometimes hopeless part of
the world. It is an honor to work with Alvero.
Most of
the community here is “Catholic,” but Alvero laments that faith in the true God
is blurred and distorted, and that Jesus’ light is dimmed or entirely snuffed
out, in the name of religious devotion. Long ago, the Mayan people of Magdalena
were exposed to Spanish Catholicism, and left their pagan ways (often by
force). But as Spanish influence died out politically, the local church
returned to the forms of religion it was used to. Now, saints are worshipped as
lesser deities and have their own holidays where people pray to them. “They
have parades and ceremonies, and pray to their ancestors as well as [saints],”
said Alvero. “It would be fine if they just celebrated the life of the person,
but praying to them as if they can hear or do anything…it really bothers me.
They are still pagan, but use the symbols of Christianity instead of paganism.”
Another missionary echoed him at a morning devotional. “Many people carry their
Bible under their arm and go to church every week; but that doesn’t mean they
read it or believe it. We need to exercise our faith, like it says in James 1,
and not just be content with our current spiritual state, so that we can reach
these people.”
Well, I
think it’s just about time to go. The bus has reached paved roads again, and my
bagged breakfast is calling mi nombre.
Adios!
Jason Krantz
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