Avocado orchards

Overall, so far, Guatemala has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. The people have reflected God’s generosity constantly. Yesterday after a delicious breakfast with my host family, Kate, Abigail, and myself (John Gallagher) went to work at the agricultural site with Meme (Meh-may), our leader. Meme had just led devotionals about the faith of Noah. This was fitting for the parallels I see between the two men. Both save the lives of animals for the glory of God. Meme has a veterinary clinic here and charges 10 Quetzales (about $1.50) for a visit no matter the procedure. To put this in perspective, I spent 50Q on a Big Mac, fries, and a drink.

When not in the clinic working with dogs and other pets, we are building water filters for farmers in the community. Yesterday we drove into the mountains to do exactly that. While stopping to collect cinderblocks, cement, and other supplies, we were surprised to see one of the bags begin to move, and even more surprised when it barked at us. Inside we found two puppies, each smaller than a loaf of bread. Meme is a small man with a big smile, and he was grinning ear to ear as he handed the “chuchos” to us.

They accompanied us to a massive avocado orchard, each branch bending to the weight of the abundant fruit. The trees take 5 years to mature and produce fruit, but Meme told us because of the many prayers over the plants, they have produced huge harvests on their third year.

We were treated to Pepsi and chocolate wafers by the farmer, which established a pattern for us. Each farmer was more generous than the last. One provided us with a feast of guacamole, salsa, tortillas, and chicken. We have worked at five farms in total so far and none have failed to feed us so generously that we have been too full to eat the lunches we packed.

Another pattern every farmer took part in was the request for prayer before we left. They asked us to pray for the protection of their families, the blessing of their crops, and the fulfillment of God’s plan. The humble, lighthearted, yet reverent love they show toward God transcends language barriers and has been inspiring to all of us. They work hard but never cease to smile, and the most frequent phrase on their lips is Gloria a Dios. Glory to God!

-John Gallagher