Life
finding god in
guatemala
during a mission trip
My mission trip to Guatemala with Hope
Project International started with buying
a suitcase on Tuesday morning the
week prior. It needed to fit in the overhead bin to
accommodate the checked luggage filled with
supplies for the many children we were teaching
in vacation bible school. It needed to be nice
enough to use again with 360-degree rotating
wheels. I bought a new pair of Sketchers for walking
in the mountainous village and dancing with
the kids. I managed to fit my clothes, three pairs
of shoes, an extra blanket in case I got too cold,
my Lancome, and chargers for both my iPhone
and Android, into my new suitcase. What I didn’t
anticipate is that I would unpack so much more.
I wish I could count the times that I felt or saw
God working in the small Guatemalan village
where God brought us. I can only share the
highlights given my limited word count, not to
mention all the times I failed to recognize God’s
works. God first appeared through Bob and
Servants Hearts Ministries. Bob and his team
are performing works that are lifechanging for
the Guatemalans. Most homes are made from
cornstalks with a tarp for the door and another
tarp covering the hole that serves as the bathroom.
Members of our team helped the ministry
replace a couple of the cornstalk homes with a
10x12 structure with a wood-burning stove and
a $65 water purification system. Typically, there
are three generations of families living under one
roof. The meals for the families are cooked over
an open fire in the single-room home. The years
of black soot on the walls are indicative of the
black smoke that fills their lungs. For me, it was a
well-built metal shed with an efficient $170 stove,
and for them it was a gift from God-a dream home
complete with water, a window, locking door and
an added ten years to their lives.
The gratitude of the Guatemalans, whose lives
we were blessed to be just a small part of, was
unprecedented. The grandmother in the home
we built, spoke with God directly. Through her
tears and songs of love and praise and through
the bottles of Cokes given to the building team
bought by the gentleman receiving the second
home at a cost of a week’s worth of wages, God
was heard. Children were just as giving and
receiving of the love and gratitude only God can
instill. God spoke through a little boy with holes
“ I went to Guatemala to help those in
need, but I did not expect that I would
be the one that needed the help.”
Meet the Attorney
Amanda Salcido is an attorney practicing in family
and dependency law. She is also a soldier in the
United States Army JAG Corps. She take a personal,
hands-on approach in representing her clients. For
more information visit her website.
Salcido Law Office
Call Amanda to schedule
an appointment.
863-688-1728
SalcidoLawOffice.com
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