I was excited to visit a new country with goals that stretched beyond my own selfish desire to travel. I have to admit that I was itching to use my camera for the first time out of the U.S. What I found was a country of vivid color and colorful people willing to share their lives with a smile.
Our team arrived in the village to the sad news of a family that lost a seven-month old baby just that morning. We joined that family in their home and prayed for them. It was hard not to go through the village that day without the reminder of their loss. That afternoon we joined the community in the mile-long funeral procession that took us from their home to the cemetery outside of town. This day set the tone for the week as we were engulfed with a sense of community I have never experienced.
We drove the one and a half hour 9-mile drive to the village from our hotel in Nebaj. Having just recently been to Disneyland, this drive resembled the Reality TV version of the Indiana Jones ride. The recent rainy season transformed the road to an obstacle course where we needed to navigate deep ruts and parts of the road that no longer existed. Fortunately we had 4WD vehicles. I was able to experience the road in several ways: from the back seat, from the back bed and from behind the wheel. Each had its own challenge and fun.
Three aspects of our visit in Villa Hortencia were particularly meaningful to me: the community, the children, and the village leaders.
The idea of community rang strong in my head throughout the week (I’m pretty sure I’m not confusing that ringing from the altitude and dehydration). It was hard not to see it during the funeral. But it was an undercurrent that was more felt than seen. Granted, the town population in just around 600, but everyone seemed affected by the ups and downs of the other. The women were the bankers of the town and knew where the money was and should be spent. One man had a pharmacy, another grew potatoes, one had a small grocery store, another cut hair. Neither one prospered by our country’s standards, but each one relied on the other for the success of the village.
You cannot visit this village (or any other village I presume) without being affected by the children. Upon our first arrival into town, we were greeted by the laughter of kids running up to us and jumping on the beds of our trucks with their inquisitively penetrating eyes. There was one boy that specifically caught my attention and I enjoyed getting to know this young man. My Spanish is pretty limited and the main language of the village is Quiche. So I would use a lot of hand and body language to get my point across. He seemed to understand me really well. On my last day, I learned that he was mute and could not hear. I was glad that I didn’t learn this until the end of my visit and was able to address him like I did everyone else. He certainly enjoyed having his picture taken.
Another lasting impression I had was the honor to meet with the leaders of the village, each proudly inviting us to their home and property. Commitment and honor radiated from them as they explained their roles and commitment to their particular position in government. As a group, they took the time to demonstrate the way new council members are sworn into office as a good number of the villagers crowded into the community building to witness the ceremony.
Understatedly, the trip was awesome. However, what was crucial for me was our morning devotion time. We started each day with a time of devotion. Each of our ten-member team read from the Bible and facilitated discussion that pertained to our time in the village. In the evening I kept a journal and as I reflected on the day each night, I was blown away with how our morning time directly correlated with what happened that day. God’s great!
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