Lic Chom Feet: Views that will last a Lifetime

As I lay in the back of a red jeep my heart sank as I left our outreach to San Gabriel early do to a stomach attack. For five years I have struggled with these strange pains that consume my entire body and once they start there is no way for me to control them, all I can do is sleep. I guess that is why I started to go to the doctor almost eight months ago and still I find myself in the same situation, missing out because my body attacks itself (or at least that’s how it feels). I lay there and think; what did I do wrong? As I remember my day nothing abnormal stinks out in my mind. Just an hour ago I was walking the streets of San Gabriel being blessed again by more home visits and yet again in awe of the boldness the OR4 guys have in Christ. I must find thankfulness even in my situation and so I do. I find the eucharisteo’s. “And when I give thanks for the seemingly microscopic, I make a place for God to grow within me” (-Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are).

My 6:00 AM wake-up call once again comes way too soon. On the bus ride up the mountain before a grueling hour hike to the remote Latin village of Chopen I am thankful that my stomach pains have subsided. I should have had a bigger breakfast. For some reason a small bowl of yogurt and a slice of pineapple wasn’t quite enough food to make it up the mountain. I found myself in between my small prayers of “Lord, don’t let me throw up” and “Lord give me energy, don’t let me pass out”, in awe of the fields of corn, rolling clouds, and moss rocks (my dad would have wanted to take every one of them home, he loves moss rocks). My heart leapt for joy as Hector announced, “Five more minutes”. However, I should have reminded myself that five minutes in Guatemala time is more like fifteen.

One of the families we saw on our house visits. The father just 9 days before was trampled by a horse. God has abounding grace.

Our outreach began. Here is the small village of Chopen comprised of seventeen families without a single church. I have never seen more beautiful people than the people that live in Chopen. I found myself surrounded by dark skin people with blue and green eyes, not sure how that Punnett square worked out. All afternoon I was surrounded by beautiful smiling and laughing children as we played game after game; from duck, duck, goose to balloon futbol it was pure bliss. I watched the sunset as our group hiked back to the school where we would be sleeping on yet another concrete floor. We made ourselves a bonfire, cooked what was supposed to be Chorizo, and went to bed. The next morning I was glad to have all ten toes as no one informed me that Chopen would be freezing! On a lighter note: I have a weird obsession with baby pigs. For 6 years now I have dreamt about owning my very own tea cup pig. With that being said, my dream of getting to touch a baby pig finally came true.

Look at that FACE!!!

I should have worn sunscreen. We hiked down from Chopen (3-4 miles) we were waiting where the road ends for the bus to pick us up to take us back to San Miguel. Eder and I decided that we would walk down the road until the bus drove by and then we would just hop in the car to ride the rest of the way. The bus was an hour and a half late so by the time the rest of the team got picked up Eder and I had already made the six mile or so hike down to San Miguel.

Blessed would be one word that would sum up this journey that I have taken to Guatemala. As Eder and I hiked down to San Miguel we shared stories; stories of Eucharisteo. For two hours we recounted stories of God’s faithfulness in our lives; of God’s provision, grace, and blessings through suffering. This will be something that I will always remember.

I thought that I was sore when I woke up the next day, but nothing could have prepared me for how I would feel after the hike to Chilasco Falls. We arrived at the falls for a fun day off from outreach and more relationship building with the OR4 guys. It was the most breath taking waterfall I have ever seen; all pointing to God’s ridiculously skilled creativity. For a solid hour we crawled over slim covered rocks laughing and splashing each other as the cold water fell from the sky on our shoulders. It was an absolutely once in a life time event. I say that because I think if I ever had to hike back up from the falls again I would die!