Mission Trip to Guatemala

I would encourage anyone who has an opportunity to go on a short-term missions trip (especially to a third world country) to do it. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the month we had in the mountains of Guatemala was a life changing experience. I ran along mountain dirt paths, swam in a natural pool of an abandoned villa, hitched a ride in the back of a pick-up, held tiny orphans, preached in English with a translator, and preached in my mangled Spanish (to plenty of laughter no doubt). You'll never appreciate being an American more than when you've seen face to face why so many of the world's people want to come here.

Orphans in Guatemala

In Guatemala we visited an orphanage where children born with birth defects are given up by their parents who don't have anywhere near the resources to care for them. This little girl had a cleft palate and weighed only about six ounces even though she was several months old. The doctors had to wait until she weighed more than a pound before they could operate.

Working with the kids in Guatemala

In 1997 I spent a month in Guatemala working with kids in the town of Chichicastenango. It was an amazing and eye opening experience to see so many kids excited by the tall white guy who like to rough house with them in a way that their own reserved father's wouldn't (a cultural thing, the men are very reserved). These kids were amazing.