Guatemala: Day 4 Reflections

Written by CTS Student Debra Chee

On Thursday, June 12, our day was bursting with heroes. First, Justin, our fearless and reserved leader, accidentally dumped the entire salt shaker on his food because the lid had not been secured. Remaining very ‘chill’, he calmly slid his now-white beans onto the side of his plate and continued eating. 

Our next hero of the day was Tita, the heart and soul of the La Limonada ministry in zone 5. She invited us to visit several families in this packed concrete ghetto, which involved listening and praying.  Tita reminded us that despite the many struggles faced by the community, she always held two things in her hands. On one hand, she carried all the problems and needs of this large community, and on the other hand, she held the blessings that the Lord bestowed not only on the people through their struggles but also upon her. We experienced this firsthand as several of us prayed and felt the tension between tragedy and profound love—love for Jesus and the love He instilled in each family to support and carry difficult burdens with His grace and peace.  As we prayed, we felt blessed to be a part of their story.  

Another hero was a businessman named Arthur from the United Kingdom. He worked alongside Tita, giving her financial wisdom and stability for the two operational schools for the children in this zone. With his pragmatic planning and Tita’s love for this community, they are a dynamic duo, always placing Jesus first as the incarnational leader and director of all their plans.

And finally, we had several interpreters who helped us understand everything being communicated to us, and we are so grateful for their love and kindness to us and the love they themselves show in their ministries: Sandy, Yarida, Amanda, Rosita, and Ivan.