Guatemala 2013: Day 3

Monday morning began with a walk through the city from Casa Del Rey to Aselsi.

Aselsi is a non-profit ministry meeting needs in Chichi through: the discipleship program that trains Guatemalan men for ministry, the milk program that provides powder milk monthly to families with infants, the free clinic that treated over 15,000 in 2012, the physical therapy program treating adults and kids that would otherwise live with their disabilities, most likely in bed, and a school for children with special needs that otherwise would never go to school.

The therapy clinic is ran by one PT who has trained Guatemalan "techs" and families in how to perform therapy for their loved ones at home.

We got to play with a few kiddos. Meet Miguelito & Josephina. It was amazing to see the language barrier disappear yet again.

We packed bags with animal crackers & water for the zoo trip on Day 5.

These bags were made by kids in a vacation bible school.  In the bottom right corner is says: "Su amiga, Mackenzie."

We received a tour of Aselsi and met the workers. My group met the maintenance workers, all Guatemalans.We gave them index cards to write down their prayers request and to be picked up on Day 4.

One of the workers, Pilar, had given his land for Aselsi to be built. Land ownership is very important in Guatemala, yet he was willing to give all of his up to serve.

In the afternoon we split up and went on home visits.  We brought food for the family, toys for the kids, and prayed for the family.

Our family had 7 kids.  Just a week ago their 3 year old son had died from malnourishment.

He had been to the Aselsi milk program once.


Their home was made of three separate rooms with dirt floors. The kitchen included a black place on the floor used for fire, the walls black from lack of ventilation, and a shelf that held little food.
The living area had a table and pictures adorned the walls. Their was no furniture, not one chair.  There was a single light socket hanging from the ceiling. Upon our arrival the family searched for a lightbulb to screw in for us.
The bedrooms was one small building, no bigger than the others, where they all slept together.

It was difficult to see the pain in the parents' eyes, to not be able to fathom the anguish that riddled them.

The father, with tears in his eyes, shared about their pain and asked us to pray for strength for him to lead their family.  He asked for his family to know God.

The mother spoke of the pain her body felt inside and out. How hard it was to nurse her son for a month only to lose him.

The oldest daughter was 15, she asked to pray that she could continue her education.  She also prayed that they would receive a stove.  She was the cook of the family and their kitchen filled with smoke when she cooked.

We gathered around the family as we knelt down on the dirt floor of their home, we prayed in English and Sebastian prayed in quiche & spanish. You could feel the power of prayer in that room.
It filled it up.