Week 38 - Independence

This week we celebrated Independence on September 15.  During this month and the past couple of months there has been a movement against corruption, the president and vice-president resigned and we held general elections. All of these happened in peace, no major violent incidents during these activities and it brought many people together as Guatemalans.


This week I also contacted Julia, a lady I got to know and visited during the last mission trip we had in July. She's 40 but only has 20% of her sight left. Her oldest son was abused when he was a kid and was left with psychological trauma for which he needs treatment but she can't afford it as she's not able to work. Her youngest daughter is sponsored at the Luz y Vida School near Antigua, that's how I got to meet her. I've been trying to help her by connecting her with some people I know from organization that could help her.  Juan Carlos, the school director, told me that this month she decided to give her life to Jesus and last time I talked to her she seemed more encouraged and said that was going to continue to look for help to get surgery on her eyes. I've just been following up with her case and she has been grateful for that.  I offered to drive her to a hospital where she can get her eyes looked at but she said she was going to ask a relative to take her there. I will continue to follow up on her case and pray God keeps working in her life.

I contacted Oscar* this week to follow up on his decision to become a child of God. I visited him at the children's home where he is currently living with his family as his mother got surgery and is recovering.  I congratulated him on his decision and told him I'd like to meet with him on a weekly basis to talk more about his decision and guide him in this new season of his life, now walking with God.  Wendy, the chief nanny, told me that they've already seen some change in him. He stopped meeting with gang members and he's even changed how he was dressing.

On my continuous for people to do the business training, I got word of an activity organized by the local municipality in San Bartolo, where some of the women who are in the cooking classes would be selling food.  I was impressed to see many of the ones that come to the meetings on Wednesday but had never expressed interest in learning about business. I talked to them and encouraged them to join me for a training course once a week. We agreed to start in two weeks as I arrange a space in the municipality to do this. There's about 15 women who said they were interested so I hope at least 10 come and we can start this training.

*Name has been changed to honor the confidence they have had to meet with me personally