INSPIRED BY THE HELP

We knew when we arrived in Guatemala City we wouldn't be able to share our Christian beliefs in a usual missionary way.  We instead looked for opportunities to make those around us feel good about themselves.  It has been lots of fun and we always feel better for at least trying.  Gary is the most creative in this area but I'm slowly catching on.

Everardo

                            Victor

Apartment Security Guard

Everardo and Mario

Fulvia

These men keep our building running.  They are front desk, fix it, clean it, talk about it and give advice about it people.  We would call them building engineers in the U.S. but here they are "conserjes" in every sense of the word.  Every weekday when I walk the five flights down to the garage Everardo yells, "Vaya con dios," I smile and tell him "pase buen dia."  He used to be in the military and comes from a farming community south east of Guatemala City.  Every two weeks he takes three days to go visit his wife, young son and extended family.  His two teenage daughters live in Guatemala City with family while they attend high school.  He is a man of great religious zeal and we love the blessings he pronounces upon us.  

Victor is always smiling.  He has a great bicycle and takes good care of it.  It's his only form of transportation.  He always laughs at Gary's banterings and is very polite to me.  When he has the night shift he sleeps on a small cot in a very small room behind the front desk with a blanket we found in a closet in our apartment.  He is always grateful.

Mario has seven children and lives north east in a poorer area of the city.  He is jovial and is always looking for extra after hours work to supplement his meager income.  Gary asked him to wash our car weekly (cost Q50 or $7 which includes a tip).  He does a good job.  We have sent him to the store for little things so we could pay him extra for his services.

Fulvia is our cleaning lady who comes every other week.  She knows our apartment well since she cleaned for the mission president before us.  I have a hard time understanding her sometimes but we figure it out with hands pointing and scribbled notes.  She loves to over water the plants on the balconies so I'm working with her on that so they don't die. (cost Q200 or $26 twice a month).  Fulvia is very humble and is taking care of her adult daughter who is fighting cancer.  One day she was cleaning another missionary apartment and came running up the stairs in great distress.  She had locked herself out.  Calming her,  I sent her to the balcony with a glass of water to sit and enjoy the sunshine while I called the other couple who served close by.  I was touched when I heard her vocally praying for deliverance from her dilemma.  Soon enough her pleadings were answered and her spirit calmed when the other couple came to open the door for her.

We are the ones learning what real Christian service is by loving these people.