Twelve members of the Estevan Alliance Church had a life-changing experience late last month, thanks to a short-term mission trip to Guatemala.
They were part of a 16-person team that travelled to the Central American nation through Impact Ministries to tackle a work project, help out at a children’s ministry, visit patients at a hospital, socialize with people in their homes and help out with an outreach.
They left for Guatemala on Aug. 18 and returned on Aug. 28. Their work in the country spanned from Aug. 19 to 26.
Nicole Gibbons, who was the team leader, was in the country for the third time. All three trips have been to the same area, Tactic, a small city with numerous surrounding villages.
The work project saw the team members spend a couple of days digging trenches to prepare the foundation for part of a new school. The school is the 11th that Impact Ministries has constructed in the Tactic area.
Allison Holzer, who was on a mission trip for the first time, said the Guatemalans did the hardest work, but there were demanding tasks for the Canadians.
“We had shovels and picks and wheelbarrows, and that’s what we were working with,” said Holzer. “There was nothing mechanical.”
The team members were supposed to spend three days working on the school, but because they wanted to see all of the children at home or in school who have been sponsored locally, they couldn’t make it to one of the work sessions.
“It just shows how many people from our team, our area and our church community sponsor kids with that organization,” said Gibbons.
Three days were also spent at the children’s activity, which Gibbons compared to a vacation Bible school.
The team members led crafts, games, action songs and more for the children at the ministry.
An adventure came the day of the outreach, which required team members to sit in the back of a pickup truck while the truck scaled a steep mountain.
“You pile in the back of this truck and go up this little narrow gravel hill, and up this mountain road,” said Holzer. “If you stop, the truck will stall and it won’t continue. So you have to get off, push and get it going.”
Upon reaching the top of the hill, they were part of an evangelic outreach that included testimonies, songs and a message. When they spoke, their English had to be translated to Spanish and then Poqomchi, which is one of the languages spoken in the Tactic area.
Once they were finished, some team members played soccer with the locals.
It was a remote village, but it was well worth it.
Members also attended a Sunday morning church service, an evening church service, and went into a large sink hole. They also had a chance to do some sightseeing in Guatemala, and in Antigua, which they visited before returning to Canada.
The trip also afforded them a chance to enjoy some cultural and spiritual education about the history of the Mayan people, Gibbons said.
Holzer said it was a fantastic experience, and she learned a lot about herself.
“When you go there, you feel like you’re going over there to help others, and do something for others, but you grow as much yourself,” said Holzer.
It opened her eyes to how other people live their lives, and it certainly changed her perspective on life.
The people down there are very warm and enjoy having a good time. Holzer’s daughter Bailey found that out when she celebrated her 23rd birthday while in the country. The Guatemalans helped make the birthday party special.
“We came home one night, and she was to blow out the candles on her birthday cake. Little did she know that the Guatemalan tradition is when you bend over for your first bite out of the cake, they push your face into the cake,” Holzer said with a big laugh.
Gibbons, meanwhile, said it was a different experience being the team leader, but mission trips continue to have a big impact on her.
“Each time you go, I think you still have experiences that are unique to each trip,” said Gibbons. “It’s still just as impacting and as fresh as the first time I went.”
It was a blessing to be able to bring other people from Estevan with her to Guatemala, particularly those who haven’t been on a mission trip before.
She would look forward to returning to the area as well.
Gibbons noted that her family’s sponsor child will be graduating from school in a few years, and she would love to return to the country for the child’s graduation.
