As our fourth week in Guatemala comes to an end I find myself overwhelmed by the blessing and successes God has given us. In the last several weeks we have learned: 1) How to negotiate the chicken buses. 2) How to shop in both San Antonio and Antigua. 3) Where and how to pay all our bills. 4) Enough Spanish to carry on some very basic conversations with our neighbors and shop owners. 5) How to drive to and in Guatemala City. This may not sound like much to you, but each item represents a significant accomplishment from our point of view.
But our greatest accomplishment thus far has been the friendships we have formed with our neighbors. Last night we had over 20 people from four families in our home for a cookout. A couple of them spoke a little English, we speak a little Spanish, and we had a wonderful evening together that was filled with laughter! We even are learning how to tease one another bilingually! The adults talked, the children and teens played, and new friendships were formed.
Many of these relationships began through our children and teens who continue to play soccer and other games with the children in the street in front of our home. Each day at around 3:00 pm the bell at our door rings and there are children outside wanting our kids to come out. The numbers vary, but most days there seems to be about 16 to 20 of the neighborhood niños involved with many of their parents coming out to watch. God is doing something special here, and we are trying to stay out of His way and allow Him to do it.
In the midst of all of this we are facing some temptations. There is a community of missionaries in the Antigua area who have great hearts and do some good work. However, their model for ministry is very different than ours. They are here as “missionaries”and the majority of them live in gated communities with other Americans. They leave those communities on a regular basis to go out and do ministry, but the majority of their time is spent with other missionaries and expatriates.
They have developed an extensive support network, including a homeschool coop, recreational activities, Bible studies, and more. All of these take place within the community of English-speaking missionaries. And now we are being invited to join.
One very sincere lady at church invited our children to become a part of a drama team that performs skits for street evangelism and in public schools. In her words, “It’s great! It gives our kids a chance to meet Guatemalans and practice their Spanish!”
Let me make it clear, I am not seeking to be critical of these people or their ministries. They are wonderful folks who love the Lord and are following God’s call. I respect them and appreciate what they do. I also understand their desire for a strong support network as it can be difficult living in a foreign culture. In fact, that seems very appealing to us right now. It would be nice to spend time with other people who speak our language and of whose culture we are a part. It would be very safe and comfortable, and that is very appealing. However, God is calling us to a different style of ministry, and the worst thing we could do is move our family toward the things that are safe and comfortable.
At the heart of it all is this…I don’t want to be a missionary, at least not the modern understanding of one. I want to simply be a person who loves Jesus and loves people. I don’t want to be an American living an American lifestyle in Guatemala, I want to (as much as possible) become a part of Guatemalan life and culture. I don’t want to go out somewhere when I do ministry, I want to do it everyday in my own home, neighborhood and town as a part of life. I want to be known, not as a missionary with an agenda and program, but as a good friend that is loyal, respectful, and trustworthy. And I want to lead my friends to Jesus through those relationships that express the unconditional love of God.
Meanwhile, we don’t need to join a drama team to meet Guatemalans and practice Spanish. They live next door and across the street. They knock on our door every day at 3:00 pm. I helped one such family build a shelter yesterday afternoon and we had that same family over for dinner. We buy our groceries, housewares, and hardware from them. They are our friends, and everyday we deepen those friendships while making new ones.
So, we are choosing to say “No” to the temptation of spending more time with other Americans and “Yes” to spending time with our neighbors. Please pray for us as we do!
The Fulps
Here are a few more pics:
