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Published: November 2nd 2006
Off on Another Adventure
...but this time lugging a lot more baggage!Where are we now? The last I left you, I had just finished my six month journey through Latin America, and had lived an experience that changed me forever. You probably thought the story was over, that the book had ended, but this is merely the beginning. Where am I now? Why am I writing this journal? Well, I am back in Guatemala after only three short months at home, but this time I have an agenda- I promise. I am not here for site-seeing or to goof off (well maybe a little), but rather to help out some friends and fulfill a promise I made to myself when leaving this country.
My time in Guatemala taught me what was truly important in life, it opened my eyes, and it opened my heart. I got to experience the pure, satisfying feeling that comes with making a difference in people's lives. Albert Schweitzer sums up what I learned in one simple, but powerful sentence-
Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier.
My life up to this point has been so very selfish, when what I should have been was selfless. God asks us to lose our selfish (sinful) life and be born again into a life (selfless) that
pleases Him. It is only until we learn to forget ourselves and put others first, that we can accomplish this- and that’s not so easy. It is something I have to continually remind myself of day in and day out.
After my return to the states, I met up with my good friend Woody Woodson who heads up
Vine International (the non-profit group that I did a little work with in Guatemala- see
A Spiritual Recharge and
In the Home of Friends). We discussed the possibilities of my employment with Vine and what that would entail. The first order of business was to get Vine’s present warehouse relocation project in order and then later pursue funding for my involvement and future projects. To assist in the relocation of their warehouse in Guatemala, Vine offered to fly me down and provide room and board with their local missionaries (Dennis and Doris Rice-see
In the Home of Friends). As soon as I heard the news that I would be returning to Guatemala, the first thing that popped into my head was cold showers- No, can’t flush the toilet paper- No, a higher frequency of IBS attacks- No not quite but close, go visit my firefighter friends at Lake Atitlan- yeah, that was
Donations to the Children of San Juan
Even more kid's stuff came in after this picture was taken. It's going to be like Christmas. it. I told myself that the next time I visited Guatemala I was going to bring with me as much as I could to give to the firefighters of San Juan and their families. This is where you all came in and boy did you ever. With only a month notice, I spread the word through friends that I was headed down to Guatemala and looking to take any kind of donation- be it money or things for the firefighters and their families. The day of my departure, I stood there in front of the Delta check-in desk carrying two huge bags (both exceeding the weight limit), a carry-on bag bursting at the seams, and $1,050 worth of traveler's checks to give to the families (that money is worth almost 8 times as much down there- think about that for a second). Wow! What a team! We scrapped together tons of clothing for the children, soccer balls, battle balls, and footballs, sunglasses (24 pairs), jump ropes (10), Frisbees, little purses and plastic jewelry, Rappelling gear (150ft static rope, 2 harnesses, carabineers, gloves, etc.), flashlights, head lamps, knives, multi-tools (4), coloring books, Spanish Bibles, water bottles, beads and thread, teddy bears,
Caaaashola!!!
$1,050 dollars was raised for the families of the San Juan Firefighters. That converts into roughly 8,400 Quetzales (the local currency). dolls, a fleece blanket, various tools, workout bands, a crowbar, a hatchet, an axe (airport security loved it), and more. The downside of this was that I didn't have much room for my own stuff, so it looks like I'm going to be wearing a lot of the same clothing for the next 48 days - I appreciate it! It truly is amazing what a group of friends can do when they pull together and open their hearts. I thank you all so very much for your donations, prayers, and all of your encouragement.
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
The first order of business upon arrival in Guate was to prepare the Rice's new house for the upcoming move. Dennis picked me up at the airport and maneuvered us through the madhouse of chaotic traffic that is a norm around here. Their newly purchased home lies just outside of the city in a quaint little suburb nestled into the Guatemalan monte. Vine's new warehouse is only 20 minutes away in San Jose Pinula and is in its final stages of construction. A moving team was arriving from Knoxville on November13th, so we needed to get things in order for them and be settled into
the Rice's new home. It was time to get busy!
After working on the
casa nuevo till night fall, we headed back into the city and checked into the Marriot for the night. The hotel is known by many as "Baby Central" because many of the adoption agencies bring the children here to meet their new family. The glowing faces of gringo parents could be seen throughout the lobby holding their new child. Besides being known for the number of adoptions taking place under its roof, the hotel will always be remembered by me for having the most powerful shower stream on the planet (it nearly took my skin plum off). Not only did I not feel dirty after my shower, but I really couldn't feel much of anything due to the fact that my skin was completely numb to the touch. That night and the following morning we shared our meals with a good friend of the Vine family - Mike Ray. Mike and his wife Karen head up the
"Rayo de Esperanza" ministry at the Rio Dulce (see
The Arrival of Big Daddy Benny for a reminder). We all sat and discussed their new orphanage project ("Rancho de Esperanza") that is nearing completion. An
organization known as "The Scrum Group", which is located in my home town of Knoxville, is funding and bringing this dream to life. I have had the pleasure of meeting most of this group of faith-driven individuals through my friend Turnblazer (known to many as the man who is 25% Italian and 75% drop dead sexy). I knew what they were doing was a great thing, but it was until I heard the appreciation and excitement in Mike's voice that I truly understood the impact that they have made on this River community. What was once a dream for the Rays is now a reality - God Bless you guys (and girls)!
The next morning, after making some final touches to the house, we hit the road for Xela (4.5 hrs). A road trip through Guatemala is always an interesting experience. It's like cramming in a bunch of near-death experiences into one fun-filled, heart pounding road adventure. Piloted by Captain Rice, we arrived in Xela (Quetzaltenango) in one piece but worn-out. For dinner we met the Rice's good friends Dick and Sharon Mueller out for dinner. The Muellers run their own ministry in Xela and are always a pleasure
to be around. The friends have grown very close over the years and it was obvious that they were going to miss each other's company. That is the way life goes sometimes, but there is no distance or amount of time that can lessen a true friendship.
In past journal entries, I posted pretty pictures of the landscapes I'd seen, nifty little tid bits about the areas I'd visited, and so forth, but there will be none of that in this entry. Although I will share with you a few things I've learned over the past week. What I can tell you is this: After more than 2 hours of continuously squirting out expired syringes, the nerve endings in your thumb become inoperable - ceasing to transmit signals of pain or feeling to the brain. The joints and tendons of your wrist become arthritic and begin to lock up after the removal of more than 340 screws (3 inch) from composite board. One's rotator cuff can suffer irreparable damage after running an angle grinder for 2 hours and then beating the cut steel brackets over and over again with a crowbar. The black tar-like boogers that build up in
one's nostrils after prolonged exposure to warehouse dust may in fact reach and cover the brain, causing hallucinations and mad behavior. I can also tell you that all of these hardships are a blessing when you see the end results of your actions and how they have impacted someone's life. Dennis and I, after loading up our van with medical supplies, drove to a little community on the outskirts of Xela to make a delivery. The clinic we arrived at was just a tiny hole in the wall, but opened its doors to provide cheap health care ($.75 - doctor consultation, $3 - to deliver a baby) and medication to the poor. The establishment was run by two sisters (Olga and Rebecca Vasquez), who upon our arrival, embraced us with hugs and blessings. Then I was introduced to the grandmother, who locked me in a bear hug and would not let go for at least a minute (I think she dug the shaved head, goatee look). Lastly, Olga's young daughters (Cindi - 8yrs and Myrna - 7yrs) each hugged one of my legs and stared up at me with their little smiles. Then the girls each took hold of one
of my hands and led me on a tour of their clinic, of which they were so very proud. Even though I was a complete stranger, I was treated like a dear friend. It surely was a wonderful sight getting to see the end result of Vine's work. Simple warehouse work gains a whole new meaning and sense of reward when you see what it is accomplishing in the lives of others. The Vine pipeline has many parts that all play an important roll in accomplishing the overall goal- spreading God's love by serving other's needs.
Well, there you have week one of my seven week stay in Guatemala. The next few weeks will consist of: moving the Rices to Guatemala city, unpacking and settling in, being joined by the Vine moving team on the 13th, dismantling and shipping the old warehouse contents to the new location, and much more I'm sure. It will be a while before I make my journey to Lake Atitlan to reunite with my Firefighter friends, but don't worry, I'm not going to run off to some Caribbean paradise with all of your money- although that does sound nice. Well, I guess you'll just
Cindi and Myrna
These two little girls were so full of love and happiness. have to wait and see. Till then, God Bless and I'm out!
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Jonathan Hackmeyer
non-member comment
My Travalin Cuz!!
Hey Jeremiah! I am excited that you are back doing what you love. I would have liked seeing you for Thanksgiving but the smile that you will put on those children's faces over there is priceless. May god bless you in your travels and keep you safe. I can't wait to read of all your new experiences. Stay in touch. P.S. I would like to donate a little bit to your mission fund for the children. How do I do this? I will call Genell and ask her. Talk to you soon.