Guatemala Mission Trip 2010

On June 21, six youth, two parents, two young adults, and one youth director took off for a 10-day mission trip to Antigua, Guatemala to work with the God’s Child Project and Asociacion Nuestros Ahijados—two nonprofits that work together to support the poorest of Guatemala’s families.  In their 10 days, they gave out food to 225 mothers, distributed clothing to over 300 women and children, served food at a homeless shelter, sang their hearts out at a retirement home, and completed two houses in three days in the pouring rain.  Even though the work was tough and seemed endless, everyone returned back to Sammamish receiving far more from those around them than they could ever give.  Here are just a few of the stories, lessons learned, and memories.  Thank you to this wonderful congregation for your generous support, unending prayers and faithful partnership.

Melissa Rame: Guatemala – if anyone told me I would be going there for a mission trip a year or so ago I never would have believed them, and being back now it’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I was actually there. This is probably because during the trip our group did so many wonderful, hard, and humbling volunteer projects. The memory I keep closest to my heart, though, is one at the end of the trip when we gave the children of the house we completed toys.  They played with them in the corner with the biggest and brightest smiles. Now before I saw them there I didn’t really see how a shed space of a house would help them, but then I realized it was more than four walls with a concrete floor. It was a home, where they would grow up and not have to worry about the things that people in Sammamish do not even think about. This memory made me completely understand why I was there. God bless everyone who let us all have this experience; words cannot express how thankful I am!    

Scott Rame: Before going to Guatemala I was trying to envision what the worst living conditions might be like. I could not believe how bad many places really were! Dirt floors, scrap, almost anything for the walls, multiple people on cots, many times in smoke filled huts.  How could a 12' by 16' home with 1 door and 1 window and a concrete floor be an upgrade? However, this improved their living conditions by 85%! To see the family’s appreciation of the home is all I needed to see to make the trip there worth every second of my time. God Bless them ALL.

Janae Rame:  Something that touched me the most in Guatemala were the kids. Either playing with the kids at the Dreamer Center or seeing them in their homes, they always seemed to have a smile on their face which was very admirable. They all have a story behind them that is sad and most people living on the plateau have probably never experienced. At the schools, they were all filled with so much energy and were so welcoming to us which touched my heart; but also going on the social visits and seeing the kids at their actual homes, which I could never imagine living in, they had smiles on their faces and found something fun to do with each other. The faces of the children in Guatemala are just one thing I will never forget. 

Drew Daugherty:  I had a great time in Guatemala. It was very different from home, so it was cool to see the culture there. One of the biggest things for me was seeing how just our presence down there made people’s lives that much better. It was also very incredible to see that people in horrible situations in life could always seem happy.

Joy Skaardal:  Recently Pr Will read the Sunday gospel from Luke 9.  Jesus, speaking to his disciples, says, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”   It seemed so relevant on my first Sunday back from the Guatemala mission trip.  I took many pictures of children and have a difficult time choosing just one to sum up my experience there.  It was filled with every emotion imaginable.  I choose one picture of hope – three sisters sitting on the stoop of a house just like the ones we built.  You can tell because it is painted the blue of the Guatemalan flag.  I have been asked why I went to Guatemala to help children when we have children right here in the USA who live in poverty.  My answer is simply that God’s love has no boundaries.  The point is simply to find a place where God calls us to serve and reply, “Here I am, Lord,” whether it be in Issaquah, Sammamish, New Orleans, Haiti, Tanzania, Guatemala or wherever.  

Elin Skaardal:  My favorite experience by far was getting to play with the kids at the Dreamer Center. I wasn't as excited about going to Guatemala as other people in the group, but as soon as I saw their smiling faces I knew that what we were doing mattered. Those kids have such an infectious energy that you can't help but laugh when you're around them. I am truly blessed that I had the chance to make them smile and was able to experience the genuine and selfless love that they give back.

Laura Woodward: We made it!  Please let me start out by saying thank you to all in the congregation for your prayers and generous donations.

The mission trip to Guatemala is one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. By handing out food and clothes and building a house for a family, the message that summarized the trip for me was when the head of the organization told us that we should not feel guilty for all that we have but that we should focus on the comforting and humbling aspects of our individual lives. The kids that we met have so many challenges in their life, whether it be an insufficient house, troubled home life, or living in poverty. However, they choose to thrive in the love of volunteers and education. I look forward to keeping this perspective in mind and applying it to times in my life of challenge and difficulty. I could not have asked for a better message to bring home and feel extremely grateful to have had the chance to travel to Guatemala!

David Stariha: This picture was meaningful to me because it really showed how almost every child in Guatemala acted with us. They loved to play tag, take pictures, or even sit and smile at you for extended periods of time. It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget.

Nichole Nadalin:  The most amazing lesson I learned from our Guatemala trip was that no matter how terrible or stressful life seems, there is always something to smile about. I bonded with a girl at the Dreamer Center, she must have been only 6 or 7 years old and I can’t even remember her name. I don’t know her particular story but I do know every time we got to spend time with each other it was magical. After trying to carry a conversation and not getting very far with her complete lack of English and my limited Spanish vocabulary we came to a mutual understanding that other than a few choice words we wouldn’t try to chit chat each day. Instead we found great joy sitting together on a step or playing on the swings or merry-go-round. She would come sit on my lap and just smile at me, or even make a silly face and at that moment everything seemed so carefree and simple. This little girl taught me that life isn’t about getting to the end of the journey but it is more about finding the simple joys along the way because those are the things that get us through times of trial.

Kaitlin Torgerson:  I have a tendency to jump into things with two feet, praying that God has my back.  When we started talking about a mission trip to Central America, I was more than happy to do the research, start the paperwork, and jump in with two feet, but without a clue as to who would come, what we’d do, or how to raise the money.   I could tell a million stories of the children who touched my heart, the family who worked alongside us building, or the dire living conditions we saw.  However, one of the things that stands out the most is how God carefully crafted our team from Sammamish Hills.  When your arms ached, there was a stronger arm to pick up the saw.  When the plane was late, someone was there to direct our weary minds.  When you forgot your Spanish, someone was there with the right words.  When your tummy was hungry, Clif bars were stuffed in your hand.  When things were tense, a joke was never far away.  Or when your body was numb from the despair, someone was there to put an arm around you and move you to helpful action.  It was such a great blessing and honor to be working alongside our team from Sammamish Hills and the staff of the God’s Child Project, who had given up days, months, or years to follow God’s call to Guatemala.  What an inspiration to see so many give of their time and talents and to be filled with such joy and hope living out God’s calling for us each!