Wow from Chacacal

March 29, 2012

Michael Capshaw (a.k.a. "Jesus" because of his beard and long hair)

Wow is the first thing that comes to mind after our stay in Chacacal. I thought that I knew what poverty looked like, but this experience completely blew me away. No running water, minimal electricity, few shoes, bathing in the river, sleeping on the floor, and minimal variety in food are just a few things that we experienced. With the poverty there, it was incredible the amount of love present. The smiles of the children will be etched into my memory forever. From the first kick of the futbol to the last hug goodbye, the children touched my heart. We worked on  many different projects while there, but what I enjoyed most was the fellowship and building community. It was eye opening in many ways. It was difficult because when any of us (other than Dulce) spoke, it had to be translated from English to Spanish, then Spanish to the Mayan language used in the community. I got really sick last night, but I was just glad that we got the work done before I got sick. We worked on several projects. We built a garden, planted seeds, dug holes (tough work with only hand tools), and did adobe work on the walls of a house being built. Blisters were not uncommon from the tools we used. Even with gloves on, working with tools with handles made from tree branches was really hard on our hands. The heat also made work exceptionally difficult. The best thing was that we all worked hard without complaining. The community was touched and so were we. God was definitely moving in the hearts of the community. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve and the team for staying so strong.