On Monday morning, we meet Roberto, Isabel, and their sons, Elvis & Anderson for the first time. Upon meeting us, Roberto & Isabel immediately called us family. I’m not going to lie to y’all, I was taken aback by this statement. I mean we had just met these people and we didn’t even speak the same language. Yet, here was a Guatemalan family of Mayan decent calling us, a group of stark white folks from Indiana, their family. As the week progressed, we worked side by side with Roberto, Elvis, Anderson, and other neighborhood kids to move dirt & rocks, sift sand, make concrete, and haul it all over the place. We spent time playing soccer, or fútbol, making up handshakes, color pictures, and paint nails! We had conversations with Isabel and were able to share resources with her as she continues to heal from an accident effecting her feet. All the sudden I looked up and it was Thursday. All the sudden it was our last work day, our last day with the family… with our family. In four short days, these people quickly became our people. Their community is our community. This past Thursday our group said one of the hardest goodbyes. There were tears, gifts, smiles, and prayers, and the tears, gifts, smiles, and prayers from our time together keep coming and coming. A part of all of our hearts will always be in the mountains of Guatemala. Our biggest prayer is that this goodbye might be a “see you later”. So until we see them again, keep Roberto, Isabel, Elvis, Anderson, and their community in your prayers with us.
Hasta luego, familia❤️
Geist Christian Youth Service-Learning Trip Blog 