My cup overflows

I lived in Guatemala from December 2012 until November 2013, teaching English, working on my Spanish, and learning how to live far outside my comfort zone. Coming home was really hard; I felt like a big part of me was being left behind in Guatemala. So I started to think about how I could

Kevin, Jeferson, Me

continue my relationship with the country. Of course, I still had lots of friends there that I would keep in touch with, but I wanted another connection. So about a year and a half ago I started to look into sponsoring a child in Guatemala through Compassion International. I figured I would be able to connect a little better with a child in Guatemala because we'd automatically have something in common, plus it would be far more likely for me to able to meet this child in person because I knew I'd be back in Guatemala some day. Well, that day came and I met Jeferson and his family and I don't know if I can fully describe it.
I had kind of high expectations. I've read so many stories of people meeting their sponsor children and it changing them forever, being the experience of a lifetime. Needless to say, I was really really really looking forward to our meeting. I had to arrange the visit through Compassion and do a background check and all that jazz before they approved my visit, and once they approved the visit they had to set me up with one of their employees in Guatemala City to be the visit "host" (translator, Compassion representative, ensuring the security of both parties, etc). When I got the itinerary and projected costs, I was a little disappointed. I only got to spend a few hours with Jeferson and I was going to have to pay about $450 after all was said and done, but I knew this was what I wanted to do, so there was no backing out.

Back row: Grandma, Mom, Grandma
Front: Jeferson, me, Kevin

I was staying in Xela ([Quetzaltenango, if you're looking on a map] where I lived in 2013) and my host was coming from Guatemala City. We were to meet Jeferson and his family in Huehuetenango. I was planning to take a bus from Xela to Huehue and meet everyone there, but Mayra (my host) called me just before I left and said she could pick me up on her way since she was driving the car that I was essentially renting. Great. So I met her at Cuatro Caminos (a crossroads about 20 minutes from Xela that heads in the directions of Huehue, Totonicapan, Guatemala City, and Xela) and we began our drive. It's about an hour and a half in car from Cuatro Caminos to Huehue. We chatted, she said my Spanish was really good and loved that I talk like a Guatemalan, and we arrived at McDonald's to meet the fam. I was a combination of nervous and ecstatic. When we walked into the restaurant and I saw them it was weird. I thought I would be filled with this overwhelming joy, but it was kinda awkward actually. I mean, it was like meeting people.....and meeting people isn't really my favorite thing. I mean, Jeferson awkwardly hugged my waist after much prodding from his mom, grandmas, and the coordinator of his student center, I then met his brother, Kevin, we took a bunch of obligatory photos, and we all sat down to chat. I'm not even kidding you, I couldn't think of a single thing to say! I was feeling really disappointed that there wasn't this incredible connection between us and I couldn't believe we still had like 5 hours together.

Kevin, Ronald McDonald, Jeferson, Me

We ate our food and...it was nice, We adults had nice conversation, y'know, as much as you can when no one really knows each other. I thought it was really sweet that Jeferson's mom, Candy, was asking me about my family, all the people she'd only seen in pictures. Especially Mina, she asked about her a lot. And as we were heading out to go to the student center, Candy gave me a purse they'd bought for me. They bought me a gift. That was supposed to be my job! To buy them gifts. We got in the car and everything changed. The boys got really chatty, telling jokes, asking me to tell jokes. We started chewing this gum that has a tattoo on every wrapper and they gave me a couple tattoos and put a few on themselves too. This. I thought, this is what I was hoping for. When we got to the student center....if I were one to cry easily, I would've been bawling. All of the children and volunteers had created a welcome line for me and started cheering when I walked in, they had a big sign that said Bienvenida Lisa Chanthavisay (Welcome), Jeferson gave me this awesome photo album he'd made with pictures of his family, and each class had prepared a small performance for me. They showed me around all of the classrooms and showed me where all the girls ages 12+ learn to sew (but like, beautiful beautiful stuff) and where all the boys ages 12+ do wood shop (again, beautiful pieces). Then, when we were about to leave, they called Mayra and I up onto the stage to thank us for coming to visit. They gave us each a basket of cookies and a wooden spoon that they boys had made, and the girls gave me a beautiful red apron they'd made. How was it that when I went there to bless them, they were actually the ones blessing me?

From there we went to Jeferson's home. Again, the car ride was all laughs and selfies. I think what shocked me the most when we got to their house was that it was just like all the other houses. What I mean to say is, it wasn't like "Oh my gosh, you live in a shack!" it was a normal, small town Guatemalan house. Which, to be fair, most of the houses are pretty scrappy...but I mean, it was something I was already used to. What I wondered was, if their house is just like all the others, how many more people need help? Jeferson was so excited to show me his bed though. He grabbed my hand and pulled me through their small living room and into their small bedroom, furnished with two beds, a television, and some shelves. He proudly jumped onto his bed telling me that's where he slept and pointed to the bed right next to it (and I mean literally, right next to it) saying that's where his parents slept. In that same structure were the living quarters of Jeferson's grandparents.
We then drove about 10 minutes to his other grandparents' house, where Kevin lives, and I met more of their family. Kevin too, was so excited to show me where he slept and where his grandparents slept. Then they wanted to take me up the hill a bit to this great viewpoint of all of Chiantla and part of  Huehue, but the boys really wanted to play soccer so we went back down and played for a few minutes. Unfortunately, I'm not so good at soccer, plus the elevation was killing my lungs, but all the same it was so fun to just be playing soccer with these little kids I'd just met, but by now was definitely feeling that connection with.

Jeferson, Me, Mayra

My gifts :)

Before I knew it, it was time to go, and I couldn't believe how the time had flown and how I felt like even though I had come with the intention to bless, I was in fact the one leaving with a cup overflowing with blessings. It was so awkward at first, and I was getting frustrated with myself for having had such high expectations, but by the time I was getting in the car to leave this family behind, I was overwhelmed, overjoyed, overflowing, and feeling like there was now an even larger portion of my heart being left in Guatemala. I don't know what it is about a child grabbing your hand and pulling you with excitement to show you something, or a group of children gathering around you asking you to say the numbers or colors in English and then being totally amazed when you also know the numbers in Mam (the Mayan language in the Huehue area), or being showered with gifts from people who you were trying to shower gifts upon, or being prayed for by people you've just met....I don't know what it is. But it's incredible. I spend more on my rock climbing gym membership every month than I do sponsoring Jeferson, and yet, the welcome I received in every place while visiting him made me feel like I was Bill Gates and I'd just donated a brand new student center to them, fully equipped with all of the latest technology. It doesn't take a whole lot to impact a lot of lives, I've learned. God takes what you have to offer and He multiplies it, He turns it into something beautiful. Luke 6:38 (NLT) says, "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full--pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." I knew this in my head before I went, I'd experienced God's blessing before I went, God's provision, but I never expected to be on the receiving end of this. I never expected to feel like the one walking away completely full and overflowing. All I can say is that God is always good and I am always loved.

A good chunk of the family