This past February, Norm G., Hank H., Al V., Luke V., and Hank V. spent 10 days in Guatemala partnering with Bethel Ministries in home construction, food distribution and solar lighting system installation. The following stories illustrate what this team of men was able to accomplish through the generosity of various individuals, churches and businesses.
Ten years ago Faustina’s husband died in a car accident leaving her to provide for herself and two children. Making only $65 a month working as a housekeeper, Faustina and her children lived in a one room shelter made of rusted, breaking sheet metal. They now live in a new house, complete with a solar system, that keeps them dry and safe from the elements.
Angela Perez lives with her husband, son, and two granddaughters in a house with no electricity, running water or bathroom. A well, located on the property, has run dry and is filled with trash. Angela and her family live in a house similar to Faustina’s. At one point the town began to construct a water line to the house, but that ended when the family could not afford to pay the $120 necessary to run the line. Due to time constraints we were not able to build them a home but they are in line to receive a brand-new house with a cement floor including a solar light system, a bathroom and water and sewage lines.
Tomasa had been praying for a new house for many years. She and her husband, Juan, along with their six children were living in a house made of deteriorated scrap metal. Their beds were made of scrap wood. Juan and his oldest son, Carlos (13), work in the fields cutting sugar cane to make a combined $85 a month. The rest of the family collects firewood to sell hoping to make ends meet at the end of the month. Tomasa and her family now have a new house complete with a solar lighting system and six new beds and mattresses for sleeping. In addition, their son Carlos is able to go back to school, something he has not been able to do since grade six due to lack of funds.
Maria Jacobpus is married with two daughters and a child on the way. The family received a solar lighting system—a savings of 20 quetzals a week on candles. With this savings they will be able to afford another day of food each week.
Sulmi Yulisa is twelve years old. The day before we visited, her mother passed away following a two-year battle with cancer. Sulmi along with her grandmother are living alone in a small shack. Their only source of light comes from a light that her mother rented from a neighbor. With no income, Sulmi and her grandmother were no longer able to afford the light. With the new solar lighting system we installed in her home, Sulmi and her grandmother no longer have to worry about renting the neighbor’s light.
While 14 homes were supplied with solar lighting systems, we learned that the cost of electricity, which is already very expensive to buy, is set to rise an additional 66% this year. This will increase demand for solar lighting systems as many of the poor who can barely afford the high cost of electricity will abandon the one or two light bulbs they are currently using in exchange for candle lighting. Throughout the year we hope to ship more of the solar lighting kits directly to Guatemala so that Bethel Ministries can install them rather than wait until we go back again next year.
Miriam and her husband Pastor Wilmer, who works cutting sugar cane, borrowed 1500 quetzals (approx. $270) from a loan shark (banks will not lend to the poor) to provide a funeral and burial for their stillborn child. The loan shark required repayment of the loan within 43 days including the interest of 900 quetzals. This would have required Wilmar to hand over his entire daily pay of 50 quetzals leaving them nothing to live on. Your gifts helped to pay this debt.
At the wheelchair distribution center we were able to give out 53 chairs as well as walkers & canes. Local community pastors were also there with us ministering to the people. 20 people gave their lives to the Lord! It was an incredible privilege for us to be part of that experience.
20 care packages were also distributed to various families that we visited. These packages included basic food items, vitamins, oral hygiene products and a Bible. These were always gratefully received.
It was both a blessing and a privilege to be present on many of the visits that Chris Mooney (Bethel Ministries) made with the people they met. Chris exemplified the love of Christ for the Mayan people and it was a joy to interact with them through him. The team looks forward to going again next year and thanks everyone for all the support.