November 2008
www.allisonfamilyinguat.blogspot.com
We are learning that many of the people in Guatemala are still suffering from the effects of a civil war that ended over 10 years ago. There is still great fear. The people live in homes with no windows or maybe just one window with bars on it or maybe just a series of small holes high in one wall (see pictures below). They feel more secure where there is little access from the outside. They feel safe in small, dark spaces. Many of the people who live near the clinic in Chiminicijuan fled to that area during the war. They preferred to live in a very remote place where it was not accessible by a road. When a child was sick they would just go home and let the child die there.
Several years ago, a man walked the trail down the mountain from Chiminicijuan for 3 hours to the clinic in San Andres. He was diagnosed with liver cancer. He needed to go to Guatemala City for treatment. After much prayer, the Fickers felt that the Lord wanted them to help this man get treatment. They also helped him with medicines for his pain as the disease progressed. The man was so thankful for their help but knew that he could never repay them. He told them that the only thing of value that he had was a piece of land in the aldea where he lived. He gave it to them and asked them to use it to start a clinic for his people.
Now every Tuesday, a clinic is held on his land for his people. The people of Chiminicijuan built a road to the land so that the Fickers could come and hold their clinic. When a child is sick, instead of going home so the child can die, they have an option. The people of Chiminicijuan still do not trust easily. They will bring their child to clinic but if the child needs more care than the clinic can give, often times, they will not even consider taking the child to the hospital. They are also ruled by superstitions and wrong information. When Leslie is trying to encourage them to breastfeed their babies, she is also encouraging them to drink water so that their bodies can make breastmilk. The women believe that if they drink too much water, their milk will become diluted. The clinic in Chiminicijuan is a ministry that is about trust and consistency. The people do not know about Jesus but they will not listen unless they first trust the people bringing the message.
Our family has been in Guatemala now for almost 2 months. We spend a lot of our time “just living” and are wondering if we are truly making a difference in this country. Are we affecting lives here for the better? Are we fulfilling the purposes that the Lord has for us here? When a large part of the ministry is about building trust, it is going to take some time before fruit is produced. When much of the ministry is about education but the people are holding on tightly to their beliefs, it is hard to see that information is making a difference. Luke 8:15 says “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” We are trusting that the Lord has called us to this place and we are “persevering” in the hope that someday a great crop will be produced from the seeds that are sown in places like Chiminicijuan.
Pictures of typical homes in Guatemala.
