Greetings from Guatemala: Day One

I have arrived safely in Antigua Guatemala and am staying in a small place off a cobblestone road. There are old ruins (I suppose they have to be old to be called ruins) within 100 yards of my place. As soon as I stepped off the plane I remembered with great joy why I love doing this work. There are so many more colors in places like this; things appear to be so much more real without all the pretense of post-modern chaos. The airport was a rush. It seems that two flights arrived at the same time which resulted in a musical chairs type of affair between the luggage belts. I was surprised at myself. Usually, it would make me uptight. Instead, I sat on my little cart in a corner and just watched the faces. Brilliant.

I was picked up by a brother in Christ, Sergio, a man I have never met today. (Then again, I know no one here, except everybody through Jesus, but I digress) Shawn was in the field working and sent a trusted friend. Sergio informed me that his English was not so good. I informed him that my Spanish was worse. We proceeded to have a wonderful conversation and taught each other a few words. There is no language barrier in the tongues of Christ.

The air is thick with exhaust from old cars and the sounds of humanity mixing in the street. Like Africa and Haiti, everyone and everything is in motion here. It is wonderfully calming. The atmosphere reminds me of a line from a poem that goes…”colors that are people that are colors.” There are shacks next to Volvo dealerships, street vendors and hustlers, two guys beating the heck out of each other, motorcycles ghost riding between the lanes, school kids in their uniforms parading up and down the street and Hispanic music blaring from cheap tin speakers. It is a strangely beautiful sound and I find myself half hanging out the van window straining for a better look.

I realized something here as I have before only in places of poverty; no one is staring at me. I am a white face in a tan crowd and no one cares or even looks as if they notice. I wonder how far we have drifted from that.

I met Shawn and his wife Damaris this evening along with the team that is finishing their week here. Their welcome was most comforting and like missionaries we have met around the world, they are joyful and energized. We do indeed serve an empowering God. Shawn reminds me of an old friend and I am comfortable we are on the same page with serving God.

Tomorrow is the first day of shooting at Santiago Zamora. There are multiple projects going on and I will have a first chance to meet the local, indigenous peoples.