Being a Child in Guatemala

Each day has been a day to watch Hunter. But on Sunday it was extra special as Hunter got to do many things with the children at the church and also in the community of Gerona.

Once arriving at the church some of the children that attend Casita came running up to him. Pablo and Marco are two boys that wanted Hunter to come and sit with them. So he joined in on the children’s lesson learning about Jesus by music and games. Hunter really enjoyed getting to sit in a circle with several of the children. “I got to give my first offering in a Guatemala church”, said Hunter.  It started to rain while at church and due to the holes in the roof water came in. But the people stayed in their seats and listened to the word of God. Really, it was raining so hard that you could hardly hear at one point but that didn’t make them leave. Hunter watched as the rain came in the church and school, even at one point saying “everything is getting wet”.

In the afternoon we went to Gerona with several of the parents and children from the church. Gerona is where Delmi and Carlos are working on a church plant. Each Sunday afternoon they go with youth from Casita to minister to the young children that need to hear about Jesus.  These children live in one of the worse places in Guatemala. Some are really dirty, young girls that are babies themselves carrying around babies, and very hungry. “Why are the little children my age carrying babies?”, asked Hunter? His daddy explained that most of the time the young children watch the babies so the parents can go to work. They don’t have babysitters here. 

The rain came down hard and before we knew it Hunter, Carlos and Mario were playing soccer in the rain, not with your average soccer ball. But it worked and they were having a blast. The more it rained, the harder they played. Hunter was being a kid getting to do what children in Guatemala do daily. Just because it rains doesn’t mean they don’t get to attend school, church, or play. When we got ready to leave, he stayed back and watched the children load the bus to ride down a muddy path.   “Mommy, why don’t they have a rain coat?” asked Hunter?

Hunter couldn’t believe how the children live and said,  “poor children have to walk in mud, live in metal tin and attend school or church even getting wet”.

Getting to ride on the bus with the children to Casita was a lot of fun.  Hunter enjoyed getting stuck in traffic for 30 minutes and learning traditional Guatemalan songs. At one point the people on the street were looking at our bus with a look of what is going on. These children were singing so loud.

Sunday was a great day to watch Hunter be a child in Guatemala.