You know how you go on mission trips to help other people… well not so much. Today the kids of the team Stars of Nimasac did all the giving and helping for me.
The Stars Team are located way up in the mountains of the Guatemala State of Totonicapa in the village of Nimasac. The day started out warm in the 70’s but as the day went on and we drove up… the full jackets came out. Crossing one creek/bridge things got a little harry for the van so we bailed out to wait on the bridge to make sure Archie (he is our wonderful Driver and must be a preacher too because he makes me pray a lot) and the bus did not get stuck or worse! While I waited on the bridge looking over down into the creek; the picture below is what I saw. Beautiful women, in beautiful colors, beautifully working together to wash clothes. This place is full of Gods beauty.
The Stars Team greeted us with another memorable welcome with fire works, hand made crafts, and pride for what they were accomplishing that was bursting from there sweet Mayan faces. Francesca Toy Cham, 16, started us out by sharing her dream of becoming a successful weaver and providing for her family. Francesca began to cry as she thanked us (pretty sure she actually looked right at me for one of her many “thank you’s ) over and over again for “loving me from far away, while you did not even know me.” She is so sweet, and quiet and humble as she laid it out for us pretty plainly “no one else was going to come support me but you.”
I instantly thought… me? You are thanking me for supporting you? I am not sure that I have even given ZOE one dollar yet? I just signed up to come on this trip to see what this was all about. The first thing I wanted to do was run up and hug Francesca and say “please stop crying honey, of course we loved you before we knew you, everything will be alright.” Then my second emotion was to say “no please don’t thank me, I did not do anything.”
At bible study tonight we worked it all out though. You have already figured it out haven’t you??? David said it this way “when you walk in that room, all these miles away from your home and into their home Taylor, you are Jesus.” (Now stop laughing Todd, Kevin, Mike, etc…) I am Jesus because in that moment, in front of her eyes ,I represent First United Methodist Mansfield. I represent all those that have actually given money to sponsor ZOE. I represent Epiphany and ZOE’s founding kids in Africa. I represent the hope for Francesca’s future that is Jesus Christ.
That’s a pretty cool stand in job. I’ll take if for today!
Thanks for sharing your heart and I totally get what you feel and said. Humbled to represent Christ to this beautiful people – but YOU are a vessel of HOPE and a future for these precious children.
Taylor,
You are Matthew 25:26-, you are answering Jesus’ call for all of us to represent him in areas that we couldn’t do on our own.
Hello Mr. Taylor Davis, I am an ordained minister who went to Guatemala on a Christian mission with Victory World Missions Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1991. We stayed with Living Water Ministries in Quetzaltenango. I took a photo similar to this one as we crossed over a bridge one day on the way to minister in a men’s prison nearby. I have written my second free-verse poetry book that is in the process of being published this month by Xulon Press, a Christian publishing company. The photo I had of the women washing clothes in the creek was damaged and can’t be used. I had planned to use the photo with one of my poems about God’s impact in ministry in Guatemala. l am wondering if you would give me permission to use this picture and I would provide the proper attribution…Taylor Davis Leadership; Zoe Guatemalan Mission; November, 2016, Nimasac village, Totonicapa, Guatemala. Please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you and thanks also for the wonderful work you do. I am enjoying reading your posts.