ZOE Guatemala Mission – Day 4

“Thank you ZOE for giving me a way to fight for my dreams.”
Franklin age 17 from Tricavia, Guatemala

Today was another amazing (and long) day of seeing ZOE Teams and being touched by these kids shear drive for a better life. We started with our very own Mansfield UMC sponsored group of 26 households, Team Persistence (Los Perseverantes) , in Pachaj. This was a great, never to forget, group of motivated kids. In the first 9 months of this year they have saved $3,500 quetzals ($500 US) after all their individual profits as well. I just sat there trying to think how many 14-16 year olds I know back home who have started their own business, purchased equipment, and saved money?
My highlight of the morning was dancing with another muy bonita chicka with Sally right there in the room. The smiling 4’9 Telma was my dance partner as she spun me around the floor teaching me the Mayan King Kiche dance for good crops. (They should have a banner year because I looked like JT out there dancing away!)

After lunch along side the road, we were off to the village of Xecam in the Cantel region. There we met 2 more teams. One was Spring (Premavera) who had amassed $600 US dollars YTD from there mostly clothes making businesses. The other group was ZOE Guatemala’s 1st group of 3 year graduates. They were team Youth Pursuing our Dreams (Javenus Emprendedores de Sueños) and they just looked like a class of leaders and brave souls. Here we heard story after story of transformed lives. Two friends, Marvin and Franklin, gave me a business lesson about sunk costs, rebranding, market research, and even a little corporate espionage that I don’t think I learned as well in Grad School. Franklin nailed it when he said “Thanks to ZOE’s support, my own hard work, and God’s blessings; I can now pay for my own schooling and clothes.”

Closing bible study tonight was even better tonight as we were joined by ZOE Staff and our amazing media team. BTW… in case you did not know this… praying for someone while laying your hands actually on them is cool and powerful. A simple act but one that brings us a little closer together and closer to God.  Speaking of feeling a little closer to heaven… this was the view back as we headed home last night. I mean sorry Texas but we are “literally” closer to heaven here.