Guatemala 2025 - Day 2 at the Community Outreach Center of Chimaltenango (CCC)

May 31, 2025

On Day 2, we were off to the Community Outreach Center of Chimaltenango. The CCC is a Christian community-based program serving the children and families living in extreme poverty in the city of Chimaltenango…many of whom work in the city dump. Physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual support are provided through wraparound care that includes a Montessori program for pre-school students, an after-school program for elementary students, and a tutoring and scholarship program for secondary and university students. The families receive care too, with life skills training, emergency support, and counseling. The teachers and social workers at the CCC are incredible. We’re humbled to get to spend a few days learning from them and serving the kids. (Thank you for the words Ronne!) Here we began to build the beds that we would deliver to a few homes. Beds that our pickleball donations helped make possible. THANK YOU TCA families!! We sealed, we varnished, we did skits and games and handed out tiny Jesus toys and bracelets. Thank you to those of you that donated. What may seem insignificant to us, is not to these sweet faces. It is SO FUN to give them a small gift and see them smile. To watch my son love on these kiddos filled my heart to the brim. To hug and play with them made MY heart burst at the seams! Harrison and Crystal are the most amazing humans and what they give to the people of Guatemala makes my heart sing. I wish I took more pictures but I’m so thankful I decided to keep my phone in my pocket and be more present this year. I wish I spoke the language, - thank God for our translators!!!

· “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Maya Angelou

· "God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with." Billy Graham

· "The greatest thing about being a Christian is that we're not perfect. We're all flawed, but we can still be a light to the world. And we can do that through our actions and our words." Tim Tebow

· “I look up to Jesus Christ every single day to decide what I want to do with my life and how I want to live my life” – Patrick Mahomes

· “Look what God is already doing with me. The Word meets us exactly where we are. All we’ve got to do is open it, and He’s going to do the rest.” – Jelly Roll

· "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-7, written by Paul

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The Lord led us by example. We will probably have moments on this trip where we are unsure, uncomfortable, hot, hungry or tired. Maybe we would rather be playing a video game, talking to our significant other, watching a movie, resting on the beach… but here we are. Be humble, be kind… be ready.

We are here to step outside of ourselves and be the hands and feet of Christ. We need to pray to think and see as the Lord would, ask Him to show us. Sure, it might be in a craft, a skit or a worship song. But it also might be cleaning a toilet, sweeping a dirt floor, making a bed or maybe even allowing someone to be vulnerable with something they are feeling. It might just be sitting still with someone as they process all that’s going on around them. Be humble, be kind… be ready.

I pray that this week we can listen to the still small voice telling us to move, telling us to help, telling us to hold a hand or give a hug if someone needs it. The enemy doesn’t want us here. He doesn’t want us giving and laughing and serving. We are here to walk alongside the people of Guatemala, but who knows, maybe we will also be called to serve each other.

"Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be their servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else." – Jesus, Mark 10:43-45

Be humble, be kind… be ready. Let’s go!!!!!!! Julie Barber