In the United States, we have many advantages that people around the world wish they had. Yet, I often forget this and find myself complaining about politics, the rising cost of food, the economy, and even trivial things that don’t really matter. We’ve become very pampered living here in America, and this fact became much clearer when my wife and I took a trip to Guatemala last week.
My brother serves on the board of directors for a nonprofit organization called Child Rescue International Inc, which funds a children’s orphanage in the mountains of Guatemala called Casa De Mi Padre. Every year, he and his wife fly down with a small group to visit the orphanage, and this time, my wife and I decided to join them.
If you’ve never visited another country, I highly encourage you to do so. And by that, I don’t mean taking a vacation to Cabo or Cancun. What made our trip to Guatemala unique was that we didn’t stay at a fancy, all-inclusive resort. Instead, we traveled to the mountains in the northern part of the country, to stay near the orphanage just outside a small town named Quiché.
Casa De Mi Padre is a Guatemalan orphanage where children find hope and support through faith in Jesus Christ. Founded by Shane Sanderson in 2010, the orphanage is currently home to 23 boys and girls, as well as 4 older boys who have aged out of the children’s home and are now in the ADVANCE program, attending university and working jobs. The organization employs 6 full-time staff members, along with part-time staff who cook and maintain the grounds. All of this is made possible through donations from people like my wife and me, living here in the United States, as the Guatemalan government provides no financial assistance.
Over the past 14 years, 90 children have passed through the doors of this wonderful home. Some stayed only a few months until a family member could take them in, but many have stayed for years. A few have even grown up there, arriving as young as 4 years old.
All of these children were referred to the orphanage through the local court system after being removed from abusive parents or family members. Many of their stories involve traumatizing experiences of neglect and physical or sexual abuse. Several were forced to sleep on the streets and fend for themselves at very young ages.
For those who have traveled to another country, you quickly notice many differences from life in the U.S. There are the obvious things, like hearing a different language, experiencing chaotic traffic, and encountering new foods. But when you venture outside the bigger cities, you begin to see a completely different world.
As you drive into the mountains of Guatemala, north of the capital, you’ll see what appear to be mostly rundown shacks with metal roofs, dilapidated buildings, and half-finished structures, as if someone forgot to complete the second story. Most of these buildings would be uninhabitable in the United States, yet entire families live in them here. In this area, having running water, plumbing, electricity, and four walls with a roof is a luxury. Home financing isn’t an option, so people build their homes as they can afford materials. This is the area surrounding the orphanage.
Our small group from America stayed in what they call “the mission house,” where the director, Shane, lives with the older boys. It’s an old motel with 16-foot-high walls and large metal doors at the entrance, creating a private compound of sorts. Despite being sparse by American standards, it’s quite beautiful and provides nice accommodations for the area. We each had our own private room and bathroom, plus a large courtyard and a kitchen/living area to relax in.
Our group was there to cook lunch and dinner for the children, giving the kitchen staff a much-needed week-long vacation. Yes, cooking for 23 children is a big task, but when you see their smiling faces and look into their little eyes, your heart melts (and yes, my wife even asked if we could bring a couple of them home with us).
It was truly a wonderful experience, but after being gone for eight days, it was so nice to be back home again. We were excited to sleep in our own soft bed, take a long hot shower, and it was a relief to be able to put toilet paper in the toilets again—third-world countries and their plumbing issues!
It’s been almost a week since the trip and we still continue to remember the fond memories of the children and of the beautiful country of Guatemala. Traveling there has made us a little more thankful for what we are blessed with and hopefully we will complain a little less too.
I’d love to hear your stories of travel outside the United States. It’s something I think every American should experience at least once in their life.