Linda's 1st Day of Service

Linda's first of many........

My first day "On the Job" so to speak was by far one of the toughest days of my life.  

It was Monday and we met that morning, then went to our first preschool to work. It was all sooo new to me.  So many little faces all cautiously curious about us. As we begin our morning with them the faces begin to smile, and then laugh.  We had fun.  Oh how rewarding, just to see how thankful they were to play with the neat toys we brought. To watch the excitement as they got their previously worn shoes (which to them they were new), to watch them cradle their clothes and new toothbrush was heartwarming. 

BUT...... on this day I was also given the opportunity to work in the elderly program.  My emotions took an all time low.  We cut up veggies in preparation to the meal we were to deliver them.  Oh yeah, try doing that with a huge butcher knife.  I hope we can get them some potato peelers.  As we begin to deliver these small bowls of soup, I began to see things that my words could never be able to adequately describe.  We went into homes that were dirt floors, no electricity, no running water,  they had almost nothing to speak of.  What they did have was mostly damp and muddy (we were there in the rainy season).   I had such a struggle going on in my heart.  We have sooo much here in the USA.  I obviously had been taking everything in my life sooo for granted.   I saw first hand what poor was that day.   I saw old people with bed sores the size of tennis balls still try to smile and say thank you.  These people are so appreciative of the simplest things.  I had many "firsts" on my trip to Guatemala, I only hope they are not my last.