During our first few days here in Guatemala, our team has been trained for and participated in a few different kinds of ministry. The first ministry we participated in was making home visits. The purpose of these visits is to provide the means for clean water to families in the areas surrounding Paramos. Clean water is very hard to come by, and most of the families in the areas we were visiting do not have access to bacteria-free water.
We brought along simple, easy-to-use water filters; these filters cost very little and can be easily set up using a 5-gallon bucket. The staff at the AIM Guatemala base taught us how to assemble these before we left on our first round of home visits so that we could then teach the families who received water filters how to assemble, repair, and clean them. We split up into our teams (each team is accompanied by at least one translator since most of us know only a few words in Spanish), each carrying a few filters, and walked to different parts of the village. We knocked on doors, and when someone answered, our translator explained why we were there. If the family didn’t already own a water filter and were willing for us to come in and set one up for them, we entered the home and proceeded to teach them about the filter. One or two of us would assemble the filter while a translator explained each step in Spanish. When the water filter was ready, we asked the family for some water. After running it through the filter, we poured some into a cup and drank it before letting the family taste it. Most of the people were surprised when they tasted how good the water was compared the water they previously had to drink.
After the filter process was complete, we asked the families if they owned a Bible. If they did not, we gave them a small copy of the book of John. (At some homes we also passed out bags of food.)
At the end of our visits, we’d ask if there were any ways we could pray for the family. Most of the prayer requests were for health for their families (some more specific than others). Before we left, we all prayed with the family.
Home visits have definitely been my favorite type of ministry we’ve done so far. It’s a beautifully simple way to reach people while providing a basic human need: clean water. The families we met were humble, happy, and more than gracious in welcoming us into their homes (the overall atmosphere has been far different and much more hospitable than in the States). Everyone we talked to was very grateful for the opportunity to have clean water for their children. These families have very little, but their abundant love for each other is so apparent. Their attitudes and smiles would suggest to one that they are thriving.
(to be continued)
