Fernando and Talia's Guatemala Mission Trip 2026

Dear Friends and family,

It has been about two weeks since our return, and as expected, life has taken over to fill our every waking moment. But, I wanted to offer another update to inform everyone about how an important part of our trip went.

I ended my last update only getting through Sunday, our second day there. On Monday, we were up bright and early starting and ending our day at Brazos Abiertos for the second day of visiting families and delivering blessing bags. This time Talia and I went with one of the staff, Nelson, and a member of our team named Manny from the Dominican Republic. I got to ride in the back of the van with Talia, and I did not get motion sick, so I know that God was with me😄!

The first home we visited was in a cluster of homes located on a hill in a wooded area. When we arrived, the parent wasn't there, but a passerby said she was on her way up from washing clothes. Sure enough, Juana Inez appeared from behind a hill in the woods with a load of laundry on her head and was very excited to see us. She lead us upwards then down into her home, which appeared to have an upper level and below the ground level (makes sense, the lower level was much cooler in the warm weather).

She explained to us that she recently moved in with her father because her mother had just died, and she feared her elderly father would be lonely and wanted to take care of him. So with full support from her husband, she moved her two children and husband and all she owned into that house. Now she does all the cooking and washing and cleaning for a family of ten. She is still grieving, but is grateful that her children can attend school and Brazos Abiertos. We visited for a bit, delivered her blessing bag, prayed for her, and she prayed for us.

Then Manny asked if we could see where she washes her clothes, and she obliged. She took us down a path to the edge of a trail cut right out of the woods. We then went about 200 feet or more down a steep trail to a small running creek cascading from a hill above, and there it was. The community had set up a washing stone so mothers could wash clothes there during the dry season when water is not delivered to their homes. Juana explained when the rains come, the creek floods and covers the washing stone, but then they can wash clothes at home in their pila (PEE-la,  a three basin sink) because they have water delivered to them. I believe the water is put in a very large water tank above the homes and they access it with water hoses.

While we were at the washing stone area, there was another mother there washing clothes with her two grandchildren, Clara Luz. I asked if I could take a few pictures and she obliged. I thought to myself I wonder what it must be like to have to carry water up that hill to a home over and over again. It must have been out loud because before I knew it, Manny was talking to Clara Luz and she was filling a 5 gallon bucket with water for me! Well, I was about to find out. I was explained to by Juana that the men carry the water on their shoulders, but if I was going to do this, I needed to do it like them. So I did. I carried that water all the way up the hill on the top of my head, and when I was done, Juana motioned for me to keep going, to her home!

I was ignorant to think that I would be done at the top of the trail. Of course she could use the water. I walked up the hill to her home, back down into the lower level, and put the water on her pila. She said, "Gracias por mi aguita para lavar los trastes." She called it her "little bit of water" 😆. Yes it was. I confessed how hard it must be to do it day in and day out, multiple times a day. She smiled and we said our good byes.

Our time was split in two by a wonderful lunch of carne de lomo tacos, pickled salad, guacamole, rice, and fresh mango.

 Other familes we visited that day included Olga, who was on her way to help her husband with his dialysis appointment. She gave another team member, Dave, her Red Sox hat because she found out he was from Boston. Her daughter was able to take the groceries home. We met with a grandmother named Marta, who was in tears because of the difficulty in caring for her grandchildren while her daughter is in jail. We met with another grandmother whose daughter is in the US right now, sending money home, but having difficulty with the custody of her grandchildren. Last, we were in the home of another Juana, whose children my kid's church ministry supports to attend Brazos Abiertos.

It was a beautiful, long day filled with so many stories. I could see the hope, and the faith, that the families have, despite sometimes very difficult circumstances. I felt humbled and honored that they would invite me and Talia into their homes, and offer us a cold glass of water.

At the end of the day I sat in the back of the building watching the sunset while Taila played soccer with the youth. That ended our days of visiting families and distributing blessing bags. A day well spent.