Keeping it Simple: Lesson #3

A highlight of our trip was attending for a second time the “Keep On The Watch” District Convention, held at the Comalapa Assembly Hall. This would be a bittersweet experience, because once the convention ended, we would not return to Union Buena Vista. We had spent four weeks enjoying the hospitality of our brothers, and after one more week, we would return to Georgia. However, if we returned to the Union, and it happened to rain, we would not be able to leave. We would miss our flight back home.

Some of our brothers were not able to attend the convention for lack of money. Before we departed the Union, they came to say goodbye, and some brought us small gifts. Tears flowed as they asked us to please come back to visit. 

The congregations organized a party for us the Sunday before the convention. Unfortunately, I had fallen victim to Montezuma’s revenge due to some fried fish, and did not feel good. During the day, people came one after another to check on me. I started to feel better and was able to go to the party. 

A Witness family in Comalapa provided us a room to stay for the convention. At the convention we made new friends, as everyone was curious to meet the tall, blue-eyed brother from “El Norte.” Some of our new friends brought us lunch the next day, and some invited us to their house for dinner after the convention, even though they had only known us for two days. On Sunday night, with tearful eyes, we said goodbye to all our friends, who repeatedly asked us to please visit again.

Our Comalapa brothers proved to be just as hospitable as the brothers from the Union by giving us their food and loving kindness.

Lesson Learned #3: Be hospitable and show unselfish loving kindness.

Un punto culminante de nuestro viaje a Chiapas fue atender por segunda vez la Asamblea de Distrito “Manténganse Alerta” en el Salón de Asambleas de Comalapa. Iba a ser una experiencia agridulce, porque al final de la asamblea, ya no volveríamos a la Unión Buena Vista. Habíamos pasado cuatro semanas disfrutando de la hospitalidad de los hermanos, y después de una semana, volveríamos a Georgia. Si regresábamos a la Unión, corríamos el riesgo de no salir debido a la lluvia. Perderíamos el vuelo de regreso a casa.

Algunos de los hermanos no pudieron atender la asamblea por falta de dinero. Antes de que saliéramos de la Unión, muchos vinieron a despedirse y algunos trajeron pequeños regalos. Con lágrimas en los ojos, nos rogaron que volviéramos a visitar de nuevo.

Las congregaciones organizaron una fiesta el domingo antes de la asamblea. Yo había caído víctima a la venganza de Montezuma al comer un pescado frito, y no me sentía bien. Durante el día, los hermanos llegaron a ver cómo me sentía. Esa noche me sentí mejor y pude ir a la fiesta.

Una familia de hermanos en Comalapa nos proveyeron hospedaje durante la asamblea. Allí conocimos a muchos hermanos, los cuales estaban ansiosos por conocer al hermano de ojos azules que venía del Norte. Algunos hermanos nos trajeron almuerzo y hasta nos invitaron a comer a su casa después de la asamblea, a pesar de que sólo llevaban dos días de conocernos. Domingo en la noche nos despedimos de nuestros hermanos Chiapanecos quienes lloraron y nos pidieron que un día regresáramos a visitar.

Los hermanos en Comalapa fueron tan hospitalarios como los hermanos de la Unión. Nos mostraron hospitalidad al darnos su comida y bondad amorosa.

Lección Aprendida #3: Seamos hospitalarios y mostremos bondad amorosa sin egoísmo.

Keeping It Simple: Lesson #2

We became interested in Chiapas after meeting three teenage immigrants in Savannah. Their mother had died when they were between the ages of three and five. The oldest girl, Linda, grew up with her grandparents. The other two, Belli and Mauricio, grew up with their father, who was unable to provide for his family.

All three found jobs in Savannah, because after all, that’s why immigrants come to “El Norte.” Kurt and I took Linda and Mauricio several times to Walmart for groceries. They would budget $50 for their food, and none of it was wasted. As Linda picked up food items, I would keep a running total on a calculator. One time she still had about $5 left, and Kurt told her to buy some chocolate. Instead she opted for some cauliflower and fruit because, as she said, “It’s nutritious.” You see, chocolate is a luxury that they did not know much about. 

I also remember the day when they told us, with amazement in their eyes, that all American toys “talked” to them. Or the day when Mauricio’s eyes lit up at the sight of a remote-control helicopter at the mall. When he found out it cost $35, his face immediately changed and he lost interest. I knew he had the $35, but that money was valuable to him because he knew what hunger was all about. They worked hard to spend $50 in groceries, and valued every little bit they had.

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:12, “money is for a protection.” Money for these young people meant food and shelter, whereas for many of us in the U.S., money is there to spend as we wish, for chocolate, for a remote-control helicopter, or for an expensive trip to Disney World. 

Lesson Learned #2: Value what Jehovah has lovingly provided us.

Nos interesamos en viajar a Chiapas luego de conocer a tres adolecentes que habían llegado a Savannah. Su madre había fallecido cuando apenas tenían entre tres y cinco años de edad. La muchacha mayor, Linda, había vivido con sus abuelos. Belli y Mauricio habían vivido con su padre, quien no había podido mantener a su familia.

Los tres consiguieron trabajo en Savannah porque para eso vienen los inmigrantes al Norte. Kurt y yo los llevábamos a Walmart a comprar comida. Su presupuesto era de 50 dólares, y el dinero no lo desperdiciaban. Mientras Linda escogía su comida, yo mantenía  la suma en una calculadora. Una vez le quedaban 5 dólares, y Kurt le dijo que comprara chocolate. En vez, Linda compró coliflor y fruta, diciendo que eran más nutritivos.

Recuerdo también el día en que nos dijeron, con asombro, que todos los juguetes Americanos “hablan”. Hubo otro día en que a Mauricio se le querían salir los ojos al ver un helicóptero de control remoto en el Mall. Cuando se enteró de que costaba 35 dólares, perdió interés. Yo sabía que él tenía los 35 dólares, pero el dinero era valioso para él porque él sabía lo que era pasar hambre. Ellos trabajaban duro para poder gastar 50 dólares en comida y valoraban cada centavo.

El rey Salomón dijo en Eclesiastés 7:12 que “El dinero es para una protección”. Para estos jóvenes el dinero significaba comida y sustento, mientras que para muchos en Estados Unidos, el dinero se gasta en lo que uno desea--en chocolate, en un helicóptero de control remoto, o en un viaje a Disney World.

Lección Aprendida #2: Valoremos lo que Jehová amorosamente nos ha provisto.

Keeping It Simple: Lesson #1

For several months we planned this trip to Chiapas. We were prepared for the worst. Our host, Mauricio, lived in a small adobe home with his father, three brothers, and a sister-in-law. The house only had two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a room used to dry the coffee. Did I mention the bathroom? No… that’s because there was no bathroom, no toilet, no sink, no shower, no running water, zip, nada.

We had no idea where we would stay for five weeks. As far as we knew, we would stay with Mauricio at the house with no bathroom. However, the brothers were very loving and provided us a house. The bathroom was a little concrete block building separate from the main house. 

The bathroom had a toilet, but did not have running water. Whenever we used the toilet, we had to grab a bucket of water from a large water basin and flush the toilet with it.

To take a bath, we would grab two 5-gallon buckets of water from the basin, and give ourselves a “sponge bath.” This water was ice cold. Fortunately our sister Amparo had a little electric device for warming the water. 

Every house had a huge water basin that supplied water for flushing the toilet, water for bathing, water for laundry, water for washing dishes, and water for cooking.

When I think of my brothers’ struggles in Chiapas, I forget about my own struggles. These don’t come close to what our brothers in other parts of the world go through. Yet, they are content and pray that we remain loyal to our Father. 

Lesson learned #1: BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.

El viaje a Chiapas lo planeamos por varios meses, y no sabíamos dónde nos hospedaríamos. Nuestro anfitrión, Mauricio, vive en una casa de adobe con su padre, tres hermanos, y su cuñada. La casa tiene dos recámaras, una cocina, y un cuarto donde se seca el café. Lo único que faltaba era un baño con agua potable. Los hermanos fueron muy amorosos y nos proveyeron una casa. El baño estaba situado en una casita aparte, hecha de bloque.

El baño tenía inodoro, pero no tenía agua potable. Para vaciar el inodoro había que ir a una pileta de agua y llenar un cubo con agua. Para bañarnos, echábamos agua en dos cubos de cinco galones. El agua estaba helada, pero nuestra hermana Amparo tenía un aparato eléctrico con que calentábamos el agua.

La pileta de agua era enorme y usábamos el agua para vaciar el inodoro, para bañarnos, para lavar ropa, para lavar trastes, y para cocinar. Cuando pienso en cómo luchan nuestros hermanos Chiapanecos, me olvido de que tengo problemas. Nuestros hermanos en otras partes del mundo sufren mucho más que nosotros, mas viven conformes y oran por nosotros.

Lección aprendida #1: Vive conforme con lo que tienes.