As I prepare for my next trip to Guatemala (Lord willing), I am reminded of some of my past trips and why San Miguel Chicaj has such a special place in my heart and the hearts of others that have been privileged to visit. Seven years ago, I was part of an explore team that I described in my prior blog. I returned from that trip enthused and on fire to return again to San Miguel Chicaj and be used to make a difference. Our explore mission revealed many opportunities that included supporting the New Testament translation into Rabinal Achi, youth and young adult ministry efforts, women ministry efforts, etc. I wanted to come back and get the men of my church involved and I know that many of them would initially see themselves as lacking qualifications or gifts to directly support translation or even some of the other ministries, BUT if I could get a hammer in their hands, I was sure I could pull a team together. So, I looked for a construction opportunity and thought we could help one of the idigenous ministers to start construction on a permanent church. When this was reviewed with “in the field” content experts in San Miguel Chicaj, it was pointed out that our target church did not actually have property and was not far enough along to actually secure property, HOWEVER there was a local Achi pastor and family who had outgrown their home and as a family, had been pray for the Lord to work a miracle and provide a home where the entire family could remain under one roof. And so our relationship with Pastor David Ixcopal and his family began in earnest and has deepened over the years.
On our trip we had met with Pastor David and we had walked the hills with him visiting his extended congregation in some of the smaller villages in the area. We also had opportunity to meet his family and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet a real need in the area. I started communicating with the Ixcopal family and we developed a budget and a proposal and I took it to our elder board and the proposal was approved. Then I floated the opportunity around the men of the church, and men and families started committing to the mission. By the time July rolled around, we had a construction team ready to depart for the village of San Miguel Chicaj in the northeast part of Guatemala near Coban (famous for their coffee). For most of the team, this was their first time to Guatemala and cross cultural training was necessary, of course. Our women had to wear long skirts and could not wear sleeveless dresses, for example; this would make construction interesting. And I impressed on the team that we were not really building a house; we were building long term relationships. And if they saw one of their co-workers sitting down on the job and just chatting with an Achi friend, they needed to recognize that was the real objective of the mission. The house could get built after we left and building lasting relationships was the highest priority. One morning in July, our team met at the Albuquerque airport and we set out for Guatemala. Also, as part of our cross cultural training, I made sure that we were NOT all wearing matching T-shirts. Plan was to blend in as much as possible. We landed in Guatemala City, cleared immigration, customs and the drug dogs, picked up our rental pick-up and SUV and headed east and north towards San Miguel Chicaj, a 3 to 4 hour drive depending on traffic, accidents, road construction and weather. Arriving hours later in San Miguel after an uneventful drive (if you get used to cars speeding towards you in your lane attempting to pass slow trucks in their lane as uneventful), we were shown our accommodations, a large bungalow that we could separate the men on one side and the ladies and married couples on the other side. After a meal, we retired prepared to work the following morning.
At this time I should probably tell you about Pastor David Ixcopal. We found our much of this about Pastor David after we had been in country a few days. Many years ago, David Ixcopal had a solid job with the phone company in Guatemala, and he already had a large family. Solid jobs in Guatemala are far and few between and fathers of families are very lucky to have jobs where they can be providers. Over the years though, David knew that God was calling him to ministers to his native Achi brothers and sisters and share the gospel and one day he gave notice. His attempt to resign his job was not initially accepted and his supervisor told him to return home, think about his family, think about being a provider and think about his decision. David did all of that and prayed and returned back to work, resolute in his decision and David Ixcopal became Pastor David Ixcopal. Immediately, his physical standard of living dropped. He was dependent on his congregation, and he did not yet have a congregation. A church from Texas established a missionary relationship with David Ixcopal and was able to provide some income. The Ixcopal’s were living in a primitive mud dwelling, dirt floors and the family was increasing in size. Unbeknownst to us, many years prior to our coming alongside in support, the Ixcopal’s had been praying for a new home because all of the family could not fit under the same roof. Habitats for Humanity was considered as an alternative, but they build a standard sized house that would not permit the family to all live together. David had a little bit of property outside the village and he tried to sell it, as a last resort, to get enough money for construction, but he was not able to sell it. After many years of prayer, and perhaps some discouragement, our church came along looking for a construction opportunity to get men from our church involved in the mission field. We did not know the history of the Ixcopal prayers for a house, so clearly our involvement was divine providence. 
To continue and tell you about all of our experiences and relationships that came from our building efforts would take a few more pages and perhaps I will save a few for future blogs. We all cherished our time and the friends we came to know and love; each of us went down a day or two due to intestinal issue (welcome to the field), our local construction superintendent, Abraham, was all of sixteen years old and letting us know what we needed to do and how to do it; construction methods and materials were quite different from what we were used to doing but we were there to blend and learn their ways, not to show our “better” ways. We had an incredible time and when we left, we left enough funds to hire locals to finish the roofing. And we took relationships with us that we still have today. I look so forward to returning to San Miguel Chicaj and see the Ixcopal’s again and all of my other friends in San Miguel. Praise the Lord.
