I wrote this shortly after my very first trip to Guatemala years ago. Over the years it has appeared in a number of newsletters and small publications, and I wanted to share it with you here. The style feels a little crud to me, but I left it as it is. Re-reading it now, it at the same time seems like so long ago, and then, just like last month. The faces, the sounds, and the smells all come back with amazing clarity. I wish my short term memory was still this good. 🙂
AN AMERICAN BARBEQUE IN GUATEMALA
evan gel i za tion n. the act of evangelizing or the state of being evangelized.
The definition made me smile. It clearly suggests that evangelism is a two way street, a point I’ve made in a number of talks and witnesses in the past several years. It is what makes community such a gift. And it reminds us that often the giver becomes the givee. Here is one such story.
There were no spatulas in two different stores. There were however two utensils that probably have a name although I don’t know it. They were short handled and looked like a cross between a shallow ladle and a colander. Jorge and another young man watched with curiosity as I pulled the anvil off the shelf, put it on the ground and began pounding these mystery utensils flat. “Bueno” I said looking up at them and laughing. “Si” said the younger. Jorge just shrugged and smiled his very appealing “crazy gringo” smile.
The day before, all of the workers were gathered and told that the staff was going to have a cookout for everyone tomorrow. It took the better part of a day down in Guatemala City to find enough hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, chips, and beans for this simple gathering of 50. We would be using “homemade” charcoal. When Guatemalans cook, they douse their firewood, dry it and re-use it. They are masters of the efficient use of resources.
About mid-morning the event began to take on momentum. A number of the Guatemalan workers began preparing the space. It was a long, covered, outdoor work area with work benches going down the length of both sides. They removed the variety of vices, clamps, and cutting tools from the bench tops and washed them down. All the while they were chattering and laughing. One lasting impression I have is the image of Guatemalans doing long hours of physically hard work, and chattering and laughing the whole time. Whether you understand what is being said or not, there is no mistaking the sense that they are happy and grateful to be working. For the final touch to our party space they spread pine boughs on the ground. Yes, there are lots of pine trees in Guatemala. It is predominantly a mountain country. This is a traditional ground décoration for celebrations, and I was just knocked out by how festive it made a work shed look.
My friend Greg Scherer (the man who introduced me to Common Hope and Guatemala), and I were to be the cooks. For tools, we had a big pot, a grill, two very short “spatulas”, and a short pair of tongs. This was going get ugly for knuckle hair.
The big bean pot took up a big chunk of space on the grill top, so as we cooked the burgers and dogs we quickly put them into a covered pan and kept them in the beating sun to keep them warm. Later we would both laugh at how all of our efforts to keep the meat hot didn’t matter in the slightest. As we neared the end of the uncooked burgers and dogs the men had started to gather. Many of them were gathered around watching Greg and I and looking curiously at our culinary offering. They were of course chattering and laughing. It’s very likely that some of the men had only seen pictures of hamburgers and hot dogs, if that. Ernesto, a young lad who had become one of my favorites, walked up and turned my hand over inspecting the knuckle hair carnage. He pointed at the make shift spatula and held his hands about two feet apart as if telling a fish story. His suggestion that it should be longer was clear, and he immediately knew I understood it when I pointed at my head and shrugged and nodded. Simple connections without words are surely Grace filled moments.
The men began going through the line. While we were finishing up the cooking it was fun to watch their faces and listen to their banter as they filled their plates. You didn’t need to know the words. I was pleased to see that all of the supervisors waited for all of their men to go through the line first. After a moment I realized that no one was eating. My first thought was that this American food just didn’t look good to them. But Greg and I realized simultaneously that they were waiting for everyone to be served and to give thanks to God. With over 50 people, for some it was a long wait. Greg just whispered, “look at that.” Not a single morsel was touched. It was one of the coolest demonstrations of respect by a group that I have ever seen.
When everyone had finally gotten through the line the two top supervisors of the Guatemalans both gave a speech. I could tell that they were talking about “the company” (Common Hope) and expressing gratitude for work and for the opportunity to start a new life at New Hope Village. I could recognize names when they were mentioned and I was honored to be mentioned by one of the men. One of the guys I had worked with for a couple of days caught my eye and pointed at me and smiled. A lump came into my throat because I knew he was telling me “your one of us”. The quiet passion with which these simple tradesmen spoke was beginning to bathe me with emotion. I glanced beside me at Greg, and he must have had something in his eye because he was blinking real fast. When the second speaker was finished he gave an inviting gesture with his hand and into the center of the long circle of men stepped a diminutive Guatemalan that was one of the older members of this group. He placed his hat on the ground and crossed himself. We all followed suit and he began his prayer. Although his eyes remain closed the whole time, he walked up and down the long circle. His prayer was in the foreground and in the background was a low din of murmured individual prayers. His voice ranged from a shout to whisper. At times his fists were clenched and at times he held his hands up, open to the sky. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he talked to us and to God. I was transfixed by this man and my tears matched his. Others were clearly moved and no one seemed to care in the least that the food was getting cold because this seemed like important stuff to all of them. You could cut the spirituality and sense of community in this group with a knife.
When he was finished everyone seemed to add their own Amen. And then as if turned on like a faucet the chattering and laughter returned and eating commenced. Overcome, I turned away to gather myself. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the fact that I had understood very few of the words, yet I knew exactly what they meant. I knew I had just been present for something very special and that the Holy Spirit was with us in this gathering. I knew that God had lead me to Guatemala for this moment. That he had brought me here to show me this. That this was one of those times in life when an unexpected reward comes our way. I had come to Guatemala to work and to help, but it was I who had gotten the gift.