Guatemalan Hospitality

When people ask us what we think Guatemalans are especially good at, we say--hospitality, hands down.  We have met people all over this country and everyone has always gone the extra mile to make us feel at home.  We have no doubt that if we showed up on anybody's doorstep in the middle of the night, they would take us in, make us a cup of hot coffee and mysteriously produce a couple of pieces of pan dulce (sweet bread) to munch on before inviting us to spend the night--even if it means stretched out on the floor.  The next morning there would be more hot coffee and bread and eggs or beans and/or tortillas shared between everyone.  No excuses about clutter, mismatched dishes, not enough food, no clean sheets, etc.  In fact one of the sayings around here is, "stay for dinner, we'll just add some more water to the pot of beans!" This level of hospitality is something we struggle with and hope to learn better the longer we are here.  It is what Jesus would want  in his people and is a skill/gift worth desiring.
This is one of the really fun parts of the MET program.  We get to take the students and place them in humble homes and watch as they are made to feel part of the family as well as honored guest.
Here are some shots from our second group of students.  As we drove out to the homes, they kept getting more and more excited seeing the adobe homes and corn fields sprinkled across the hillsides saying, "this looks so different from how I imagined."  It always is--and much better!

Titus, the self-described "chico guapo" (good-lookin' kid).  

Karly making her way into the FUN house--crazy kids live there!

Phil getting cozy. He says all of his beds her in Guatemala have had animal prints on the blankets--another one for the collection.

Jaime meeting his host dad, Jeronimo.  

April's room seems to be the social parlor.

Okay, so I cheated on Rachel's picture.  I forgot to get her's at her fancy spread, so we made her pose at April's house!

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.  Romans 12:12-13