September 2006

I recently returned to Guatemala by way of Antigua in order to brush up on my Spanish. This is a pleasant way to begin the next three years in this Central American country.

The past six months in the United States have passed too rapidly. Perhaps it has something to do with age as well. Gloria and I learned a lot about the church during our stay in the United States. We learned that the particular churches are full of people of good will who are striving to serve their church and their God. It is clear some churches have more awareness of what the wider church is doing and how and why it is doing it than do others. Still it would be a lot simpler if the churches could take better advantage of their relationship with one another to promote a more cohesive effort rather than quibbling about what to some are minor differences yet to others appear to be an attack on the faith itself. It seems the church too often reflects society rather than being the beacon we would desire. For those churches that offered us their hospitality we are truly appreciative. For the individuals who opened their homes to us we feel we have made new and lasting friends. For those who have chosen to support our work we are deeply grateful. For any who may have mistaken our passion for anger, were troubled by the longer or shorter than usual sermon, or any other miscommunication we offer our apologies. We trust we will have the opportunity to visit you in the future.

Returning to Guatemala by way of the old city, Antigua, is certainly a contrast to the Guatemala we know best. Although we had visited Antigua many times we had not spent more than three days here at any one time. Antigua is designated a cultural heritage city by the UN and is the most visited place in Guatemala. It was the capital of Spanish America nearly 500 years ago and its cobblestone streets, colorful market, Spanish colonial architecture, massive old cathedrals, and ruins alone are worth the trip to Guatemala. I am staying in a house that has courtyard walls covered with a brilliant array of growing flowers, with a cage of parakeets chirping contentedly, and with the pleasant and relaxing sounds of a fountain just outside my window. I can find anything I need within no more than a few hundred yards walking distance. I attended mass at La Merced last Sunday. The congregation actually sang the hymns, which were accompanied by a marimba assisted by violins. That made a satisfying and pleasing sound, even if an unusual one, as well as a worshipful experience. I had the option of a minimum of three or four other grand, old Catholic churches that are nearby all of which were ringing their bells of praise. La Merced was packed and a number of tourists wearing back packs wandered in and out examining the statuary. It could have been a distraction but I have seen the same thing in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and I am sure the local parishioners are long used to this.

Citizens and tourists congregate in the central square and vendors doggedly attempt to sell their wares while shoeshine men and boys offer their services to every passing tourist. Volcanoes on the skyline with clouds hanging on their sun-swept slopes add to the romance of this poetic town. It is a comfortable city and it would be easy to live here and a number of ex-patriots do. Reminders though of the gap between those who languish in poverty and those who do well are apparent in the number of ragged beggars who sleep on the streets and scrounge food while tourists and others dine and sleep in luxurious hotels. It is easy to overlook the destitute since we are surrounded with such other enjoyable sights, sounds, and temperate weather.

Antigua represents the contradictions that exist throughout the world — beauty and splendor mixed with squalor and great need. Those with whom we spend our time in Guatemala reflect what the lack of resources do to a people who struggle simply to survive. It is good to be here again with the people we have come to admire. I will certainly miss Gloria this first part of our term. I share her excitement about returning to college to work toward a master’s degree in Conflict Transformation at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. Studying how to make peace certainly has an edge over studying how to make war. I am proud of the choice she has made to extend herself in this manner. We are continually surprised by the opportunities providentially made available to us as life continues to unfold in ways we could not have imagined only a few years ago. She will join me here in the spring.

I hope that all of you can be with us on this leg of our sojourn and that some of you will choose to support our work.

Peace,

Roger and Gloria

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 64