by Gladden Lawrence
Day 5 – in ChiChi — We got off to a slow start this morning due to some logistical issues the leaders had to work out before we boarded the bus back to Paquixit to finish stoves left unfinished. Nothing critical, just the typical interruptions in life we all face whether we’re on a mission trip in Guatemala or living our lives in Kingwood.
After every stove is built, it is branded with the letters AXS. A three-letter acronym the Guatemalans came up with that stands for Amigos Por Siempre (Friends for Always). My traveling mission buddy Rick and I quizzed the team leader on how the A and the S stand for Amigos and Siempre, so how does the X represent the Spanish word Por? The answer is, it doesn’t. It was just picked to represent the Spanish word Por (For).
My 3 days on the mountain taught me a lot about relationships and commitment between North Americans and Mayan people living on the side of a mountain in Guatemala. Who cares if the X doesn’t fit the mold. The meaning is still there. The Stove Builders will always be friends with the Guatemalan people. Their lives are forever changed.
As I knelt before today’s stove, laying on hands and listening to Pastor Tomas bless another stove, I felt as if this was holy ground that God had brought me here in the moment to draw closer to him. The gift of the stove was life changing, the gift of unconditional service is also life changing. Galatians 2:20 reminds us we are crucified with Christ and no I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live by faith in the Son of God who lives in me and gave himself for me.
Today was my small attempt to make honor Christ’s sacrifice.
When have you stood on “Holy Ground?”
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