In this installment of New Year’s 2015 in Guatemala, I reflect on the following quote from George Herbert.
“Do not wait: the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”
Not only shall we not wait but we must be open to new and different experiences. Often times as we head out on service/mission trips, we expect to serve through physical labor, but we should really look at becoming part of the community and building relationships. Through these relationships and the spirit of our labor, the difference we make will be unfathomable. One thing I like about Hearts in Motion (HIM) is how they work with the local communities building relationships with the people and having a core leadership team on site that is mostly Guatemalan.
I say this to share the following stories of difference that did not come from hard labor but just sharing of my time, listening, providing assistance, and being mindful of the small things. These experiences provided me new insight and at the end of each day, I could see why God placed me where he had that particular day.
5 Year Old Joseph (No Fotos)
Sunday, we spent the day in the mountains with the Physical Therapy (PT) group. I knew little about PT except the fact I should be doing my own PT assignments at home to improve my personal well-being. The day was very busy helping anyone from very small children to elderly men and women, but what I remember most of that day at the PT clinic was little Joseph. Earlier in the morning as I helped lead patients to the PT rooms, I stopped to say ‘hola’ to a little boy. With my limited Spanish, I attempted to learn a little bit about the young boy. I learned his name, Joseph, his age, 5, and that he knew the colors on his shirt.
Later in the morning as lunch approached, his mom had finally been taken back for her PT appointment, and little Joseph patiently sat with his father. I thought how very few children in the USA would be so well-mannered for so long and sit patiently. Remembering that we had bubbles, I went off to find them and came back to blow bubbles with Joseph. He attempted to converse more with me in Spanish, but with my limited Spanish, communication really was not succeeding. Despite the lack of verbal communication, our non-verbal interactions were profound. Towards the end, we were playing as if we were upset at one another as each of us would blow out the others bubbles before they really had time to form. Joseph also laughed at me and with me as I could not get the bubbles to actually work half the time. Not only was I putting a smile on Joseph’s face, you could see the joy on the father’s face as I played with his son, who was having tons of fun. Though my tools may have been limited, I worked with what I had making a difference in Joseph’s life as well as my own. I discovered new tools as I increased my Spanish and gained wisdom in non-verbal communication.
Carlito’s New Wheelchair (Fotos)
Monday, I spent the day in Gualan, where we had spent most of the July 2014 trip. To read more about the Gualan projects, check out the previous post Segundo Viaje a Guatemala Durante el Ano Nuevo 2015. We travelled again with the PT students for a clinic at Gualan, but the number of patients was much smaller than on Sunday. Therefore, the group had the opportunity to clean out and organize the PT shed. In the meantime, Nancy, HIM leader, came out to see if folks could assist with fixing Carlito a new wheelchair. Carlito is the young boy from Pueblo Modelo that the St. Michael Community has somewhat adopted from our previous trip. He has spina bifida and gets around via wheelchair or on all fours as his legs did not fully mature. After we left in July, the wheel on Carlito’s wheelchair broke so he could no longer use it. His old wheelchair was at Gualan awaiting repair as he got around on all fours back home.
Eric, a Washington University in St. Louis PT student, and I began to take measurements of the old chair and the two possible choices for replacements with a couple others. We had to find a chair that had the same measurements so that Carlito could properly fit in the chair. We determined that the measurements would work, but now came the hard part taking all the braces and supports from the old chair and assembling them on the new one. This is where Klaus, a Guatemalan and quite the handyman, came in to truly save the day. We had to move back, head, and leg supports as well as chest and lap braces from the old chair to the new chair. No the chairs were not identical. The transformation was amazing as we did not have a manual with all the right pieces. Instead, we took the limited and variety of resources we had at our disposal to ‘MacGyver’ together a functioning new wheelchair for Carlito. First we worked on getting the backrest set, which required finding a way to push the back forward. After finding a piece of wood that we could appropriately cut, we found the need for longer screws. Thankfully Klaus went into the maintenance shed and was able to find some longer screws that worked perfectly. The side leg constraints gave us a little problem as we could not configure them similarly to how they were on the original chair. But with a little trial and error and out of the box thinking, we were able to configure and secure the side leg constraints. The straps also took a moment to figure out as they were fastened on individually to the original chair but there was no way to fasten them the same way to the new chair. We did find bolts holding other pieces of the new chair together that could be undone and the straps placed between the parts and refastened together supporting their intended functionality. By the end of the afternoon, Eric, Klaus, and I had put Carlito a new chair together, which we took back to the hotel for delivery later in the week. It was such a blessing to work on what seemed like a simple thing that was going to make a huge difference in the life of Carlito, his family, and his friends. What else amazed me is the fact it does not matter that the chair parts do not match, but what does matter is that we were able to take the tools in front of us and make a remarkable difference in another person’s life.
On Wednesday, we went to Pueblo Modelo to work on Carlito’s family home and brought him his new wheelchair. When Fernando pulled the chair out and gave it to Carlito, you could see the excitement in his face and the face of his siblings and friends. They were excited to check out the new chair and make sure it would work and was secure. Fernando helped tighten a few loose pieces and confirm Carlito’s acceptance of the new chair. What an awesome experience from helping build the chair to seeing Carlito’s face when it was delivered.
As the quote at the beginning said, “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right’ … better tools will be found as you go along.” I believe these stories and so many more prove this statement true. I could have waited until my Spanish improved to try to communicate with Joseph, but what would that have accomplished. We could have waited to have that perfect chair, but how would that have helped Carlito get around today. Do not wait in life for that perfect moment as in waiting you are missing out on so much of what God has to offer you today. Time is never ‘just right’. We must take a leap of faith and believe. Believe in ourselves, in our future career, and in that future relationship. Take a step today to make life a reality before it passes you by, and you are no longer able or the opportunity no longer exists.
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