Life on the mission field isn’t always construction projects and playing with orphans. Mandy Mackey learned about the importance of building relationships and blessing others while on a World Race: Gap Year trip in Guatemala.
Riley, Timmy, and I had one goal as we strolled through town: to bless someone. Sidewalk vendors, construction workers, and shop owners surrounded us, but we didn’t feel drawn to any of them. So we kept walking — until we saw a group of women sitting on the curb. As we approached them, one woman stood up with her toddler. She would have walked right past us, but Riley stopped to talk to her.
“¿Le gusta helado?” Do you like ice cream? she asked the woman. Within moments, the woman, Marena, had fetched her other daughter, an adorable three-year-old, and we were all on our way to the ice cream shop. Marena and her daughters shared two bowls of Neapolitan, and Riley, Timmy, and I licked our own coffee ice cream cones.
As we bonded over the ice cream, Marena’s timidity gave way to warmth. Graciously, she invited us back to her home for coffee. With the three-year-old on Riley’s back and the conversation flowing, we walked through narrow back roads to her house. The cement cube they called home held a fire stove, a small sink, a mattress, a dresser, and a few boxes of clothes and toys. Marena’s husband, Pedro, found two toddler chairs and a child’s table for us to sit on. They scrambled to tidy up, apologizing for the mess and for the lack of real chairs.
While we sipped coffee made from fresh Guatemalan beans, Marena and Pedro told us their stories and we told them about our travels. As we sat with the family, my Spanish miraculously improved until I was translating to my teammates while Marena and Pedro spoke.
The next day, we joined the family for a typical Guatemalan lunch. We sat on the floor to enjoy the meal of soup, rice, tamales, and pineapple soda. Riley and I played with the girls, and Timmy took pictures of the family. After we left, we bought picture frames and printed Timmy’s pictures. When we presented the photos to the family the following day, the older girl laughed to see herself on paper. Pablo told us they’d never had pictures before.
Just days after we met Marena, I found myself sitting across from her in a toddler chair. Tears filled her eyes as she spoke about our upcoming departure. “You three have been a gift from God to our family. When you leave, my daughters will be so sad. I’m going to cry!”
To Marena, it wasn’t about the ice cream or photos. It was about someone taking the time to know her name, to notice her long enough to bless her.
Knowing this family has meant knowing hospitality, graciousness, and fellowship. I have a new perspective on thankfulness and faithfulness, and it all started with ice cream.
If we set out every day to bless someone, I believe it would change not only others, but also our perspective. We may never see the person we blessed, or we may witness the difference in a life like Marena’s. Regardless, blessing others will lead to much more than we can imagine.
Photos via @megrthomas and Mandy Mackey
Mandy and her friends made a difference in Marena’s life because of their desire to bless others and their willingness to serve. Is God calling you to go? Apply for a trip to Guatemala or apply for World Race: Gap Year.
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