Lots of words, but lots of photos as well

I am reporting from Guatemala, where I am on a mission awareness trip with the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (www.cfcausa.org), a Kansas City, Kan., charity started by Catholic laypeople in 1981. The charity is focused on helping the impoverished in more than 25 developing countries. CFCA helps children and young adults receive school education and job training and employs many people who have also been on the receiving end of aid that comes from individual sponsors. Sponsors, who give at least $30 a month to children in need through CFCA, have taken the trip to meet the children whom they sponsored. The sponsors and I are staying at CFCA’s Guatemalan headquarters in San Lucas Toliman, in the country’s highlands along Lake Atitlan about three hours west of Guatemala City.

Wednesday was a spiritual day that had its share of highs and lows. I want to preface this entry by saying I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty or pull any heartstrings. This is just what I witnessed.

Staying true to its Catholic Christian mission, CFCA starts each day with morning prayer. Wednesday’s featured a native ceremony, which is a mixture of Mayan traditions and symbolism with Catholic elements. Pictured is CFCA president Bob Hentzen, who is quick to pick up his guitar in song. Guatemalans are very strong in their Catholicism and are not reserved about praising Jesus.

It was then on to Santiago Atitlan, a one-hour boat ride (or 20-minute car ride) across Lake Atitlan from San Lucas. It was a beautiful ride across the lake, with a vista of volcanoes and mountains.

While in Santiago, we visited the CFCA center there (the organization is present nationwide) before heading to the town parish. This is a town where Father Stan Rother, a priest originally from Oklahoma, was murdered by the Guatemalan army in 1981. His body is buried in the United States, but his heart literally remains in the church, where it is buried.

The church is lined with interesting depictions of saints in clothing that changes throughout the year.

It was in a chapel where the tabernacle is located that I felt the real presence of Christ.

After spending time in Santiago, we went to a village called Panabaj outside of town where, during Hurricane Stan in October 2005, hundreds of people died in a mudslide that struck at about 3 a.m. The Guatemalan government led an effort to rebuild in the same spot. But construction stopped halfway through when they determined it was too dangerous from the threat of more mudslides. So, displaced residents are in temporary housing on adjacent land that amounts to nothing more than a shantytown. The makeshift village has a common water holding tank and a common kitchen, and many places have no electricity. It's an example of why government intervention fails so many times in place of individual action.

This is the real face of Guatemala:

Sorry to be heavy, folks, but that’s the way it is, and Christian work is necessary. It’s also the face of Jesus. Life ain’t always rainbows and sunshine.

I met a family of nine that lives in one of these houses with only one bedroom, no bathroom and a makeshift working area/kitchen. The family shares four beds and makes goods to sell in the town. I want to be clear that two of us (Father Jose Maria, a Spanish priest, and I) ventured into this house to meet the family, and it wasn't something staged by the charity.

I personally think that CFCA should show people more of this. But Mike DiToro, a sponsor from Shelton, Conn., said it might be a little too visceral for some people to encounter these situations every day.

When we returned to HQ, Father Jose Maria celebrated Mass in CFCA’s chapel. It was very solemn, and the week’s emotions were manifested in the Mass. During the sign of peace, I noticed some people fighting back tears and others letting them go. It was another example of Christ’s presence in many ways.

That’s it, y’all. I’m a little spent, as everyday is a whirlwind of activity. I’m grateful to be born in the United States, and I’m looking forward to getting back to family in Colorado Springs.