Blogger note: The following posts will be filled with memories from my recent trip to Guatemala. It will be about the people I met, what they taught me and how I now feel challenged and motivated to DO more love. There will also be stories of the people I travelled with, amazing friends that more than ever have become treasures in my journey.

It is already Wednesday and the hot sun is shining bright. We’ve made our way around the village to the homes awaiting installation of cooking stoves. We find out our first house has already installed their own stove. They have been trained, but they were supposed to wait for us to help with installation. However, we are equally pleased that they have it done. See, these stoves are a big step up from the open fires they have been using to cook on and heat their houses with.
The new stoves are made of cinder blocks, a clay stone combustion chamber and a proper chimney to direct the smoke out of the house. Families here are exposed to smoke inhalation on a daily basis, affecting their respiratory systems, eyes, and skin.
We move on to the next house. This is the first stove I am helping to install with my team. We split into two groups, so that we can offer help at the medical clinic, while also installing stoves.

We are welcomed by Micaela, her husband Juan and her three precious children, two sweet boys and an infant baby girl. Before entering the house we notice a nice little garden, and Micaela proudly shows us what she is growing: a couple tomatoes plants, some corn, beans, and Swiss chard. This garden is the result of an agriculture project aimed to encourage the people of Villa Hortencia 2 to grow a variety of vegetables, in order to increase the nutrients in their diet.
Once in the house we begin to assemble the stove, but the surroundings grab my attention. Although this is not my first time in the village, I am always struck by the humility and openness of the people here.

The way of life here is very simple. Houses are more of a common space.
The beds on one side, the cooking area on the opposite. One or two shelving units house all their garments and any other “luxury” item- like a mirror, and maybe a pair of shoes.My friend Kim notices a new set of blue speckled pots hanging on the wall. Like the enamelware you’d buy for camping. For Micaela though, it is exciting new cookware!! I ask if she’s gotten them for her new stove, she smiles wide and giggles “yes”! She points to her old blackened pot and tells me she is so happy to see it go!

I could not help but look at her feet. They’re dirty, as when you have walked through mud, soil, and dust. Her shoes are black peep toe flats made of plastic. For a second, I feel sorry for her. But I take a look around again and notice that even in the simplicity of her house, Micaela is no different than me. She takes pride in her house- it’s clean and organized. She takes care of her family well, prepares meals, does laundry, breastfeeds her little girl on demand, and makes sure she can help her husband if needed.

We complete the installation and asked Micaela to lite it up. Her husband is standing by the stove with a familiar look of pride- the one all husbands have when providing for their families. She cuts a few pieces of kindling with a machete and lights the stove. We all cheer as the smoke makes its way up through the chimney and out of the house. The cooktop is smooth and ready for those new pots and fresh tortillas.

Micaela and Juan say thank you over and over, smiling at us. She is excited to use the new pots and no longer have to inhale those poisonous fumes. We end our visit by praying with them asking our Creator to bless them in every way.

As I laid down that evening on my sleeping bag, I asked God to give me shoes like Micaela’s…not plastic black peep toes, but the kind that carry you with deep faith and strong sense of purpose. I want to exude the same contentment she has, and find fulfilment in the routine tasks of a mom. I keep asking my Creator to help me find joy in all I do – to remain focused and appreciative of His will for me.

Do love and shoes!

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)