A letter from Marcia Towers in Guatemala
March 2013
Friends,
Young Adult Volunteer Annie Aeschbacher with Guatemalan host mother Juana Herlinda Yac, who was instrumental in starting a health clinic in her small town.
I feel blessed to be able to be present in the lives of faithful young adults who are discerning how to follow God’s call in the world. I’m supervising my ninth group of Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs), and recently two of this year’s YAVs were asked to write about their experiences—one for the PC(USA) Mission Yearbook and one for some promotional materials. What they wrote touched me and I’d like to share.
Annie Aeschbacher graduated in 2012 from Whitworth University with studies in Spanish and Theology. She lives with Juana Herlinda Yac, a Maya Quiche community leader who has inspired us all. Annie writes:
Poverty: The vacant face, yellowed cheeks and glazed eyes of a malnourished, 18-month-old girl, weighing a mere 15 pounds and waiting on death’s doorstep…
Poverty: The desperation in her mother’s eyes, knowing that something must be done but also knowing, too well, that there is no money to buy the fortified milk her daughter’s life depends on…
In my work as a Young Adult Volunteer in Guatemala, when I first met Cristina and her baby, that is what I saw: two people trapped in the hopeless, life-draining effects of poverty that plague far too many people in Guatemala and across the world. However, thanks to the grace of God and the generosity of others, there is hope. My host mom Juana Herlinda has been working actively in our community of Pachaj, Cantel, for the past eight years to improve the health of the people here. With collaboration from the Health Commission and local government, she helped open a health center that now provides free basic medical services, medicine and health education to everyone in Pachaj and the surrounding communities.
Although the center’s services are limited, the work there is fighting root causes of poverty by focusing on education and preventative medicine. Sometimes, through special donations, the center can also provide help for extreme cases like Cristina’s. We received funds to buy the milk Cristina could not, and now new life is taking hold. For Cristina and her baby, poverty is losing ground to hope. That is a reason to praise!
Dear Lord, our hearts ache for our brothers and sisters around the world who struggle daily in the bonds of poverty. Continue to sow your seeds of hope, grace, and love among us, so that we may all find new life and freedom in you, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Young Adult Volunteer Rachel Lee celebrates her birthday with her host family, who are Kaqchikel Mayan. They invited her to use their traditional dress for the occasion.
Rachel Lee graduated in 2012 from Hastings College with a major in English and History. When asked to write about how this program has changed her, she says:
I feel so blessed that I was chosen to be a YAV in Guatemala. I've had the unique opportunity to immerse myself in both the Spanish language and the Mayan culture, but even more than that, I've learned to open my heart completely, which has allowed me to see miracles in places I never would have looked before.
Annie and Rachel’s reflections demonstrate what I see frequently in Young Adult Volunteers: that the experience of being immersed with people who are different from them and especially with people who are struggling to make ends meet helps these young adults grow in faith, search for a "meaningful" rather than "successful" life, and identify where their passions can meet the world’s needs.
Many in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) talk about the Young Adult Volunteer program as being a gem that our church has invested in and grown. In an era when many programs are facing budget cuts, the denomination has increased staff for and tasked the YAV program over the next few years to place three times more volunteers than we currently have. YAVs hear about the program by word of mouth—so make sure you tell your college-age and even high school–age youth to keep this on their radar. The website has many more stories and information—www.pcusa.org/yav.
Thank you to all who support this work through prayers, financial support, and recruiting YAVs. For more information on how to support my work you can go to my webpage https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionconnections/towers-marcia/ (or use the "Read more" link below).
Peace,
Marcia
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 16
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