This story from my experience in Guatemala is one that is constantly bouncing around in my head. I think about this man at least once a week, if not on a daily basis. He touched me. His story shaped how I think about things. I will not forget him. Ever.
Our service team was split into three groups. Each evening, one of the groups took the opportunity to serve the individuals at the Homeless Shelter run by the Nuestros Ahijados. Because there were only two instructors, I went with the third group. Little did I know, but this second trip would directly shape my world view. It would be a moment in time that I will think back to for the rest of my days.
The students served the individuals just as each other team had done. The people at the center are so grateful for the services they receive. A warm meal and a roof over their heads is something that they don't have access to otherwise. This homeless shelther is the only one in Central America. Just think for a second about how backward that is.... there are millions of people who need the assistance, and there simply aren't resources to serve them.
Anyway, while the students were washing the dishes, I had the chance to chat with a few of the individuals at the Center. I was completely taken aback when one individual spoke to me in perfect, accent-free English. I spun around and proceeded to see him translating for others around him. He was sharing their thanks for our service. I kneeled down to be at eye-level with him and shared with him the purpose of our service team and that we were thankful that they had allowed us to serve them. That we were hoping to do our part to ensure that they knew we care about them. He asked why people would come and do such work; especially people from America. I responded by detailing the notion that our group was there to garner a world view. To better connect with the rest of the globe's inhabitants.
By this time, he and I were just chatting, the others had moved on to other things. He looked at me and told me that my group and I were great people. I looked him in the eye and responded by telling him that he, too, was a great human being and that the only thing that separated the two of us was chance. This conversation allowed me to share the common experience of humanity because there truly wasn't anything inherently different about us. We were two people living completely different lives, but I could have just as easily been in his place or he in mine. After I told him that he was a good person, he told me that I shouldn't say things like that. For a moment I felt that I had overstepped my boundary and that I had intruded on a past that he didn't want to share. But, I followed it up by saying that we shared the common human experience and that he simply had faced different barriers in his lifetime. I repeated myself, tell him that he was indeed a good person and that he deserved the best in life. He just looked at me and said, you really shouldn't say such things..... you're going to make me cry. At that point, I was holding back tears and hoping that he understood that I was being entirely sincere.
He shared with me that he was adopted as a child and grew up in Oregon with his adoptive family. He had lived the luxury of America but had decided to return to Guatemala. He had lost everything and was now standing before me embarassed to be in such a condition where he was forced to use the toilet and shower in front of me, a woman. That his life had been reduced to something that he was ashamed of.
Just as we began to move on in the conversation, Hector tapped me with his umbrella and told me that it was time to head back to our host families.
The gentleman looked me in the eyes and said words that I'll never forget, "Thank you for coming here; I hope that we will meet up some day in the states and I can help you like you've helped me here."
I walked out of the shelter holding back tears knowing that I had accomplished everything I had set out to do on this journey.
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