Daily Devotion: 7 Days til Guatemala

Daily Devotion from Terry at Across All Borders:

May 27 - Embracing A Culture: Mangy Dogs and Litter

Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.

In Guatemala, you will see a lot of things that you consider to be "different", but be careful when speaking to Guatemalans that speak English in the questions that you ask because they may feel as if what you are saying is that they are not good enough and that their country is not good enough.

One thing that always disturbs at least a few animal lovers on any team is the amount of stray, mangy, hungry, diseased dogs that are all over villages in Guatemala (not to mention extremely thin cows, horses, mules, goats, chickens and pigs). The way animals are treated in Guatemala is much different than the way they are treated here. In Guatemala, dogs are more for protection, not pets, and most have to find food on their own. People are struggling to feed their children; they consider it a waste to spend their limited resources on a dog's health. Here, so many dogs are beloved parts of our families that receive careful and expensive treatment when needed. Many pet owners spend more on their dogs than they give to the poor. Which perspective is better? The truth is, we could argue about which is more moral, but each perspective is simply different.

Another thing you will see in Guatemala is litter. While many Guatemalans take great pride in what little they do have, littering does not appear to be an issue for them. The basic need to survive outweighs giving any priority to cleaning up rural roadsides. Air pollution is another difference that you will quickly see (and smell) as fumes from chicken buses (public transportation) always hangs heavy in the air.

It is tempting when you meet a Guatemalan that speaks your language (our driver, translator, national pastors, etc.) to let your guard down and begin asking them questions that come to mind about the "differences" you've noticed. Be VERY careful in those moments. Offending someone is not worth the small exchange of information. And remember that "different" does not mean "better" or "worse".

Lord, I confess my need of your help in setting watch over the door of my lips. In any careless moment, I pray that you will look to this prayer and answer me in that moment of conversation. Help me not to speak of my observations in any way that would hurt someone in Guatemala. I endeavor, by your grace, to consider other people more important than myself, their thoughts more important than mine, their lives more important than mine, every moment I am there. I choose to embrace the culture of Guatemala with no concern for the differences but only a heart to love them and declare only the words you give me to speak.

Terry Carr Bracey
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Across All Borders