Stinson Family at El Rinconcito Chapin in Cleveland OH
Our family loves to travel.
There is an excitement in our house when we know we get the chance to go somewhere new together. Whether we are traveling a few hours or to another country, our preparation makes us feel anticipation about what we are about to experience. We usually plan moments that will take us off-the-beaten-path to experience beauty, adventure or both. And as self-declared “foodies,” there is always lots of research about where we will eat.
Meals are often the most treasured memories at the end of a journey.
The times where we all slow down, sit together and talk for hours in a way we never seem to have the time to do in the busyness of our lives at home. The best meals come with food that is new, different and often unexpected. We love to order items that we would not have the chance to eat in our own kitchen and to share them among the five of us. We all have very different taste buds, but it is amazing the joy we get from local specialties and cultural delicacies.
As I reflect, it is no surprise that gathering together around food was the centerpiece of most of our family’s preparation for the journey on which we will set off in a few days.
I think back on memories of…
Dinner with the Harts as they shared stories immediately after coming home from meeting Mason’s sisters and their community in Chiquimula back in 2016. Seeds of what is now H(e)arts 4 Guatemala on their h(e)arts as they told us about the beauty of the country and it’s people contrasted by the needs they encountered — safer living conditions, clean water, access to education + medical care, and, of course, better nutrition. All of which we will address on our trip with the help of local organizations like Hope Worldwide, Habitat for Humanity and Days for Girls.
Christmas Eve lunch at El Rinconcito Chapin, a traditional Guatemalan restaurant on the West Side of Cleveland. We gathered for a family-style meal to enjoy the amazing food. We celebrated the restaurant’s Giving Tree fundraiser where customers, many with roots to Guatemala, contributed money that is being used towards our mission. This was one of many fundraising efforts where our community near and far helped us raise over $13,000 and a wide variety of medical, dental and eye care supplies — making our ability to make an impact in Chiquimula a reality.
Learning about Guatemala with my preschool class of 4 + 5 year olds as they worked to “Fill a Bucket” with Christmas Dinner for a family in Chiquimula by doing acts of service at home and in the community. Their shouts of joy when they surpassed their $50 goal and earned enough to be able to provide the family both chicken and pork is one of the fondest memories of my teaching career.
Our first official meal with our mission family gathered around the table at the Hart's. We all did our best to prepare Guatemalan cuisine from recipes that Megan sent us (which I am sure will all be much more delicious when prepared by Guatemalans) and ate together as we talked through details of our trip with nervous excitement.
Dinner after the Spanish Mass at our parish, Holy Angels Church. We listened to the wisdom of Fr. Michael Stalla, a missionary priest in El Salvador for 8-years, as we were welcomed with open arms and heaping spoonfuls of food prepared by Hispanic members of our community. By the end of the evening, our minds, hearts and bellies were full and we felt much more prepared for what was to come — a journey of hope and love that is beyond the need to speak the same language and is now almost upon us!
All of these wonderful memories are gifts from God to engrain this trip in our minds and make us grateful for the opportunity before we leave American soil. However, it is not lost on any of us that on the nights that we enjoyed wonderful food + fellowship and full bellies, many in Guatemala went hungry or thirsty due to the extreme poverty that they face every single day. We know, but do not yet fully understand, that food on this trip is going to take on a whole new meaning in our lives as we witness first-hand the lives of those who live without. As we learn from people who are able to make lasting, joyful memories in spite of a lack of basic needs.
As our family prepares for this trip we still feel excitement and anticipation, but this time it is mixed with the weight of being sent on this journey with a purpose — to be Christ’s hands and feet to the people we meet in Guatemala. To help when we can, but more importantly, to listen, to learn and to communicate “you are worth visiting.” And to know through all of this that we are part of a bigger plan.
