A Reflection on the Mothers of Antigua Guatemala

Happy Mother’s Day! Today’s newsletter includes a beautiful reflection about mothers from guest contributor Lisa Masiello. Lisa first came to Guatemala on a Vision Trip with her husband and two boys in August of 2024 and will be returning as a co-leader of a Vision Trip later this summer.

A Reflection on the Mothers of Antigua Guatemala
by guest contributor Lisa Masiello

I drive my car home and park in my attached garage; she scales the 35-degree inclined footpath nearly a half mile up the mountainside to her home.

I turn the deadbolt on the front door for security for the night; I am reminded that she has no front door to lock, merely a curtain to pull.

My husband and I send our boys off to bed and eventually retire for the night ourselves; she feeds her young children dinner and returns to work leaving them alone until 3:30 a.m.

I sleep soundly on my extra deep mattress with my plush pillows and high thread count sheets; she shares her bed with her three children and the mold spores propagating in the damp mattress.

I cook breakfast for my family on my gas range stove; she cooks on an open fire, filling her home and lungs with smoke.

I relax in my leather recliner and watch a good movie on television; she has no furniture on which she can rest.

I am comfortable in my climate-controlled home with its 30-year shingles; she apologizes for the damp dirt floor because the rains ran through her living room.

I peruse my full pantry and well-stocked fridge for a snack; she endures hunger until the afternoon before she eats the only meal she will have that day.

I wash and dry my clothes in my GE washing machine and dryer; she scrubs her clothes by hand in the sink and hangs them to dry. She uses that same sink to wash her dishes.

My water is clean, and my shower runs hot from pipes hidden in the wall; her water runs cold and contaminated from visible PVC pipes.

My children complain when I ask them to try on new clothes; her children beam when they receive a single hand-me-down t-shirt.

She puts on her make-up each morning and ensures that her children are dressed clean and tidy for school. You would never believe that they get ready for the day in a home with a floor of dirt, roof of corrugated sheet metal, and walls of any material they can find to keep out the rain.

She prays not for a door with a lock, a mattress without mold, or a stove without smoke. She prays for the health of her family. She prays for the education of her children.

I gain clarity that everything I have is from God. But if I give her everything I own, she has no drawers or cupboards or closets to store it. I learn that it is the investment in the education of her children that will help them help themselves and lead to sustainable change.

I am ashamed that I am surprised by how intelligent, clever, artistic and literate she is. God has blessed us both just the same with gifts and talents we are to share to bless those around us.

Jesus said, “In the world, you will have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.” Despite her troubles, she is happy, and her children play and laugh joyfully with their beautiful smiles and bright eyes.

With all possessions stripped away, we stand as sisters in Christ, equally blessed. We are blessed by the presence of God, His grace, His mercy, His promise of eternal life, and a heaven where there will be struggles no more.