So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. – Romans 12:5 NIV
Reading or listening to a story is not the same as living in that story. In January 2025, our team from Easter Lutheran in Eagan was privileged to live in, with, and among our partners in Guatemala.
By being present, we experienced Radical Hospitality. It is a long way to the village of Maya Itza. The people of San Marcos Church welcomed our delegation to live with and among them. We received the gift of their hospitality. They opened their homes and hearts, sharing stories of faith, of exile, of hope and of resurrection.
Together we worshipped, laughed, prayed, and feasted. We assembled a cross, laid cement block, blew bubbles, visited a clinic and made pastoral visits to homes. Amid all this activity, the best item we had packed was our ears. We listened to each other. Boundaries between us were crossed. The dividing lines divided. The overlapping of our story with their story merged together inside of God’s story.
We left our homeland, discovered a wonderland, and returned to a new-found-land. As pilgrims, we return changed by our journey.
We heard some form of this message: “When you leave, tell the people in Minnesota about Maya Itza. Tell them we are here. Tell them we exist and have needs. But also tell them that we are strong, that we have hope. We have plans and dreams for the future.”
Our presence provided recognition. Our delegation’s simple presence provided tangible evidence to the families of the church and to their whole community that they are not alone. We are growing to see Maya Itza not as a place of poverty and desperation, but as a community of resilient people who long for a better future.
Saint Paul Area Synod, we bring back good news from our visit. The Lutherans of Guatemala are strong, they are warm, they are faithful, they have good leaders. Yes, they face many challenges, yet they have hope. And they welcome all of us to come and see God at work in their midst. They teach us to have hope, and to look for God at work here in our midst too.
Jesus invites us to reach-out, to see through another’s eyes and to love our neighbors – wherever we are.
David Johnson
Easter Lutheran Church, Eagan
