A Week in Poverty-Stricken Paradise

by Abigail Moran '25

“The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Recently, I was able to go on a mission trip to Guatemala with my mom, some of my friends, and some of my friends’ moms We stayed at Hogar de La Niña: a Catholic home run by nuns and created for girls whose families could not afford to take care of them or who came from abusive families. During our eight days in Central America, I had a truly life-altering experience; I witnessed and understood what Emerson wrote of the ability we have to feel true joy and Christ-like love wherever we are and whatever the circumstance.

The people I encountered in Guatemala had absolutely no material possessions. They lived in metal shacks with no air conditioning or electricity, and yet, these were the most joy-filled, generous people I have ever met in my life As we went around to the villages to help out with house-building, the village folk celebrated our arrival with firecrackers and welcomed us to eat lunch at their houses. This showed me that we don’t need anything but Christ to live a truly happy, fulfilled life You can live in the biggest house on your street and have it filled with the best branded items, but if you haven’t found Christ, you cannot experience and live a truly happy life. What also moved me during this mission was that everyone there spoke Spanish and knew very little English, yet I was still able to communicate with the girls and have as strong of a relationship as I would have if we had spoken the same language. We communicated through the little Spanish I learned in middle school, through our laughter, through basketball (lots of basketball), and through our lovefilled hugs.

Once you start looking for the beauty around you, you’ll see it everywhere. The flowers blossoming, the incredible sunsets, the unconditional kindness of those around you; so much beauty surrounds us, we just have to be present in the moment to see it everywhere The same truth applies to negativity, however If you try and find the bad in life and things to complain about, you will see that everywhere you go as well.

The week I spent in Guatemala was the happiest, most-carefree week of my life. There was no shopping at the mall or binge-watching Netflix, which is what many of us think is the way to be happy Instead, we just enjoyed each other’s company and helped those in need, and we were happier than we’d ever been. When I came home I realized how blessed I really am and how much I really do take for granted

During our mission, we helped with the process of building two churches and several houses during the days while the girls were at school. As we worked in the hot sun for hours on end, it was important to remember that we are stewards of God. In the slight discomfort that we experienced, it let us get a minuscule taste of what Jesus suffered as he died for us. We offered up our circumstances to those who need it Since I’ve returned from Guatemala, I have noticed my outlook on life has really changed. I pray that everyone will encounter an experience similar to this in their life that can open their eyes, as it has made me appreciate life so much more