Ben Norcia’s Blog (Chronicles of Norcia) Ch 2 ep 4: Dia de los Disappointment, Apostleship, and the British

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It’s been quite an eventful week since I posted Gringo? and now rather than waiting until the end of this weekend to post, I figured I would bless my dear readers by posting now and then making a second post about the weekend/early next week’s events sometime later. I know, I know, “how could we ever thank you?” is what you’re probably thinking. Truthfully I do this for all of you and not for myself so you enjoying the stories is really all that matters (unless you want to subscribe, like, comment, share it with your friends…). So yeah here goes the last week’s events, starting somewhere along the same lines of where we left off.

The Santa Marta Basketball Project

It was much to my embarrassment that after I wrote two blogs about, made posts on instagram/facebook for, and kickstarted a GoFundMe in the name of the “Santa Martha Basketball Project”, it was brought to my attention that Santa Martha is not spelled Santa Martha, but Santa Marta. In the history of my blogging career i’ve never been so humiliated.

So on more important news: WE GOT HOOPS!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I really want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who donated and prayed for the project again, because all of your support means so incredibly much to all of us down here. God Bless you guys.

Sunday afternoon when I wrote both: We’re Playing Bas-ket-ball and Gringo? I was in the middle of Guatemala City, an hour away from the AIM base. After I left the comfort and free wifi access of the swankiest mall McDonald’s I’ve ever seen – disaster struck. John Teter, Audrey (shoutout Audrey, she’s randomly been a regular on B plot lately and it’s been awesome), and myself were turned away at store after store all over the city. Despite every website claiming to have hoops, none did in person. Five stores later, as we sat dejectedly outside of a Pizza Hut, time ran out. Due to safety concerns, we have to be back to the base by 6 on weekends.

As we were out of time, we dejectedly slumped over to the main city four lane road and waited for a bus. Seeing as it was already about 5 o’clock and the last busses had almost all left, we were jostled onto one of the last chicken busses headed the direction we needed to go.

Context – Chicken bus: A former US school bus that for whatever reason was no longer wanted, and therefore the only logical course of action was taken with it. It was driven through the states, through Mexico, and into Guatemala, painted with various designs and bright colors, equipped with an eardrum-splintering horn, and sold to be used as public civilian transportation.

I took one step onto the bus and made the realization that maybe catching the last bus home from the city was not the wisest idea I’ve ever concocted. Despite my concerns, the bus immediately shot into high gear, and down the highway we went. The cause for my concern: As we were pushed onto the bus we quickly realized max capacity had been exceeded a couple of dozens of passengers ago. I was basically sitting on the drivers lap while John and Audrey stood on the steps down to the door. The driver’s right hand man tried to push us into the seating area so he could get on the bus and not be hanging out the door as we swerved through traffic, but seeing as the seats built to fit 4 comfortably across were seating about 10 each, he was forced to wait a little while.

After a few departures we were able to find enough room to squeeze in between rows and stand amid the piles of legs, bodies, and limbs flooding the aisle. The bright moment came when John Teter tried to put our three boxes of pizza on the bag rack, only for the top box to shimmy through one of the cracks and smash an old Guatemalan woman atop the head. She was both okay and a great sport about it though, and she had a good laugh about it with the two of us.

Throughout the rest of the week, I spent every chance I had on wifi to attempt to connect with a hoop retailer. I reached out just about everywhere I thought to reach out to, and after connecting with and browsing dozens of international shipping companies, it was looking to be extremely expensive. On Wednesday, I was talking to Iván and an international shipping company that had hoops I really liked was offering me an uncomfortable but tolerable price. And then the shipping costs more than doubled it. The total came out to about 1,500$ and that idea went out the window.

It was back to the drawing board until later, when Iván came to tell me that one of the sellers we’d reached out to on Guatemalan Facebook marketplace had gotten back to him. It might have been the most exciting moment of my missionary career. The seller not only had one net, he not only had TWO NETS, he was not only going to deliver them TO US, but the price was just excellent. The last week of my countless desperate prayers for Jesus to somehow provide me with two basketball hoops in a Guatemalan village were answered in that moment. The two hoops plus the minimal shipping costs will only cost about 390$ USD when they arrive on Monday, meaning that since you all went above and beyond by contributing a total of SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS we are going to have over two hundred USD to buy equipment with! We’re planning on hooking up the Basketball Program with way more balls in boys and girls sizes, whistles, and various other equipment made possible by all of your incredible generosity. Thank you!!!!!

Dia de los Santos

So rather than celebrating Halloween like we do, or celebrating Dia de los Muertos like in Mexico, Guatemalans celebrate the Day of the Saints on November 1st. It’s a really incredible cultural tradition and the celebrations are super unique. One festival that takes place at the city where the REINDOM house is located is that on Dia de los Santos, people make these incredible gigantic kites during the night between Oct 31st and Nov 1st. The DOGs and I were given the opportunity to stay the night at the REINDOM house so that at night we could watch the kite preparations and then spectate the festivities the next day. We were all so excited for the holiday and the experience we could have only here and only on this day.

In classic heartbreaking fashion, however, the entire kite festival was canceled. It rained all day and all night on the 31st, meaning that the paper used to build the kites would not have held up. Dia de los heartbreaker indeed.

Fortunately for us, we were still in the city with some of the coolest people I’ve ever met. We ended up getting to hang out and spend quality time with Iván and the rest of REINDOM outside of our usual ministry setting. It was a cool opportunity to bond a whole lot with them. They really are such awesome people and we’re so blessed to work with them. If you haven’t followed @ivansolloy on instagram yet, do it. He’s awesome.

One highlight of our stay in the city was trying what may be my new favorite Guatemalan snack. Iván has introduced me to this little fruit called jacotes (pronounced: huh-coat-tay) in the last two weeks along with a few other delicious little regional fruits. Jacotes are definitely my favorite. At one point during the day my team went out to visit the cemetery while all of the locals were bringing flowers and gifts to their loved ones graves to get a firsthand glimpse of the holiday. Apparently I was “too slow” in leaving so I was left behind to my own devices (what a world). While they were out, Iván stopped and bought a few grilled jacotes which he brought back for me to try. I have no idea what they were grilled in but they were delicious. Absolutely a new top tier snack option for sure. Grilled jacotes. Come to Guatemala. Try them. You won’t regret it.

Apostleship

One big theme of Guatemala so far has been the Lord discipling me in difficult ways. Really difficult ways. Areas in need of growth deeply rooted within myself are being brought to light in this season of improvement. I’m definitely looking to become more like Christ always, and it is certainly difficult when you realize areas of your life where you should grow in.

For example, I haven’t done a great job seeking people out intentionally for most of my life. It’s not something I would have thought of on my own, but in real situations and in reading scripture I’ve realized that there is a lot more of myself I could pour out to other people for their benefit and for my own. Spending all of my time with the same few friends is fun, but there’s a lot of growth outside of the comfort zone that is easy to miss. In first starting to step out of my comfort zone (it was uncomfortable) but then an amazing thing started to happen. I saw perspectives I didn’t have before. No matter how clever I fancy myself to be, everyone has some wisdom I don’t.

This Thursday, we had a talk in the morning at the base on apostleship. I was extremely stoked because it’s something that is almost never taught on, so I arrived at the cafeteria early, with pen and paper ready in hand. The presentation certainly did not disappoint. In fact, I ended up learning and being inspired in a number of different ways.

I got wrecked up.

A big part of the talk was about God’s Will, and making earth look more like Heaven. At the end, I was thinking about difficult things in my life and areas where earth doesn’t look like Heaven. I thought about insecurities I have had and unhealthy habits I’ve turned to that I thought would provide me happiness, but it was never lasting.

Now, however, I’ve found something that overflows my cup with a joy and peace that nothing else has ever provided. I’ve found something that has changed my life in more amazing ways than anything else could ever have done. I’ve found something so far greater than myself that I’m growing in ways I never imagined to be possible.

And then I remember that something is really someone. And I can’t help but want with my whole being that everyone I love finds what I’ve found as well.

And then I remember that it’s not on me to uncover secrets for people, because He wants everyone to find Him. The unconditional, redeeming Love He feels for me, He feels for everyone. And He wants them to know. All of the healing, growth, and Love I’ve experienced is for everyone.

It’s beautiful man. Abundant life is for everyone. There’s no reason earth can’t look a whole lot more like Heaven in each of our lives.

So later that day, we went out to share a little bit of God’s Love with people around the city. I can’t lie, it was a tough day for me. My group ended up talking to two different pairs of drunk men beside the road and trying to help them. It was tough to see people in situations that dark.

The knowledge that encouraged me to not only continue through, but persevere through the encounters, was the title of God as our Father. I have been tremendously Blessed with an amazing father that I know, if I were one of these drunk men sitting beside the road, my dad’s love for me would not waver. Knowing that God is our Father, and no matter how far we fall His Love for us will never waver was all the encouragement I needed to see these people in the light of who they truly are: Children of God.

His Love is abundant. People have gotta know.

Featuring: The British

On an unexpected but delightful subplot this week: we had a British missionary crew helping out this week. I never really understood the politics of the situation because they were all from either London or Chicago, but I decided not to question it too much.

I never found out much about the Chicago-ans, but on the London side they were people from a church called BCC (I assume it stands for something like British Church of Cool-people because I was never informed otherwise).

As promised, shoutout: Deborah, Sofi, Tete, Bria, Olivia, and everyone else who came, they were actually a blessing to have helping out for the week.

The reason they were down is that their church had raised the money for hundreds of water filters to be given out to the people of Santa Marta, and then they came down to help give them out as well as support REINDOM in various other tasks, such as building bunk beds for children to provide them with a comfortable sleeping place.

After the initial banter around each other’s accents and slang (I’m still unsure how I feel about saying “wagwan” with an American accent) we actually got into some great conversations and encouragement for each other. Deborah (one of the British leaders), in particular really poured out and shared loads of wisdom with me.

A side note that I just have to share is that she was actually the coolest person ever. Her testimony was inspiring, and some of the stories she shared of things she has done for the Lord displayed a bravery and dedication so incredible that I thought I was talking to a movie character. From years of long term missions overseas, to levels of Bible smuggling that would impress even Han Solo, she has done things for others so spectacular that I can’t help but be in awe of the level of fearlessness she has displayed.

They were all really incredible people doing incredible work. Shoutout BCC, I hope I’ll make it to London someday to pay a visit.

Final note:

As I sit here on Saturday afternoon at a coffee shop, Iván just texted me that the hoops were just delivered. It’s Ballin time. “We’re playin bas-ket-ballll…”