Tears of sadness and joy

God Bless you Claro. You are an inspiration

and you will be missed.

Me, Brock, Kerrie, Claro and

Mario (Healing Waters Guatemala Director)

Brock, Kerrie and Claro



Graham Johnson, one of the members of the
Wellshire team that went to Guatemala

Standing with Claro in front of his new house

I wrote about an incredible missionary family that I had the privilege of spending time with in Guatemala when I was there with the group from Wellshire in March. You can read that post here: http://blogadegregorio.blogspot.com/2009/05/great-ministry-in-guatemala.html

I was checking in with that family today, reading their blog and sending them an e-mail when I stumbled on this blog post written by Brock, the husband and father of the missionary family in Guatemala:
Claro

Claro died today.I have only known Claro for a few months, but I loved him. God
connected us, which always builds a friendship bond at a faster pace than
otherwise.

We met after his nephew came to us and asked if we would come visit his home. He had heard our ministry built houses in the community, and said his uncle Claro was in great need.He was right. Claro’s house was more like an old tool shed. Made of cornstalk, there were gaps everywhere, allowing space for the cold, rain, and wind to make life miserable. The inside was barely big enough for a twin-size makeshift bed, and a fire. The floors were dirt. His only belongings were a few dirty pieces of clothing, a some filthy dishes caked in soot, and a machete. He cooked over an open fire about 2 feet from his bed, giving him a constant inhale of smoke and dirt. No
electricity, no water, no plumbing… his house was cold and dark.

But Claro was a joy.

He smiled and talked. And talked, and talked... He told us how cold and dusty his house is, and how it always makes him sick. At 65 years old or so, he is difficult to understand (even for the locals), because he blurs and joins his words in a unique mutter. But he said “thank you God and thanks to you” no less than 20 times every time we talked.

When we finished his home, roughly the equivalent of a concrete block 2-car garage, he stood inside and cried. “Never in all my life did I think I would have a home like this.” That statement froze me. I wondered what kind of home I could envision myself standing in that would warrant the very same comment from me.

The house only has two small rooms. Instead of basking in the glory of his new space, he immediately moved his son, daughter in law, and granddaughter into the adjacent room.

2 weeks ago, with some friends that were visiting, we delivered Claro a new bed. When we moved out his old one, made of stiff hay, he said “don’t throw that away, I can sell that and make a little money!” We all laughed. He sat on his bed. We could tell he was amazed at how soft it was.

A few days later, some other friends had decided to bless Claro with a new chicken coup they had built. We went to his house to surprise him. After yelling for him and getting no answer, my friends waited at the street and I went up to see if he was home.I peeked in the front door and saw Claro lying in his bed. He was on top of his blanket, which made me smile as I realized he wasn’t cold. I felt bad waking him up, so I stood there and just looked at him for while. He looked comfortable.I called out his name and he popped up…said he was just taking a quick nap. We gave him the
chicken coup. He was very grateful. He told us he could manage the baby chicks
without a problem, and he was excited about the new micro business
opportunity.

That was a week ago. Today, I ran into Claro’s son on the street. Sobbing, he gave me the news that Claro has passed away suddenly in his sleep. Unexpected. Just like that, Claro was gone.

I just got home from the viewing in Claro’s house. He was lying in an open coffin, in the exact place that he had served us his famous fried chicken just over a month
earlier at his home dedication. As I stood over his coffin, looking at his face,
I could hear his scratchy voice: “Gracias a Dios, Gracias Ustedes.”

I am so humbled, so honored, to have had the opportunity to show the love of Jesus to Claro in the last couple months of his time on earth. After a long, difficult life living in extreme poverty, Claro spent his last couple months in comfort. I wish it could have been longer, but I believe he went out with a sense of dignity, an appreciation for God’s blessing, and the ability to leave behind a safe, warm home to his son.

Peace Claro. See you again soon. I’ll be looking forward to feasting together at the
Lord’s table – and having another round of that fried chicken.

I cried as I read this post. I cried tears of joy that Claro could see the love of Christ through the act of building a simple house and that he lived his last few months in comfort. I cried tears of sadness because I had the privilege of meeting Claro when I was in Guatemala in March, and he had touched me and other members of my group in a deeply profound way. Despite his humble surroundings, his love for God was unwaivering. This man was truly an inspiration and his departure from this earth, while glorious because he is now dwelling in heaven, was sad because he will be missed by those who had the privilege of knowing him.

Claro reminded me a lot of my grandma, who died two summers ago, just shy of her 100th birthday. My grandma was in incredible inspiration, with a quiet but profound faith. I miss her too and reading this story of Claro brought back some of those feelings. I will post the eulogy I wrote for my grandma in my next posting along with some photos.