Association Saq B’e is one of our partners in Guatemala, formed after our response to Hurricane Stan in 2005. Its board includes Pastor Ken Herfst and a number of very professional Christian people from his church in Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala. “Saq B’e” is a Mayan phrase which translates as “way of light,” and carries with it the connotation of transparency, honesty, progress and integral wellness.

The fact that Guatemala is a mountainous country is reinforced for the umpteenth time as we whip around yet another sharp bend in the road. I am on my way to Champerico, Guatemala, with Pastor Ken Herfst. While my mind is willing, my body is objecting to being treated to a ride on what it believes is an out-of-control merry-go-round. After almost four hours of being tossed around, we reach a straighter patch of road along the Pacific coast of Guatemala. The second half of the journey is more bearable.

Champerico is perched on the Pacific Coast and was once a thriving port for both international trade and fishing. Now the fish stocks have significantly decreased and the shipping business has moved to a port closer to Guatemala City. The result is high unemployment, decaying buildings and infrastructure, and a palpable sense of despair. With nothing to do, men tend to loiter downtown. Inevitably, many succumb to the seductive charms of alcohol and drugs – “Come,” they beckon, “let me help you feel happy once again.”

Restoration House, a home for recovering addicts (interns), is a project we have been supporting for one year through Saq B’e. Wilfredy Cruz, director of Restoration House, himself a recovered addict by God’s transforming grace, lives in the home and ministers to the men daily. The home has a capacity for eight interns, although in very crowded conditions.

The men are up each morning at 5:30 a.m. and have devotions at 6:00 a.m. After breakfast, they clean the home. On most days they go as a group to paint houses and cut grass. The idea is to keep them busy and give them a sense of accomplishment. The men are very closely supervised for three months – they aren’t allowed anywhere alone during that time. During the fourth month, they are allowed some liberties while being monitored from a distance. If they break any rules, they lose those liberties. The goal is to have the men complete the program in four months. After the interns leave, they are given regular follow-up visits.

While walking through the streets of Champerico, we meet Hugo, an intern who had graduated from the Restoration House program. He is very thankful for the program. It used to be that he was immediately evicted from any place of business in Champerico’s downtown. Now he has a job with the municipality and is recognized for his warmth and the very positive example of his lifestyle. The places that previously evicted him now welcome him. He had lost parental rights to his children when he was an addict. Now, a judge has awarded his children to his care, being very impressed with his turnaround.

One of the current interns, Alfonso, told me that the men all go for walks around town and everyone greets them with warmth. Before, the villagers would either run away or completely ignore them. Their self-respect has returned. At Christmas, the neighbors brought them chicken and other treats. They hugged and encouraged the men. How many people would be happy about having a half-way house for recovering addicts in their neighborhood?

Pastor Ken points out that you can see God working in the lives of most of the men just by watching their faces and body language. I can see what he means. One man looks different and clearly thinks he is better than the others. Sure enough, we learn that he is causing some problems. May God be gracious to him as well.

How are men recruited for the program? They go downtown and literally pick men up off the street. This is not a project for the faint of heart.

Samuel España, who works for Saq B’e and grew up in Champerico, where his parents still live, has established a professional board consisting of a dentist, Christian psychologist, school teacher, and a business administrator. I meet with this board and am very impressed. Their desire is to serve the Lord by ministering to the needs of the men. Each member volunteers many hours by providing free services to the home in his area of specialty. Samuel has also arranged for a doctor in town to volunteer his services.

The board repeatedly expresses their deep appreciation for Word & Deed coming to the rescue last year. Funding had run out and they were about to close Restoration House. With our funds, they were able to continue the program, and now a number of men are back in the bosoms of their families. I am humbled by their gratitude and tell them that it is all from the Lord and to the Lord.

It was moving to see one photograph of a man covered in his own filth, but then see a father surrounded by his loving family in another picture taken six months later. Most of the families of the interns have repeatedly come to the home to help and to offer their heartfelt thanks.

The board reports that of 18 men who went through the program, 11 have stayed away from addiction and seven have returned. The seven who returned are men who live in more distant communities. Restoration House is now establishing a program to make regular follow-up contact with interns from remote communities and to establish contacts with pastors and families in these communities.

The house the board currently rents isn’t ideal for addiction treatment: it is both too small and too close to many temptations. The board would like to purchase a property outside of town where a building for 12 interns and 12 elderly people could be established. The idea is that the interns would grow food there and be responsible for the care of the elderly. Restoration House also hopes to provide basic vocational training at that location.

The trap of addiction is much worse than being caught on an aggressive merry-go-round. These men need God’s grace to break free from their addictions, to confess their sin, and to come to know Him as their Savior. Please pray for them and those who work hard to help them. If you would like to support this project, please call us at 877.375.9673 (Canada) or 866.391.5728 (USA).