More than a Playground

In Altos de Sinai, Guatemala, a playground has become a symbol of renewal. 

Tucked into the mountains on the outskirts of Guatemala City, Altos de Sinai is a community where families live in small, rusting, tin houses lining dirt roads that are rutted and riddled with potholes. There’s no running water. Jobs are hard to come by, and people often go to bed hungry. Gangs have a strong foothold in the area and often try to recruit kids. By the time children are 13 or 14 years old, they’re usually addicted to drugs.

But local chaplains Maria and Rolando are working to change that. After participating in Timothy Leadership Training (TLT) provided by Resonate Global Mission, the couple began to look for meaningful ways to address their community’s needs.

“There’s extreme poverty in this community,” said Maria. “We are constantly surprised by the needs.”

Through TLT, Resonate provides Reformed biblical training for pastors and other Christian leaders who have limited access to seminary or theological training. When Maria and Rolando were invited to participate in the training, they jumped at the opportunity. It completely changed the way they approached ministry work. Maria said that she started to read the Bible differently—she saw how the gospel could make a difference in her community. TLT facilitators also encouraged participants to respond to needs they have witnessed among the people they work with. Every TLT module calls on participants to develop an action plan to solve a problem.

The chaplains knew they couldn’t meet all of the community’s needs or solve all of its problems. And while they saw a huge need for rehabilitation among teenagers addicted to drugs, the couple didn’t have the money necessary for treatments. But TLT helped them to realize that they could use the resources they had—time, energy, and connections in the community—to reach younger children. 

As they thought about where they could start, their minds kept circling back to the local community playground. Over time, it had become a dumping ground rather than a gathering spot.

What would happen if they cleaned up the playground?

Maria and Rolando organized volunteers and started clearing away piles of old clothes, broken sandals, wrappers, and bottles that had accumulated there. They raked up broken glass and scrubbed the pavement. And with a donation from the local police they spruced up the jungle gym with a fresh coat of bright orange and aqua paint.

As the days and weeks passed, the cleanup project began to pique the interest of many people in the community. Why were they doing this? Then news began to spread about a big party they were going to throw for the kids—an outreach event.

On one sunny day, 350 excited children gathered in the park. Maria, Rolando, members of the church they lead, and volunteers from the community handed out toys and snacks. The children played with piñatas, enjoyed cake, and sang worship songs together. When Maria shared the gospel message with the group, 50 children came forward to follow Jesus.

“That was the best part of the morning,” said Maria.

In communities that struggle with extreme poverty, it can take a long time and a lot of work to see big changes.

But cleaning up the playground became the first step toward a brighter future, said Maria and Rolando. The children and community have ownership over the playground, and the park has remained clean.

Maria and Rolando continue reaching out to the children as well. Some of the children who were at the outreach event have begun, along with their families,  to attend the couple’s church. The church does not have a lot of money to spare, but the pastors provide food for a small group of children at least twice a week. After a warm, filling meal, they study the Bible together. Maria and Rolando say that they have seen big changes in the children—in how they talk, how they act, and how much hope they have. 

“We want to help them develop a different vision for the future,” said Maria. “We want to train the children as agents of change for the community. The community needs change desperately.”