Remembering Oscar Peren

March 8, 2025

Yesterday, the world lost a great artist.  Oscar Peren, a masterful painter from Comalapa, Guatemala, brought to life the stories, traditions, and vibrant culture of his people through his art.  For 20 years, I had the privilege of knowing him and collecting his incredible paintings, each piece reflecting his deep love for his community and heritage.

Oscar’s paintings were more than just images—they were windows into the soul of Guatemala, rich with history, color, and meaning.  His work shared symbolism, culture, humor, pain, and so much more.  Oscar's legacy will live on through the countless canvases he created and in the lives of those who were blessed to know him.  But more than that, his inspiration and impact will live on through his children and family, many of whom he inspired to become accomplished artists as well.

In addition to his art, Oscar made a positive difference in the lives of others.  Having passed through his own struggles, Oscar reached out to help people, encouraging them to make good choices and support their families.  He was a mentor to many.

Some of my best memories of Oscar are sitting in his gallery and listening to him tell stories.  He told us about how he created his first four paintings and took them to Guatemala City to sell them.  He spoke with pride about his children as they started painting.  After many years, Oscar still cried as he shared about his daughter who won international awards for art but passed away at a young age.  And of course, there is the painting of the women in the steam room, naked of course.  He said one was his wife, but he would never tell us which one.  When it came to his family, he always spoke with love, respect, gratitude, and pride. 

Rest in peace, Oscar.  Your art, your spirit, and your life will never be forgotten.

What Is That In Your Hand?

What Is That In Your Hand?

By Joe F. Walenciak, Ph.D. 

A sermon shared at Iglesia Bautista Cristo es el Camino, Guatemala City, March 2024 

Good morning, and greetings from many brothers and sisters in Arkansas and at John Brown University.  It is a pleasure to be with you again this year, and I look forward to a week of serving God together here in beautiful Guatemala.  I am thankful that our team of students and friends have the opportunity to know you and that you also have the opportunity to know them.  It is a privilege for me to be here with all of you.  May God use us this week for His purpose.

One year ago, I had the opportunity to stand here and share some words that I believe God placed upon my heart.  I spoke about purpose and the story of David.  David was a great king, a humble man who loved, trusted, and served God faithfully.  He made big mistakes, but he was still called “a man after God’s own heart.”  His story helps us understand that imperfect people can be used by a perfect God.  Acts 13:36 says, “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.”  My challenge last year was to ask that question, “what is God’s purpose in my generation?”  Our purpose happens with the next person we see.  And the person after that.  When we walk out of that door, we are fulfilling our purpose with every person that God places in our path.  Let’s not get so overwhelmed by the bigness of the world’s problems that we cannot see God’s purpose right in front of us today.  And, like David, may we serve God’s purpose in our generation.

Today, I would like to talk about how God equips us to serve His purpose.  God calls normal working people to do His work, like Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, who were fishermen.  Luke was a doctor.  Aquila and Priscilla were tent makers.  Matthew was a tax collector.  One of the first groups to hear about the birth of Jesus from an army of angels was a group of common shepherds.  Many of the great leaders of the Scripture started their lives as common workers.  Moses, David, and Joseph worked as shepherds before God called them to change the world.  Most did not have money, privilege, or influence.  They were honest, decent, hardworking, loyal people.

Let’s talk about Moses.  You know his story.  In Exodus 2, we read about Pharoah’s decree that all male Hebrew babies be killed.  Moses’ mother placed him in a basket and set him afloat in the Nile River.  He was discovered and adopted by Pharoah’s daughter and raised in the palace of Pharoah where he enjoyed many privileges.  As he grew older, he became aware of his Hebrew heritage, and one day when Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, he became angry and killed the Egyptian.  Fearing for his life, Moses fled to the land of Midian where he met a priest named Jethro and married Jethro’s daughter, Zipporah.  Moses became a simple shepherd, living in the wilderness, taking care of Jethro’s sheep.  And then one day, something happened.  Exodus 3:1-3 tells the story.

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush.  Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.  So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

 

Moses, the simple shepherd in the wilderness, had an encounter with God.  God said to Moses:

“I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.  So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.  And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.   So now, go.  I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:7-10)

 

Have you ever been told that you have to do something and had absolutely no idea what to do or how to do it?  That is a moment of surprise, confusion, and fear.  If Moses had been speaking to a man, he might have had a very quick, clear answer.  But Moses was speaking to God.  Maybe he took a deep breath and organized his thoughts.  Then he said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”  God told Moses, “I will be with you.”  This began a dialogue where God told Moses to explain this to the elders of Israel and then to Pharoah, but Moses still clearly had his doubts.  Moses said, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them that ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’  Then what shall I tell them?”  Again, God gave Moses very clear instructions. 

But Moses still had one more doubt and asked a final question.  “What if they don’t believe me or listen to me, and what if they say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’?”

Have you ever asked God those questions?  “Who am I to do this?  What authority do I have?  What if people don’t believe me or accept me?”  I am sure that Moses was thinking about that moment when he would be standing in front of Pharoah, putting his finger in Pharoah’s face, and saying, “God told me to tell you to set His people free!”  Moses was probably imagining everything that could go wrong.  Wouldn’t it be easier if God just sent an army of angels to force Pharoah to release the people?  Or maybe God could just transport all of the Israelites instantly to a new home.  Perhaps God could transform Moses into a superhero.  Maybe Iron Man or the Incredible Hulk might have a better chance of convincing Pharoah. 

But God did not do those things.  He chose Moses—a simple shepherd living in exile in the wilderness.  God already told Moses what to do and how to do it, and he already promised Moses that He would be with him.  So when Moses asked that final question, “What if they don’t believe me,” God answered with a question of his own.  God asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?”  And Moses answered, “A staff.”

What is a shepherd’s staff?  It is a traditional tool of a shepherd.  It was used to guide and direct the sheep, to fight off predators, to rescue sheep in danger, to separate sheep for counting or inspection, and to provide support for shepherd as he walked through challenging terrain.  Psalm 23 shows us the symbolism of the shepherd and the staff.  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  The Psalm goes on to tell how the Lord’s staff brings comfort and assurance to the psalmist.  What did Moses have in his hand?  He had a common tool that every shepherd would have, just like a builder would have a hammer or a fisherman would have a net. 

Moses might have been confused.  He was having this deep, terrifying conversation with God about confronting Pharoah and leading the Israelites out of slavery.  He finally asked the big question.  “What if they don’t believe me?”  Instead of a profound, reassuring answer, God responded, “What is that in your hand.”  I wonder if Moses may have paused.  Why is God changing the subject?  Surely the Creator of the Universe and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knows what a shepherd’s staff is.  “God, what if they don’t believe me”?  “Hey, Moses, what is that in your hand?”  “Well, God, it is my shepherd’s staff.”

You know the story.  God told Moses to throw the staff on the ground, and when he did, it became a serpent.  Exodus 4 says that Moses was afraid and ran from it, but God told him to reach down and pick it up.  He did, and it once again became a staff.  God told Moses to use that as a sign to convince Pharoah, and He even gave Moses more signs and then sent Aaron, Moses’s brother, to speak for him.  Moses was clearly afraid and reluctant, but God answered his questions and addressed his doubts.

Let’s look at that moment again.  Moses asked God, “What if they don’t believe me?”  What was Moses thinking?  “What if they laugh at me?”  “What if they think I’m some kind of fool?”  “What if I bring shame to my family?”  “What if they arrest me and put me in jail, or execute me?”  I wonder what kind of response Moses was expecting from God…something really profound and compelling.  And I wonder why God asked Moses what he had in his hand.  After all, God could have just said, “Moses, throw your staff on the ground.”  But God took a moment to ask, “what do you have in your hand?”  And Moses basically said, “Well, God, I have this big stick…the same big stick that all shepherds use to do their work.”

Consider this.  I wonder if God was making a point with Moses.  “Moses, look in your hand.  You already have everything you need to do what I’ve called you to do.  I will add the miracles when I need to, but you already have what you need to do this.”  Samson used a donkey’s jawbone to kill a thousand Philistines.  Gideon used trumpets, torches, and empty jars to defeat the Midianites.  David picked up some rocks from the ground and killed a giant.  They all had simple tools…and the promise that God was with them.  Moses had his shepherd’s staff…and God’s promise.

Do you ever feel like Moses?  God calls us to do some pretty big jobs.  To love Him and each other.  To spread the Gospel and make disciples.  To help widows and orphans.  To forgive and be generous.  To push against the sin and brokenness of the world.  Do you ever find yourself thinking, “Who am I to do this?  What authority do I have?  What if they don’t believe me?  God, I’m not the right person.  You should send someone else.”  What if I put myself into that dialogue?

 

“Joe, I’ve got a job for you.”

“But God, who am I to do this?”

“Joe, you are the one who I have sent, and I will be with you.”

“But God, what authority do I have?”

“Well, Joe, tell them the God of the universe sent you.”

“OK, God, but what if they don’t believe me?”

“Joe, what is in your hand?  I have given you all that you need.  Trust me to do my part.”

 

What would you say if God asked you today what is in your hand?  The world tells us that we are not good enough, but God says that you have what you need.  What is in your hand today?  And what can we learn from this story?  Here are four thoughts. 

First, God gives us gifts and abilities to use.  What we need is in our hands.  2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”  God places what we need in our hands.

Second, God places things in our hands for His purposes in His Kingdom.  Romans 12:6 tells us that “we have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”  The passage goes on to say that we use those gifts for the Kingdom.  1 Peter 4:10 tells us, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”  And Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Our gifts…what God has put into our hands…are for serving others and building God’s Kingdom.  We have purpose.

Third, God uses us where we are.  Esther was the Jewish Queen of Persia, and because of her position, she could ask King Xerxes to save the Jewish people.  When she hesitated, her cousin, Mordecai, reminded her that, “you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”  God allows us to be where we need to be to use our gifts for His Kingdom.  1 Corinthians 7:17 reminds us, “Each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them."  And Colossians 3:23-24 tells us, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Fourth and finally, God uses common people in uncommon ways.  The stories of David, Moses, Gideon, Rahab, and others are examples of simple people who used what God placed in their hands to change the world.  Jesus condemned the privileged leaders of the day for their hypocrisy.  He surrounded himself with a group of fishermen.  He spent time in the streets with people who were physically, emotionally, and spiritually broken, and then he used those common people to change the world.

My question for you today is this.  What do you have in your hand?  Remember that God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, has placed in your hands the tools and gifts you need to serve in His kingdom.  Just as He used the ordinary staff of Moses to liberate a nation, God has entrusted each of us with unique and purposeful gifts.

In our hands, we can be a beacon of His light, a vessel of love, and an instrument of grace.  Do not underestimate the significance of what God has put in your hands, for He has given you these gifts (like Queen Esther) for such a time as this.  Your talents, your compassion, your skills, your personality – they are not mere coincidence, but divine gifts waiting for the moments that they will bless others.

Let’s remember and embrace the truth that God made us with a purpose.  It not our job, our education, our money, our friends, our influence, or anything else that determines our purpose or our worth.  We have value because we are God’s children.  We have purpose, because God gave us one.  Again, in the words of Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  The hands that hold these gifts were made by God and are guided by God, and the opportunities to serve in His Kingdom are abundant.

I have homework for you.  You are a remarkable group of people.  Today, and in the days to come, I want you to tell each other what you see in their hands.  We need to hear this.  Sometimes we see the worst in ourselves and we doubt our adequacy.  Like Moses, “Who am I to do this.”  I challenge all of us to be intentional about a ministry of encouragement.  After our service today, go to one person and tell them the gifts you see in their hands.  And then go to another person.  And just keep doing that.  Who are we to do this?  We are the ones that the Lord has equipped and sent.

Your hands, and what they hold, are part of God’s intricate Kingdom tapestry.  Each of us may be one thread in the fabric, but every thread…every one of us…is part of God’s beautiful design.  So, what is that in your hand?  Thank you! 

The Blink of an Eye

 

The Blink of an Eye, By Joe F. Walenciak, Ph.D.

Dean of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships

Distinguished Professor of Business

October 2019

In October of 1982, I played my trumpet in a brass ensemble that performed at the dedication of the new JBU flagpoles which included the sealing of a time capsule that would be opened in 2019.  This was my first semester as a reluctant member of the JBU faculty.  Teaching had become a convenient option for someone who had no sense of direction in life, and I could not relate to the words on the plaque promising that the capsule would be opened almost forty years later at JBU’s Centennial.  I didn’t think about whether or not I would be there or about how the school might change over these years.  I didn’t even think about what was being sealed inside.  Nothing in the heart of this 24-year-old lost-in-life person who was barely a teacher could grasp any aspect of a lifelong love affair with JBU and Christian higher education, much less an event that was 38 years distant.

A lifetime has passed in the blink of an eye.  It was an honor to stand at the flagpoles a couple of weeks ago and witness the other end of the timeline.  A flood of memories came back, and even though the contents of the time capsule did not withstand the test of time, JBU did.  For me, JBU has not been a faceless, impersonal institution of policies but an evolving family of imperfect men and women who have chosen to set their standards high and fight the long fight for a common mission.

What have I learned during this time?  I could go on at length, but let me share three big lessons.

I have learned to be grateful and embrace civility in a diverse world that is increasingly polarized.  Since my first day, I have enjoyed great friendships with my colleagues at JBU, and I respect them deeply.  In one of my first years at JBU, I went to a conference of Christian educators where I learned that I was supposed to detest my dean and resent my colleagues in the liberal arts.  I guess I missed that memo, and perhaps my greatest professional failure is that I never learned to hate my co-workers.  Even worse, I admire and respect them!  Although we are not without our challenges, I am grateful for JBU’s spirit of love, honor, and collegiality that crosses many lines and makes JBU unique in higher education.  At JBU, I have learned that we are all necessary and important.  We are family.

I have learned to welcome amazing, diverse friendships in a world that seems increasingly separated and divided.  Growing up in rural northwest Arkansas of the 1960s and 70s, my world was a small circle surrounded by blinders.  I had no desire to travel, explore life, or build relationships outside of that circle.  JBU drew me into its intense global microcosm of 40+ countries, something that I would have never pursued by choice but has redefined the direction of my life and the nature of my calling.  At JBU, I have learned that God is very big and that His creation reflects this.  I am thankful for many amazing friends that have made my life larger and more fulfilling.

I have learned to be faithful to core values when the world says that survival requires compromise.  During my years at JBU, I have watched and participated as we have created nontraditional programs, graduate degrees, online courses, and much more.  The world has changed, competition has intensified, education has been redefined, and our ongoing existence has required God’s grace, responsible intentionality, and many difficult decisions.  It was tempting at times to save money by cutting the corners of our Christian mission or the quality of our people and programs, but those ideas never really get traction at JBU.  “Head, heart, hand” and “Christ over all” are more than convenient slogans; they are unifying reminders of who we are, why we do what we do, and how we do it.  At JBU, I have learned that short-term compromises have long-term consequences.  Challenges demand recommitment to our core values, not abandonment of those values for short-term gain. 

One thing ends and another begins.  Our Centennial marked the opening of one time capsule and the sealing of another.  I watched the video recovered from the capsule and saw faces of those who attended the ceremony in 1982, familiar faces of people who lived their lives, ran their race, left their legacy, and passed their baton.  They remain part of John Brown University, even if many of today’s JBU family do not know their faces or names.  If the Lord tarries, the new time capsule will be opened in 2069 and I will be 110 years old!  Even though I would love to see you there in person, odds are against it!  Each of us may be just a thread in the tapestry, but every thread is part of the great design.  JBU is a beautiful fabric, and I am very proud to have my thread in it.

Be Available

 

Be Available

By Joe F. Walenciak, Ph.D. (Dean, Soderquist College of Business), March 2014

I have never heard God speak to me, at least not in an audible voice.  But I do go through times in my life when messages hit me clearly and repeatedly.  Whether I am listening to a sermon, reading scripture, talking to a friend, listening to music, or even watching TV, something begins to get repetitive.  I know that God is trying to get my attention.  Lately, He has been trying to teach me about the importance of being available.

We teach a lot about planning in business.  Planning is a good thing!  You envision your plan, develop your plan, discuss your plan, test your plan, and revise your plan, and once you think it is good enough, you go out and execute your plan.  That makes sense.  We like to think that good planning is some kind of guarantee of success, and that if we think about something enough in advance, reality will follow the plan in every detail.

College is a time when we do a lot of planning.  We spend years thinking through how our future is going to unfold.  We study and prepare ourselves, and we develop potential career paths and timelines for our futures.  Sometimes, this is how we try to negotiate with God.  We want to see a plan, evaluate it, and maybe even send it back to God for revisions to make it acceptable.  We want to know in advance what is going to happen before we actually sign off and go do it.

God, however, has had a pesky tendency to round up fishermen, carpenters, shepherds, and a bunch of other people who were just living their lives and surprise them with a radical new purpose.  When someone like Moses or Jonah argued back, God basically said, “Just go do what I told you to do!”  In that moment, it was not necessary to stop and approve a plan before acting.  What was important was to be available to do the crazy thing that God wanted.

I remember that day back in college when I swore I would never be a teacher.  I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew that it could not involve speaking in public.  The thought was terrifying to me, and I remember laughing in the face of one of my professors who suggested that I might try teaching a class someday.  Shortly after that, God allowed me to teach a class, and my life was forever changed.  I learned that God’s plans are better than mine and that He doesn’t feel compelled to get my approval.  The life I’ve had is not the one I thought I wanted, but now I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  It all came down to some key moments where God demanded that I make myself available, even though I thought I had a different plan.

Henry Mintzberg said that strategy alternates between intentionality and emergence, just as one foot follows the other.  There are times when we can plan and act more purposefully, but then there are the other times when we must contend with things we never anticipated.  For a planner like me, the emergent times are challenging, but that is where I have really found God’s purpose for me.

God expects us to act with wisdom and purpose, but sometimes he surprises us with something crazy that redefines our lives.  In those moments, we often find our true purpose.  I know that is true, because that is my story.  So even when you think you have your future all worked out in your mind, be open to the crazy doors that are opening around you…and step through with faith and courage.  I promise you, you won’t regret it!

Somebody HAS To Do Something

NOTE: Fundacion El Castillo no longer exists.  Life of Hope Ministries is one of various ministries that was created because of Fundacion El Castillo.  LoHM and other ministries continue to do good work in Guatemala.

Working Title:  “Somebody HAS To Do Something”

Author:  Joe F. Walenciak; Chairman, Division of Business, John Brown University

Date:  January 6, 2007

[Fundación Los Ministerios de El Castillo is an outreach to street children in Guatemala.  Life of Hope Ministries (www.lifeofhope.org) is a US-based foundation that collaborates with El Castillo and other programs to rescue children and families in Guatemala.]

Someone from the El Castillo street team heard that a boy was in need, and so we went.  We went to the “bagones,” a place in the heart of Guatemala City where old train cars had been abandoned.  We arrived and met the youth who would give us protection back into this place, and we proceeded to work our way into the night.  Rats scurried across the path and vanished into the high grass and weeds that surrounded us.  We were taken to a train car where we climbed inside to find Carlos, a young man who had tried to steal a wallet that day.  His intended victim had produced a machete and buried it halfway through the boy’s foot, and since Carlos was a street kid and an obvious delinquent, so no doctor would see him.  In the middle of this filthy place, amidst the smell of raw sewage and by the light of a single candle, we cleaned and bound the wound as Carlos inhaled solvent continuously to kill the pain.  My business education never prepared me for this.  It was one of those moments where Carlos realized the absolute depths to which his life had fallen.  He felt as worthless as his society said he was.  He wept in despair, and we prayed and just hugged him…and we left.  Eyes glistened by candlelight in each of the abandoned cars as we were escorted back out of this place…a community of disposable youth, forgotten by the world.  Ironically, we entered and exited under the projection of the area’s delinquent youth only to find the police trying to steal the El Castillo van.  We quickly climbed in…if they wanted the van, they would have to take us too.  They were angry, but they left without their prize.  Protected by the street gang and harassed by the police, we were just trying to help. 

How could this happen?  What is wrong with society?!  Somebody HAS to do something!

Children were playing under the harsh light of street lamps as two female prostitutes fought in the street, their pimps enjoying the show.  I was told not to get involved.  Another normal night in the streets of Guatemala City.  As we turned and walked away, we saw the little feet sticking out of the crumpled newspaper on the sidewalk.  This was home for the night for two brothers, about 5 and 7 years old, who were abandoned on the street that very day.  Police were gathering in the area, also enjoying the show in the street.  They were a bit hesitant to act, not knowing who we were or why our group was there, but finally ordered everyone out of the area.  The older boy tried to wake his brother who was sleeping soundly, his dreams giving him a brief escape from the reality of his abandonment.  The police insisted that the boys leave.  An El Castillo street team member got my attention.  “Joe!  Help him!”  Suddenly, the 7-year-old handed me his brother, and we walked down the street to another place where the boys could sleep.  With a mattress of cardboard and blankets of newspaper, we tucked him in.  Guatemalan laws would not allow us to take the boys with us.  I remember little brother rousing as I laid him on the cardboard, just long enough to look me in the eyes.  That brief gaze pierced the depths of my soul. 

How could this happen?!  What went wrong with humanity?  My heart cried out, “Somebody has to do something!”

I remember Glenda.  We always saw her around “la casona” in Zona 4 with the same filthy coat and face.  One night we gave haircuts on the street, followed by a shampoo along the side of the van.  What ran down the gutter looked more like chocolate than water at times.  The local bomberos let us plug into their electricity to power the hair clippers and a television.  Street children are fascinated by TV, so we used that to show them some Jesus cartoons.  I remember Glenda as she sat on the chair to get her hair cut, panicked suddenly, and ran away.  After a little while she returned, and with more courage and a big smile, she sat back down on the chair and seemingly enjoyed her haircut.  A simple haircut.  A loving touch.  I remember Glenda afterward as she smiled and posed for pictures, one of those rare moments when she actually looked us squarely in the eye as though the slightest bit of self-respect had crept into her heart.  At least for a moment, she felt good about herself.  I remember Glenda as she disappeared into the night with her group.  It is hard to say where they were headed next.  And then about a month later I received the call.  “Joe, do you remember Glenda?”  Of course I did.  How could I ever forget Glenda?  In that moment, I remembered Glenda as I was told that she had ended her short life by throwing herself in front of a speeding car on 6^th Avenue.  She was a teenager who should have been enjoying life and dreaming about her future, but in a single moment of despair and emptiness that I cannot imagine, she decided that dying in the street was better than living.  After eighteen painful years, Glenda found peace on her own terms.

How could this happen?  What is wrong with the world?!  Someone should have done something!  We tried, but it wasn’t enough.

I have learned a great truth in life.  Whenever God allows me to realize that somebody ought to do something, He is usually reminding me that I am somebody!  We are all somebody, and we can make a difference.  I will never forget Glenda, but I won’t forget Dinora either.  She was a three-year-old running wild in the streets of a “red zone” in Escuintla, Guatemala.  Abandoned by her mother, a prostitute and drug addict, this filthy little girl was wandering aimlessly in a horrible place where the police won’t even go.  We couldn’t coax a smile from her, not even with a big purple lollipop.  With a hollow look on her face that I will never forget, Dinora just melted into the embrace of a young lady on the El Castillo street team.  El Castillo was able to rescue Dinora from that place, and within a year, she was running and playing with her new family.  The next time I saw Dinora, barely a year later, I could not contain the emotion.  She was a different child.  This time, she couldn’t STOP smiling.  There had been a great big empty space in that little heart, like a bottomless glass that can’t be filled up.  Now she was taking all of life that she could get.  A broken life was being fixed.  This was one of those times in my life when I truly understood the meaning of redemption…taking something that has gone terribly wrong and making it right.  I remember Glenda, but I also remember Dinora, Antonio, Byron, Marilyn, and many others who now have a life filled with hope.

A life of hope.  That is what Life of Hope Ministries is all about…fixing broken kids and giving them true hope where there was hopelessness.  Our main partner is Los Ministerios De El Castillo (or “El Castillo”) in Guatemala.  Teams go out into the alleys, bus terminals, parks, and other dark corners of Guatemala City and the surrounding area throughout the week because generous supporters see themselves as “somebody” who CAN make a difference.  El Castillo has grown to include ministries of prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, education, and reintegration.  They work with entire families, because a strengthened family means that those children may not end up on the streets to rescue.  If we can keep a child off of the streets to start with, then we don’t need to rescue them later.

I am somebody who can make a difference.  We all are.  We can pray.  We can give.  We can go.  What we can’t do is wait for “somebody” else to do it.

The Taste of Salt

Working Title:  “The Taste of Salt”

Author:  Joe F. Walenciak; Chairman, Division of Business, John Brown University

Date:  January 6, 2007

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”  --Antoine De Saint-Exupery

For many years, education has consisted largely of students sitting at the feet of a master teacher, grasping the gems of wisdom that fall from carefully-scripted lectures and guided learning activities.  Those days are gone…or at least they should be.

As a business educator, I have stood behind the podium for more than 25 years.  Originally, I was a disseminator of information.  I spoke, and students wrote frantically to capture every thought so that they could pass my exams.  And so they learned

That model of education is inadequate today.  Young people today are active, visual learners who need educational opportunities that integrate meaningful application into the learning process.  “Learning by doing” should be a more prominent component of the tools we use to train future generations.

In business, we know that our students have to be multidimensional people.  First, they need a clear global perspective, and they typically don’t get that from lectures.  They get it from experience and interaction.  Second, they need skill sets that help them function effectively as they serve their organization, its people, and its community.  That includes the skill of working with others, which is also learned through experience and not through lecture.

Third, business students need to be prepared broadly for life.  Our students will have to deal with the major global problems, and they will develop new approaches and answers by seeing the world from different perspectives and at a variety of levels.  That kind of analytical and creative thinking does not come solely from business preparation, but also from the arts, history, math, and sciences.  We need whole people who “live large” and who can bring new ideas into existence in meaningful ways.

Finally, we need people who are passionate about life and work.  Passion is not taught.  It is ignited.  If Antoine De Saint-Exupery is right about building the ship, then the question for us is this.  How do we teach our students to “long for the endless immensity of the sea”?  How do we give them that “taste of salt” that will ignite passion in their lives?

At John Brown University, we involve our students in community development programs in Central America.  Since 2003, we have called this program “ADVANCE Guatemala.”  “A” – Address the pressing needs of the people.  “D” – Develop the fragile economy.  “V” – Validate marginalized people and groups.  “A” – Activate minds through education.  “N” – Nourish discouraged hearts and depressed spirits.  “C” – Cultivate local ownership and initiative.  “E” – Exit the process but not the friendship.

Every year, groups of students go to rural areas in Guatemala to change people’s lives, but they come back changed in the process.  One of our projects involves stoves.  Poor, rural Guatemalans often cook over open fires on the floors of their small dwellings.  Children fall into those fires.  The smoke causes many health problems.  Carrying wood is a daily chore that damages backs and necks and contributes to deforestation.  The stove project is part of a larger development effort that includes education, business, health, community involvement, and more.  It is an opportunity for business students to apply their business skills, but they quickly learn that business alone is inadequate.  Passion is ignited as they apply what they know to help real people in meaningful ways, but they also learn that they need to keep learning.

This year, ADVANCE Guatemala has expanded into similar programs in Mexico, Honduras, Panama, and Nicaragua.  JBU students of various majors will be involved in a variety of educational programs, medical relief, and development work in these areas.  They gain practical experience planning and implementing projects, resolving conflicts, dealing with setbacks, working with a diverse group of people, assessing outcomes, communicating, and making things happen.  This is education that would never happen while seated at a desk.

Reading, writing, and math will always be important skills.  For many, our education is a right that we often take for granted and perhaps even waste.  In Guatemala, where public education is not free, education is oftentimes only a dream, especially for many young girls in poor, rural villages.  Hope and education become synonymous, and without education, there is no hope for a different future.  When I meet rural Guatemalans who fight and sacrifice so that their children can receive a basic education, and therefore a better future, I am humbled.  I am also reminded to do all I can so that the opportunity of education is not wasted for my students.

Education really starts when students leave their desks and work with real people and situations.  The world is a powerful classroom.

A Love of Generosity - The Root of All Kinds of Good

Generosity – JBU Chapel Presentation

By Joe Walenciak

March 14, 2023

INTRO

            Thank you.  Good morning.  It is good to be with you today.  My name is Joe Walenciak, and I teach in the College of Business here at JBU, currently completing my 41^st year.  Here is a picture of the guy who started here over four decades ago.  That naïve young teacher could not conceive of the concept of a lifetime of work, of so many amazing people he would meet, or of the hundreds of trips he would make into Central America for service projects and education programs…something that would indelibly mark his life, heart, and character.

            Chaplain Keith asked me if I would be willing to speak about I Timothy 6.  This is the passage that talks about the love of money being the root of evil.  I have to confess that I am not a theologian or a gifted preacher, but as a business professor, I guess I know something about money and evil.  As I prayed about this talk and read the passage, I believe that God helped me to see a message to share.  Let’s read the passage.

 

SCRIPTURE AND GENEROSITY

I Timothy 6 tells us…

These are the things you are to teach and insist on. ³ If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, ⁴ they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions ⁵ and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

There is a lot to unpack here, but each time I looked at this, one thing kept standing out.  This whole passage…all of those do not’s…come together with Paul’s word to Timothy to “command them to…be generous.”    Generosity is the quality of being kind and giving, often characterized by giving money, resources, or time to others in need, but without expecting anything in return. It is an act of kindness, selflessness, and concern for others.  My focus today is generosity.

Generosity is important for several reasons.  It can bring joy and happiness to the giver and the receiver.  It can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.  Generosity can foster a sense of community and help build strong relationships.  It can promote sense of purpose and meaning.  It can address problems of justice and equity in society.  But perhaps most important, God tells us to be generous.  And if the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, then I would like to suggest this morning that a love for generosity is the root of all kinds of good.

In the years that I have worked in Guatemala, God has allowed me to know many amazing people.  Today, I would like to share two stories about generosity from experiences I have had with some very special people in Guatemala. 

 

THE MIRACLE OF THE CHRISTMAS TURKEYS

I call this first story “the miracle of the Christmas turkeys.”  Meet Enrique and Cecy Quiñónez.  Enrique and Cecy are the parents of a JBU Walton student about 25 years ago.  In spite of many health issues, they have continued to be part of JBU teams in Guatemala.  They are not wealthy, and in fact, materially, they have very little, but they are people of extraordinary generosity.  Cecy knows what it means to grow up as a hungry child in a poor community, so when given the opportunity to give, she gives in abundance.  Cecy is an example of generosity.

Every Friday night, the good folks of Iglesia Bautista Cristo es el Camino take a hot meal to the families who live in the settlements on the edge of the Guatemala City garbage dump.  A typical Friday meal may consist of beans, rice, bread, and something hot to drink.  Between 100 and 150 people show up to enjoy one of the best meals they will have all week.  There is singing and a party-like atmosphere set against the backdrop of the filth, trash, and mountains of recyclables that have been recovered throughout the day.

A few years ago, JBU planned a special food distribution at the dump for Christmas.  We bought 20 turkeys and made the world's largest pot of Russian salad.  Along with the turkey and salad, each person would receive bread, a fresh apple, and a fruit juice box.  The folks at the church said we should be prepared for 200 people, so we planned for a little bit more than that.

We bought 400 plates at PriceSmart which we thought would be enough for Friday night and some other upcoming events.  On Friday about noon we picked up the 20 turkeys, and we spent the afternoon slicing and deboning.  I have never seen turkey carcasses picked so clean!  Cecy reminded me that the people would probably want the bones to make soup, so we bagged up the bones with some skin and fat.  We had enough of everything for about 220 portions, plus 20 bags of bones.

When we arrived, it was clear that we would have a large crowd.  After a time of prayer and singing, the food distribution began.  Enrique told everyone not to push...that there was plenty of food for everyone.  My faith was not as strong at that point.  We could not see the end of the line.  I told Cecy we had a LOT of people, but she refused to turn around and look.  I encouraged her to cut back on the serving sizes, but if anything, Cecy kept making the servings bigger and bigger.  The environment was happy.  There was music.  Children were playing, and everyone was so happy to receive a special meal in such generous proportions.  I seemed to be the only person who understood that we were going to run out of food.

So Cecy kept filling the plates and refusing to turn around and look at the line.  I still couldn’t see the end of the line.  We kept opening more packages of plates, too, including those we intended to use for the next two events.  Cecy kept serving what seemed to be bigger and bigger portions.  I noticed that we were down to the last couple of trays of turkey and the bottom of the big pot of salad.  And then it happened.  I saw the end of the line.  Cecy still would not turn around and adjust portion sizes.  She just kept serving.  Finally, she picked up the VERY LAST serving of turkey and scraped out the VERY LAST remnants of the Russian salad and put it on a plate which we then handed to the VERY LAST person in the line.  With only a handful of plates left, we realized that our 200 servings of turkey had somehow fed nearly 400 people!  The same God who multiplied the loaves and fishes can apparently do the same thing with turkey and Russian salad!  We stood there amazed, processing what we had just seen.  I had seen how the actions of a faithful, generous woman were blessed by our generous God.

Then we remembered the bags of stripped bones, skin, and fat.  Ladies gathered around, and once again we gave the last bag to the last woman.  Just enough.

We say that all of these things come from God's hands.  We say that, but then we act as though we are the ones providing.  We plan and take responsibility for outcomes, but the reality is that "God gives the increase."  Why should we be surprised when God acts?  And when God demonstrates that he loves his children, why do we not expect that?  And just about the time we finally think we have wrapped our minds around the extent of God's amazing generosity, we realize we have not.

The following Friday night, we returned to the settlement with a more typical food distribution and a more typical crowd.  Suddenly we were approached by one of the ladies who had taken a bag of bones, and she informed us that we had made a mistake.  "What mistake?" we asked.  She proceeded to insist that we had given her a bag full of turkey meat instead of bones, fat, and skin.  She claimed that there was probably about a half of a turkey in the bag!  I kind of dismissed that until a second woman approached us a little bit later and thanked us!  She said she arrived to her small shelter and opened up her bag of turkey bones, only to find about a half turkey inside. 

You explain this as you wish.  I choose to believe that generosity is the root of many good things.  Sometimes we see how God takes our small gifts and makes them big.  Sometimes we don’t.  What I learned is that acts of generosity in God’s Kingdom have much greater impact than we will ever know.

 

THE MIRACLE OF CLEAN WATER

            I call this second story “the miracle of clean water.”  Meet Fredy Caap.  Fredy was the pastor of a church in a town called Dolores, Petén, Guatemala.  For a number of years, JBU installed water purification systems in areas of Guatemala where families had serious economic challenges and were suffering from water- and disease-related health issues.  Our goal was to create a water store…a sustainable way to make purified water available in a community.  We worked alongside local churches and Compassion International student centers to create water stores that could sell garrafones of water for 5-7 Quetzales, instead of the 15-20 Quetzales charged by the water companies.  When people learned that drinking clean water kept them from missing days of work and having to buy medicine, they began to realize that clean water paid for itself.  Essentially, clean water was free.

            We visited a lot of communities.  In some cases, our potential local partner saw water as more of a revenue generation tool, and while we certainly had no problem with them making money, our priority was to make a significant impact on the health of the people.  In some communities, our potential partners were not willing to share water with others but wanted to keep it within a specific circle of people.  Our priority was to have the broadest impact.  We were looking for communities where people were sick and dying because of the water and where there was a vision to get clean water to the people who need it, regardless of church affiliation, location, or skin color.  We believe that there would be economic impact, but we had to start by making a health impact as widely as possible.

            Then we met Fredy Caap, pastor of Iglesia de Dios Evangélico Completo in Dolores, and partner with a Compassion student center.  Some pastors liked to have their meetings in secret.  When we went to the church to talk about a water partnership, Fredy opened the doors and windows of the room so that everyone could hear and speak.  He had a vision for helping as many people as possible, especially the people in the poorest villages back in the hills and woods near Dolores.  You see, Dolores was in the heart of a red zone for typhoid fever, a bacterial infection that can lead to death, especially in areas where malnutrition is common and access to health care is limited.  Fredy had seen many deaths from typhoid fever.  Children were especially vulnerable, including some who died during the week that we were there.  The situation was very difficult.  We had to walk through open sewers to get to homes and meet families. 

            Fredy is a generous man.  He was generous with information, with his time, with the Gospel, and with his efforts to help his community.  He had a vision to get clean water to the families who needed it the most, and his church was willing to cover the cost to get the clean water out there, whatever it took.  They just needed the clean water.

            The installation in Dolores was the most comprehensive and difficult that JBU did.  We had to drill a well about 3 times as deep as we anticipated, and then we hit Sulphur water and had to change the purification system.  Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months.  Throughout the process, people from the community came by and told us we were wasting our time and that we would never find water.  Pastor Fredy was generous with his encouragement, his defense of our work, and his faith that the project would succeed.  And it did.  This is a picture of Pastor Fredy with the first garrafón of water from the system.  A generous pastor inspired generosity in the church, and a vision of giving and helping was put into action.  One year later, we were told that the number of cases of typhoid fever in the area had dropped to zero.  Again, faith and generosity were the root of all kinds of good for these people.

 

CONCLUSIONS ABOUT GENEROSITY

            So why did I tell you these stories.  I can tell you what I learned from these people and experiences, and perhaps there is something of value for you here, too.

            First, God tells us to be generous.  As Paul told Timothy to tell the church, we should do good, be rich in good deeds, and be generous and willing to share.  God wants His church to be a generous church and willing to help where help is needed.

            Second, even though we may see an “act of generosity,” generosity is a lifestyle, not an event.  People like Enrique, Cecy, Fredy, and so many others live a lifestyle of generosity.  They have grown through struggles, and they have learned how to reach back to others to help them.  It is their pattern.  More than a belief or value, it is the essence of who they are.  Their generosity guides their behavior and helps them make sense of their world.  They give because they have fallen in love with a generous God.

            Third, generosity is not about money.  We often think about money, and Paul instructs Timothy in this passage to tell others to be generous with their wealth.  A person with a generous heart will be generous with their money, but also with so much more.  We can be generous with our time, our skills, our compassion, our forgiveness, our hospitality, our acts of kindness, and so on.  We can respect and honor people generously.  We can love people generously.  If we limit generosity to money, I think we limit the scope and power of generosity.

            Finally, generosity can be cultivated.  Generosity is a quality of God, and we are made in God’s image, so we all have the capacity to be generous.  If you want to grow in your generosity, start by asking God to help you grow.  Then ask yourself some hard questions about what you love most…and be honest with yourself.  Practice being grateful.  Give things away.  Volunteer your time.  Practice empathy.  Get out of your comfort zone.  Those are some steps.

            Thank you for your time and for your patience with stories from Guatemala.  Let’s pray.