A whirlwind service trip to Guatemala was a life-changing one for four Vacaville firefighters, who say they’re ready and eager to lend a hand once more.
In late July, Alex Van Dewark, Drew Kostal, Darius Zarrabi and Shaun Jimenez headed to Guatemala for a week of service with Next Step Ministries.
The mission was to help as much as they could internationally as they have locally.
Each day was an adventure, of the once-in-a-lifetime variety.
“One day we’d work on a house, the next day an orphanage. One time we worked on a school,” Van Dewark recalled Tuesday, his first day back on duty at Fire Station 72.
The weather was mercurial in Guatemala — hot and humid one moment, monsoon-like rain the next.
The people were so welcoming, Jimenez added, despite their meager circumstances.
The men described filthy conditions, with residents living in lean-tos with dirt floors next to trash dumps. Dogs and horses freely roamed the land.
At an orphanage, they met children living with HIV who were basically abandoned by their families.
“They were viewed as lepers,” Van Dewark said. “They didn’t understand.”
And yet, the kids were happy.
“The kids here are so adorable,” he said. “Super well-mannered.”
All were also dressed in clean clothes despite their impoverished surroundings.
“It was very humbling,” Jimenez chimed in. “Eye-opening.”
Van Dewark agreed.
“I’ve been to a lot of third-world countries and I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said.
The juxtaposition of a joyful innocence and danger, though, was apparent.
“Everyone was very welcoming and respectful but at the same time there were dudes with guns on a water truck,” he continued.
The firefighters and Van Dewark’s dad, Steve, nonetheless did a lot of good work in a short time. With their background in construction they were able to do things right the first time and build projects to last.
There was a foundation poured at a school, and work on an orphanage and a house.
By week’s end, the team wasn’t ready to go.
“We left there with such a sense of wanting to help,” Van Dewark mused.
“It’s very rewarding helping out the less fortunate. I’d love to do it again,” Jimenez pointed out.
Van Dewark said he’d love to do it every year.
Since time was of the essence, the firefighters dug deep into their own pockets to further aid those in need.
A house build, they said, cost $2,500. So they each put in $500 to fund a home.
“We wanted to do as much as we could,” Van Dewark advised.
Planning for the next trip begins in January.
