Violence is evident all around us, no matter where we live. It happens that where I live, control is minimal, which makes Guatemala a more dangerous place to live. I have to use wisdom and be aware of what I am facing when I am out on the streets or highway. I’ve learned that there are places that aren’t safe for travel, and there are times that a person should not be out of their homes. Even during the day, I keep my darkened car windows rolled up to protect myself from someone putting a gun in the window to rob me.
Even with all of these precautions, I ended up in an unavoidable situation. My friend’s church had a special service that I wanted to attend. Her church was located on the opposite side of Guatemala City from where I lived. By the time we attended church and I dropped her off, it was 9:00 pm. Not a good time for a gringa to be out alone.
I took my usual route home and found that it had been blocked. I had to travel into an unfamiliar and opposite direction. I figured there had to be a way to get back from this one-way street. There had to be another street in the direction I wanted to go. However, one can travel for miles without any side streets off the main road. I kept going further away into unknown and darker territory. I saw a turn onto a two-lane and took it, but that didn’t take me back either. I found myself in another slum area with no streetlights. I did not know where I was! I had my cell phone, but if I called someone, I wouldn’t have a clue how to describe my location. No businesses or street signs existed anywhere. The only houses visible were not where one would stop and ask for help. Lord, you will have to direct me out of this, because I am lost. I saw a place where I could turn around in the road, and I did so, thinking it would be better to go back to where I first got lost. I took this curvy street, as I fought the panic feeling welling up inside of me. Lord, show me what I should do. I am in your hands. Finally, I saw a sign, the first one in all this time, and I recognized the name of the major street that I needed. I followed the arrow, but it didn’t seem to be going toward that street. I looked at the gas level, and it showed I had less than a quarter tank of gas. Please, Lord, if this isn’t right, show me where to turn. Then I looked up from this dimly lit street, and I saw the sweetest words—Nestlé. They glowed on the back side of the Nestlé Company building, and I finally knew my location. The front of the building sat along the street that would take me home.
I let out a deep breath, praised God for His goodness, and unclenched my teeth. I’m sure a mirror would show that I had aged five years. I thanked the Lord all the way home for guiding and directing me during such a frightful time. My trust in the Lord grew tremendously that night.