property with two donors, Debbie Potter and Dana Stubblefield, and the Buckner Guatemala staff. Before climbing up the hill to their home, the group received word from the family that Oscar was home and quite intoxicated. But Maria Elena sent a message. “Tell the Buckner staff I hope they can stay,” the messenger said.


“Because when they’re here, I feel safer and maybe they can pray for my husband.” When they heard the message, they immediately began trekking up the hill. Halfway up, they were greeted by all four of Maria Elena’s daughters. The youngest daughter, Gloria, ran up to Reyes and gave him a giant hug. Her jeans were dusty and her face was smudged, but he held her tight. Reyes tickled her gently on her arm. Gloria rolled her head back and joyously laughed. The guests turned the corner to the Alquijay home. In one corner, a giant pig rested in the sun and dogs and cats raced across the yard. Maria Elena greeted her guests. Oscar, though clearly intoxicated, did not cause any trouble. The girls picked up puppies, holding them close against their clothes, sometimes rocking them like they were babies. For the first time in a long time, laughter echoed through their home as the adults played games with the children. Maria Elena proudly displayed a new dresser she just received.


Now her clean clothes wouldn’t need to sit on the dirty floor undoing all the back grinding work of washing them clean in buckets of water she gathered from a community well at the bottom of the hill. “She graciously hosted us in an environment that for most of us


would be a downgraded camping experience,” Reyes said. “It’s a little shocking to think about this being normal everyday life for them and


AT LEFT: Dulce cradles a pet puppy at her new home. BELOW: Leslie, (at left) in the sixth grade, attends science class at her school.


that a victory for these people is that they have a dresser so their clothes don’t need to sit on the floor.” As they were preparing to leave, Reyes looked to Maria Elena and


asked if he could pray for her family. With tears in her eyes, Maria Elena answered, “Yes, please.” Maria Elena stood in front of her guests. Gathered close to her,


her four daughters leaned close to hear. Her requests came easily; the prayers she mumbled often to herself had an audience for the first time.


First, she said, she wanted to learn to read. “My life’s dream and highest aspiration is to some day be able to


read the Bible for myself,” she said. “I’m learning but I’m afraid I’m going to quit. I ask you to pray so I can finish and read the Scriptures for myself.”


When she first asked for prayer, Reyes assumed she would ask for food or furniture, something material. He was unprepared for her first request. “I just got choked up,” Reyes admitted. “I turned to Debbie to try


to translate her request, but I couldn’t get it out. I started crying. I could think of a dozen things that the average person would ask for. I thought her request was pure, honest and sincere desperation. When have I been that desperate? I couldn’t even repeat the request because I was so broken. That doesn’t happen very often.” Her second request was for their difficult housing situation. Reyes


looked around at the open shed they called a house. With no doors and a roof falling apart, he thought he understood her request. Later, he was told about the eviction. With her third request, Maria Elena’s eyes filled with tears. “My husband is sick,” she said in regard to Oscar’s alcoholism. “He has this disease. I have tried everything I can think of, and I love my husband, but he is sick. I just don’t know what to do. All I know what to do is to pray that God will do something.” They all clustered close together, holding hands as Reyes prayed


for the family. “I gathered up as much focus and concentration to do the best


prayer I could think of and just begged God for him to intervene in her life,” Reyes said. While walking back down the hill to the vehicle, Potter looked to


Reyes and made a promise. “We can do something about this,” she said. “We can make a difference.” Potter and Stubblefield returned to their church, Trinity Baptist in


San Antonio, determined to raise enough funds to buy the family a new property to build a home on. Within three days, they met their goal. As the visitors left the house on the hill, so did the temporary ray of light. The smiles faded from their faces and the only noises heard were the soft tunes of music wafting from a neighbor’s home. The day after the visit, Oscar was required to see a judge


Spring 2016 • BUCKNER TODAY 19


Photo by Misty Keasler


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