The need in San Martin was overwhelming. Families would go two, three, even five days without water. When water finally came, it often wasn't safe to drink.
"The moment of pain and sadness came when we needed water and had to say, 'There is no water,'" Maria remembers. "And the next day we have to say the same thing. There is no water."
Maria knew the church had to do something. But she felt completely unprepared.
"I doubted a lot," she says. "I had the responsibility to see the need and do something about the problem. But I felt I was missing something. I felt very afraid, asking God, 'Why? Why does God want me?'"
God answered those questions little by little. He showed Maria that she didn't have to have all the answers—she just had to take the next step.
Maria and her church started looking for solutions. They partnered with other community members, local institutions, and the municipality. Together, they installed a well, then a pump, then a water tank.
When the project was finished, Maria finally understood: "So this is why you called me. You brought me to this place for this."
That young woman who started in ministry at 19 is still there today—leading not just a church, but helping transform an entire community.
"God has used us, not only for the needs within our church, but also for the needs of our community," Maria says. "Now we see, even though we are a few, we can do great things."
After seeing what God can do through her small local church, Maria continues to dream big. She's now working to bring a health clinic and community center to her community in San Martin, Guatemala.
This is what's possible when churches lead the way. This is what happens when we work together.
