Manuel jumped into the bed of our pick-up truck, an ear to ear grin on his face as he waved, shouting to his fellow Tzotzil villagers, “I’m off to the Teaching Fields to give our new gringo family gifts of gratitude for this momentous day they brought us!”
Alfonso, an Agros Agronomist, said that Manuel had a surprise for us. A few minutes later he pulled over and both hopped out of the truck, crossed the road bending beneath the black mesh canopied Rose training field, with the glint of drawn knife blades shinning as they began their cutting search. Sensing what was up, I searched for my camera and found it in the knick of time, snapping a photo of grace personified in Manuel’s face.
I did this just before he began to hand each of us a long stem, rain dappled, red rose, saying “Chahall” (which means “thank-you” in his native Tzotzil), and then waving goodbye as he turned for the walk back up to the Agros village of Nueva Palestina, in the hilly region of Southwestern Chiapas, México.
Only a few hours before this tender moment, the seven of us were strangers –wrapped in a cultural bouquet of sights, sounds and smells. Together we were witnessing the renewal of hope of thirty-two families as we signed a covenant of mutual commitment between Nueva Palestina, Apple Physical Therapy (a 260 employee company providing financial and service team support to Agros International), and Agros México, unfolding before us like Manuel’s fragrant roses.
Seizing upon the ceremony as a teachable moment, Sergio Sanchez, Country Director of Agros Mexico, involved all as they streamed forth to sign the symbolic banner of brotherhood. While some could indeed sign, others could only make a thumbprint, followed by one of the village leaders or Sergio, who would write the person’s name above the ink mark.
Once the formalities were finished, the families invited us to a feast of fried free-range chicken, rice, black beans and cups of Horchata; dipped from a new 30 gallon plastic garbage can full enough for all present to have a subsequent celebration drink.
At this moment, while the village waited their turn, a “thorn prick” pained us all –we were to eat alone, while the eyes of children and women watched waiting until we were finished. Here our gentle mentor Sergio emerged again; reminding us that we were honored guests and this was their custom. He said, “Live into their moment for in doing so you honor them.”
Solidarity with the poor means risking life-altering encounters and advocacy. When we are willing to venture forth, trusting tutors like Sergio and a humble villager like Manuel to open our eyes and hearts we walk in the “teaching fields” together, being led among both the roses and thorns.
If you’d like to learn more about entering into teachable moments with us, email me at davidc@agros.org!


“Agros began to work with Cajixay in 2002, and I have seen many changes since then, both in the lives of my family and in the whole community. My family has its own house for the first time!”
Paola is studying social work, and her dream is to continue helping the people in her community and in all of Guatemala. “I love my work!” she says.
This community, formerly known as El Naranjo, waited for years to have the opportunity to own land. Their primary sources of income and food came from growing basic grains on rented land and working as day laborers on sugarcane and coffee plantations. Fathers and sons would leave their families behind for months to work in the plantations, struggling to provide enough income to survive. After so many years of living in devastating poverty, these 36 families are now able to stay together throughout the year, learning new skills to develop agricultural business projects on land they will one day own. Journeying through
After decades of war, hunger, and profound struggle, one hundred and twenty Quiche families now have the opportunity to flourish. The 36-year civil war in Guatemala was devastating for the villages in this region, leaving families marginalized, displaced, and forgotten. In 2006 the Guatemalan Land Fund gave these families rights to 688 acres of land in Villa Hortencia. While this was a hopeful first step, the land they received was rocky, dry, and not very productive. Lacking the necessary agricultural knowledge and support, the families continued to struggle.
For most of his life Mario rented land to grow corn and beans to feed his family. Making less than three dollars a day, he struggled to provide for all their needs. “I was constantly in debt at the local market, so any money I made during the week was already spent.” Whenever his family ran out of food, Mario would go into the mountains in search of bananas or roots to eat. “We had to make sacrifices because we didn’t have any money.”
In the 1800’s a K’iche Mayan man left his home in Quetzaltenango in search of a new life. Don Pablo Itzep Utuy settled in the beautiful region of Ixil, Guatemala in a little village then called Asich. There the mist clings to the green hills and the soil is rich for planting. Ten families were living in the village at the time and they welcomed him into their community.
Andrés is an indigenous Tsotsil from Bochil, a municipality of Los Altos in Chiapas, Mexico, and when he moved to the Agros community ‘Espinal Buenavista’ he dedicated himself to working the land and using micro loans (enterprise loans) offered by Agros to raise livestock, particularly pigs.
Andrés concludes, “Our community is now open to building relationships with people outside of Espinal Buenavista - this is new for us. We are united, and everyone participates and enjoys coming together for meetings. In this way, we are organized and the families are truly happy… we are content.”
The families from Aduana Dos, Nicaragua, have displayed an impressive degree of leadership throughout their plantain project. Management skills, accountability, and decision-making have allowed them to grow higher quality crops. The success and growth is impressive.
It is important to note how much the women in the community have been absolutely key in the success of this project. They leave their homes early in the morning to sell and market the products in neighboring villages.
After the well was finished, we began building our homes. Although a difficult endeavor, it was an extraordinary experience, and we continued persevering, motivated by the hope of finally having a beautiful and decent home!
My name is José Ángel and Modesta is my wife. We have four children and we have a great vision for the future of our community.”
The readiness of the group was felt throughout the room. Anticipation and hope mixed with desperation from previous dead-end after dead-end. The number of women, children and men that traveled to meet together at the end of a hard workday… the posture of each perched forward on the hardwood benches their own hands had constructed… the questions speaking to their hunger for change and fear of yet another false hope… it all spoke loudly of not only their history of marginalization and poverty, but also their desire for dignity and hope.
Despite the struggle, these families have not given up. As part of a network of over 50 neighboring communities, they are united in their vision for a better future and are meeting together regularly to organize their search for land and opportunity.
Sebastián and Margarita have lived in Nueva Palestina, Mexico, for the last thirteen years. Like so many other families in the Chiapas region, they were forced to flee from their home in 1989 due to religious persecution. They lived the next six years as internal refugees, struggling to support their family on day-laborer wages.
Margarita, just as modest as her husband, has also made a major impact on her community’s development. Just a few short months ago no one in Nueva Palestina knew how to embroider the elaborate clothing that is traditional to their heritage. Margarita has led a passionate, organized group to receive sewing workshops from Agros staff, obtain enterprise loans, and to purchase two sewing machines!
I had the great honor of attending their graduation ceremony in November. Sitting in the audience, I thought back to that first year when I visited them as they began their studies. I no longer saw the timid young people who were trying to find their place in the world. Now I saw five mature people, proud of their heritage, proud of their new skills, and excited about what life has in store for them. With dreams and hopes, and the tools to achieve them. What a blessing to witness this, and what a blessing they will be to their communities.
“Every sacrifice has its rewards…” says Felipe as he tells the story of how he came to realize the dream of owning a home for his family and improving their lives.

The leaders of La Providencia greeted us when we arrived. Each of the men had smiles ear-to-ear — they were anxious to give us a tour of their new home and the fresh start of opportunity was in the air. We found ourselves crossing a rickety suspension bridge swaying over the river, bushwhacking our way through the coffee plants and overgrowth, and posing under the glorious waterfall for photos. During this two-hour tour, we were able to engage in valuable conversations with both the community leaders and the staff of Agros Guatemala.
La Providencia — both the fertile land and the amazing people who will make up this new Agros community — is alive with a deep sense of hope and opportunity. After visiting La Providencia and spending time with the families and Agros Guatemala staff, I now have a clear understanding of why the Agros tagline is “Land. Hope. Life.”
Three guitars and one bass, all of them crafted by Viviano, come alive in the hands of their skilled players. Setting up the beat, “The Hurricanes” begin the show.
Recently, an Agros “Journey With a Village” team from University Presbyterian Church (UPC) in Seattle visited the community to share, support, and work alongside the families in the village.
Veronica is a 27-year-old indigenous woman from Nuevo San Miguel, Mexico. She is the mother of 5 children and the wife of Juan. Veronica has been working with Agros since the very beginning of 2004, and her family has received several enterprise loans from Agros to fund different initiatives such as a small weaving business and an irrigation system. Juan and Veronica also received a loan from Agros to start a nixtamal mill to make tortillas, which allows Juan to be closer to his family.
Veronica’s fellow workers describe her as a quiet and analytic woman who is eager and able to share her knowledge with everyone. For them, Veronica is an example of empowerment and participation.



Through productive initiatives that will allow villagers to generate more income, Agros El Salvador is working hard to empower collaborative work in the communities. In the village of El Milagro, 8 farmers decided to engage in a collective effort to cultivate 4,000 golden pineapple plants. This enterprise involves the equal distribution of tasks, responsibilities, expenses, and profits, as well as the technical training gained through the planting of new crops in the area. The members of this project feel that they can achieve greater possibilities of success in the growth and commercialization of crops if they work together.
Don Balbino lives in the community of La Esperanza and serves as the coordinator of the community producers. Through the years in this position, he has gained the respect and validation as a community leader not only in La Esperanza, but also in the neighboring community of San Diego.
The family of José Ángel Villalobos, 44, and his wife Modesta Magdalena Chávez Chávez, 44, is an exemplary case of overcoming the grips of poverty. This young and entrepreneurial couple, including their four hard-working sons, has earned the trust and admiration of many through their creative solutions, service towards those less fortunate and commitment to repaying their land loans.
“My name is Serbando. I was born in a village called Jua, near Chajul. My dad had land there where he cultivated coffee and sugar cane. My brothers and I worked alongside him in the fields. Things were pretty good, until the war came in 1982. Then we had to abandon everything and run for our lives. We escaped with only the clothes on our backs, leaving behind our house, dishes, tools, clothes, and our animals. The coffee was ripe for harvest, but we had to leave it all.
Then one day I overheard someone saying that Agros was looking for people to integrate into a village. I wanted to be a part of that, so I went to the office to find out how I could become involved. In the year 2000, we officially began La Esperanza, and the new community members elected me president. Building La Esperanza was a slow process, but today it is a beautiful place. My family now has our own home, which I am constantly expanding on and improving. During the building process, Agros recognized my masonry skills and asked me to help teach others in the village how to properly build their homes. Later my work with Agros expanded into other building projects throughout the Ixil. Then in January 2007, Agros hired me as a fulltime employee. I am now a promoter for basic infrastructure and I am working on the creation of a large development center for Agros.
“My name is Catarina. I was born in San Juan Cotzal during the 1940’s, but I grew up in Santa Avelina. As a little girl, I only went to school for two years. When I knew the alphabet and could write my name, my mother told me that I could not study anymore. It was time for me to work. All of my life I have felt sad that my mother didn’t give me the opportunity to continue my studies. I have felt like this is a disadvantage in my life; that maybe I do not know very much or that I am not as smart as others because I only went to school for two years.When I was ten years old my parents sent me to work on the coffee plantation with my father and three brothers. Life on the coffee plantation was very hard. The only good thing about it is that I learned to speak some Spanish. When people were speaking in Spanish, I would pay close attention and listen to what they were saying. That is how I taught myself to speak the language. But I suffered a lot living and working on the coffee plantation. I thought I found an escape from that life when I met Nicolás. He was eighteen at the time, and I was only fourteen, but we got married. Maybe I suffered even more as his wife. We were only married two years and then I left him. He drank all of the time and he beat me. So I took our baby girl, Griselda, and went back to live with my parents.
