Tashia is Carlos Vargas’ youngest daughter. She is here in Guatemala with us for a few weeks and has been going on rescues with her father. We wanted you to hear a little of her experience as she is working side by side with our founder, and seeing life from Carlos’s perspective.
As the years go on, my father sends me photos and videos from all over the mountainside of Guatemala. From him on the back of a horse, or riding a 4 wheeler into the mountains, to crossing a swollen river in a canoe- you name it. I know what he does each day, and I know what it takes to do it, however seeing it in photos is nothing like the real thing. It has been two weeks of rescuing babies. It has already consumed days of my time here in Guatemala with my father. I’ve traveled hours into the mountains looking for the babies that are clinging on to life and I’ve seen now- it is far more than what it looks like from afar. The roads, barely wide enough to allow a truck to travel on and often times created by the aftermath of rockslides, making them impassible by vehicle and requiring us to continue on foot.
To say that these rescues are extraordinary does little to explain the express the depth of poverty’s reach in these mountains.
When we reached the first baby on our list, the tears couldn’t be stopped. My cheek were wet before I even knew what was happening around me. I started questioning: is it because my heart broke instantly to see the baby in his severe condition? Or was it because my heart was experiencing so much joy that I was one step closer to saving his life? I’ve come to the conclusion that it is not one or the other- it was both.
These weeks have been an incredible experience for me. I have never experienced mixed emotions so severe. I am understanding that one has to be not only passionate, but always prepared to do the work. The hope for rescue, and the hard work have to go hand in hand. My Father has continually taught me one thing throughout my life, whether in word or through his actions: “Let your hope be greater than your fear, especially when you are saving lives.”