Visitor Spotlight: Tim Maag

Today, we’re getting to know long-time Mission visitor Tim Maag. Visitors like Tim, who visit the Mission year after year, form meaningful relationships with Mission employees and community members in San Lucas. Read on to learn more about Tim and why he continues to visit the Mission.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Tim: I am the campus minister at St. Mary Catholic Central High School in Monroe, Michigan. I have been the campus minister for twenty-six years, and I came here first in 1999. This is my twenty-third time in Guatemala and my twenty-second time in San Lucas Toliman. Over the course of the last 25 years, I have brought over 330 students and 33 adults. I believe this Mission has changed all of our lives for the better.

Why do you feel it’s important to visit the Mission?

Tim: I have had Rogers Strickland [long-time FOSL supporter] come and talk to my students before. I have asked him that same question. He said, “I need to be reminded about what is important.” It is easy to get caught up in greed, materialism, selfishness, and things that make us happy. He said that around here, it is people’s faith and family that is most important. When people have a difficult time in any country, they resort to their family and faith. It helps sustain them and gives them a sense of hope amidst the struggles that the best is yet to come. Coming here is a reminder for me just how important faith and family are.

What do you hope to offer the San Lucas community as a visitor?

Tim: I want to build relationships. It is not that we are above Guatemalans explaining how we are supposed to do this. It is about human dignity and value and how we are working side-by-side with Guatemalans. As Father Greg would say, it is about the Guatemalans telling us their expressed heartfelt needs. We are just people, and the only difference between us and the people in Guatemala is geography. It is where we were born. We are just here together trying to help one another, and we can help each other. Hopefully, we can help them build houses, pay for homes, and so on, but again in return, we get the perspective of values of what could and should be most important in life. We want the Guatemalans to have hope amidst their struggles and that hope gives them a sense that something better is coming and that they are not alone. God is there for them (and so are we).

Do you believe consistently returning to the Mission is key?

Tim: I think with experience comes wisdom. You learn how to do things in ways that are constructive and meaningful for the students. I want our students to make a difference in the world. I think it makes a difference in people’s lives here, but I also think it makes a difference back home. I think the happiest people in the world are the people who love the most, not the people who have the most. I want to instill in the students that it is not stuff that makes you happy. It is about love. It is about putting that love and faith into action through service. We want our students to leave this experience with a servant’s heart, where service becomes a habit of the heart. You use what you have to make the world a better place. You do not even think about it. It is like a reflex. Mother Theresa said, “Faith in action is love. Love in action is service.” It is about putting your faith into action.

How has your perspective on humanity changed since your first visit to the Mission?

Tim: Guatemala has just affected me so much. It is so important in my life and it has changed my perspective on so many things. I think humanity judges people on partial information and ignorance, which is a harsh word, but you do not know what you do not know. This is a sensitive topic, but look at immigration. I know there are laws that need to be followed, but people do not understand the plight of these people. Talking to [long-time Mission supporter] Andres Chajil’s daughter Rita, the head of the San Lucas Toliman Scholars Program, she says she knows a lot of people who come to the United States and how hard and sad it is for the families here, but there are no jobs. What are you going to do? Where do you find hope? People do not want to come to the U.S.. It is out of desperation that they do. For me, coming here has changed my perspective that there is always another side to the story. It is always really important to hear and to understand the other side before you make any judgments. I want our students to see how people genuinely live here. It is one thing to walk by a house, it is another thing to walk in it and encounter the people with real stories and struggles.

What makes San Lucas special?

Tim: It is the people, and it is also Father Greg. Father Greg did so many wonderful things here. He worked with them to help, to the best of his ability, to make some changes in this community. The people of San Lucas are so inspirational and I think everybody should come here. The people here, from my perspective as a White person, see us as sort of an extension of Father Greg and the Mission. They are just so welcoming, kind and humble. The people you see in the streets will look you in the eye. Back in the United States, going down the hallways, people do not look at each other. They do not talk to each other. Why do we not do that? So often I think we see through people. We do not look each other in the eye. We do not acknowledge people. But here, I find that people are not like that. They encounter you. It is like there is this real relationship or at least a real openness to it. So for me, that makes San Lucas incredibly special. I have been to Zimbabwe, Israel, and Mexico, but because of this community, I feel incredibly safe here. I feel the people look out for us. This is my favorite country outside of the U.S.

Tim and other visitors have a tremendous impact on our continued work with the San Lucas Mission. In particular, Tim and his students fundraise each year before their trip to provide a donation to the Mission construction program—during this year’s visit, they were able to meet a family who lives in a home sponsored by their group.

If you are interested in learning more about fundraising opportunities or visiting the Mission, please contact us at visitorprogram@sanlucasmission.org.