Title: Really, God-Guatemala?
Author: Vicki Augustiniak, RN
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 979-8823036719
Pages: 486
Genre: Nonfiction / Religion & Spirituality
Reviewer: Christina Avina
Pacific Book Review
One of life’s most rewarding and compelling moments may be when one person decides to put others before themselves and make a plan to work within the confines of a charity. Whether that charity exists solely for their own needs or works through religious organizations and political movements, the act of charity and being able to provide for others is a worthwhile cause and a testament to the best which humanity has to offer the world.
In author Vicki Augustiniak, Really, God-Guatemala?, the author shares an honest and personal recollection of her experience in charity work through her church. A balance of faith and charity, the book gives a heartfelt look into a trip to Guatemala in 2016 and beyond, as a mission with their pastor leads to a mission to help drill wells in Guatemala. The book balances the author’s experiences while there and the work they did with various families and villages there, while also bringing personal faith and memoir-style storytelling to life throughout the book.
Honest and engaging right from the start, the author does a remarkable job of conveying every thought and emotion experienced throughout this process in vivid detail. The balance of experiences the author showcased as a teacher and a nurse was greatly utilized both during her trip to Guatemala and the trips in between to Mexico, and back home to the United States. The culture and the knowledge readers gain from these travels the author traversed, and the relatability of the author’s experiences resonate on a personal level, and the inclusion of the author’s experiences during COVID-19 added a modern day insight into one of the world’s most crucial and challenging moments in modern-day history.
Readers who enjoy nonfiction books, especially those which blend religion and spirituality with Christian texts, and memoir storytelling will absolutely love this book. The way the author’s storytelling from her personal family and life experiences flows into the new experiences found in her travels is refreshing, and the journal style of writing felt very much like a real-time confessional in which readers could gain insight from both the author and the work as a missionary/charity worker around the world. Vicki Augustiniak, RN, invites readers into her world as she navigates uncertainty, embraces a divine calling, and discovers the beauty of surrendering to God’s plan. Filled with touching encounters and powerful lessons, this book is a testament to what happens when we say “yes” even when we don’t understand the destination.
