Books by Gladys Güitz
Hidden Treasure
The disciples of Christ must leave to future generations a solemn testimony of the work of God. I desire that He be glorified and the next generation inspired and encouraged to continue believing in God and His power for the extension of His kingdom in this world, “…may His will be done in the heavens, as well as on earth.”
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Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1 It All Began with a Favor
Chapter 2 Cristo Vive!
Chapter 3 The Journey of Our Trash
Chapter 4 Understanding God’s Heart for the Poor
Chapter 5 A Favor Becomes a Calling
Chapter 6 Praying for Men
Chapter 7 From Trash to Treasure
Chapter 8 A Lingering Joy
Chapter 9 Beginning to Understand Poverty — Part One
Chapter 10 Beginning to Understand Poverty — Part Two
Chapter 11 A Blessing in Disguise
Chapter 12 Serving and Learning from the Treasures
Chapter 13 In the Potter’s Hands
Chapter 14 Love and Compassion Are Not Enough
Chapter 15 A Hidden Blessing
Chapter 16 An Exchange of Blessings
Chapter 17 Following God’s Will for His Glory
Chapter 18 The Most Wonderful Years of My Life
Appendix A S.E.R.V.E at Potter’s House
Appendix B Potter’s House Child Sponsorship Program
Appendix C Potter’s House 2020-2025 Strategic Plan
“I read the book in its entirety today. I laughed, I cried, I wondered where God wants me to be, along with a whole host of other emotions. I loved it. It’s beautiful just like the Treasures, just like all of my trips to Guatemala and all of the people I love there. It is the place I feel totally connected to our God. Who would ever have thought so many of us would truly find God in a garbage dump in Guatemala? Thank you so much for sharing this book with me.”
-MICHELLE SLONE
PHA Volunteer
“The book itself a treasure, as it recounts the story of Potter’s House and their care for the Treasures. Gladys allows us to see not just what Potter’s House was able to do, but what God has done in her and in many through the entire story of the garbage dump in Guatemala City. This book will both inspire you to keep your eyes open to God’s working and challenge you to see the things that you might usually ignore. Not only that, it will instruct you to better understand the layers and complexity of poverty and addressing those issues from a Christian worldview. Read this book, and then share it with others!”
-JUSTIN BURKHOLDER
Regional Executive Director, Americas
TEAM
MEN, I URGE YOU TO READ THIS BOOK!!
“Expect the unexpected. Surely God will give you deep insights and life! This book is an exciting ride, you will laugh, cry and ponder. It is like a tour in different spots of life that will encourage you to check and calibrate those areas in your life too. May You, Gladys and me can be part of God’s story (His Glory) “As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s Grace in vain.” 2 Corinthians 6:1 NIV. I have read this book many times, studied it, and live it with Gladys for 25 years. “
–EDGAR GÜITZ
“The story of how God brought Potter’s House into being is truly inspirational. It challenges readers to step out of their comfort zones and open their eyes to what He may be doing in, around and through them if only they will trust Him. Hidden Treasure is a testimony of the power of God to use the ordinary to do extraordinary things.”
–SUSAN HUTTON
Mendham Hills Community Church
Honest, Powerful, Valuable
“Hidden Treasure is Gladys’s honest and powerful account of the development of Potter’s House Association (PHA). Through concise and digestible chapters, she invites us to journey along with her and contemplate the lessons she and the PHA staff have learned through the decades of listening to God and serving the Treasures. Weaving personal reflection, stories, and teaching points, the book is valuable for both individual reading & reflection as well as for group study. As such, the book is a continuation of Gladys’s and PHA’s ministry of serving also the supporters and volunteers in their own paths of discipleship and growth. Thank you, Gladys, for your ongoing ministry through the writing of this book!”
-KIMBERLY CURLIN
“I met Gladys Acuña Güitz about 15 years ago and was immediately impressed by the depth of her dependence on God, her humility and grace. This book gives the reader a bird’s eye view of the work God has done and is doing at Potter’s House. Gladys, with candid openness, lets you into her heart, sharing the struggles, the joys, the questions and the lessons learned. To me, she is a hero of the faith, constantly pointing me to the greatness of our God.”
–SHANTHINI BASKARAN
Board Member
Potter’s House Association International
A primer on Christian Anthropology from the trenches!
I had the opportunity not only to read, but to study this book. It is carefully written, and it shows Gladys’ and the Potter’s House’s heart to truly care in a holistic manner for those who not only live in extreme poverty, but seek to make their living of other’s garbage. This book shows us, direct from the frontlines, what it is like to truly understand the Imago Dei doctrine and its profound implications when we seek to live it out and serve others. I truly commend this book to those who seek to serve those in the direst need.
-JUAN CALLEJAS
Please read this book
In these days of international strife and disease, it is a pleasure and soul soothing experience to read this remarkable book of faith; the spiritual journey of a humble woman who reluctantly entered the garbage dump community of Guatemala City in order to serve the underprivileged. Now, 30 plus years later, she remains steadfastly committed to God’s calling. This is not only a chronicle of those 30 + years in this international ministry called Potters House, but it is also a journal of her spiritual journey, dedicating her life to a deep-seated belief in God’s presence among the poor and deprived. This is a portrait of a woman who has a heart for the Lord and His Treasures.
-Dale M Steffes
I finally got a chance to sit down to read Hidden Treasure. It was so much fun to hear the familiar rhythms of the Potter’s House story and the unmistakability of Gladys’ heart and voice. Betsy, your editing is flawless. You made the story fluid and tight. You allowed Gladys to come through… a remarkable feat for an editor.
It has been among the most important dynamics of my life to be associated with PHA and I’m grateful that you put up with my idiosyncrasies. I’m looking forward to the yet-to-be-written 19th chapter.
Congratulations on an excellent book.
-Paul Mullen
Board Member Potter’s House International
“Hidden Treasure tells the story of one woman’s humble faith that let her to follow God, experience His heart for the poor and discover her calling in the Guatemala City garbage dump among the Treasures that she would come to love dearly. Gladys opens her heart to share her struggles and misconceptions, as well as the deeper understandings she has gained about God, herself and others. I was drawn into each chapter and inspired to learn from the lessons of faith, adversity and God’s gracious and timely provision. Gladys’s journey is filled with practical understanding about God’s love for people expressed in tangible ways through a wholistic ministry that has remained Christ-centered for more than three decades. You will find Hidden Treasure to be both insightful and inspiring.”
–Rick Lowe
Executive Director
Shepherds’ Support International
Wow! Just finished reading this inspiring testimony about the Potter’s House Guatemala. Thank you for your example of courageous faith Gladys Guitz.
–Pastor Mark Hunt
Union Church Guatemala
“You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging[1] when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ Deuteronomy 15:10-11
“The reference is to the poor, afflicted, needy, weak, wretched[2] person who is suffering from oppression and abuse—in general the lowest class in society then and now. My heart was released when I read the rest of the verse. I interpreted it as an exercise in obedience to God and charity to my brothers and sisters who are in need.
In these verses we can learn many lessons about the heart of God for the poor. First, serving the poor is not optional. The fact that there is poverty on the earth is not a judgment on humanity; it is an opportunity to serve and glorify God.
Second, the verse tells us that we should not harden our hearts. We should not keep our hand closed, holding on to our stuff. We should, instead, open that hand with a grateful heart—a heart thankful for what God has given us. And we should be generous in sharing our time, talents, and treasure with our less-fortunate brothers and sisters, helping them overcome their poverty…
Being openhanded will not encourage the poor to depend on us. It is an opportunity to help them recognize our reliance on God, who is our Provider.”
Gladys Acuña Güitz in Hidden Treasure: Finding God in Unexpected Places with Betsy Ahl (Guatemala City: Potter’s House, 2021) 33.
This is a great book, released to help Potter’s House celebrate 35 years of service to the poor in Guatemala City. I commend it to anyone who works with the poor. I am excited to participate in an online event celebrating the book launch this evening.
Until I visited Gladys in Guatemala, I did not learn that that serving the poor is a great opportunity both to be blessed and to bless. We get to help people who experience far more than financial poverty to rise up out of the trash heap of life and learn to trust God with us.
God’s design and desire in Deuteronomy is that our hearts become soft and compassionate rather than hard and calloused.[3] When we serve those who may be the lowest of low on earth, we realize by experience what our Lord did for us. We minister and are transformed in the process.
When we make margin to serve the needy, God does something through us and also in us. It’s hard to describe. He changes our hearts. He teaches us that He is our Provider. And, I think the reason it is not optional is because when we don’t serve, we remain empty, but when we do, we are enriched.
Thanks for teaching me this Gladys! Learn from her, friends. Read the book! It’s a page-turner.
-Dr Gary Hoag PhD
President Global Trust Partners
Inspiring and Informative
This was a great read about the history of a wonderful organization in Guatemala. If you have been involved with Potter’s House at all, this is a must read. It goes from the very beginning to now. If you haven’t been involved before, this will make you want to! Thanks to Gladys for sharing the story in a very honest way.
–AMANDA PEARSON
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