Doña Venancia

As I sit here and look out of my window at the glorious sunshine, I am reminded of just a week ago when the view was nothing like this.  Torrential rain pounded the windows, the grass was swallowed in mud, the wind beat against the doors.  Yet I was still here, in my home, cozy. 

In her kitchen where she cooks over a wood fire

Not everyone has that privilege.  Doña Venancia is one such person whose life does not involve many luxuries or privileges.  She is a sweet, quiet woman who has been a part of our ministry for the past 4 years.  In fact, her family was one of the very first to get involved with the Little Giants Bible Club. 

I remember those first visits to her home when she had a huge sow (that's a female pig for you city folk) in a pen behind her house.  The pig pen was only as big as the pig.  This huge sow had just enough room to stand up and lay down.  Doña Venancia was getting her fat and ready for the slaughter.  We used to joke about eating pork rind.  Then one day we went to visit and the pig was no more!  Doña Venancia's family was feasting for months!

Despite her obvious poverty, Doña Venancia gives us delicious homemade tidbits when we visit

Doña Venancia has 3 dependent children.  The oldest being around 13 years of age.  They live in a small home which was just one room but now has been added onto a bit.  Her house has a tin roof, plywood walls, and a dirt floor.  The room is basically a bedroom with 2 beds sitting on cinder blocks so that the legs won't rot during the rainy season when her floor becomes mud.  There are clothes hung all along the wall and stacked in boxes on the floor.

There is no running water and there is no electricity, so her children do their homework outside before dusk.

She is fortunate in that thus far all of her children have been able to study.

Doña Venancia recieving a certificate at the 2010 Literacy Class awards ceremony

Doña Venancia's father didn't believe in educating women.  Neither she nor her sisters learned to read or write.  Their father declared that they would only use that knowledge to send notes to boyfriends and be in rebellion.  Determined to achieve a better life, Doña Venancia has spent the past 2 years in our Literacy program and has proven to be a star student.  She has surpassed other students who have been studying with us for one or two years more.  She rarely misses class, and comes even when finding bus money has proven difficult.  She simply walks the few miles there and back!!!! 

She is truly an example of perseverance to all of us.

Doña Venancia and her family didn't really know the Lord when they started attending our programs.  Like a lot of people, they were vaguely familiar with who God was and what the Bible stood for.  Yet after 4 years of faithfully walking a couple of miles to the Little Giants Bible Club once a week rain or shine, she and her children have come to know the Lord.

I remember specifically the day she raised her hand in an altar call and gave her life to Jesus.  Tears streamed down her weather worn cheeks as the grace of God overwhelmed her. 

As a result of her dedication in her home and determination to do the best she can for her children and family we at CrossCulture Jesus have been moved beyond words.  It seems someone is always stepping up to provide food for her family or bus money for Doña Venancia to attend classes.  I am sure that this is a direct result of her prayers.

But now she needs our prayers.  Doña Venancia's husband has been seeing other women for quite a while.  There are months at a time when he doesn't give her any money at all to buy food or pay for schooling for their children.  Now he is threatening to leave altogether.  He has refused to continue to pay for the children's education saying that they can all go to work now and help support the family.  The youngest is about 8 years old or so. 

Doña Venancia is heartbroken and concerned for the future of her children.  She is currently looking for any type of work so that she can pay for next year's school expenses and put food on the table.  Not only that, but she is in need of medical care for gall bladder problems and doesn't have the money for this either.

Please keep Doña Venancia and her family in your prayers.  We at CCJ continue to edify her by reminding her of God's promises to take care of her.  As we encourage her and pray for her the Holy Ghost tugs on our hearts and reminds of the epistle of James where we are told that faith without works is dead.  Each of us has done what we can to help supply some of Doña Venancia's need.  If the Lord places on your heart to help in anyway, don't hesitate to contact us.

www.crossculturejesus.org

National Children's Day

I sat in the shade on the step outside of the chapel for a much needed break.  Corban raced up and down the stairs still full of energy while I gathered my wits about me for a moment.  The rest of the staff was inside, busily packing all of our props and cleaning the chapel we had used for our event.  As I sat there, I reflected on the morning.

Friday morning had been full, very full.  Full of fun, full of activity, full of ministry.  123 Children total attended the event which we had been planning for quite a while.  The smiles and laughs confirmed for us that everyone had a great time. 

In the above picture you can see the girls side of the chapel.  We divided the room into boys and girls as we often do.  This picture was taken before the event actuallys started, by the time we began we were out of space. 

Unfortunately, some of the scenery didn't make it through until the end, as you can see here.  Before we begin the actual teaching we like to do a game or two with the children.  This helps get their attention and get the wiggles out a bit.  In this game the children were instructed to pass stuffed lions back to the Lion's Pit at the end.  Our theme was on Daniel and the Lions.  The trick was for the first person to pass the lion over the head, then the next person between the legs, and so on and so forth until they reached the pit.  The boys side won!  However, I did see them cheat just a bit.  hmmmmmmm

 To the left you will see Justin praising the Lord with us.  Yolanda lead the children in a praise song, then a slower worship song.  We are teaching these children how to enter into the presence of the Lord in worship.

After the worship time, Yolanda lead the children in a prayer.  It was the perfect moment to pray as they were already focused on the Lord through worship.  Amazing how our staff can keep the attention of 123 children where it needs to be.  I thank God for such a great team whose desire is to see these precious little ones grow in the Lord. 

Bible verse time!!!!  In the top picture I am teaching the verse to the children.  We shortened 1 Peter 5:9 to simplify it a bit, without losing the meaning.  I got the children to read the cards, then turned the children holding the cards around one by one... still repeating the verse as we went.  By the time we were done the children had memorized the verse completely.  To make it even more fun we tried repeating the verse in different tones of voice and volumes. 

After learning the verse, Chrissy played a review game with the children to test their skills and see if they had indeed learned the memory verse.  The object of this game was to take 2 "lion catchers" outside while the staff passed out the memory verse cards randomly among the rest of the children.  Those children with a card were the lions.  Once the lion catchers returned to the room their job was to find the color card assigned to them and assmeble the words in the right order.  A fun way to reinforce the lesson.

 Next we shared the story of Daniel and the Lions - told from the Lions' point of view.  It was great fun to be creative and imagine what the Lions' reaction might have been to all that happened in the Lions' Den that day!  Chrissy and Alfonso were the puppeteers.

This picture of Yolanda is blurry, but perhaps you can see her dressed up as a Lion.  She was the main character in the skit, telling how the Daniel came to be with them and how the Angel closed her mouth. 

She confessed that "acting is not her thing" and that this assignment really stretched her as a person.  We love to challenge our team members to do more and be more than they ever thought they could.  We always find that when they rise to the challenge God is able to form things in them that they never thought possible.

It was a long day for some of our attendees.

Snack time!!!!  A piece of cake, a hotdog, and chips.  mmmm, more like lunch, really. 


Take a peek below at how some of the children were enjoying their snack break.

what a sweetie!  notice how his front teeth have rotted away.  Lack of hygiene products and information.  One of our goals in CCJ is to provide the families with the hygiene products they need and give them the proper information.

Most of the children turned their chairs into makeshift tables!

Corban observing the hanging of the piñata- stick in hand and ready for action

Of course we can't forget the piñata!!!!  What children's event in Latin America would be complete without a piñata!?!?!?  The children were very excited about it.  I was a little nervous.  Imagining 123 children throwing themselves on top of one another to reach the candy was too much for me to ponder on for very long.  I forbid Corban from trying to get any candy this time.  That didn't stop him from taking a turn at hitting the piñata, though.  In fact, from snack time onward he wandered around searching for the hidden piñata and once they started to hang it up he grabbed the stick and refused to let go of it until after his turn was over. 

taking the first turn

look at the crowd waiting for the first drops of candy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alfonso dumping out the candy after the piñata was broken

After the piñata it was time to go home.  The children and their moms lined up to leave single file so that a bear shaped waterbottle and a stuffed animal could be given to each child.  Chrissy took her own funds to purchase stuffed animals at a second hand store.  Her smile matched the children's as she handed out the
toys!!!

Yolanda handing out waterbottles

happy kids with their gifts

Chrissy handing out stuffed animals

 
This event really turned out well.  The comments we heard as the parents and children were leaving were all positive.  A big thank you to Yolanda, Alfonso, Chrissy, and Trini - our staff and volunteers who worked so hard to make this day a success.  A big thanks to Chrissy and Yolanda for spending Thursday afternoon decorating the chapel.  Also a thank you to the SRY youth group who financially sponsored the event.  The snacks, chapel use, cake, and waterbottles were thanks to the offering they gave. 

The success of events such as these is due to the faithfulness of God, who provides our needs through the generosity of sponsors and donors.  Please prayerfully consider how you can help us make VBS a success.  In November and December we will be holding 2 Vacation Bible Schools.  One in San José Pinula, the other in Santiago Atitlan.  We need $200 for this.  If the Lord places it on your heart to sow a seed towards VBS, please see our webiste for giving details.  Keep us in your prayers!  The effective, ferverant prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 

Also, feel free to check out our website for other information. 
www.crossculturejesus.org

God bless you!!!!