Getting in a New Groove

And so, after many months of having visitors, whether individually or in teams, we are switching gears and getting into a different groove...

a visit from Southwest Harvest Church

It was a great year to have guests.  As always, each individual and team brought its own unique gifts and talents to our organization.  They all blessed our team and "our" families in ways that are too numerous to write down. We were once again humbled as we confronted with the generosity and bigness of heart of our supporters.

Carla Cage with Yolanda and Chrissy

Let's see, the Cage's who were here for almost 2 months were encouraging and edifying - like a breath of fresh air for our team.  They were affectionate and kind to the children families, sowing the seed of the Word at every possible occasion. 

The Jarrell family who came with such a sweet spirit and desire to serve and bless.  The accomplished their goal- making a lifelong difference in the families they came in contact with and serving as a healthy reminder to the rest of us to remember what missions is all about.

Joy with her energetic spirit, ready to take on any challenge.  Vessels of Mercy who serve with so much joy that it is contagious.  They came to bring the gospel and medical help to some remote areas.  Southwest Harvest Church who seems to always come so ready to bless our team members as well as the children and families we minister to.  This is an important detail that is so often forgotten- the missionaries also need blessing and refreshing!!!

every present smile

And Tausha- who stayed on a week to learn what our lives are really like.  She was so kind and compassionate, so ready to learn, so willing to teach.



Tausha came and worked with our crafts group women.  She took over an afternoon of Manos a la Obra.  This is an oft overlooked aspect of CCJ.  So many times the focus is on the children in the villages, in the schools, and in the orphanages.  So often we talk about the needs of the family as a whole.  But it is a little known fact that women in this country who live below the poverty level are treated as mere objects.  Their needs both physical and emotional are ignored.  Outreaches such as Manos a la Obra, directed to this overlooked harvest field, gives the women an outlet, gives them tools to economize in the family and bring in extra income, and gives us a chance to share the love of Jesus.

Tausha explaining the craft

Thank you Tausha for coming and sharing with these special ladies!  Not many teams or missionaries have tackled this task thus far.  We appreciate your heart for the women.  And we pray for others to follow in Tausha's lead.

We welcome those who wish to come and serve with us for a week, a month, or even a year.  Each person who comes has such unique giftings that it truly adds to the dynamics of our outreach team.  Pray about coming in 2013.  Pray about sending young people from your church.  Pray about bringing a team.  There areendless ways to serve with us and help us to impact this town for Christ.

Find out how at www.crossculturejesus.org

So, even as I ponder on these things I can feel the atmosphere at CCJ shifting gears.  Fun and Fellowship with missionaries and mission teams is behind us for this year.  Time to focus on National Child's Day.  Time to plan for VBS.  Time to wind down the ministry year.  Out of one groove and into another.

A wave of mercy in missions

I truly dislike my hair.  I do.  If there were one feature of my body I could change it would be this dry, brittle, unruly, frizzy, excuse of a hairdo.  Whenver I look at pictures of years gone by my attention is immediately drawn to my hair- it seems no matter what style I try to accomplish, the type of shampoo, or any other factor- I am never satisfied with my hair.  However, that is probably the only aspect of my life that has not changed in the last decade.

Bev, Sarah, and Yolanda

In the past few weeks CCJ has had the privilege of hosting 2 mission teams.  Both of them had hearts of gold.  Vessels of Mercy directed by Bev Gibson came to hold medical clinics in some remote parts of the community we work in.  Bev and her team of ladies are a ton of fun, with humble hearts and a sincere desire to bless all those they come in contact with.  And since they are from my home town I especially enjoy getting a chance to catch up on news from home.

In total well over 400 patients were seen in the five days they held medical clinics.  Most of those patients were seen in the moutains of San José Pinula, a rural area steeped in mayan traditions carefully disguised as catholic.  The three communities we visited are very closed to outsiders.  Little by little, by bringing help such as this, we are breaking the barrier of mistrust and building relationships that will  help us in the future. 

The simple country people expressed heartfelt gratitude at the assistance that was being offered.  Their life is a hard life with little comforts.  Hard work and generosity characterize these folks who lined up in scraggly clothes and rubber boots with weather worn faces.  Some mornings our team members struggled to warm themselves in the brisk moutain climate yet the local population seemed undaunted and even amused by our team's efforts.

Consultation with a nurse

Chrissy, Joy, and Yolanda praying and counseling

Here I am helping with registration

Yet, as I relate these events, I must confess that I tell them second hand.  As I reflect back on my life one aspect that has changed dramatically in the past decade is my ability to accompany misson teams on their daily treks.  My role of mommy trumps the role of interpreter and guide these days.  I was only available to help on the last day of the medical clinic which was held at a public school nearby.


Shortly after Vessels of Mercy departed, a team from Chrissy's home church visited us.  Chrissy always seems to glow a little more while her church is here.  They visited several areas of Guatemala and spent 2 days with us at the end of their trip.  The program they did for the children was sensational.  "our kids" enjoyed it extremely.  Just another reminder for them that God is fun.  The Bible is fun.

Alfonso with the family that recieved construction

Besides ministering in our Bible Club and at an orphange, they also did some construction on the home of one of our Bible Club familes.  The men got to work adding a cement floor to the patio area- which will help tremendously during the rainy season (now!).  I was told that some of the team members were so impacted by the state in which some of our families live that they took the shoes and shirts of of their backs and gave them away then and there.  What an example of love in action!  I thank God for sending us people with tender hearts full of compassion.

And so it is with gratefulness that we close the mission team portion of this year which was seasoned with mercy.  May God continue to bless us with more visitng teams and missionaries who will partner with us to bring the tangible message of the goodness of God to this area of Guatemala.