The Christmas Basket

Christmas is so much different in Guatemala than it is in the States.  At least for me.

While in the States Christmas is a busy time full of Christmas parties, Christmas plays, hurried shopping, baking, cleaning, wrapping gifts, and generally being overwhelmed with the urgency of it all - in Guatemala the pace is slower. 

Guatemalan schools are in the middle of a 3 month break and many businesses here shut down for 2 weeks during Christmas contributing to the laid back feel. 

CrossCulture Jesús closes its doors for our missionaries to spend time with their families.  Our ministry base lies still, quietly awaiting a New Year full of new miracles and to be filled once again with the pitter patter of hundreds of Little feet and to be ringing with the songs and laughs of just as many happy faces.

Despite the down-time, I still have things to do.  Perhaps almost as much as during the year as there are administrative aspects of closing the year that must be atended to.

So on this particular day I found myself alone at Brazos Abiertos.  The rooms looked eery and empty.  There were no crafts spread across the tables.  There was no one in the kitchen cutting, chopping, and preparing meals.  There were no worship songs reverberating down the stairs.  There was no gentle jesting between staff memebers. 

The whole place seemed asleep, yet expectant.

I finished what needed to be done then stepped across the Street to purchase tortillas.  Doña Ana was there with the newest baby strapped to her back.  It was between rush times so the ladies were sitting on cheap plastic stools that wobbled on the uneven dirt floor.  The "comal" (flat griddle used for making tortillas) was void of the usual array of tortillas and was now being occupied by a huge pot of beans on one end and a simmering mass of scrambled eggs on the other. 

We exchanged Greetings when all of the sudden children seem to spring out of the woodwork.  "Aunt Sarita! Aunt Sarita! We haven't seen you for ages!" they shouted with Glee as the clambered over one another in an effort to give out hugs and kisses. 

These children, who did not get Christmas presents this year, and to the casual observer live in poverty, are overflowing with love and affection.  What they lack in material possesions they make up for in love, trust, and joy. 

The tortilla order was ready and I was turning to go when the ladies, giggling among themselves, shyly called out to me.  "Aunt Sarita, take this basket as a small token of our affection".  From under the counter they produced a pale blue plastic basket.  The kind the Guatemalans use for all types of kitchen chores. 

It was a simple gift.  An inexpensive gift.  But a gift from the heart.  From a family who has nothing given to a person who has all she needs. 

It was a profound gift, speaking to me about the true meaning of Christmas, about sacrifice, about giving all we have to show love and kindness to others.  It was an empty Christmas basket, yet filled full with appreciation and devotion. 

It was a giving back for all CCJ has given through out the year. 

And so, I share my Christmas basket with YOU, who have partnerned with CCJ and made sacrifices of your own to ensure that this ministry would continue. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.  May 2015 find your basket of your heart overflowing with with peace, love, joy, hope and faith in every promise of God for your family.

A Celebration of a Different Kind

Sometimes the Word "tired" just isn't strong enough.

This was how I felt last Thursday upon arriving home after a very busy morning celebrating national children's day with almost 160 children!

Every year I write to tell how many children came and how we celebrated.  However, this year there is more to the story than just the theme and outcome.  There is a story of how an outreach team stepped up to the plate to overcome difficulties with a victorious result.

For the past several years we have averaged around 100 children in attendance.  I have worked up a Budget that suits that number nicely.  So several months ago I set out to find sponsorship for the 100 children we expected. God answered our prayers quickly.  Sponsorhip came through 2 sources totally covering what I had projected to be our costs.  But as the date approached my staff began to inform me that the money they were given just wasn't enough.

How could that be?  I began to investigate and discovered that the staff had invited not 100 children but over 150 children!!!!  Could those numbers be accurate?  Where did all the children come from?  And how were we going to make up the $300 difference?

As it turns out, our programs have about doubled since last year-- but that is a topic for another blog. 

Because of this sudden growth we were ill-prepared for the Children's day event.

beautiful decorations made by our staff on a very tight Budget!

a view of the opposite end of the room, including table centerpieces

One thing I love about the staff is how ready they are to jump in and accomplish things.  Immediately they began to search for a cheaper place big enough to host the event and with catering services as well.  They found a place that would save us about $1 per child.  Then they negotiated with the owner to drop the Price another $.25 !!! Praise God for wisdom and favor!

Then David began knocking on doors and talking to friends and acquaintences.  He managed to secure a donation of cakes which saved us about $30 plus some financial donations.  When all was said and done we were able to get the event pulled off and still be in the black.

It was truly a combination of God given wisdom, creative ideas from the Holy Ghost, and the favor of God.

156 children turned out for the event.  Through songs, games, and activities we taught them to GO and share the góspel with others.  A huge hamburger, fries, and cake were served.  Each child was given a wáter bottle. 

the line waiting to get in

a room FULL of children, joy, and the presence of God

The event was a huge success.  We have already Heard testimonies about how much the children enjoyed the event and all that they took away from it (spiritually- not referring to the left over food and wáter bottle!). 

The children took away a deeper appreciation for all the Jesús has done for them.  I took away a deeper appreciation of my staff and God's favor over us.  So as the nation celebrated children, I was having a celebration of a different kind.

Can't wait to see what next year's event will bring!!!!!

Pastora Ana, a faithful volunteer

 

 

Just as we had finally packed up everything and were headed back to the base to unload, a storm stuck.  We had planned to have part of the staff walk back, but due to the rain decided to pack 9 people PLUS supplies into my SUV.  The fun never ends!!!!

David and a staff member's daughter in the trunk, 4 people on the back seat, 3 in the front: makes 9 total!

 

 

 

Hold Tightly to My Hand

There is probably no excuse for not having written a blog in a while.

For many people this is the way in which they connect with our ministry.  Many people are kept abreast of prayer requests, needs, and testimonies through the blog.

Yet, the past weeks have flown by in a flurry of activity.  We have been preparing for National Children's Day.  We have been scouring the second-hand stores in search of jackets and coats for the children in the program.  We have been updating our data base on the many, many, many families we have in our program.  And on a personal note, I have been running around with sick children, doctor appointments, end of the school year activities, a travelling husband, and so much more.

I have felt burdened with so many aspects of the ministry.  Knowing we need more funds and not knowing where they will come from.  Knowing we need more staff and not knowing who to turn to.  Knowing I have stacks of paperwork falling behind every day and not knowing when I will get to it.  The thoughts and questions swirl in my mind at times, robbing me of peace and causing me to doubt.

Earlier this week I had both boys with me.  We were running errands which required walking about.  With two boys you can imagine, both boys bounded about and bounced along.  Boys never seem to just walk. 

Cohen, my two-year-old, has new shoes.  They are longer than his old ones (which, by the way, had begun to pinch his toes) so he is having trouble adjusting his stride to the length of the new shoe.  By the end of the first hour he had already fallen and scraped his knee, his elbow, and his hands. 

Everytime he ran ahead I would shout warnings to slow down.  I would ask him to come walk by me.  I would try to discourage him from following after his older brother.  All to no avail.

It just didn't seem like any fun at all to walk quietly next to Mami, holding her hand.  Despite scrapted and scratched knees and hands, he hurried on, tripping and falling over his own feet in the process.

The last fall was the worst.  His Little hands just barely had time to catch him or he would have fallen right on his face.

As I comforted him I Heard myself say, "Cohen, dear, please just walk next to me.  If you will hold tightly to my hand I won't let you fall."

But the words came from outside of myself.  It was as if God was speaking to ME at that moment.  Suddenly I was no longer aware of Cohen's tears or Corban's running about.  It was just the Lord and me alone.  He was reminding me to hold tightly to HIS hand.  He won't let me fall.

How often I wish to run ahead.  How often it seems that the pace the Lord is requiring of me is slow and boring.  How often I want a "real adventure".  How often I fail to trust that God's plan at God's pace is just what I need.  It is tempting to compare myself to others who seem to run at  full speed never tripping and falling.  They seem full of joy and laughter, full of energy and enthusiasm... and I feel so clumsy as I trip and fall in an attempt to follow THEM when I really should just follow HIM. 

Hold tightly to my hand and I won't let you fall.

Those words filled my heart with peace.  Those words helped me to walk quietly and obediently next to the one who knows my weaknesses and how to keep me safe from myself.

Blanca's Smile

Blanca is a teenager.  Her waif thin body and dirty hair lead you to believe that she is younger than she is. 

She lives with her family of 5 in a tin shack that they were given rent-free as long as they "look after it".  The tiny shack has a dirt floor.  The beds are filled with fleas.  There is no table, the family eats on the bed or floor.  At times you can see torn and tattered clothing waving on the make-shift clothes line strung across the entrance way. 

Blanca breaks my heart.

Just a couple of weeks ago I was privileged to accompany a group of teens who had one purpose in mind: to visit Blanca and her family and to give them a table and 6 chairs.  And not only that, but a bag of food to provide a meal for this new table.

When we arrived Blanca and her younger sister were alone.  When I explained the purpose of our visit Blanca's dull eyes began to light up.  She shyly looked on as we set up the table and chairs in the only available space under a small roof just outside the door. 

While the youth were setting up the table and chairs I took a moment to talk to Blanca.  I gently reminded her that God has a purpose for her life.  She has a divine destiny in HIM.  I told her that the table, chairs, and food are a gift sent from God Himself because HE LOVES HER and wants to show Himself strong to her.  With a hug I spoke of God's promises for her life and invited her to love and serve God with a whole heart.

We then invited Blanca and her sister to sit at their new table.  They were in awe.

Afterwards we continued to visit other homes.  On the way back to our vans we were waved down by Blanca's parents who had come home again.  The reason for the family's life of shambles and constant hunger was immediately apparant.  Blanca's father was so drunk that he could barely stand straight.  He was hardly coherent as he thanked us generously. 

As we walked away my heart was heavy.  At times I feel as though we are just a drop in the bucket.  Blanca's father drinks away the family's funds and the children pay the Price. 

However, the next week Blanca was back in our Little Giant's group.  It was encouraging to see that her face was brighter.  Her step lighter.  And she smiled more.  Regardless of how insignificant I may feel in the face of such need, the Christ that I share is the answer.  Blanca now carries an assurance of God's love and purpose for her.  It was made real to her by a visit of teenagers and the gift they gave.

Teabag Tamborine

The group of teens from Iowa had left.

My heart was full with things that God was speaking to me and showing me.  I turned on the music in my living room and began to hum along with the worship music.

The words to the music slowly sank deep into my heart and at the same time bubbled right out of it as I made my way to the kitchen to prepare a cup of tea.  Halfway through the tea process I could contain myself no more.  I began to sing, lifting my hands in praise and worshiping the One True God with the only instrument I had on hand--- a box of tea bags! 

The box of tea bags thumped along with the beat of the music, my body swayed in time.  I was lost in my expression of love to the God who gives liberally. 

As I glanced down I saw my two-year-old son who had come to mimic me.  He had his own tea bag tambourine and was thumping away, his voice strong, his words always lagging behind the words of the music. 

And there we were.  Talking to God for so many things that even now I find hard to put into words.

This year has brought so much change, so much growth, so many dreams, and so many opportunities that I find that it is altogether too much.  It is too much for me to comprehend.  It is too much for me to reason.  It is too much for me to handle.  As I try to rationalize it all I find it is all consuming and all together too much. 

Where do we go from here?

If ever you have prayed for this ministry, please do pray  now.

Another school pleading for us to come and teach.  An orphanage asking for our return.  A church begging for a retreat for its children's workers.  Teams wanting to come.  More families to join our programs means more resources needed.  Dreams to enlarge our feeding center.  Hopes to reach out to the youth.  A burning desire to continue reaching the mountain schools. 

All this and more turns circles in my heart, waking me at night and calling me to prayer. 

How can we possibly handle all of this with our limited resources?  We have limited staff.  We have limited funds.  We have limited time.  It seems that we are trying to do an eternal work on a temporaral time scale.  Impossible.

And so as I am faced with all too much on the one hand and oh, so Little on the other I am left with nothing other than falling to my knees and crying out to God to send in abundance the wisdom, strength, staff, finances, supplies, and everything else we need to accomplish the task before us. 

It is a place of total dependence on God because nothing else is enough. 

As the music came to an end Cohen and I both were silent, contemplating the still quiet voice of the Lord as He breathed over us. 

If this year has already been so radical and life changing for me as a person and for us as a ministry- then I cannot even begin to imagine what next year will bring.

 

Quiet Contemplation

I sit here in the quiet of night reflecting on the time we just shared at a church in a village of San José Pinula.  We took a team of youth to minister through song, drama, and sharing the Word.  The prayer time afterwards was powerful.  As the Holy Spirit filled the place I was struck with how God delights in using the most unlikely candidates at times.

I watched the youth minister in song: one on the guitar, one on the keyboard, another on the drums, and a couple of vocals.  I thought how I have no particular talent at all.  I am not very artsy.  I don't even have a charming personality that draws others to me!  I am just Little ol' somewhat boring ME. 

Still, somewhere, one step at a time, I began a long walk down destiny's road.  And I ended up here. 

This afternoon these same youth helped me to open a door into a public school that had been distrustful in times past.  For the first time we were able to go in and with skits, dramas, games, and testimonies share the goodness of God.  Before our visit the school was very hesitant to allow us to enter.  They were afraid that the very Catholic parents would be offended.  With much prayer for favor and grace we were granted permission.  Then the planning began.  How to present the góspel in such a way that it points toward God's forgiveness and mercy while not directly giving an altar call. 

The youth stepped up to the challenge and pulled it off brilliantly.  Now the school is thrilled that we came and has opened its doors for us to have future visits.

This is just one of many schools.

Recently another school sent Word to me begging to be included in our ministry Schedule. 

And schools aren't the only ones pleading.  I also have a list of people who wish to work for us full-time.  These people desire to teach children the Word of God.  They want to share Jesús with the lost.  They want to minister to the needy and downtrodden.  And they want to do it with us. 

And so, likely candidate or not, I find myself once again on my knees before God.  If He has called me to this place then surely He has already supplied all I need to prosper here.  I lay before the throne our great need for more staff and missionaries in order to handle all of the invitations we have to minister.  Also, the additional finances we need to pay more staff members!  I give these needs over to the Lord who has continued to supply everything we need over the years.  If He has called us to be here then He will provide for us. 

All that is left is to trust in Him and see His glory manifested in us and through us.

What Short-term Mission Teams Don´t Know

I fell in love with missions when I was a small child in the Baptist Sunday School listening to stories of missionary heroes.  Especially our very own Lottie Moon from Virginia.

How exotic to give your life to loving and serving God by loving and serving a people halfway across the globe.  How romantic to die of starvation because you chose to feed starving children instead of yourself.  What love.  What dedication.  What true Christianity!

So when my opportunity came to go on a short-term trip at age 16 I didn't let it slip me by.  It was the chance I had been waiting and praying for and now it was upon me.  I spent months preparing myself along with the rest of our team to visit Ensenada, Mexico.  We prepared VBS lessons and crafts and just as diligently we prepared ourselves spiritually.  It was 2 months of focus for 10 days of action. 

Those 10 days were exciting.  We did minor construction on a new church building.  We painted and painted for hours and hours.  We held VBS classes for the local children. We  passed out tracts in the Street.  We bonded as a team and with the members of our host church.  WE HAD MADE A DIFFERENCE.

After that I knew that God had called me to missions. 

Decades later and living full time on the mission field I can tell you one thing: My life is NOT a short-term mission trip. 

The excitement and adventure of those short-term trips has been trumped by the hum drum everydayness of my life now. 

Sure, I live on the mission field and dedícate my life to helping children- even feeding them!  But there is another side of my life that I never considered as a member of a short-term mission team and by comments that short-termers make to me I know that they haven't considered it either.  It is a simple yet profound reality---I HAVE A REAL LIFE. 

I wake up early every day in order to get my family ready for school and work.  Afternoons are filled with homework, soccer, and swimming.  Busy days mean evenings full of hungry boys! 

Regardless of how many mission teams we host, how busy that team is, or how many missionaries are visiting us I still have lunches to pack every day and supper to cook every night. 

My children get sick unexpectedly, we have pediatrician appointments, school activities, birthdays and other events.  My husband sometimes Works late or goes out of town.  Our children have real bedtimes because they have real school the next day.

Regardless of visiting teams or missionaries I still have bills to pay on time and grocery shopping to do.  The ministry has bills that need to be paid and bookkeeping reports that must all be done in a timely manner despite how full a teams itinerary may be. 

When I took my first mission trip my immaturity and lack of experience in life itself led me to believe that every day would be full of adventure, ministering to the lost and hurting, learning new skills, and going to new places.  As life as played out I have come to realize that life is life whether on the mission field or at home in the good ol' U.S. of A. 

So if you are preparing to go on a short term trip any time soon, please keep in mind that not only you and your team are taking personal time to come and share God's love on foreign soil, but your missionary hosts are also taking time out of their already packed schedules in order to host you as pleasantly as possible. 

As a short-termer you may never fully know how much your host missionaries have had to juggle, shuffle, change, and sacrifice in order to accomodate your team, but you can rest assured that once your team is gone they will stay behind and fall back into the rythm and routine that the mission field really entails.

My life apart from mission teams

P.S.  I understand that not all missionaries lead the same lifestyle that my family and I do.  Many missionaries live in very remote áreas.  Oftentimes the missionary families opt for homeschooling. And some missionaries probably do lead a more adventurous life tan I do.  However, I also have a list of missionary friends a mile long that live very similarly to myself.

My Old Table

The bustle around our supper table comes to a close and the children get up leaving a mess of crumbs and sticky fingerprints in their wake.  I look at this old wooden table and remember fondly the feelings of bliss and happines when I took the $100 that my dad sent to his young, adventurous, and poor daughter who had left for Guatemala with big dreams in her heart and no money in her pockets and spent it on a hand-made wooden table. 

And I am faced with a choice.

I can remember how the chairs wobbled and shook when we sat down to eat.  I can glance with contempt at the two chairs against the Wall in which no one will ever sit again- IF they value their behinds and don't wish to fall flat onto the floor!  I can moan inwardly as my washcloth brushes over stains and cracks along the table surface.  I can recall how crowded and crunched 5 or 6 of us have felt around this table when we have guests.

OR

I can see that this table is so much more than just a table.  It is the promise of better things to come.  This table represents all the parts of my life that aren't as I choose them to be, yet I know are only temporary.   The way in which I care for this table and other areas of my life shows the state of my heart.  If I can't care for what I have with a sense of Pride and excellence, why would God entrust something more to me?  And so as I make a choice to lovingly care for the things God has given me I realize that I am caring not only for my present but also for my future.  I am practicing for things that will come.

Thus, the nightly cleaning ritual has become a spiritual exercise for me; a time to reflect on all the áreas of my life that are serving as a practice ground as I wait in anticipation of something better to come.  And that, my friends, is a lesson much more dear to me than the $100 invested in this old table of mine.

 

A Very Happy Birthday

Cohen playing with balloons

Last Week we celebrated the birthday of our Little Giants.

The Impact Team arrived bright and early to decorate the room with bright colors, balloons, and to post around the room the memory verses and class themes from the weeks prior.

The birthday celebration consists of review games.  In this way the children have fun without even realizing that they are reviewing the content of early classes and cementing those truths even more into their hearts. 

As the children enjoyed celebrating birthdays I was celebrating something even greater:  God's faithfulness and the generosity of so many.

Franklin ready to give a prize for good behaviour

First of all, the bags we hand out full of goodies are made posible by some very special people back in Virginia.  I think they will only know the impact of their kindness when they get to heaven because words themselves would never do justice.

the birthday bags full of goodies

All the goodies that go into the bags are also the result of the generosity of so many.  The shampoo, soap, toothpaste and toothbrush that we often take for granted are a rare treasure to these children. Just this morning one of our mothers thanked me profusely for the gift her daughter recieved saying it came at the perfect moment- a time when the family can't afford these "luxuries".  She tells me that her daughter was so excited upon opening her bag.  I asked her what the girl's favorite ítem was fully expecing it to be the toy--- she tells me that the girl was thrilled to recieve shampoo and asked to take a bath right away.  imagine. 

Franklin ready to play Happy Birthday

For the past several years we had a donor who provided cakes a goodies for every birthday celebration.  For this we were immensely grateful.  However, this year the donor could not continue. 

My heart was bursting with the generosity of my staff who decided to foot the bill themselves for the birthday party.  This spoke volumes to me about the kind of people we have on staff this year and I know that God Himself will reward them for their generosity.

Still, God had something else in mind.  Recently an aquaintence from the church we attend in Guatemala felt led to contact us.  She came to visit our ministry and felt compeled by the Lord to provide cakes for the birthday celebrations without even knowing our need for such a thing.

Families can't afford to celebrate birthdays.  A brithday cake is a rare treat indeed!!!!!
 

So as all around me the children laughed and shouted, celebrating one more year of life.  My heart was laughing and shouting, celebrating one more year of God's faithfulness. 

Thank you to everyone who has obeyed the voice of the Lord to give to the Little Giants on their birthdays!

The cake, the kids, and our new donor!

My Turn to Help

I remember when my life changed dramatically with the birth of our first son. 

I had never envisioned motherhood to be so chaotic!  All my dreams of gently rocking my Little one while Reading nursery rhymes or visions of my family sitting happily around the dinner table and the delicious meal I had lovingly served up somehow never even came close to becoming a reality.

I never fathomed the amount of mess one small child can make!  Or the amount of work....

I can remember going through the day picking up spill after spill, thinking up game after game for entertainment, burned dinners (or no dinners), late nights and early mornings... and beginning to countdown from the time Corban woke up from his nap at 2:30 to the arrival of my husband and HELP. 

At 5pm I called to see if he had left work.  At 5:15 I called to see how traffic was.  At 5:30 I wanted reassurance that he was indeed headed my way--- and if he wasn't in our garage at 6pm Sharp it warrented another call.  My ever patient husband never complained. 

Then suddenly the oldest was 3 and we had a newborn and the chaos didn't doublé- but rather multiplied!  With a colicky baby who cried all through the night and an energetic pre-schooler who bounced and bubbled all through the day I was once again counting down to 6pm... only this time around the countdown began at about noon.

There were days when I shed tears of joy upon seeing my husband walk through the door.  And when he was home (because several nights a week he wasn't) there was someone to help encourage the pre-schooler to eat while I nursed the baby, someone to help with the baths, someone to help with the bedtime routine.

SOMEONE TO HELP. 

But in Genesis I am told that God made Eve to help Adam.  It seems to me that I have spent a good part of my married life waiting for help to arrive.  At some point I forgot that I was actually called to help. 

So as I examined my life recently I realized that it is time to stop focusing inward and turn my focus outward.  I realized that it is my turn to help.

I began to pray in earnest about ways that I can be my husband's helper.  I began to look for opportunities to help him acheive his goals and arrive at his dreams instead of counting down for him to help me with mine. 

God is answering my prayer.

The company where my husband Works has just asked him to take over another department which will be a challenge for him.  I am so proud of my husband who never backs down from a challenge and does everything to the very best of his ability.  But this new position means a huge sacrifice for our family.  At least for a while he will most likely be coming home late, maybe several days a week long after the children are in bed.  He will likely have more work on the weekends meaning less time for us.

And so now as I contemplate what the very near future holds for us I know that I cannot countdown for help to arrive.  I am going to be facing long evenings with the kids alone.   I am going to be entertaining the children alone on Saturday afternoons to keep them away from Papi and his computer.  It is my turn to help by doing it cheerfully and making sure that my kids know that Papi is working hard because he loves us. 

It is my turn to help.  And as I am in the middle of misión teams, ministry obligations and plenty of work of my own I pray for grace to enable me to be the helper I am called to be.

New Wind in my Sails

ARRR ARRR MATEY!!!!!

Camp Sonshine came roaring in on a pirate ship this year.  The more than 100 children who attended last year's camp were eagerly anticipating this year's fun.  But the fun was multiplied as Camp Sonshine allowed an open registration- allowing new children to join our "crew". 


At CCJ / ABA we were more than willing to take on new comers, welcoming them into our Little Giants program.   I haven't Heard a final count of children in attendance, but I would say the number was easily 200 children between the morning and evening.  As this coming week will mark our first class since the camp, we know not what to expect in the way of attendence but our expectancy is high.

Lots of fun-filled praise!

Last week boasted of three fun-filled days teaching children about what is truly of value in God's eyes: Treasures in Heaven.  Each day the Pirates taught a central Bible Verse and built upon it with games and crafts. The children thoroughly enjoyed the exciting songs.  It was a time of sharing God's love and purpose with the children of San José Pinula which will not be forgotten! 

Captain José

craft time!



my favorite Little pirate enjoying his snack!

But apart from the obvious blessing of having the camp come to minister to "our" children-- there was another blessing hidden away like a great treasure stored up just for me.

The families who came were a great source of encouragement to me.  As they listened to my hopes, dreams,and challenges they were able to laugh, advise, and tell of their experiences.  I valued their words like drops of gold. 

I was also able to glimpse into the amazing heart of my staff members.  Lilian and Xiomara in particular both expressed to me their deep desire to see this ministry grow and bless even more children.  They talked of their own personal devotion to the visión and their own personal desire to help make it happen. 

 Hearing them talk and knowing that my staff is fully behind me is like wind under my wings- pushing me along. 

a time of praying for the children

So, although the past week had its moments of extreme exhaustion, it was also a time of finding a new wind to fill my sails.

I invite you to hop on board and sail along on this adventure of changing San José Pinula- one child at a time!!!!

David and one of his new buddies

What My Children Don't Know

We live in Guatemala.  My children were born here.  Guatemala is home and the way things are done here is the norm to them. 

At times I am overcome with nostolgia, wishing they could live MY childhood which was so great.  But I suppose that everyone must live their own childhood and créate their own memories. 

Still, there are some things that my children don't know.

My children don't know about orange juice and lemonaide from concentrate.  They have never seen juice come out of a can and would probably be baffled at the very thought!  To them orange juice and lemonaide are squeezed by hand from oranges and lemons bought at the market for a Little more tan spare change.

making oragne juice with Mirian- the lady who Works in our home

mmmmm, sucking the oranges is just one of the perks!

My children don't know about cheese wrapped in plastic for individual slices. But really, can you call that stuff cheese?  We buy all sorts of cheese here.  Some of it made by hand locally.  The área where we live and minister is known for its lactose product production.  And some of it we purchase at the grocery store.  But NONE of it comes wrapped in individual slices. 

I recall a visit to Virginia when my oldest son was just over two years old.  We were visiting my grandmother who had set out a good old american platter of lunch meats and cheese for making lunch sandwhiches.  When Corban discovered that he could unwrap the cheese he was enthralled by this new game.  He kept offering cheese to aunts and uncles around the table, happily unwrapping each slice that was asked for.  Some of us ended up with several slices of cheese on our sandwhiches and I think grandma ended up with no left over cheese!  Of course, he doesn't remember that.

My children have no concept of people who take care of their own households with no outside help.  they don't know that there are countries in the world where entire households are run off the elbow grease of mom and dad alone!  This is reflected in my 5-year-old's comment one day upon hearing of a friend who had just had a baby.  "Well, she will sure need to hire a nanny now."  In his world, just about everyone he knows has household help, nannies.... or both.  My two-year-old thinks the iron and broom belong to the lady who Works in our home.  He gets highly disgruntled if I touch either one without permission!

But having household help isn't all about living a life of luxury.  It is also about necessity.  Living in a land where it rains day in and day out for 7 months of the year means that someone should alwys be on hand to bring the clothes in lest they get rained on!  Having the trashman come door to door to charge each month means someone must be around to open the door.  Having no dishwasher means a lot of dirty dishes pile-up.  So basically, I need to be around to tend my own home or pay someone to do it for me.

 Also, hiring someone to work in the home provides Jobs for thousands of women across the country who would not have work otherwise.  These are women who never went to or finished school.  They are often illiterate.  They have no skills whatsoever besides being able to keep a home.  It is the upper and middle class giving back to the lower class in a dignified manner.

My children don't know about neighborhoods, parking lots, businesses and Banks which are NOT guarded by armed guards.  Watching a hired guard walk by with a sawed off shotgun or semi-automatic weapon is so normal that they notice more the ABSENCE of them.  When we travel to Virginia they always glance around for the guard tower.  They have even asked on ocassion why they see no guards in the neighborhoods. 

My kids don't know the national anthem or the pledge of allegience.  Clearly an issue I must soon address.  However, in the schools they attend they are taught the Guatemalan National Anthem and the pledge to the Guatemalan flag.  It is what they need to know in this land they call home.

heading off to the first day of Kindergarten at a Guatemalan School

My children are Guatemalan.  As much as I insist that they are American,  and as much as their Passports attest to the fact that they are American citizens, in their heart, in their home, and in their culture- my children are Guatemalan.

And this is, indeed, creating very different memories for them than my own. 

The Fun of Things

Last week I climbed into the driver's seat of my car and felt a rush of nastolgia.  Cohen was buckled into the back seat happy as a lark to be going with me anywhere.  Memories of Corban so small and going with me places flooded my mind.  Where has the time gone?

Cohen sang songs all down the finally finished road from my house to the Bible Club.  It took 5 years or more, but at long last the road is finished and bump free!  At least for one year.  We will see what the road is like by the end of one rainy season!

We pulled onto a private dirt road and parked on the edge alongside a hedge of trees.  I greeted children who rushed by in their eagerness to get to the class.  Cohen, my timid one, was suddenly shy and asked if we could please go home.  I reassured him that this would be fun as we trekked up the hill to the chapel where the Bible Club would be held.

The Impact Team did an amazing job presenting the lesson that day.

 

Anita is truly gifted in choreographies.  She, Lili, and David led the children in some lively praise which ended in reverent worship.

I am awed and humbled to see how these children have grown in their relationship with the Lord in the years that we have been teaching them.  They have grown from 1 rowdy group of 20 to 3 hungry groups of 50 (or so).

After the praise and worship Tía Lili reminded the children of the rules of our class and how to win a prize for good behavior.

This always gets their attention!  Suddenly we had over 30 children sitting still and staring straight ahead with rapt attention!




 

David taught the Bible Verse and led the games.

 

The story of Moses was told using the kids as key actors in the drama.  The theme of the class was cooperating as a family using Moses and his family as an example.

acting out the story of Moses

And the youth were seperated to recieve their own class.

 

as always, we have older siblings caring for younger ones

by now Cohen was feeing at ease enough to push into the youth class!

 

Craft time for the litte ones.  As for many of our children, this was Cohen's favorite part.

Cohen stretched out "doing his homework"

Lili helping her group

Xiomara helping her group

It was a great class.  The children had a wonderful time learning how God wants us to cooperate in our families and help each other- just as Moses' sister helped.  The children left animated and hopeful for next week's class. 

Cohen was worn out from all the fun and ready for a well earned snack.  So after dropping the team off at the base I stopped my car by a tortilla stand and bought tortillas.  Cohen is a huge fan of fresh tortillas!

hungry after a fun morning

And so, with Cohen in tow... it appears that I am now back into the fun of things!

The Biggest Little Giants

Spread out across the floor of my office are various sheets of paper in various colors---

Scribbled on these miscelaneous sheets of paper are the testimonies of children who have grown up in the Little Giants.  They are not so Little anymore and their stories inspire us to continue.

Teenager after teenager writes about how coming to our Bible Club has changed their lives.    All of them mentioned enjoying the games, skits, and fellowship with others.  This didn't surprise me- what teenager doesn't enjoy these things.  But what really warmed my heart was to flip through page after page and come upon comments such as, "I have learned to apply the Word of God to my life", "my homelife is better since I have learned how to trust God", "I have learned that God has a plan for me", "I am learning the Word of God", and "I am now able to worship God in Spirit and in Truth."

It was about 7 years ago that I first started visiting some of the villages of San José Pinula.  The children who wrote these comments were then just 7 and 8 years old.  My staff and I have watched them grow and been privileged enough to have been a part of their lives and to have given them a platform of faith off of which they are being launched into adulthood. 

I am humbled to realize how so many people, like threads in a tapestry, have woven in and out of the lives of these teenagers weaving something beautiful to behold.  My heartfelt thanks to the teachers who came after me to weekly sow the Word and love of God into the hearts of the Little Giants.  My deepest gratitude to friends and family who have sown prayers, finances, and materials into the Little Giants program.  A sincere thank you to the countless mission teams that have left their mark forever in San José Pinula. 

Together we are sowing seeds of hope and reaping eternity. 

...but still they came.

The day dawned bleak and dreary.  The rain poured down in one single sheet.  It was not a day to be outside, but still they came.

This was the day of our Mother's Day Event. 

Despite the horrendous weather, we had nearly 70 moms show up- most of them WALKING and those who didn't came in the back of a hired pick-up truck. 

The room was beautifully decorated by the super creative ABA Impact Team.  They turned an ex-chicken house, now chapel, into a dainty, feminie atmosphere. 

The day's theme was Pearls in Formation- allowing God to turn uncomfortable circumstances into something beautiful.  This is especially applicable to these women who have faced hard times and are coming through them. 

Aby and David lead the women in a fun coreography.  We presented a drama to the women which depicted the typical life of a busy mom.  David, Lili, and Xiomara led games that had the women cheering, laughing, and generally having a great time.  It was good to see these overburdened ladies let their hair down for a while.  Seeing them playing and laughing together in a relaxed atmosphere was in itself a reward for the day. 

 

 

 I was able to speak to the ladies about allowing God to work all things together for good in their lives.  We prayed for all the ladies present.

What is a celebration without food??????

Despite the cold and gray outside, the inside was warm and cheery.  All in all a great opportunity to share with and minister to the moms of our Little Giants, celebrating them for all they do and thanking them in person for trusting their precious Little ones to our care once a week.

The morning was much too exciting for some of the attendees!!!!!!