Do You Mind Getting Your Hands Dirty?

There are many pictures from our week in Guatemala that I love, but I have to say I love this one a bunch! Why? Because it shows Mr. Larry's heart and his love for these kiddoes. He didn't mind a bit that he was painting fingernails; which isn't considered to be a very manly thing to do in our world. But this was Mr. Larry's way to be Jesus to this little girl, to love on her and give her loving touches. Which many of these little girls and boys' didn't grow up experiencing. He did many things that week to be Jesus to many children. For instance we called him the candy man before the week was out cause he always had life savors or something like that in his pockets. I am thankful for Mr. Larry and all my fellow team members from that week for getting their hands dirty loving on kiddoes and being Jesus for a week that will forever be branded in my memory.

So... what are you doing to get your hands dirty to serve others in Jesus' name?

(By the way this is another favorite pic of Mr. Larry from that week.
He's receiving sticky kisses from little Miss Veronica. )

A Blessing and an Embarrassing Moment

One of our fabulous translators, Eunice, the Assistant Director of the Orphanage, Norah (in the pic dressed in a blue shirt with her back to me) and myself trekked to the Market in Zacapa one day last week. Our mission to purchase a pan to make tortillas (the flat silver pan you see Norah holding) and to pay their pharmacy bill.

Now before we arrived at the market Norah started talking with Eunice and I could tell she was being insistent about something. So Eunice informed me that Norah didn't want to pay the Pharmacy bill they needed milk more. Reality check ....powdered milk which they use to feed the babies and the younger children is SUPER expensive there. Even more than the 1300 Q that they owed the Pharmacy. To put things in perspective for most a decent weeks wage is 30 Q. Now if they don't pay their Pharmacy bill they get cut off, no more credit which also equals no ability to purchase pain relievers for the kiddoes, and other things you can only get at the Farmacia. So you can imagine my response. Duh! I very quickly told Eunice to tell Norah we were going to pay the Pharmacy bill AND get the milk. Goodness! These are the kinds of decisions they have to make every day for children that aren't even theirs but they sure love them like they are. Norah just smiled at me in relief.

Anyway, we started going through the market which is in reality an alley between the buildings about 4blocks long with vendors on both sides and only a very narrow area in which to walk. After we paid the Pharmacy bill we walked further into the market area to the grocery store to purchase the milk. Now they don't have shopping bags available like we do here in every store so we grabbed a box and put everything in it. After filling it, it was a VERY heavy box. Norah carried it out and started walking the 3 blocks back to the van. Then about halfway she asked to stop and rest. While we stopped I insisted that she finally give the box to me. Which she fussed and fussed and finally allowed me to carry.

As I was carrying it the last 500 yards I didn't notice the 2 feet long 10 inch tall concrete divider sticking up in our path. You can probably imagine the rest, I tripped and fell with my right leg catching the full impact of the divider. Now I truly believe that it was due to many peoples' prayers and God's loving care for me that I didn't break my leg, because my right leg caught the full impact of the divider. They have (yes have...they are all still there) a tremendously deep bruise and look like someone beat them with a baseball bat. They are all hues of black, blue, purple and yellow. And yes, even though this was seriously embarrassing, I mean I was the tall white woman in orange pants, yes orange, who was laying flat on my face in the market, it was still a blessing to me.

How? You may ask. There was an old gentleman in his booth to the right of my fall. After I fell he immediately came running around from his booth to help me up and with not just any stool for me to sit on but his stool. As he helped me sit on the stool I noticed that his face reflected his concern and he kept asking me through Eunice's translating if I was okay and telling me to rest a minute, take a deep breath and rub my legs where I fell on them. Now I wanted to cry not from embarrassment but from the care and concern of a man who I would never see again but cared enough about this alien in his land to reach out to me in such an embarrassing moment.

After resting a few minutes and smiling at the little man and listening to him chattering with Norah and Eunice, and listening as well to Eunice and Norah chattering away about being worried that I was hurt worse than I was letting them know. I began to wonder how can I bless this man? What can I give back to him for his kindness? God just kept impressing upon me that this was grace. This man was being gracious to me in His name and to try to buy or do something in return would just cheapen it. So as I finally stood with the help of the little man and much to the protests of Norah and Eunice (truly I was okay, just sore and stiff) I kept hearing the man tell me: "Que Dios te bendiga and Vaya con Dios" God bless you and God be with you over and over even after we reached the end of the market.

And God did bless me in those moments in a place far away from home through the care and loving attention of this man who could have looked the other way and ignored me just as many others did that day. But instead he took a risk reached out and showed his loving care. Lots of lessons learned. For example language barriers can't keep the love of God down. It has to burst out and it translates for itself. No interpreter is needed. When was the last time you were shown or YOU showed God's love beyond language barriers?

Oh and in case you were wondering no bags of milk were injured or burst open from the fall :-)

Sacrificial Love

Of all the things that I experienced last week the following gesture was the sweetest and most overwhelming for me.
This wonderful little cutie to the left named "G" who has SO very little to give surprised me on Wednesday with a gift.

Now understand these kiddoes are orphans, they have lockers that their things are kept in but for the most part they own very little, not even the clothes on their backs are theirs they belong to the Government whom they are wardens of. So for any of these precious kiddoes to give up something is HUGE. Well I was surprised with the gift of a stuffed puppy dog and a HUGE hug. AS you can imagine I was mush after recieving such a sacrifce and a myriad of emotions ran through me. It was all I could do not to run to the office, huddle in a corner and just sob.

While our church bought and paid for many things that they needed they gave infinitely more to the nine of us: unconditional love. They say that we have love tanks inside all of us that need to be filled each day or there will be negative results. Well I must say my love tank got filled to overflowing last week. It will be full for quite some time.

Once again this gesture from "G" reminded me of what Jesus said that we need to become like little children or we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. For its "G" 's example of love that gives us just a taste of what Heaven will be like. How are you doing in the area of becoming like a child??

Lessons Learned on a Mission Trip

I apologize for not blogging from Guatemala. We had really unreliable Wi-Fi while in the country. But I had a WONDERFUL time meeting and getting to love on 76 kiddoes last week. There are so many heartbreaking stories that these children have to tell. Our prayer is for them to grow up and achieve their dreams and also lead successful lives but more importantly to come to know Jesus as their Savior. For only He can heal their hearts.


Many lessons learned that I will share but first let me share some of my somewhat funny lessons learned from this trip:

• Under no circumstances eat any veggies or drink the water while in Guatemala (2 of our translators got REALLY sick after eating salad. And they are FROM Guatemala)
• Do NOT flush toilet paper in the toilet while in Central America. (SO hard to get used to that one)
• You might need earplugs if you don't want to wake up at 4 AM. Local birds start singing REALLY loudly about that time even before the roosters.
  
• Lice abounds on these little heads, but they don't like tea tree oil. Hugs and love is better and overcomes the fear of lice.
  
• If you have stickers {or candy :-) } children will swarm you and NOT leave you alone.
  
• Lack of sleep equals horrible visual judgment (yes I have the bruises to prove it).
• Under NO circumstances smile at the street vendor unless you are prepared to have them follow you.
• However, smiling when you don't understand the language goes a long way to gain sympathy and help.
• Be careful to brush up on your language dictionary to make sure you have the sayings "stand up" and "sit down" correct. Yes I was telling children to stand up the entire first day when I was really needing them to sit down. And I kept wondering why they were giving me puzzled looks and not doing what I was asking. Insert huge laugh at myself here _______. Unfortunately LOTS of stories like this one..kept mixing up phrases.
  
• If you get the accent right and you start mimicking the translators phrases...people may think you speak Spanish and start rattling off information and questions...funny shopping moment on my own one day.

Last but not least, but not funny is if you go and work with children for an entire week for almost 9 hrs a day you can guarantee you will lose your heart to if not one MANY of them.
Here are just a few of them.

I Am Going On a Trip

In less than 5 days I will be boarding 2 planes in order to reach this location. I am one of 9 people traveling on this trip. The first and last leg of our trip we will be staying in Guatemala City and getting spoiled at this LOVELY place. Have been told its absolutely fabulous. Can't wait to soak it all in.

We are specifically going to help and work with the children at an orphanage that our church has partnered with for the past 4 years. Our goals are to laugh, play, sing with, and love on as well as teach children and generally do whatever else is needed to help out the Orphanage care givers and director next week.

I am excited to get to meet and love on the kiddoes and hopefully be a help to the teachers and helpers. My fear is that I am going to absolutely lose my heart to them all and want to bring them home with me. Actually I am banking on it. (smile) I also know that there is a bigger purpose for our team going. Cannot wait to see how God unfolds everything.

Another confession it is funny to be packing for this trip with words like mosquitoes, bed bugs, lice, etc rolling around in my head. Me and bugs truly do not like each other. I am such a wimp and admit I am totally spoiled living in my city and country. But I am packing away and taking the precautions the pre-trip nurse consultation gave me. Lots of bug spray and tea tree oil :-)

Bottom line I know that even putting up with bugs, 113 plus heat indexes, a very bumpy bus ride (so I am told) and no hot water for a week is MOST definitely just a minuscule drop in a very large bucket compared to what Jesus did for me. Its truly the extreme LEAST I can do for some very sweet kiddoes and some wonderful adults.

If you would please pray for us. You know how the enemy rears his ugly head and wreaks havoc on the lives of those going for specific God given purposes on trips like these. We are praying for protection not just for us but for our families while we are preparing and there on the field.
Here are the names of our team members:

Steve
Larry and Ladonna
Derek and Brooke
Terri
Nick and Jacque
and of course Me :-)

I will be posting pics and updating my blog during this exciting journey. And truly am excited to see how God is going to open my spiritual eyes, ears, and heart to see His bigger purpose for all of us that strive to serve Him with our lives.