Sorry, we weren't able to get Internet access the last couple of days. Here is an update....We are all home safely - some bruised, some battered, some homesick, some with intestinal issues, all exhausted but all completely blessed by the children at Ceracaif and the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father.Thank you everyone for your prayers!
The first day we gathered in the playroom and started in prayer and my eyes filled with tears. I was overwhelmed by feeling God's presence among the children and our team. I knew God was going to do a mighty work there. As you know from the previous blogs, we accomplished much. I started clearing out pig poop from a building that would soon be renovated into a chicken coup... would I do it again.... you bet! We weeded, worked the soil of an existing and new garden, planted seeds, made a site for a herb garden... would I do it again...you bet! We put on a VBS with stories sharing the gospel, songs, crafts and games..would I do it again...you bet! We planned a special 15th birthday party for 2 girls and ate a meal at the orphanage with children(this was probably the event that began the teams tummy troubles)... would I do it again...you bet! We put on a carnival and a church service..would I do it again...you bet! We filled the pantry, bought bibles, pvc pipe, a corn grinder and much more... would I do it again.. you bet. Did I miss my family...you bet! Would I go to the Home of Refuge again..... YOU BET!!!!
We saw bright eyes and beautiful smiles. The safety and love at the orphanage has been able to help heal some of the sadness, tragedy and pain these sweet children have experienced. Will I always remember these children ...YOU BET! Will they always be in my prayers...YOU BET! There is still so much more to do there. Please pray with us for direction on how we can continue to love and serve the children and staff at the orphanage.
It was a privilege meeting the 2 sisters and a handful of dedicated volunteers who love these children day in and day out. Please pray for their strength, patience, endurance, health, finances and continued commitment to the children. We were blessed by the new friendships of the Orphan Outreach staff - Mike, Gloria, Andrea and Pablo. These people are dedicated to loving children in Guatemala. Please pray for them as they continue to work and serve orphans and the fatherless.
Over and over again, God showed us how he picked the perfect team to go to Guatemala. We got to see how everyone used their God-given skills and gifts on this trip. We were able to love each other well and give each other plenty of grace. I am so thankful and blessed to have experienced this with each of you. We worked hard, laughed a ton and loved well! I love you all!
I started this experience in tears and ended in tears saying good-bye to the children that have touched my life. I am now loving my sweet family at home and praying for the children and saints at the Home of Refuge in Guatemala.
In Him, Kristi
Friday, August 6, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Hi to all my loved ones and those praying for us. We have felt those prayers and I am grateful for them. After 2 days of fever, chills, diahhrea and nausea, I woke today feeling so much better and grateful for it. What a privilege to be a part of this team and of what God has been doing in our midst. This orphanage is an incredible thing to behold! The children are amazing as well as their staff! Yesterday afternoon we had such fun putting on a carnival for the children. We had several games for the children to play. They also enjoyed us face painting and making paper flowers. The children had so much fun and received many prizes. A highlight for them was eating popcorn that was popped by an air popcorn popper that we brought with us. They loved it as did their cook who was so excited to have the popcorn popper. One young lady that has captured my heart has my full name, Angela Rose backwards, she is Rosa Angelica. Amazingly enough is that her sister is Angela Ballentina. They were tickled that the 3 of us have the same name, Angela. Today, as I headed down to the garden to continue our work I took a nice nose dive going over a goat and landed in a swampy mess. Covered in mud and slop, I picked up my hoe and started digging up the rest of the garden. Just another one of my clutzy moves. I also help bandage Jeremy up who went sliding down rocks to get a soccer ball for the boys and ended up tearing the back side of his pants right off as well as brush burning his upper thigh pretty badily abd cutting his hand. Believe me when I say we are the walking wounded and have several badges of honor (wounds). Though we continue to be plagued by injuries of interesting proportions, God has been so kind to each of us in protecting us from serious injury. I also have enjoyed, even in the midst of illness and injury, being a soccer goalie for the boys during VBS games. Even though I am the mom of three boys, it has been a long time since I have been this athletically challenged, but what fun I am having. The boys seem to be enjoying me as their goalie as well. It is really hard to put into words what being here is like. Words cannot really do it justice. I love seeing the faithfulness of God. When we are out here away from loved ones, away from what is comfortable and known, we are completely and utterly dependent upon God and each other. He continues to prove Himself faithful and trustworthy. We have had great challenges and trials (more than can be mentioned) and yet we have experienced great blessings, love, joy, peace, and a special comraderie that comes from bonding together through this all. We have one more work day and we will be able to accomplish all that God set before us. We finished the fence and gate on the garden and tomorrow we will plant seeds. The chicken coup is finished except for some fencing that needs to be done. The swing sets will be set in cement tomorrow and swings hung. As I look forward to being with my family in a couple of days a piece of my heart will be left behind. God calls us to join Him in His work and what a blessing it has been to have answered this call. Blessings to you all. I love you my family. Angie
All my imagination could not have prepared me for the people we have met, the scenery we have seen, and the wonderful fellowship we have had as a team here. I knew this was going to be good when I met a little girl who shares my name (Evelyn, though hers is Evelin). When she understood that there were dos Evelyns, she was by my side the next 20 minutes. She loves to come up behind me to surprise me, then she giggles when she sees my surprise. :)
We finished the fence around the new garden today. Angie and several others spent the morning hoeing up tough grass to make room for vegetables. Maria and Alexa have finished the nest boxes for the hen house, and Jeremy runs from station to station managing the projects. He is in his element. The holes are dug for the new swing sets. Coleen has enjoyed working on the banner that the children helped to make.
The best times we have are with the children though. They enjoy laughing with me about my very deficient Spanish and try to learn some English. I enjoyed talking with Maritza and Julia today. Jeremy and David played soccer with the boys and Carmelino (the man who does all the maintenance for the facility). Jeremy decided to fall and slide on the rocks though and scraped his leg pretty badly and got a bad scratch on his hand.
So far, one of the most special moments has been hearing all of the children sing a very special song that I think has been written just for them, the children at Casa Hogar. That experience cannot be replaced by anything or given a measurable value.
Continue praying that we will take the opportunities to interact with each child that we can. Sometimes just our remembering their names and giving them a hug means so much to them, but we desire to get to know them as well and share with them the love of Christ.
Lynn
We finished the fence around the new garden today. Angie and several others spent the morning hoeing up tough grass to make room for vegetables. Maria and Alexa have finished the nest boxes for the hen house, and Jeremy runs from station to station managing the projects. He is in his element. The holes are dug for the new swing sets. Coleen has enjoyed working on the banner that the children helped to make.
The best times we have are with the children though. They enjoy laughing with me about my very deficient Spanish and try to learn some English. I enjoyed talking with Maritza and Julia today. Jeremy and David played soccer with the boys and Carmelino (the man who does all the maintenance for the facility). Jeremy decided to fall and slide on the rocks though and scraped his leg pretty badly and got a bad scratch on his hand.
So far, one of the most special moments has been hearing all of the children sing a very special song that I think has been written just for them, the children at Casa Hogar. That experience cannot be replaced by anything or given a measurable value.
Continue praying that we will take the opportunities to interact with each child that we can. Sometimes just our remembering their names and giving them a hug means so much to them, but we desire to get to know them as well and share with them the love of Christ.
Lynn
Sunday, August 1, 2010
With
Today we were deep into construction projects: chicken coop, garden, swingset, and groundskeeping. But after lunch we laid aside the tools and had a Sunday worship service for the kids, followed by a carnival. It was almost incredible to me how obedient all the kids were (I write this realizing how that statement will reflect on the level of excellence in parenting with which I provide my children)! The orphanage workers would ask them to form into groups by age, and not only would they actually do it, but they would arrange themselves in the group by age as well. Within moments everyone was seated and ready for the service. Ellen read the Scripture and we all began to sing together. And in that moment I realized why we had come: to be there with them.
You can do many things to help an orphanage from the comfort of your home in the US. You can give money, you can write encouraging letters, you can organize mission trips, you can pray for them, and many other very good things. But you are not there. You are not standing beside them singing. You are not sitting beside them weeping. You are not alongside them working. And you are not giving them a hug in what has perhaps been for me the most meaningful and truthful point of connection with every person at Ceracaif. It is not for every person to go on mission, but for those who are called, the fact that God has brought us here is the point of all the planning and sacrifice and perseverance that is required of us.
We saw this in our devotional at the hotel tonight. Paul spoke fondly to the Thessalonians in 1 Thess 3 of when he was there among them. He shared how he sent Timothy to strengthen them because he himself could not be there. He confessed his fears that somehow their faith might have been compromised in his absence. Paul delighted in their pleasant memories of time together, and he prayed night and day that he might be able to see them again. Love can imagine no more fulfilling reality than to be together with its beloved. And we know this is true because we see it in the heart of God. Paul goes on to lift his prayer for his friends in Christ up to the inconceivable heights of a desire that they might be found blameless and holy - and not merely blameless and holy to be an end in itself, but blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father, when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
This is our purest joy in this life, and our highest hope for the next. What is it that gives us grief, if not our sin and the fact that we were separated from God? What is it that keeps us going in our Christian faith, if not Jesus´ righteousness and the fact that we are now reconciled with God through him, justified and declared holy? And what is it that truly separates us from this world in a Gospeled way, if not the desire (and in Christ the ability) to live once more in the presence of God?
We are tasting of this joy here in Guatemala, and it is sweet. Rejoice with us and look forward to the day when we will all lift our voices together in praise to our Maker, and there will be no distance to separate us.
And while you are rejoicing and looking forward, comment on this blog! We are starting to think nobody is reading them. :) The people who gave money and wrote encouraging letters and organized the trip and prayed for us and are keeping our kids are the faithful workers God has used to enable us to be with the saints here in Xela, and we earnestly desire to hear from you.
Love in Christ,
Jeremy
You can do many things to help an orphanage from the comfort of your home in the US. You can give money, you can write encouraging letters, you can organize mission trips, you can pray for them, and many other very good things. But you are not there. You are not standing beside them singing. You are not sitting beside them weeping. You are not alongside them working. And you are not giving them a hug in what has perhaps been for me the most meaningful and truthful point of connection with every person at Ceracaif. It is not for every person to go on mission, but for those who are called, the fact that God has brought us here is the point of all the planning and sacrifice and perseverance that is required of us.
We saw this in our devotional at the hotel tonight. Paul spoke fondly to the Thessalonians in 1 Thess 3 of when he was there among them. He shared how he sent Timothy to strengthen them because he himself could not be there. He confessed his fears that somehow their faith might have been compromised in his absence. Paul delighted in their pleasant memories of time together, and he prayed night and day that he might be able to see them again. Love can imagine no more fulfilling reality than to be together with its beloved. And we know this is true because we see it in the heart of God. Paul goes on to lift his prayer for his friends in Christ up to the inconceivable heights of a desire that they might be found blameless and holy - and not merely blameless and holy to be an end in itself, but blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father, when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
This is our purest joy in this life, and our highest hope for the next. What is it that gives us grief, if not our sin and the fact that we were separated from God? What is it that keeps us going in our Christian faith, if not Jesus´ righteousness and the fact that we are now reconciled with God through him, justified and declared holy? And what is it that truly separates us from this world in a Gospeled way, if not the desire (and in Christ the ability) to live once more in the presence of God?
We are tasting of this joy here in Guatemala, and it is sweet. Rejoice with us and look forward to the day when we will all lift our voices together in praise to our Maker, and there will be no distance to separate us.
And while you are rejoicing and looking forward, comment on this blog! We are starting to think nobody is reading them. :) The people who gave money and wrote encouraging letters and organized the trip and prayed for us and are keeping our kids are the faithful workers God has used to enable us to be with the saints here in Xela, and we earnestly desire to hear from you.
Love in Christ,
Jeremy
Storms, loaves, and quinceañeras
On our first day of VBS (Friday), the very first rotation in story time consisted of over 20 kids under the age of nine. The story for the day was "Jesus calms the storm." The first five minutes were great. Angelic little cherubs sat calmly and listened attentivly, but things quickly spiraled out of control. Suddenly I felt like one of the faithless disciples in the storm-rocked boat about to be overcome by waves of little Guatemalans. Lynn and Coleen managed to wrangle and exercise a bit of control, but for the most part, things were pretty caotic. It seemed like Eumelio, a rascally little fellow, was the center of the storm, and I had that confirmed yesterday too!
What a heart Jesus has for this place. It is immediately apparent. Some many children, many of whom are likely unloved by their own parents, are so wonderfully loved by Lourdes, Teresa and the rest of the staff. What a picture of a broken world, but one that Jesus has broken into with all of his glory and might! He has come to bring sight to the blind, and he makes the lame leap for joy. He is tranforming, redeeming and ADOPTING his people, and he delights in us.
It is apparent that these children are being trained in God's word. So far, they have known the stories and memorized the verses, but it is the Spirit's work to turn that knowledge into true faith. So we endeavor to dig a little deeper with them. It's not just about a powerful Jesus who tranforms fish and loaves into a banquet for the multitude. After all, within hours the people will hunger again. It's about the powerful Jesus who says: "I am the bread of life. Taste and see that I am good. Eat of me and you will never hunger again." Please pray that, in His perfect timing, He will draw each one of these children to Himself and use them to bring about greater healing to this very needy place.
We're all having a lot of fun here, too. Angie is really rocking the boat on our bus rides though. One day she's drenching us with soda that's spraying out of control from a punctured can. (Coleen's got it on video.) The next day she's smacking balloons in our face. Yesterday, Kristi celebrated her 43 birthday along with two of the girls at the orphanage who were celebrating their quinceañera (15th birthday bash). One of the girls wanted to know how old Kristi was, so Kristi asked me how to say 43 in Spanish. I told her ochenta y tres (which means 83), so that was lots of fun for me.
We made amazing progress on work projects yesterday. Existing building cleaned and prepped--ready for todays's construction, and transformation into an operating chicken coop. Two gardens weeded and planted. Mother weed that caused mold in one of the building cut down and removed.
Keep praying for us, and pray about how God would lead his people to have a continued partnership with this orphanage.
In Christ, David
What a heart Jesus has for this place. It is immediately apparent. Some many children, many of whom are likely unloved by their own parents, are so wonderfully loved by Lourdes, Teresa and the rest of the staff. What a picture of a broken world, but one that Jesus has broken into with all of his glory and might! He has come to bring sight to the blind, and he makes the lame leap for joy. He is tranforming, redeeming and ADOPTING his people, and he delights in us.
It is apparent that these children are being trained in God's word. So far, they have known the stories and memorized the verses, but it is the Spirit's work to turn that knowledge into true faith. So we endeavor to dig a little deeper with them. It's not just about a powerful Jesus who tranforms fish and loaves into a banquet for the multitude. After all, within hours the people will hunger again. It's about the powerful Jesus who says: "I am the bread of life. Taste and see that I am good. Eat of me and you will never hunger again." Please pray that, in His perfect timing, He will draw each one of these children to Himself and use them to bring about greater healing to this very needy place.
We're all having a lot of fun here, too. Angie is really rocking the boat on our bus rides though. One day she's drenching us with soda that's spraying out of control from a punctured can. (Coleen's got it on video.) The next day she's smacking balloons in our face. Yesterday, Kristi celebrated her 43 birthday along with two of the girls at the orphanage who were celebrating their quinceañera (15th birthday bash). One of the girls wanted to know how old Kristi was, so Kristi asked me how to say 43 in Spanish. I told her ochenta y tres (which means 83), so that was lots of fun for me.
We made amazing progress on work projects yesterday. Existing building cleaned and prepped--ready for todays's construction, and transformation into an operating chicken coop. Two gardens weeded and planted. Mother weed that caused mold in one of the building cut down and removed.
Keep praying for us, and pray about how God would lead his people to have a continued partnership with this orphanage.
In Christ, David
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