Sunday, March 13It has been extremely busy. We started off this morning at 8:00 with boys from toddlers to age 6 then we had the girls in the same ages. The little ones were shocked when I would speak to them, but when they got over it they were all over me. I have never hugged and carried so many kids in just few hours. There was one little boy who was a little bigger than the rest of them that came in who just stood there the whole time with tears in his eyes and at first he wouldn't talk to me so I just hugged him and patted him on the back and then he told me he wanted to get shoes so I took him down and found his shoes and put them on him and I as I finished he stood and said te quiero (I love you) and I told him te quiero tambien and that God loved him and that God is always with him and I took him up the steps in the auditorium we were in and he started to interact more with the other kids. We went later to the special needs toddlers and babies. There was one little girl, Cristal, that would not let me put her down and all she did was smile the whole time. All the little kids would call me papi (daddy). It was a lot of fun with them and overwhelming at the same time.
This afternoon after we went to the part of the orphanage called San Gabriel where the teenage boys live. This was a tough group of kids. These kids really have no chance so after it was all over and I have reflected on the day being there with those boys hit me the hardest emotionally. I told them the story of Joseph and they knew the story already, they are smart then I talked to them about no one in this world has determined what they will become in life, that only God knows what will happen to them and they can be whatever they want to be and then we talked about the steps to get there which was to ask God for help and trust in Him. After that we split them into four groups. Me, Chris, and Justin (from Longview) took 3 of the groups out and played games with them. Then the rain came and we had to move into the auditorium. That's when I got to know some of these kids. There are a lot of them that have been gifted with leadership abilities. So we pulled them all together and I talked to them about how they have been given a gift from God and that they are to use that gift to honor God, not to hurt others, to help others who are being hurt and to be good role models. Then we spent the rest of the time playing games and talking. One of the boys who was wearing a D.A.R.E. t-shirt started crying pretty hard when we were about to leave and that is what hit me the most just seeing the gravity of his plight on his face. Most of the other boys are good at covering it up, but they are all carrying that around in them. The only thing that is going to save these kids lives is God, no words we can say, no games we play with them and no amount of time we spend with them is going to change there situation only God can. So while I was getting pats on the back for doing a good job the only thing I could think about is how I really take my job for granted and how lucky I am to have an opportunity to have an impact on the kids I teach and I can change their lives.
Over all it was a really good day of service, but it really puts things into perspective.
Monday, March 14We had a really long day today, but it was really good. We didn't leave the orphanage until after 6:30. We distributed shoes to around 250 girls today, most of them teenage girls. All of the girls were really sweet and polite. Before we got started I was able to see a lot of the older boys who I met yesterday so I went and talked with them for a little bit and some of them let me interview them. I attached the video. The little boy who was crying yesterday and said te quiero to me is in one of the videos. All the older boys were really talkative today and I was able to talk to them about how long they've been at the orphanage and what they want to do when they leave. They all say the want to get a job but don't know what type of work they want to.
We started distributing shoes around 9:00 and we began with the teenage girls who have had babies. Some of the girls were only 15 and had babies that were 2 years old. The girls seemed to be really good mothers. I just went around and played with the older babies when we finished giving them shoes. After that we went over to the special needs girls and gave them shoes. They may have been the happiest group of kids we have been around. After that we went back to the auditorium and gave shoes out to girls who were between 9 and 13. There was one girl who is 11 who was very caring and after I talked to her about the reason why we were washing their feet and giving them new shoes she told me that God loves us always and then she said God bless you for being here with us. Before we were leaving to go to lunch we saw that group of girls again and she came over and gave me hug and then just broke down crying. So I just pulled her in tight and gave her a strong hug. Jeff captured a picture of it and I attached it. She never would tell my why she was crying but I told her to remember what she told me earlier that God loves us always and and that he is always with us. I told her to be brave and have courage and that she could do it. She must of hugged me for what seemed like 5 minutes. It was really tough. I hope I get to see her again tomorrow.
After lunch we went back and distributed more shoes. When each group would come in I would talk to them about why we were washing their feet and that we did it because Jesus wanted to show his disciples how much he loved them and that in the same way we wanted to demonsrate our love for them. A lot of the girls seemed a little embarrassed to have a man wash their feet and one time I told them that we were there to be their servants and they said "no"! So I told them that we were demonstrating our love for them the same way Christ did and after that they seemed to really understand. It really was a cultural thing that made it hard for them to understand why we would serve them. They probably never have had a male treat them that way.
Overall it was a really good day. The only frustrating part was that a lot the shoes did not fit the girls and some of them are having to wait to get new ones.
Tuesday, March 15We went back to the orphanage today to finish giving out shoes to the rest of the kids. We had a good day of witnessing to these kids. We had 6 houses of middle school aged boys and 2 houses of special needs boys come through and receive shoes. With some of the houses it seemed like that some of the boys just came off the streets because they were more difficult to get to listen to you than some of the other houses. We had one house of boys come through in the morning that were all around 11 or 12 years old. There was a boy in that house who was on crutches because he only had one leg. We had been doing crazy races with the other houses, but when this boy's house came to us we weren't real sure how we were going to modify. We decided to do the races by bearcrawling and the way those boys reacted was awesome. They were really happy to do it in a way that included the little boy with one leg.
After lunch we came back and gave out shoes to two more houses. We have been sharing the story of Joseph with the boys so I told the story in Spanish then asked them some questions. One of the questions we ask is how do we react when we see someone who has hurt us? Most of them said get mad or that they would want to fight. So we talked about what did Jesus teach us to do. Many of them said that we are supposed to forgive them, then we heard one boy start quoting scripture where Jesus tells not forgive once or 7 times but 7 times 70. It made me realize how much God has been at work in that orpahanage. The last group of kids we served today were the special needs boys. Again it is just crazy to see how much joy these kids have in their hearts. There was one boy who has never spoken anything but Spanish who was reading what it said in English on our shirts and on a post-card. Our translators seem to think he may be a Savant Autistic, but it was pretty awesome to see none the less.
After we finished up we were taking the supplies back to our bus when the older teenage boys met us at the bus and gave us all woven bracelets that they had made as gifts. They wanted to thank us for the time we spent with them and for giving them new shoes. To them it was a simple thing they did, but to me it was a great encouragement to see that we did have an impact on them. They had to have spent hours on these because the one they gave me is about 4 inches wide. These kids have nothing to call their own but they gave back with what they could.
At the end of the day we were taken on a tour of the entire facility. It is a pretty impressive facility and the staff they have there is awesome because they are there to help the kids the only problem is that there are just not enough of them. The tour was the most difficult part of the day because this was the time we were shown everything. We started out by going in a toddler room with little girls who were just barely walking. Just imagine our children being that age and in an orphanage. What was even tougher was seeing newborn babies who were true orphans meaning that they were given up and some did not even have names yet. The tour got better emotionally as we went through the rest of the facility because we got to see the kids that we served earlier in the week. These kids were so excited to see us again. In one home of little girls between 2 and 6 they just ran out the door when they saw us and wanted us to pick them up and throw them in the air like we did earlier this week. Then we saw the boys that were about the same age and I got to see my buddy Jorge who was in one of the videos I uploaded. After that we went through the older girls area and then to the older boys area. Just seeing how they responded to us let me know that we did have a big impact on their lives in the short time we were there. My prayer is that God will use this experience to bless them in life and to bring them to Him.
Wednesday, March 16We had to make an adjustment today since there was a shooting last night near the community transformation center we were supposed to go to today to give out shoes. The Buckner staff here in Guatemala decided to send us to their school for kids who are in transitional homes and also to give us a tour of their facilities they have in place. The school we went is called Buckner Isea and it is for kids who have moved out of the orphanage and into a transitional home. The kids are selected by the social worker at the orphanage to be placed in a transtional home. Seeing the kids at the school gave everyone a feeling of hope for the kids back at the orphanage because we were able to see that they do have a chance to succeed in life. The school had about 8 boys and 8 girls in attendance. The girls were doing a cooking class while the boys were doing an art assignment when we arrived. The other guys and I went into the classroom with the boys and did the art assignment with them. We just sat around and cut up with them like we were students. When the teacher walked out of the room I pulled out my phone and started playing music and told a bunch of jokes and just had a good time making those boys laugh. Being at the school gave me the opportunity to talk with the teacher and share with her some resources I use. I was able to set the school up with an account on a website I use for Spanish classes so that they could use it to teach English.
We left the school and went next door to the girls' transitional home. It's like a foster home. It's a really nice set up and the house parents are really nice and loving people. We then went to see the warehouse where all the shoes, socks, diapers, etc. that are donated in the U.S. are shipped to here in Guatemala. After that we visited another transitional home, the Buckner Guatemala offices and an advocacy center for girls who have been abused. The advocacy center has just been opened and right now doesn't have any girls staying there.
It was a blessing to see all the ministries that are in place for these kids. God is at work here and God has used us to brighten these kids day. I was a little disappointed because of the change of plans, but as we all know, God's plans are not our plans and His plans are perfect. Because of the change of plans a teacher was given more resources to help her students, house parents were encouraged to keep working hard for the kids they are serving and we were encouraged to see the chance for the kids that are in the orphanage right now to have a successful life. Tomorrow we are going to go to a different community center to give out shoes and share the gospel. Please pray for the kids we are serving!
Thursday, March 17Today we went to one of Buckner's community tranformation centers. These centers are set up in the most impoverished communities and they are designed to be proactive by providing programs to help families stay together so that children do not end up at an orphanage. In the morning we were in the El Cerrito community center where we served about 40 kids by telling a Bible story and playing games, then we gave each one a bag with a hat, gloves, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste. These kids seemed so different than the ones from the orphanage. They all seemed to have more joy in them which comes from having their parents with them. It really showed the importance of these kids needing their parents in their lives and the value of the programs the community center is using to keep these families together. We also met a Buckner volunteer named Krista who is teaching these kids English. She is an amazing person who is on the front lines fighting for the children in this community. She is definitley someone who we need to keep in our prayers.
After lunch we went back to the same location but this time we went to Iglesia Sianai that is directly underneath the El Incensio bridge. The community under bridge is called Santa Rita. The whole communtiy is made up of nothing but shanty homes. If a period of heavy rain ever comes along the whole community would be destroyed by a mud-slide. We went down the side of the bridge and into the church and served around 60 kids the same way we did at El Cerrito. At the end of the day as we made our way back up the side of the bridge we were followed by a boy who wanted a gift bag. The team member he asked was told that we couldn't give him one since he has not been participating in the activities so our team member felt compelled to share the Gospel with this boy and it was an amazing scene seeing how God was working through her as this boy, who had not heard of Jesus, received the message. As we got to the top of the hill I couldn't help but think of the Sermon on the Mount where Christ said " You are the salt of the earth. But if the should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It's no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp an puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
The people in these two communities are the salt of the earth and if there is not an avenue for them to receive the Word then they will lose their saltiness and be trampled by men. The church under the bridge is the lamp that lights up that whole community. I pray that the light shines bright in those communities to drive out the darkness so that there is hope for the children and there is not a need for an orphanage because kids are not being put out on the streets.
Friday, March 18Today we went to Antigua to visit the CTC there and distribute shoes to the children in the community we were in. These children are not orphans, but do live in the same poverty that we saw yesterday in Cerrito and Santa Rita. We were joined again today by Krista. If everyone in this world lived by her example there would be no need for Buckner or any other similar organization. The CTC today was defenitely the lamp that gives light for all in that community. This place was busy with people taking computer courses and watching videos for on-line courses. Every bit of space that could be found in this building was being used. We divided up and did bible story and games with half the kids while the other half received their shoes. Again God showed that he is at work here. These kids and families are full of joy. I met a family who were telling me and Jeff about how they use the CTC. In addition to the computer classes and English classes they use the CTC for its bathroom, something we all take for granted. The parents of this family were very thankfull for the support that they were receiving and throughout the whole morning they participated in everything with their kids and helped us out. It is an encouragement to see the CTC strategy at work and being effective.
After lunch we had some free time to shop in the market in Antigua before coming back to the City. The hardest part of the trip is right now as I type this: leaving. I never imagined how much my heart would be touched here and the compassion I have felt for these kids. It has shown me that this is what God wanted me to do. I have been continually reminded of the parable of the talents which was what made me feel compelled to come here in the first place. I have been given the gift to speak Spanish, even if it is not always perfect. I am not afraid to get in front of a group of kids and lead them. So it was these gifts that I knew I needed to be using after reading that parable. I am also reminded of how the apostles were instructed to leave their own land and witness to the all the gentiles in other countries. We have a lot of needs in the States, but there are so many resources in place there. Until there is drastic change here in Guatemala there will be more of the same. That is why we must find ways to support Buckner and their ministry here. We must pray for volunteers like Krista and the kids she serves so that their needs are provided for. It is so easy to find a way to help if we will step out of our world for a minute.
Please be in prayer for these children. I will post more pictures and videos tomorrow when we get back. I believe that greater things are yet to come here for these kids, for the staff and volunteers here, and for me. I want to return and if it is in God's will, I will return. Also pray for all our friends here who helped. Stephanie who did all the ground work here for our team and served as a translator, and Mario, Eunice and Yesi who were our translators(and also my Spanish teachers) and took time to help us. They all have a big heart for kids. As we were getting ready to leave, Justin shared with me a verse he read earlier that seems appropriate for all of us: 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. "
Thank you to everyone who supported me on this trip. You will never know how much it has meant to me. God Bless You!
Please pray for the safety of our volunteers as they help keep Coppell beautiful. Also pray for the people that pass the sign to see it to be blessed by our efforts.
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