An Apology of Sorts

Sadly I have been very busy lately with family and travel and unable to blog.  I am hoping to get back to blogging more regularly in a few weeks.  I'm heading back to Guatemala with a mission team soon and have been working hard to prepare.  I'm sure I will have so much to tell when I return and lots of pictures to share.
Thanks for checking in on the blog site to see if I've posted and thanks for your patience.  So until then enjoy a picture of my newest grand baby, Jase and big brother Deuce.  Grace and Peace to you!

Becoming a More Beautiful You

My daughters Melanie and Lauren on the trip

Last summer my daughter Lauren saw some pictures posted by some missionary friends of ours and called me saying, "Mom, we have to go and help these people!"  So began the planning of my 4th trip to Guatemala.  Through those pictures God planted a desire in her heart.  A desire to go and share the love of Christ with them and hopefully meet some of their needs.  That was what she was able to tell the group of cold, wet dump site workers and dwellers that we encountered on a rainy day a few weeks ago in Chimaltenango, Guatemala.  


The first morning we were able to go to worship time at Gerizim school which is run by the Reynolds through His Appointed Time Ministry.  If you have never worshipped with a bunch of elementary school children who have little or nothing as far as comforts in their lives, it's something that I just could not explain to you here in words.  The raindrops were falling as we gathered outside under a covering and praised God for this blessed moment in time.

Maryorie with the Team
Our Team sponsors her financially at the school

Some of the children praying

Praying for one another.

By the time we left the school the gentle rain was turning into more of a downpour.
I can only tell you that it was by the grace of God that we even made it to the dump that day.  It was pouring rain and the dirt roads looked more like muddy rivers on the way up the  mountain.  Each time I was sure we would not make it through the next bad looking area somehow the wheels just kept on bouncing us closer to our destination.  We had prayed fervently for the rain to subside before we left the school but it soon became apparent that God was making sure we were serious about this portion of our mission.  Would we let the rain deter us or were we "all in"?  Well, I looked at the team and it was clear that these ladies were indeed ALL IN!!  They waded through the water and floating trash to a makeshift shelter where they endured heavy smoke and flies in order to share a message and our purpose.  They stood in the rain and distributed food, first aid kits and other items that we had acquired through financial donations.  A few of the young guys there seemed distracted and were laughing during some of the lesson.  When asked what they were giggling about they replied, "It's like Christmas!"  So what looked at first to be a lack of interest turned out to be an inability to contain their excitement.  In retrospect of this part of the mission I'm not sure how much of an impact we made on them, but I know that they made an indention on our hearts that will always be there.  To see them smile in the face of their adversity if only for a moment made the whole trip worthwhile.  Our time there was short but rewarding.

Buzzards

Dwelling

And more trash

Day two was our most planned for day.  This day was to be spent with a group of 10-16 year old young girls who we invited to come up to the Restoration Center where we were staying.  The city of Chimaltenango is known for its prostitution houses.  From the first time I went there I had a desire to reach out to young girls and hopefully touch this high risk group with the love of Christ.  So the day was titled "Becoming a More Beautiful You."

2 of our little beauties!

This day was sort of a Queen Esther day complete with a banquet for the girls.  First they did crafts and had their hair cut and fixed.  Their nails were polished and they were crowned with tiaras.  Now I can tell you that none of these beautiful girls needed any beauty treatments but neither did all the pretty girls rounded up for the king in the book of Esther.  The girls learned that being beautiful wasn't really about their outward beauty and that if they believed Jesus is King and they are daughters of God then they were indeed already a princess and that their actions should reflect that.  We had so much fun spoiling them and showering them with little gifts.  It was another day etched in our hearts and minds forever.

Sisters

Haircuts

The Team with all the girls.

Studying in their new bibles

Doing some crafts

Now day 3 fell on Sunday.  We were honored to be asked to give some testimonies in a local church that morning.  What a special time for us.  That afternoon we distributed food to some of the neediest people in the church and left bibles and other things for the pastor to dispense as he saw fit.  We also had supper served to these families and they heard more testimonies from our group.  They were a joy to worship with.  

Melanie gets a hug from a grateful family!

Some of the people enjoying their meal.

After months of planning and organizing the trip was coming to an end.  We accomplished all that was set before us but this hopefully is not where the story ends.  We may never know the lives that God chooses to change because we are obedient to His call.  I do know of 12 lives that will forever be changed though.  9 wonderful ladies and 2 daughters who said yes when I asked if they wanted to go on a mission to Guatemala.  What a wonderful display of courage as 11 brave souls trusted me to lead them to a 3rd world country and back without even the slightest hesitation.  Well honestly I guess they trusted God to get us there and back and I just went along to be bossy!  

Missionation

Several years ago Gary and I decided it was time to take our girls on a mission trip. We were fortunate to have a good friend whose parents are missionaries in Guatemala and he put us in contact with them. After emailing back and forth we picked a date, got all the girls passports, made reservations, did some training, planning and packing and headed to a foreign country with 5 girls. Let me correct that last line. We headed to a foreign country with 5 VERY SPOILED girls. The oldest daughter was expecting and unable to go with us.

The first half of our trip was spent at a Christian school in Chimaltenango which is run by the Reynolds through their ministry called, His Appointed Time. We played, taught, praised and loved on the cutest group of kids you've ever seen. In the afternoons we did some painting at the school. We were privileged to get to see the site for the new restoration center that they were planning to build and get to pray for the future of the ministry there.

The second half of the trip was spent in in a little village named Atitlan. Three

volcanoes sit around the lake and the mountains are dotted with brightly colored buildings which are nestled in lush green foliage. Most of the people wear their native attire and the different weaves denote their particular tribe.

The girls and I had a blast shopping with all the local vendors. We picked out our treasures and Gary and Lindsay did the bartering and paying. Lindsay is not much of a shopper but her Spanish came in handy for wheeling and dealing.

After deciding to take a tour around the lake by boat, we all loaded the seaworthy craft and shoved off. Just as we were leaving another man jumped into the boat.

After a short drive we began pulling into a small village. Not being proficient with the language we were not really sure what was going on. Gary became a bit anxious but maintained a calm demeanor so as not to alarm us women who were totally oblivious to the situation as we took in all the beauty of the view. Our unexpected passenger simply jumped out of the boat and Gary made it clear that we were not wanting to visit the village and we were once again on our way. It never occurred to me that we could've been robbed or left for dead somewhere. I suppose it's sometimes a good thing not to have trust issues but in retrospect, maybe a third world country is not the best place to be a trusting soul.

Our next scary moment took place around dusk. We were sitting inside an open air restaurant feeding our starving shoppers when we heard what to us sounded like loud gunfire. The room went dark and we were all trying to figure out what was happening while we somewhat crouched down at the table. The waiters appeared with candles and explained that a transformer had blown and we would be dining by candle light. I'm of the mind now that it was a plot so that we would be unaware of what we were eating, as it was the worse meal we had on our trip. We are relatively certain this was where Lauren Beth contracted her stomach woes requiring her to start the antibiotics we packed. She was still running fever when we boarded the plane and I had to get a bit testy with the flight attendant who refused to find me a pillow and blanket for her. I tried not to cause a "Meet the Parents" scene but let's just say that she did indeed find her a blanket.

To sum it all up, it was a courageous adventure in the unknown but one that none of us will ever forget. I think of all my trips and travels this had to be one of my very favorites. It was filled with spiritual awakenings, adventure, fun, and lots of love and laughter.

In September I will be making my 4th trip to Guatemala as I lead a team there to do some mission work. I'm thrilled that 2 of our girls will be going with me this time. It will be an honor to get to serve alongside Lauren Beth and Melanie again in this beautiful country and among these humble and precious people.

I would like to report that as I type this 2 more of our girls are currently in Brazil doing ministry work. This is Emily's second trip to the Amazon and Lauren Elizabeth's first. Lindsay went 2 years ago but decided not to return this year.

From our first mission to Africa in 2003 I can tell you that each trip takes a certain amount of courage. Courage to step out of your comfort zone and step into an unknown culture. Each step is committed to being God's hands and feet and helping to fulfill the "Great Commission". "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt. 28:19-20

You never know how much you are capable of until you feel incapable. The freeing moment comes when you admit you are unable to do it and allow God to supply you with all the strength, courage, and wisdom you will need for the journey knowing that He is true to His word and ..."with you always, to the very end of the age".