I am not sure how I got so lucky to go on this journey. I am not sure why God chose me to be his hands and feet...ALL I know is I hope I didn't let him down, and I pray he continues to allow me to show love in his name. We left the mission house yesterday morning, and arrived at the airport around 10:15. Tears streamed down the faces of my brothers and sisters in Christ. There weren't may words spoken. Most of us felt the same way...Knowing we had to go home to Tennessee, but not sure how to walk away and leave part of your heart.
We made it through security and immigrations and lastly customs in Atlanta and on the other side of the customs baggage claim we started seeing several people of our church family. Our course Preacher man and Preacher lady were there, and several other family members of the team.
As we loaded the bus to head home we were greeted by 25ish senior citizens watching a Gaithers video. They had spent the day shopping and then came and picked us up. Most of us sat towards the back of the bus. At this point although I didn't really want to be back on US soil, reality that I HAD to come home had hit me...SO I was just in the get me home mode....
Most of us slept a good majority of the way home and towards the end of the trip we were woken up by Mr. Chatterbox, and we quickly realized we were all exhausted, because we hit that point where you just laugh for no reason!!! We all needed this time...a time to bond, a time to smile again, and for me it was a time of connection. SURE we went to church with these people, but it was then that each team member went through my head, and how much I loved each and everyone of them and what little things I would remember about them.
First lets start with Bobby Watson....I have decided that since my grandfather is no longer with me, that I am going to adopt Bobby as my grandpa....I haven't officially ran this by him, but he always makes me smile...Several times in planning this trip, I would be having a horrible day, and the phone would ring, and it was Bobby....always brought a smile to my face....I will refer to him as the Grandpa Angel....
Then Susie Watson, like Bobby...she is your all around stero-typical grandma....She spoils her grandson completely rotten and makes one heck of a chicken casserole!! I was so proud of her when she was determined to get down to the construction site, and before I knew it, she had found a new pathway away from the hard terrain that her knees could handle. She a trooper!!
Then we have John Grigsby, I will forever have a special place in my heart for Mr. John. He prayed with Keegan when he was saved at Bible school in the summer of 2010. That alone makes him special. I always though he was awesome but seeing him interact with the children and really get to their level to show the love of Jesus is a beautiful thing to witness.....YES even his dance moves is a semi-beautiful thing to watch, because he is dancing for Jesus. John got sick on the trip, with a fever and belly ache. He affected the whole team. He is a leader and mentor to so many, and I noticed when he hurt, we all hurt...Thank goodness a strong dose of Motrin and lots of prayers, helped John push through the illness and all the glory to God for that. Mr. John.....I love ya brother...and don't forget your blood pressure meds and thanks for keeping me supplied on Ginger to keep the motion sickness under control
Ok, Mr Tim Knight....He was one of two people that would make me cry like a baby seeing them cry. This started before we even left the trip. I have really grown to love Tim for his love and dedication to God. He is incredibly knowledgeable and not only is he our Sunday school teacher but he got to be one of the 16. He expressed his sincere concern over a skin medical condition he has and was scared he would scare the children...the first day we were there, there was someone in the medical clinic in Guatemala with the same condition..Thank you God for calming his fears and letting him be the light to another going through the same. Watching Tim paint faces and play soccer was so awesome, and seeing a grown man's heart break for the people of Guatemala was heart-breaking. I got to REALLY wash my first set of little feet with Tim...a memory I will treasure forever, especially after I got to put a pair of Alexander's shoes on him....Tim you rock!!
OK, Mullins family...First, Jason...As I mentioned before, after a scary incident upon arrival in Guatemala and Josh and I getting stuck in customs and bags gone through, we were separated from the group, and after we ventured around in the airport of a strange country when we walked out the doors, Jason's face was the first I saw....Seeing him, instantly calmed my fears. I almost look at Jason as a father figure, even though we are close in age, maybe because his children were on the trip so I always saw him in that role, but either way...I felt he was one of the protectors on this trip...He new enough Spanish to help ease our fears. He made us a great Italian meal while we were there, and just when you think he is quiet, he will send you laughing with a comment under his breath.
So next Miss Sheila, one of my angel sisters. I will admit that when I started Graveston I was unsure about Sheila, she was so bubbly and outgoing and well I just wasn't really sure....you know why...she truly LOVES GOD and truly love people, over the past 8 months she has become an angel to me. She is a true woman of God, and looks to his word and helps lead others to him. In the past few months we have grown even closer, and then our experience in Guatemala will have us bonded forever..We cried together, laughed alot together, cried some more, faced fears and unknowns together....Sheila...I love you my angel friend.
David and Jada, I hope they realize what good kids they are, their parents are raising them to love the Lord with all their hearts and serve him to glorify his kingdom. Not many children at that age, take a leap of faith and love others and share his word like these two kids. Watching Jada love on those babies was like seeing a mini Sheila, and David never missed an opportunity to share Gods word...Sheila and Jason should be so proud of the children they are raising....
Morgan Watson, he made me a nervous wreck...on the way down...nothing like having the preacher's wife texting you and telling you to watch after her baby, and making sure you were ok...if was like having my own child, and when he got stopped in security for having too much liquid in his suitcase, my motherly instincts almost kicked in, thank goodness Papaw Watson was there, so I just watched from afar... first of all your crazy...and I don't see how in the world your mother keeps your belly full. I have never seen a 14 year old boy eat so much in my life...No wonder Michelle is so small!!! You are another young man who is making God smile, I definitely relied on Morgan while the guys were building a house, he helped me paint faces of the children running around during construction....You would go fetch me things here and there so we could continue to entertain them...and even though you are MUCH younger, you played the big brother role during that time...Love ya buddy....even if you feet smell like something awful...
Anthony Bull, was probably one of the people I knew the least about prior to this trip... the weird part..I feel we have a connection but never really took the time to get to know him. Anthony and I were baptized on the same day...I went first because I was so nervous and then I turned around and Anthony was right behind me. The first morning we were in Guatemala, around 6:30 AM, as the girls were all getting ready, we heard a rooster crow...it was the loudest Rooster I have ever heard!! Brandy started laughing and said...no that's not a rooster, that's Anthony....NO CRAP....this guy sounds just like a rooster...and its loud and he spent the rest of the week crowing on demand, and the children in the feeding center loved it....on the first day he did his rooster crow and was chased down by a dog....several of the others that saw it, said it was the funniest thing they had ever seen....He has now earned the name of Rooster. He was the other person that would bring me to tears. Anthony is 23 years old, was in the Navy and just appears to be one to not cry. He cried several times, two times after we built a stove and once on the way to the feeding center on the last day....Guatemala can touch even the toughest...Anthony was a number one hit by the boys, he has high energy and isn't afraid to act silly with them. He was amazing with them, and I am sure they would love to have Rooster come back.
Miss Brandy, (girlfriend of Rooster) I also didn't know her very well prior to this trip, I knew she was a nurse, and we shared concerns for fashion prior to the trip, like are you gonna take these shorts or what are you gonna wear for this or that? Brandy is a beautiful girl with a sweet heart and you gotta love her southern accent. She was the first to scream over a bug, and detect ever inch of the mission house for yucky stuff...yep she was more of a girl than me. What blew me away about her, was yes she was girly...but she worked everyday in the medical clinic...I watched her touch things that would have creeped anyone out, I watched her carry urine in a baggie to test it for infection. On the second to last day, we found a boy outside of the feeding center and we both agreed the little boy had a belly full of worms or parasites. To say the least he was NASTY...but he ended up being a little boy I will be sponsoring....He was only 4, but is the size of Alexander...and he would look at you and say....QUE PASAAAAAAA which means "what's up" and all you saw were teeth...and smile. I saw Brandy in all her cuteness pick up this dirty child and carry him into see the doctor..and when the doctor was busy and couldn't see him right away, she held on to him, and danced and tickled him to keep him as entertained as possible so that she could keep him happily there to see the doctor....Made my heart smile....I love you girl...I am so glad I have gotten to know you better...
Hayley Anderson....love love love this girl...didn't know really anything about her prior to this trip, and I have grown to absolutely adore her. Her and I got to be girl buddies while we were building the first stove...We had to stick together, and I found that her and I wanted to get out there and get dirty and experience it all. I didn't see Hayley cry much though...I was kinda surprised that her being a female was able to contain tears...or maybe I am just a cry baby. On one of the last days...we were saying some goodbyes in the feeding center...and Hayley and I made eye contact...her eyes were filled with tears...she walked towards me and we sat and hugged and cried together...She kept saying "I don't want to say goodbye, and I don't want to leave" If broke my heart....there is just something about Hayley...she has such a sweet spirit and in someways we are a lot alike...I found our fears and frustrations to be the same, and we got to share lots of laughs...Miss Hayley...I feel we have a friendship that is going to continue to blossom from this experience...I love ya girl!!!
Gina Clarke....OH GINA...you remind me so much of my mom....you kept me laughing inside, because you get frazzled just like my mother....your heart is sensitive and you are always willing to help out in what ever needs to be done. Gina and I had a time to talk, and she encouraged me to stay close to God...we have similar pasts, and she shared her heart and I shared mine. She commented that I seemed truly happy and to stay on that path. To keep focused on God and don't turn around and question your instincts to get away from difficult life situations....I love her for sharing her heart and knowledge with me. I am proud of her, this trip was physically draining and she was a trooper.
Ok...Scott McCormick....He is my brother...not really but we have lived across the street from each other for 10 years, we have worked together, and fought like brother and sister and laughed and cried together. I have known you the longest of all of the people on this trip...I always knew you would be the big brother on the trip...You dressed like a tourist the whole time and dove right into trying all of the local foods...you stepped up to the plate and did the medical clinic the whole week. We didn't get to do much together except when I worked in the medical clinic one morning with you...I am proud of you for taking a step with God and following what you were called to do....Love ya brother...
OK...now to one of my bestest friends.....Mr. Josh...We have been on a countdown for this trip for months, we have thought about how every minute might be, and in most cases, what we worried about ended up working out and for the most part was perfect. You were my rock through out the entire trip, from the assurance before we left, to leaving room in your suitcase for all the stuff that wouldn't fit into my suitcase, to buying us cool backpacks, helping load suitcases, holding my hand during my small airplane freak outs, to assuring me you would dig me a hole in the ground if I had to go potty, to capturing moments on camera, loading all my shopping purchases in your backpack and carrying them all day, making sure I had something to eat when I was hungry, or better just catering to any small need, like needing a drink, making sure I ate breakfast, reminding me where I put my camera, or asking if I had taken Dramamine for the bus rides.....
You prayed with me, and your prayed for others, you wiped my tears and comforted my heart....Our passion is the same...we want to serve...we want to love...and we want to give God the glory...
Some of my "awww" moments this week...watching you paint a little girls nails, watching you play baseball with the boys, once we were headed for the bus, I turned around and your weren't there....you were over handing a bible to an old man who would watch us load the bus almost everyday, you stepped out of your comfort zone and did the dedication on the house our team build, as we were stopped on the side of the road waiting for Mike Parker, we all spotted a family, we all started throwing candy...YOU stood up, grabbed the candy we had bought for the children, walked off the bus and went face to face with the children and their parents and placed the candy in their hand, as we were saying goodbye to Evelyn and her family...I asked if you would pray...you took the lead and prayed with a family in the middle of the street... Back at the compound, there was a cross that we were leaving at the mission house..We asked if we would like to pray over the cross and pray for those special people that had touched our hearts....After the crowd broke up...you and I sat there....tears flowing from both of us, you reached over grabbed my hand, picked up the cross walked me outside and took me to the courtyard, where you held me as I sobbed and held the cross between us, and prayed for the children of Guatemala and specifically Evelyn and her family....You waited til I gathered myself and was ready before we walked back in.....you assured me on the way home....we would go back.....
I love you JAC..... volcano and back......GODSPEED
I love each and everyone one of these special people....
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday July 29th.....Last full day
Last full day in Guatemala was once again filled with a huge range of emotions. That seems to be common statement over the entire trip. Just like I had first assumed, I have a feeling of, "How can we just leave"? These people have become a part of us, and us apart of them. We started the day off with a long bus ride to the village, we had several stops along the way including dropping of the medical team.
Once we arrived at the feeding center, we were blessed by some photos that the director of the center had put up on the wall. She explained that this feeding center had always been a dream of hers, and until 3 weeks ago, she would educate and feed children in her own home. Because her husbands income did not cover the cost of taking in children off the streets, she was going to be forced to no longer feed the hungry little bellies in which we had loved on all week. I can't imagine one of these beautiful babies going hungry.
The group divided once again and several people left to go build stoves and a handful of us stayed to set up a store for the children to shop in. After the children had lunch they were allowed to come into the store we made up and shop for items that they may want or need. I watched their faces closely as they picked up items and placed them in their bag. For most girls it consisted of: a toothbrush, soap, a few ponytail holders, a lip gloss, nail polish, a pair or two of socks, underwear, hopefully a pair of shoes if we had some that fit, and then they got to go into the dress and t-shirt room. There we placed dresses made by Crafters for Christ, a group of women from Graveston that met every Thursday morning and made pillowcase dresses. They were so excited to spin around in their new dresses. The boys got t-shirts and I tried the best I could to give them all a Graveston CrossTrain t-shirt. I thought of Kandy Holt as I saw the T-shirts that morning and thought, there is no bigger angel on earth than Kandy Holt...and if she was here she would be loving on these babies with every ounce of love in her heart.
First, let me tell you that after we took picture of all the children we confirmed that the correct name for the sweet baby girl that stole my heart is Evelyn pronounced EVER-LEE. I was glad to clear that up....anyways, her mom asked Josh and I the day before if we would come to her home. I was able to get Jaden, Mike Parkelers son to translate for me while I sat down and got to know more about Evelyn and her family. Her mom is 22, and her father is 27. She has a little sister who is 2, and they live with Evelyn's moms brother and her fathers sister. She explained that they don't own or have a home, and that they live in the trees. I am not sure exactly what that means but from what I have seen, if the conditions are less than what I have seen then they really do live in trees. Both Evelyn and her sister Josphine were born at home. When Evelyn's little sister was 5 months old, she fell into a well....according to the translator, it was "2 meters". She said "only because of God is my baby alive". AMEN!!! I guess the baby was crawling and went head first on her head, I asked if she had gone to the hospital, and her response was yes, but they never did any testing to really make sure if the baby was ok. In Guatemala if you have to go into the hospital for sickness or surgery, you have to pay the bill before leaving the hospital or armed guards come to your hospital room.
After an overly emotional goodbye to the children and mothers, we noticed that Evelyn's mom was there and her dad was looking through the window at us smiling. Soon after that Jayden came and asked if we were still going to Evelyn's house, and we said of course, grabbed Jason, Sheila, and Jada Mullins, our backpacks and took off walking with this family. Five minutes into the walk, someone asked how far their house was, and the response.....20 minutes!! This woman walks 20 mins several times a day with a 2 & 3 year old just so that her baby can be fed. Unfortunately the team was waiting for us and we had to tell them that we could not go to their house. I felt awful, we asked with the help of a translator why they wanted for us to come to their house, the response was, "Evelyn want you to see where she lives". After talking with Mike Parker, he told us that her parents probably heard we were building houses and were trying to see if we would help them with a house. A house in this village consist of a 12x12 room, made of scrap sheet metal and a tin roof...In the first home we put a stove in, the walls were bamboo. The floors are just dirt, no bathrooms, no running water, and no electricity. The house we did cost 300 dollars......300 DOLLARS!!!!
As we were standing in the middle of the cobble stone rode, we said our goodbyes to Evelyn and her family and I turned to my rock and asked Josh if we could pray with Evelyn and her family, of course he said yes...We cried some more and waved goodbye as we walked away. I connected with this child, I connected with his mother....She appears so graceful yet so hardworking and strong. Her mother was so beautiful and I could tell that is where Evelyn got her beautiful heart shaped face and big eyes, and heart melting smile. As we walked away and Sheila and I walked with are arms wrapped around each other, I felt Sheila and I grow as moms and as sisters in Christ. We did what we came to do, Love to the ends of the earth, that was the easy part, walking away was the hard part. We knew what it was like...We are moms, we love Evelyn like she is ours, its unexplainable to a person who doesn't love a child.
We walked back down to the feeding center to grab our backpacks and say Goodbye to AnnaLeese, and Josh and I got an opportunity to explain to her how the High Five for Jesus thing got started....We didn't mention the part that Josh started it, because I was a little moody or down at church one day, and he was being a goof.....yeah we skipped that part!! AnnaLeese, looked at me and in her attempt to speak English, she said to me....."you are like me Emily...you are sensitive like me...we cry easy, but we don't like it when people see us cry, but you love these children." Thats when all I knew to do was hug her, and say, I PROMISE, I WILL BE BACK, and yes, I love these children. As we walked away, an emptiness filled my heart...like something had been stripped from my arms. Sheila, Jason, Josh and I walked towards the bus and we all mentioned that for the first time all week, we hoped not to see one more dark set of eyes peek out from behind a door, our hearts simply could not stand that look of despair anymore....We just wanted to get to the bus where we could hide our face, climb up in our Father's arms and cry....and that most of us did.
After boarding the bus and doing our normal Graveston head count, we were informed that we were truly going to be able to go back to Antigua and shop for a little bit. As we drove, we all discussed collecting a love offering for the bus Ninja, I mean he did drive us everyday and turn a bus though a village only big enough to get a matchbox car through...yeah sure we hit a little white truck not once but two different times (you would think the owner would quite parking in the same place) and back into a work truck....but this man needs to be hired as BUS DRIVER NINJA of the universe....As we collected and made a left turn we heard a BAM and a SHHHHH sound.....DANG IT, we hoped a curb took our a small pole and blew a tire....stopped traffic....the great part....a flat tire doesn't slow down the bus Ninja....those back tires actually have two tires, and gheez who needs two tires anyways....All we need is one to get back over the mountain to the compound...REMEMBER Emily......this is a trust God trip!!!
We got one hour in the market in Antigua and "aint no one gonna put me to shame at shopping" Josh decided to hand out what was left of our candy and sillybands to the children in the market, ummm he got swarmed by children!! He finally got it put away, as I was looking at some cool wooden flute like instruments that I thought would be cool for Kaley and Keegan...Then the lady behind the counter started asking for candy in Spanish....then it hit me, she wanted candy and I wanted flutes.....30 seconds later we were bartering and I walked away with two flutes and she walked away with a baggie of smarties and silly band and plastic dinosaurs.....SCORE ONE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL SHOPPER!!!!
Back at the mission house we enjoyed good ole fashion Domino's pizza......wow how fabulous it was, we spent the rest of the evening packing our bags, sharing stories and reflecting over God's perfect plan for our trip to Guatemala.....What an amazing week!!!
Once we arrived at the feeding center, we were blessed by some photos that the director of the center had put up on the wall. She explained that this feeding center had always been a dream of hers, and until 3 weeks ago, she would educate and feed children in her own home. Because her husbands income did not cover the cost of taking in children off the streets, she was going to be forced to no longer feed the hungry little bellies in which we had loved on all week. I can't imagine one of these beautiful babies going hungry.
The group divided once again and several people left to go build stoves and a handful of us stayed to set up a store for the children to shop in. After the children had lunch they were allowed to come into the store we made up and shop for items that they may want or need. I watched their faces closely as they picked up items and placed them in their bag. For most girls it consisted of: a toothbrush, soap, a few ponytail holders, a lip gloss, nail polish, a pair or two of socks, underwear, hopefully a pair of shoes if we had some that fit, and then they got to go into the dress and t-shirt room. There we placed dresses made by Crafters for Christ, a group of women from Graveston that met every Thursday morning and made pillowcase dresses. They were so excited to spin around in their new dresses. The boys got t-shirts and I tried the best I could to give them all a Graveston CrossTrain t-shirt. I thought of Kandy Holt as I saw the T-shirts that morning and thought, there is no bigger angel on earth than Kandy Holt...and if she was here she would be loving on these babies with every ounce of love in her heart.
First, let me tell you that after we took picture of all the children we confirmed that the correct name for the sweet baby girl that stole my heart is Evelyn pronounced EVER-LEE. I was glad to clear that up....anyways, her mom asked Josh and I the day before if we would come to her home. I was able to get Jaden, Mike Parkelers son to translate for me while I sat down and got to know more about Evelyn and her family. Her mom is 22, and her father is 27. She has a little sister who is 2, and they live with Evelyn's moms brother and her fathers sister. She explained that they don't own or have a home, and that they live in the trees. I am not sure exactly what that means but from what I have seen, if the conditions are less than what I have seen then they really do live in trees. Both Evelyn and her sister Josphine were born at home. When Evelyn's little sister was 5 months old, she fell into a well....according to the translator, it was "2 meters". She said "only because of God is my baby alive". AMEN!!! I guess the baby was crawling and went head first on her head, I asked if she had gone to the hospital, and her response was yes, but they never did any testing to really make sure if the baby was ok. In Guatemala if you have to go into the hospital for sickness or surgery, you have to pay the bill before leaving the hospital or armed guards come to your hospital room.
After an overly emotional goodbye to the children and mothers, we noticed that Evelyn's mom was there and her dad was looking through the window at us smiling. Soon after that Jayden came and asked if we were still going to Evelyn's house, and we said of course, grabbed Jason, Sheila, and Jada Mullins, our backpacks and took off walking with this family. Five minutes into the walk, someone asked how far their house was, and the response.....20 minutes!! This woman walks 20 mins several times a day with a 2 & 3 year old just so that her baby can be fed. Unfortunately the team was waiting for us and we had to tell them that we could not go to their house. I felt awful, we asked with the help of a translator why they wanted for us to come to their house, the response was, "Evelyn want you to see where she lives". After talking with Mike Parker, he told us that her parents probably heard we were building houses and were trying to see if we would help them with a house. A house in this village consist of a 12x12 room, made of scrap sheet metal and a tin roof...In the first home we put a stove in, the walls were bamboo. The floors are just dirt, no bathrooms, no running water, and no electricity. The house we did cost 300 dollars......300 DOLLARS!!!!
As we were standing in the middle of the cobble stone rode, we said our goodbyes to Evelyn and her family and I turned to my rock and asked Josh if we could pray with Evelyn and her family, of course he said yes...We cried some more and waved goodbye as we walked away. I connected with this child, I connected with his mother....She appears so graceful yet so hardworking and strong. Her mother was so beautiful and I could tell that is where Evelyn got her beautiful heart shaped face and big eyes, and heart melting smile. As we walked away and Sheila and I walked with are arms wrapped around each other, I felt Sheila and I grow as moms and as sisters in Christ. We did what we came to do, Love to the ends of the earth, that was the easy part, walking away was the hard part. We knew what it was like...We are moms, we love Evelyn like she is ours, its unexplainable to a person who doesn't love a child.
We walked back down to the feeding center to grab our backpacks and say Goodbye to AnnaLeese, and Josh and I got an opportunity to explain to her how the High Five for Jesus thing got started....We didn't mention the part that Josh started it, because I was a little moody or down at church one day, and he was being a goof.....yeah we skipped that part!! AnnaLeese, looked at me and in her attempt to speak English, she said to me....."you are like me Emily...you are sensitive like me...we cry easy, but we don't like it when people see us cry, but you love these children." Thats when all I knew to do was hug her, and say, I PROMISE, I WILL BE BACK, and yes, I love these children. As we walked away, an emptiness filled my heart...like something had been stripped from my arms. Sheila, Jason, Josh and I walked towards the bus and we all mentioned that for the first time all week, we hoped not to see one more dark set of eyes peek out from behind a door, our hearts simply could not stand that look of despair anymore....We just wanted to get to the bus where we could hide our face, climb up in our Father's arms and cry....and that most of us did.
After boarding the bus and doing our normal Graveston head count, we were informed that we were truly going to be able to go back to Antigua and shop for a little bit. As we drove, we all discussed collecting a love offering for the bus Ninja, I mean he did drive us everyday and turn a bus though a village only big enough to get a matchbox car through...yeah sure we hit a little white truck not once but two different times (you would think the owner would quite parking in the same place) and back into a work truck....but this man needs to be hired as BUS DRIVER NINJA of the universe....As we collected and made a left turn we heard a BAM and a SHHHHH sound.....DANG IT, we hoped a curb took our a small pole and blew a tire....stopped traffic....the great part....a flat tire doesn't slow down the bus Ninja....those back tires actually have two tires, and gheez who needs two tires anyways....All we need is one to get back over the mountain to the compound...REMEMBER Emily......this is a trust God trip!!!
We got one hour in the market in Antigua and "aint no one gonna put me to shame at shopping" Josh decided to hand out what was left of our candy and sillybands to the children in the market, ummm he got swarmed by children!! He finally got it put away, as I was looking at some cool wooden flute like instruments that I thought would be cool for Kaley and Keegan...Then the lady behind the counter started asking for candy in Spanish....then it hit me, she wanted candy and I wanted flutes.....30 seconds later we were bartering and I walked away with two flutes and she walked away with a baggie of smarties and silly band and plastic dinosaurs.....SCORE ONE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL SHOPPER!!!!
Back at the mission house we enjoyed good ole fashion Domino's pizza......wow how fabulous it was, we spent the rest of the evening packing our bags, sharing stories and reflecting over God's perfect plan for our trip to Guatemala.....What an amazing week!!!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
NOT COMING HOME
After a day like today, my heart is here. I have cried off and on all day. My heart is here, and the thought of going home makes my eyes fill with tears just writing this. I miss my family and can't wait to show them all my pictures and tell all the stories, but I want to stay....I really really really want to stay. This country in such poverty and filth can warm and touch your heart like no other experience.
Once again, my bus ride consisted of staring our the window trying to breath in Guatemala...every single ounce I could hold. This is such a beautiful country...SO green and rich is GOD's amazing beauty. I fought back tears the whole way into the village. Once again we got to throw candy as went entered through Antigua.
When we finally got through the village to are bus stopping point...which today consisted off a bit of a walk, since there were several men mixing concrete right in the middle of the road. We call our bus driver the bus NINJA....We are going to have shirts made when we get back that say, "I survived the bus NINJA....THis man can drive a bus through the one lane streets with a 180 degree turn, and NO exageration leave 1/2 inch between the bus and the side of a building and make it look like he is driving a scooter.....
ANYWAYS...we were let off several blocks from the feeding center. The children in the village now know that the Americans are on the big school bus and greet us every morning now with toothless smiles and high fives....and HOLA's coming from everyone. Such a great Welcome in a community where we are so different.
Once at the feeding center we quickly broke into groups and I headed out to build another stove. In the house that our group built the stove, was a woman with a two year old boy, a baby, and a fifteen year old daughter. Her fifteen year old daughter also had a baby who looked to be about 10 months. That is just the culture down here..Women or girls become moms at a young age. We got to share the gospel with her and love on her and her babies. During both dedications of stoves, tears just stream my face, watching those strong courageous women get these stoves, and watch their gratitude is clearly one of God's smiling times.
Then it was bible school time, I made sure I video taped the singing during VBS, which again, everytime brings me to tears....It doesn't matter what country your in, or what language you speak, praising GOD is always awesome, and these children are so passionate when they sing. You see a sweet innocent love for the Lord. After they sang, we got to share the love of Jesus and 17 children and 2 adults accepted Jesus in their heart. Hearing the voices of these precious children pray for salvations.....WELL there is no words for it...only happy tears.
I got to see my sweet baby girl today, and after getting her in my arms, five minutes later she was asleep....I held her through the entire block party. It started to rain, and after my legs were getting tired, I sat down and cradled her in my arms....YEP YEP YEP....LOTS and LOTS of tears. Again, you can't imagine looking at a child who comes from nothing and see her smile the brightest most beautiful smile you could ever imagine, and then knowing that this child whom has only known you for 4 days, feels peace and security enough to sleep...AGAIN...a wow moment, and well not a (moment) more like a feeling that is continuing....I don't think I can leave....I am serious....it has crossed my mind several times to go home, get the kids passports and come back. I want to serve God, I want to be his hands and feet. I want my children to be his hands and feet and have a passion to serve. I want everyone I come in contact with to feel God's love pour out of me and thus in return encourage them to do the same...
So I held Analee for and hour at least, and then her mom came....It was time to hand her over, her mom came up to me and saw her sleeping in my arms and smiled.....(OHHH I forgot) I saw Analee's mom earlier in the day and introduced myself and so did Josh. Josh and I had already made her and her younger sister, mom and dad a bag up with sock and underwear, shirts, tooth brushes, and a special bottle of fingernail polish...That was the reason I got the first smile from her...She looked at my fingernails and smiled big, and then sat and held my hands while she looked at my nails....So with the help of a translator, I told her Mom, We have a bag of stuff for you because, your daughter has stole my heart with her smile, I told her I will always pray for her and to promise me one thing....Keep her fingernails polished in hopes she won't forget me.....
Ok, back to her there to pick her up....I handed her over and she cried for a few seconds until she realized she was safe in her momma's arms. Her mom thanked me for loving on her, and as she carried her around, I cried. I packed up my bags to get back on the bus, and as I was leaving I noticed Analee, her sister, mom and aunt sitting outside the door of the feeding program. I grabbed a translator and approached her mom...I had questions...I wanted to know more about Analee and her family.....Her mom is 22, and her dad is 27. She has a 2 year old sister and her dads sister lives with them. Her younger sister fell down a well when she was 5 months old and her mom was quick to tell me that God is the only reason she is alive after that accident. Both Analee and her sister were born at their house...From what I understood, they don't have a house, but live in the trees....AND then, she invited Josh and I to her home. I was so sad that it was time to leave, but asked her if we could go to her home tomorrow. I was just told by Mike Parker that they are probably just wanting us to look at where they live, because they have heard we are building houses. He said, if I go that I need to take a few people with me. We spoke some of the culture and as we were driving away Analee and her sister were waving Goodbye and blowing kisses....OK tears are coming again.....
We are getting ready to start devotions....I gotta go....love you guys!!!!
After
Once again, my bus ride consisted of staring our the window trying to breath in Guatemala...every single ounce I could hold. This is such a beautiful country...SO green and rich is GOD's amazing beauty. I fought back tears the whole way into the village. Once again we got to throw candy as went entered through Antigua.
When we finally got through the village to are bus stopping point...which today consisted off a bit of a walk, since there were several men mixing concrete right in the middle of the road. We call our bus driver the bus NINJA....We are going to have shirts made when we get back that say, "I survived the bus NINJA....THis man can drive a bus through the one lane streets with a 180 degree turn, and NO exageration leave 1/2 inch between the bus and the side of a building and make it look like he is driving a scooter.....
ANYWAYS...we were let off several blocks from the feeding center. The children in the village now know that the Americans are on the big school bus and greet us every morning now with toothless smiles and high fives....and HOLA's coming from everyone. Such a great Welcome in a community where we are so different.
Once at the feeding center we quickly broke into groups and I headed out to build another stove. In the house that our group built the stove, was a woman with a two year old boy, a baby, and a fifteen year old daughter. Her fifteen year old daughter also had a baby who looked to be about 10 months. That is just the culture down here..Women or girls become moms at a young age. We got to share the gospel with her and love on her and her babies. During both dedications of stoves, tears just stream my face, watching those strong courageous women get these stoves, and watch their gratitude is clearly one of God's smiling times.
Then it was bible school time, I made sure I video taped the singing during VBS, which again, everytime brings me to tears....It doesn't matter what country your in, or what language you speak, praising GOD is always awesome, and these children are so passionate when they sing. You see a sweet innocent love for the Lord. After they sang, we got to share the love of Jesus and 17 children and 2 adults accepted Jesus in their heart. Hearing the voices of these precious children pray for salvations.....WELL there is no words for it...only happy tears.
I got to see my sweet baby girl today, and after getting her in my arms, five minutes later she was asleep....I held her through the entire block party. It started to rain, and after my legs were getting tired, I sat down and cradled her in my arms....YEP YEP YEP....LOTS and LOTS of tears. Again, you can't imagine looking at a child who comes from nothing and see her smile the brightest most beautiful smile you could ever imagine, and then knowing that this child whom has only known you for 4 days, feels peace and security enough to sleep...AGAIN...a wow moment, and well not a (moment) more like a feeling that is continuing....I don't think I can leave....I am serious....it has crossed my mind several times to go home, get the kids passports and come back. I want to serve God, I want to be his hands and feet. I want my children to be his hands and feet and have a passion to serve. I want everyone I come in contact with to feel God's love pour out of me and thus in return encourage them to do the same...
So I held Analee for and hour at least, and then her mom came....It was time to hand her over, her mom came up to me and saw her sleeping in my arms and smiled.....(OHHH I forgot) I saw Analee's mom earlier in the day and introduced myself and so did Josh. Josh and I had already made her and her younger sister, mom and dad a bag up with sock and underwear, shirts, tooth brushes, and a special bottle of fingernail polish...That was the reason I got the first smile from her...She looked at my fingernails and smiled big, and then sat and held my hands while she looked at my nails....So with the help of a translator, I told her Mom, We have a bag of stuff for you because, your daughter has stole my heart with her smile, I told her I will always pray for her and to promise me one thing....Keep her fingernails polished in hopes she won't forget me.....
Ok, back to her there to pick her up....I handed her over and she cried for a few seconds until she realized she was safe in her momma's arms. Her mom thanked me for loving on her, and as she carried her around, I cried. I packed up my bags to get back on the bus, and as I was leaving I noticed Analee, her sister, mom and aunt sitting outside the door of the feeding program. I grabbed a translator and approached her mom...I had questions...I wanted to know more about Analee and her family.....Her mom is 22, and her dad is 27. She has a 2 year old sister and her dads sister lives with them. Her younger sister fell down a well when she was 5 months old and her mom was quick to tell me that God is the only reason she is alive after that accident. Both Analee and her sister were born at their house...From what I understood, they don't have a house, but live in the trees....AND then, she invited Josh and I to her home. I was so sad that it was time to leave, but asked her if we could go to her home tomorrow. I was just told by Mike Parker that they are probably just wanting us to look at where they live, because they have heard we are building houses. He said, if I go that I need to take a few people with me. We spoke some of the culture and as we were driving away Analee and her sister were waving Goodbye and blowing kisses....OK tears are coming again.....
We are getting ready to start devotions....I gotta go....love you guys!!!!
After
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday July 27
Today has been another day of emotions. This morning on the way to San Antonio Calliente, I plugged into the ole iPod and sat back and soaked in as much of Guatemala that I possibly can. As I listen to the song, "A miracle today" I struggled. What Guatemala needs is a miracle!! I am worried that when I go home that I will forget, I will forget the feeling I get as we drive through the villages and see things I could never imagine. That we won't be able to truly tell our love ones what this place is like. I don't want to forget one single itty bitty thing about this trip, the good, the bad, the ugly, the smelly!!! How could the people here live in these conditions and still be so happy!! Maybe they are just happy around us? We drive through the villages and throw candy out the bus windows, watching the smiles on their faces as they open one small pack of sweet tarts, put on one silly band, or get a Christmas pencil. How dare we complain about anything!! I went to the construction site today, when we arrived there was a team from Michigan already there. There was 2 guys and 2 girls! I was the only female from our team that went to construction. These girls were hardcore, pretty, but you could tell this wasn't there first rodeo. I still don't know the difference between screwdrivers... Just tell me if it has the cissycrossy thing or the flat one. As soon as we arrived Tim had quickly spotted a child in need of shoes!! We packed 6 pairs of shoes between 2 backpacks!! We had a pair to fit him. He was 3 years old, sweet little face, but had tears running down them and a runny nose. His feet had weeks worth of dirt on them and it was almost permeant between his toes. Tim and I got the experience of washing his feet with wet wipes and we placed a pair of Alexander's sandals on him.... Wow... They fit, thank you Jesus!!!
After putting his shoes on, him and some other children wondered up the hillside and sat with some women. I assumed they didn't want to be bothered. So I decided I was gonna help build a house, the only problem was... I just couldnt get in... Between the other team and our 3 guys, I quickly felt out of place. Mike Parker yelled down the hill that there was pieces of tin that needed to be brought down... Oh oh oh, I surely can do that!! So I hiked to the top of the hill, and went to pick up the tin and Mike said, Umm you can't carry that... That's when it took all I had in me to not say, EXCUUUSSEE Me... Did you not see me carry cement bricks yesterday? Are you saying since I'm a girl I can't do anything? About that time, Jason Mullins came around the corner, picked up tin and sliced his finger. So slightly pouted up I walked back down the hill, got to where the "professional bob the builder team" was working and was so frustrated that tears began to fall.... Ok God, I have stepped out, my eyes are on you, you've brought me completely outta of my comfort zone and into a foreign country and I WANNA BUILD A HOUSE!!! After a few minutes of tears, God gave me the kick in the booty as while I was wiping a tear, I looked up on the hill side to see 3 women and 7 children, watching as "Bob & the gang" worked. That's when God said, Hey crybaby whinny pants.... There is a whole group of people you could be loving on. I grabbed my fingernail polish and said it myself... If I can't play that game, I will start my own... Thank you God for your kicks...I grabbed my backpack,and I got to paint the fingernails of 12 women and little girls, Morgan Watson and I painted all their faces. I packed little princess dolls and each little girl got one, I looked in my backpack as saw the ziplock bag of plastic dinosaurs that Keegan had helped me pack, each little boy got one. Everyone got pencils, silly bands, candy, and we put all the shoes we had on little feet. That was why I was there!!! I wasn't suppose to carry tin or used a big power tool, God sent me there to love on the family. They were there to remind me, it's not what Emily wants to do, it's what God wants Emily to do...after that
We headed to bible school where we realized that our craft people weren't at bible school to do the craft and we had no soccer ball and our suitcase with our costumes for the skit was missing in action... Thank goodness my God is so much bigger... On the back of the bus, we found hula hoops, a plastic bat, and a plastic bowling ball set. After we made it throughout the skit, we used what we had and came up with a good ole fashion East Tennessee redneck relay race, and guess what??? They loved it!!
I got to see and love on the sweet girl my heart has attached itself to, even though Bobby Watson is extremely fond of her too. ( I think he is winning her heart more than me) he just is a big ole cuddley papaw...I have told him I'd like to let him adopt me as his grandchild.
After bible school, we headed back to the feeding center to pick up the rest of the team. I got to meet my sweet little girls aunt and mom. I have been eager all week to know if she had a momma. Her mom looks very young, and had another baby on her hip. She was very attentive to Analee, as we were getting ready to leave I noticed a young man walk into the feeding center. I quickly attempted some Spanish and asked her mom if that was her dad.. She smiled and shook her head yes. Then that sweet little girl jumped up in her daddy's arms. She was so happy... All of them... Smiles and giggles! Wow, I had expected such a different senerio, yet they were a sweet happy looking family!
We headed back to the mission house and after checking some emails and hanging out a while I realized the devil was coming at me with both guns blazing. I have spent most of this evening worried about my babies back home, and
dreading walking away from these babies. I know my family is back home, but my heart is here... With these strong, incredible women, and these innocent sweet children. So how do I walk away? We only have 2 days and I want to freeze time. I want to keep experiencing being the hands and feet of Jesus.. Continue to pray for this team. We are physically tired and emotions are high.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
After putting his shoes on, him and some other children wondered up the hillside and sat with some women. I assumed they didn't want to be bothered. So I decided I was gonna help build a house, the only problem was... I just couldnt get in... Between the other team and our 3 guys, I quickly felt out of place. Mike Parker yelled down the hill that there was pieces of tin that needed to be brought down... Oh oh oh, I surely can do that!! So I hiked to the top of the hill, and went to pick up the tin and Mike said, Umm you can't carry that... That's when it took all I had in me to not say, EXCUUUSSEE Me... Did you not see me carry cement bricks yesterday? Are you saying since I'm a girl I can't do anything? About that time, Jason Mullins came around the corner, picked up tin and sliced his finger. So slightly pouted up I walked back down the hill, got to where the "professional bob the builder team" was working and was so frustrated that tears began to fall.... Ok God, I have stepped out, my eyes are on you, you've brought me completely outta of my comfort zone and into a foreign country and I WANNA BUILD A HOUSE!!! After a few minutes of tears, God gave me the kick in the booty as while I was wiping a tear, I looked up on the hill side to see 3 women and 7 children, watching as "Bob & the gang" worked. That's when God said, Hey crybaby whinny pants.... There is a whole group of people you could be loving on. I grabbed my fingernail polish and said it myself... If I can't play that game, I will start my own... Thank you God for your kicks...I grabbed my backpack,and I got to paint the fingernails of 12 women and little girls, Morgan Watson and I painted all their faces. I packed little princess dolls and each little girl got one, I looked in my backpack as saw the ziplock bag of plastic dinosaurs that Keegan had helped me pack, each little boy got one. Everyone got pencils, silly bands, candy, and we put all the shoes we had on little feet. That was why I was there!!! I wasn't suppose to carry tin or used a big power tool, God sent me there to love on the family. They were there to remind me, it's not what Emily wants to do, it's what God wants Emily to do...after that
We headed to bible school where we realized that our craft people weren't at bible school to do the craft and we had no soccer ball and our suitcase with our costumes for the skit was missing in action... Thank goodness my God is so much bigger... On the back of the bus, we found hula hoops, a plastic bat, and a plastic bowling ball set. After we made it throughout the skit, we used what we had and came up with a good ole fashion East Tennessee redneck relay race, and guess what??? They loved it!!
I got to see and love on the sweet girl my heart has attached itself to, even though Bobby Watson is extremely fond of her too. ( I think he is winning her heart more than me) he just is a big ole cuddley papaw...I have told him I'd like to let him adopt me as his grandchild.
After bible school, we headed back to the feeding center to pick up the rest of the team. I got to meet my sweet little girls aunt and mom. I have been eager all week to know if she had a momma. Her mom looks very young, and had another baby on her hip. She was very attentive to Analee, as we were getting ready to leave I noticed a young man walk into the feeding center. I quickly attempted some Spanish and asked her mom if that was her dad.. She smiled and shook her head yes. Then that sweet little girl jumped up in her daddy's arms. She was so happy... All of them... Smiles and giggles! Wow, I had expected such a different senerio, yet they were a sweet happy looking family!
We headed back to the mission house and after checking some emails and hanging out a while I realized the devil was coming at me with both guns blazing. I have spent most of this evening worried about my babies back home, and
dreading walking away from these babies. I know my family is back home, but my heart is here... With these strong, incredible women, and these innocent sweet children. So how do I walk away? We only have 2 days and I want to freeze time. I want to keep experiencing being the hands and feet of Jesus.. Continue to pray for this team. We are physically tired and emotions are high.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday July 26th
Today, I woke up to another beautiful morning in Guatemala!! We started off with breakfast made by Mrs. Susie, then took our hour ride to the village. I started my day off by seeing patients in the medical clinic. Lots of stomach issues, and symptoms of what American's would call allergies. I got to see a 47 year old woman who has NEVER seen a doctor, and here she sits in front of me, relying on me to solve her medical problems... Wow God thanks for your confidence in me!! What a different way of practicing medicine... I had a translator, his name is Pablo, he appears to be in his early twenties...he is very funny, I have changed his name to "petro" and he makes fun of Justin Beiber all the time...we were quite the team!! Around 12:15, Josh made his rounds announcing it was lunch time... I walked out of the room we were seeing patients in and saw Tim Knight painting faces, I quickly found a spot next to him and grabbed a paint brush!! I forgot to eat lunch and at one point, Josh opened a granola bar, put it in front of my mouth and said, "BITE"...looking at those faces seem much more fun than lunch!! After I was done painting faces, I was eager to actually do what some of the others had done and walk the streets! So Josh and I grabbed our backpacks and off through the streets we went!! We handed out tracks and Spanish bibles, attempted to speak Spanish to the locals, and of course I found some sweet little girls along the way. There is nothing more heart warming than placing a silly band on a child's wrist or a plastic ring or handing them a piece of candy and seeing their faces light up!! We encountered an old woman with no teeth who came up and wrapped her arms around both of us and began speaking in super warp speed Spanish, we tried to tell her we did not speak Spanish and then she just spoke faster!!!
We headed back to the feeding center and I found my sweet little girl. Yesterday my hair was in a ponytail, today it was down, I kneeled down to greet her and when I said Hola, she looked at me with a little smile as though she didn't remember me.... But then she looked at my hands, and remembered my fingernails, ( what first caught her attentionthe day before). Her smile grew a little more, but I was still not sure she remembered me, (again, she's only three years old) but then Josh came to my rescue... He walked up behind me, this little girl looked at me, looked at Josh, and immediately her huge huge huge smile that I fell in love with came across her sweet little brown face... She remembered Josh and I swinging her the day before. It was time to head to bible school so I picked her up and carried her up to the bus and off we went.
When we arrived, John asked if we wanted to go build a rocket stove...... OF COURSE!!! So John, Anthony, Josh, Brandy, and I hopped in the back of mike parkers truck and off we went on a very bouncy ride to the factory where the stoves are actually made. On our way to the house we stopped and picked up Mark(he us from Atlanta). Once we got him we went to build a stove in a woman's house made of bamboo and a tin roof. She is a widow with four children.. I ended up buying a table runner from her. Something I will cherish forever... Ooops gotta go!! I'll write later!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
We headed back to the feeding center and I found my sweet little girl. Yesterday my hair was in a ponytail, today it was down, I kneeled down to greet her and when I said Hola, she looked at me with a little smile as though she didn't remember me.... But then she looked at my hands, and remembered my fingernails, ( what first caught her attentionthe day before). Her smile grew a little more, but I was still not sure she remembered me, (again, she's only three years old) but then Josh came to my rescue... He walked up behind me, this little girl looked at me, looked at Josh, and immediately her huge huge huge smile that I fell in love with came across her sweet little brown face... She remembered Josh and I swinging her the day before. It was time to head to bible school so I picked her up and carried her up to the bus and off we went.
When we arrived, John asked if we wanted to go build a rocket stove...... OF COURSE!!! So John, Anthony, Josh, Brandy, and I hopped in the back of mike parkers truck and off we went on a very bouncy ride to the factory where the stoves are actually made. On our way to the house we stopped and picked up Mark(he us from Atlanta). Once we got him we went to build a stove in a woman's house made of bamboo and a tin roof. She is a widow with four children.. I ended up buying a table runner from her. Something I will cherish forever... Ooops gotta go!! I'll write later!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, July 25, 2011
Day 2
Day 2 has been amazing to say the least. We started off with an hour bus ride into a village...We rode around small roads until all of a sudden the bus stopped and we all looked at each other and said "I guess this is where we are getting off"
We walked a few blocks down to the feeding center...To say the least it was disgusting. There were no table or chairs, there was a dirt floor where some of the guys tried to teach the boys how to play baseball. Josh and I brought our saying of "HIGH FIVE FOR JESUS" to Guatemala. Mike Parker said that some of the walls needed a little brightening up, so Josh and I grabbed the paint and went to work. We painted a huge hand on the wall, and realized that High Five for Jesus doesn't translate exactly, so we had to write Give me five for Jesus. It was lots of fun, and at the end, we put both of our hand prints on it, and signed and dated it.
After I got to love on some cute kids, paint little girls fingernails, and watch these amazingly strong women carry their babies around while they prepared food for all of these children. I think we had around 38 children today, and the medical clinic had a constant line of people waiting.
Then we took a 10 minute bus ride to a park, with all of the children and started bible school. It brought a tear to my eye watching the children sing, and praise!!! No matter where we are, God is there, and God is good!!! We danced and sang with these sweet babies, then the guys took all the boys to play soccer. They got their booty whooped to say the least. I got to stay with the little girls, make necklaces, give our plastic rings, and took lots of pictures. I have found a little girl that I already want to bring home. I am fighting Bobby Watson for her...She is 3 and from what I understand her to say, her name is Amalee...When she says it, it almost sounds like she is saying Emily....I think that means I am the winner of the battle....Josh and I walked back with her from bible school back to the bus and she walked between us, holding both of our hands...We counted uno, dos, tres...and swung her in the air...she giggled and hearing her giggle won my heart....I can't wait to see her beautiful smiling face tomorrow.
We are back at the house, and getting ready to dive into a good ole fashion hamburger made by Susie Watson...Then at some point, a shower would be awesome, and I would love to walk out of our house in the front area, and walk the "neighborhood". This is the first evening we have seen daylight during the evening. Oh it gets dark here by 6:45pm, which is weird, but its daylight by 6:00AM.
Our group continues to bond and there is a family like togetherness. I don't feel we have come as close to the other group as I had originally thought, but its still early in the trip. I have only seen a few personality conflicts...but emotions are high, and the devil is on us...but we are armed...with super duper water guns...
WOW...we just had an earthquake...Its 6:20pm currently....kinda a weird thought, since our house sits on the edge of a cliff...We will be fine....Dinner is ready...and others want the computer...
Keep praying for our team and the hearts of Guatemala.
We walked a few blocks down to the feeding center...To say the least it was disgusting. There were no table or chairs, there was a dirt floor where some of the guys tried to teach the boys how to play baseball. Josh and I brought our saying of "HIGH FIVE FOR JESUS" to Guatemala. Mike Parker said that some of the walls needed a little brightening up, so Josh and I grabbed the paint and went to work. We painted a huge hand on the wall, and realized that High Five for Jesus doesn't translate exactly, so we had to write Give me five for Jesus. It was lots of fun, and at the end, we put both of our hand prints on it, and signed and dated it.
After I got to love on some cute kids, paint little girls fingernails, and watch these amazingly strong women carry their babies around while they prepared food for all of these children. I think we had around 38 children today, and the medical clinic had a constant line of people waiting.
Then we took a 10 minute bus ride to a park, with all of the children and started bible school. It brought a tear to my eye watching the children sing, and praise!!! No matter where we are, God is there, and God is good!!! We danced and sang with these sweet babies, then the guys took all the boys to play soccer. They got their booty whooped to say the least. I got to stay with the little girls, make necklaces, give our plastic rings, and took lots of pictures. I have found a little girl that I already want to bring home. I am fighting Bobby Watson for her...She is 3 and from what I understand her to say, her name is Amalee...When she says it, it almost sounds like she is saying Emily....I think that means I am the winner of the battle....Josh and I walked back with her from bible school back to the bus and she walked between us, holding both of our hands...We counted uno, dos, tres...and swung her in the air...she giggled and hearing her giggle won my heart....I can't wait to see her beautiful smiling face tomorrow.
We are back at the house, and getting ready to dive into a good ole fashion hamburger made by Susie Watson...Then at some point, a shower would be awesome, and I would love to walk out of our house in the front area, and walk the "neighborhood". This is the first evening we have seen daylight during the evening. Oh it gets dark here by 6:45pm, which is weird, but its daylight by 6:00AM.
Our group continues to bond and there is a family like togetherness. I don't feel we have come as close to the other group as I had originally thought, but its still early in the trip. I have only seen a few personality conflicts...but emotions are high, and the devil is on us...but we are armed...with super duper water guns...
WOW...we just had an earthquake...Its 6:20pm currently....kinda a weird thought, since our house sits on the edge of a cliff...We will be fine....Dinner is ready...and others want the computer...
Keep praying for our team and the hearts of Guatemala.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Day 1 in Guatemala
DAY 1
WORN OUT!!! What a great day... An hour bus drive to Antigua...Spent the day shopping in the market!! I hope I have covered all the people to bring things back for. What an experience trying to figure out how many Guatemala "money" turns to American money...I feel like I am at Mr. Gatties Pizza....I think the best way to buy stuff is say....Here is 20Q....now what at this little shop can I get. Josh and I feel the best "bargin" we got was for some dark chocolate for my daddy and some coffee for my brother....We think we talked them down....It sounded good, but in the end after a high five of "WHEW we talked them down" we walked off laughing realizing we really didn't know if we had pulled one off on them or if she is laughing thinking "stupid AMERICAN". I fell in love with a sweet little boy that Anthony had lured in with some of our left over lunch....He appeared to be around 2 years old....Handing him a piece of food and seeing his sweet smile and that little hand reach out for it....AND his smile....SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL!!! He was so little and he was running through the market, and hit us mainly at knee level....Everytime after he ran past me, he stopped....He recognized my green and pink shoes...he would look up...YEP, I would have loved to grab him up and stick him in the backpack.
The most awesome time we had today was going to the Cross...where we had Church!!! An amazing view, with and old church cross!!! Feeling Gods presence was amazing...He had us wrapped in his arms. It was simple, and watching the locals watch us was such a fun thing to watch. I noticed an oriental man who was interested in hearing all of us sing...
We had dinner at the nicest Mexican place, they had YUMMY chocolate cake!!!!
Little bleeps of things I want to remember.....
Trying to communicate with locals....slightly comical...
Jason Mullins, helped me purchase a necklace pendant....that man can barder
Unpacked 16 suitcase full of stuff for the week....
I am having trouble with focus trying to write this.....Anthony, Tim, Jason, and Josh are singing and laughing on the back porch...trying to be serious and type while they are being "men"....has my ADD in HIGH ALERT!!!!
I will try to do better in the AM....GOOD NIGHT !!!!
WORN OUT!!! What a great day... An hour bus drive to Antigua...Spent the day shopping in the market!! I hope I have covered all the people to bring things back for. What an experience trying to figure out how many Guatemala "money" turns to American money...I feel like I am at Mr. Gatties Pizza....I think the best way to buy stuff is say....Here is 20Q....now what at this little shop can I get. Josh and I feel the best "bargin" we got was for some dark chocolate for my daddy and some coffee for my brother....We think we talked them down....It sounded good, but in the end after a high five of "WHEW we talked them down" we walked off laughing realizing we really didn't know if we had pulled one off on them or if she is laughing thinking "stupid AMERICAN". I fell in love with a sweet little boy that Anthony had lured in with some of our left over lunch....He appeared to be around 2 years old....Handing him a piece of food and seeing his sweet smile and that little hand reach out for it....AND his smile....SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL!!! He was so little and he was running through the market, and hit us mainly at knee level....Everytime after he ran past me, he stopped....He recognized my green and pink shoes...he would look up...YEP, I would have loved to grab him up and stick him in the backpack.
The most awesome time we had today was going to the Cross...where we had Church!!! An amazing view, with and old church cross!!! Feeling Gods presence was amazing...He had us wrapped in his arms. It was simple, and watching the locals watch us was such a fun thing to watch. I noticed an oriental man who was interested in hearing all of us sing...
We had dinner at the nicest Mexican place, they had YUMMY chocolate cake!!!!
Little bleeps of things I want to remember.....
Trying to communicate with locals....slightly comical...
Jason Mullins, helped me purchase a necklace pendant....that man can barder
Unpacked 16 suitcase full of stuff for the week....
I am having trouble with focus trying to write this.....Anthony, Tim, Jason, and Josh are singing and laughing on the back porch...trying to be serious and type while they are being "men"....has my ADD in HIGH ALERT!!!!
I will try to do better in the AM....GOOD NIGHT !!!!
Travel Day
Waking up in Guatemala is clearly an experience. Yesterday was full of excitement as we traveled from Knoxville to Atlanta. Emotions were high as we said goodbye to our "blood" family and drove off with our church family. To say the least we are bonding. The bus ride was filled with anti-motion sickness meds, and a few naps and lots of laughs.
We arrived in Atlanta and as we were checking in, we noticed Ludacris was checking in the same time we were. Tim Knight worked his magic and we stopped and posed for a picture with him. We made it through security, with only a few little slow downs. I got pulled as a random one to search, WHEWWW made it through with no handcuffs!!! Preacher will be so proud!! The flight was packed and we quickly realized all instructions given were also given Spanish...Yep we are headed to a different world.
We exited the airplane only a few at a time, so that we weren't flagged as being different. We had a creepy feeling getting off in a very dark airport. We made it through immigration with no issues, got our bags...we thought we were home free. NOPE.... Josh and I were stopped in customs and sent to a different area...Yep, I was trying not to go into a full on fear cry....Kinda that "I want my mommy and daddy" cry!!! Our suitcases were opened and searched and the took a bunch of our medications that we had for a free clinic because they were expired. I wanted to throw up, but again thought....TAKE IT....JUST LET ME OUTTA HERE!! The scary part was not knowing where our church family had gone. They were all outside of the area where we could no longer see them. We finally were let go, and then as we went exit the doors, all we could see were the reflections of ourselves and the door opening ever so often... The other side consisted of a gate holding people back. (The kids that hold crowds back from famous people). Josh looked at me and said OK, now I a little nervous! We still were not sure were our church family was!!! We took a deep breath and our we went. WHEWW never been so relieved to see Jason Mullins face....and then all of my other "people".
A school bus ride to Wendy's was nexted....OH yeah security in the parking lot consided of a man carrying a shot gun...and thats it!!! We ordered fries and I was eager to try the diet coke....NOT bad!! While we were eating there was a homeless child begging for food, he enjoyed some Wendy's with us. His story....One of 12 children, mom is into prostitution... He was slightly aggressive and as we left we were informed...if you bring in a homeless person it is your responsibility to get them out of the place.
It was dark when we arrived so it wasn't until this morning we could actually see what surrounds us closely. We are going to Antigua today to the market to SHOP...SHOP SHOP SHOP!!!!! WHEWW HEWW.... Oh sleeping arrangements a little different than home to say the least....I already miss my bed, a shower with more than a trickle, a mirror....my potty....but I have 15 of my brothers and sisters with me....and GOD is in it...we will survive and adapt. We are all gathering to SKYPE Graveston. I will try to write later when I have more time....Please continue to pray for this team, and for the folks of Guatemala...
We love you back home!!!!
PS...Grammer and spelling will be back...I am afraid I will lose internet connection....so I will proof later....sorry mom, I know you taught me better....
LOVE YOU MOM, DAD, Keegan, Kaley, Alexander, Shedelah, Lori, PREACHER MAN, Preacher LADY!!!! (I'll include you preacher man & lady since you guys have had to raise me some...OH and yes YOUR baby is fine...he is playing basketball right now, and Sean, your momma is sleeping right next to me) (oh Lori, the travel pillow was awesome, even if your nephew made fun of it, ans Shedelah....HE IS FINE)
We arrived in Atlanta and as we were checking in, we noticed Ludacris was checking in the same time we were. Tim Knight worked his magic and we stopped and posed for a picture with him. We made it through security, with only a few little slow downs. I got pulled as a random one to search, WHEWWW made it through with no handcuffs!!! Preacher will be so proud!! The flight was packed and we quickly realized all instructions given were also given Spanish...Yep we are headed to a different world.
We exited the airplane only a few at a time, so that we weren't flagged as being different. We had a creepy feeling getting off in a very dark airport. We made it through immigration with no issues, got our bags...we thought we were home free. NOPE.... Josh and I were stopped in customs and sent to a different area...Yep, I was trying not to go into a full on fear cry....Kinda that "I want my mommy and daddy" cry!!! Our suitcases were opened and searched and the took a bunch of our medications that we had for a free clinic because they were expired. I wanted to throw up, but again thought....TAKE IT....JUST LET ME OUTTA HERE!! The scary part was not knowing where our church family had gone. They were all outside of the area where we could no longer see them. We finally were let go, and then as we went exit the doors, all we could see were the reflections of ourselves and the door opening ever so often... The other side consisted of a gate holding people back. (The kids that hold crowds back from famous people). Josh looked at me and said OK, now I a little nervous! We still were not sure were our church family was!!! We took a deep breath and our we went. WHEWW never been so relieved to see Jason Mullins face....and then all of my other "people".
A school bus ride to Wendy's was nexted....OH yeah security in the parking lot consided of a man carrying a shot gun...and thats it!!! We ordered fries and I was eager to try the diet coke....NOT bad!! While we were eating there was a homeless child begging for food, he enjoyed some Wendy's with us. His story....One of 12 children, mom is into prostitution... He was slightly aggressive and as we left we were informed...if you bring in a homeless person it is your responsibility to get them out of the place.
It was dark when we arrived so it wasn't until this morning we could actually see what surrounds us closely. We are going to Antigua today to the market to SHOP...SHOP SHOP SHOP!!!!! WHEWW HEWW.... Oh sleeping arrangements a little different than home to say the least....I already miss my bed, a shower with more than a trickle, a mirror....my potty....but I have 15 of my brothers and sisters with me....and GOD is in it...we will survive and adapt. We are all gathering to SKYPE Graveston. I will try to write later when I have more time....Please continue to pray for this team, and for the folks of Guatemala...
We love you back home!!!!
PS...Grammer and spelling will be back...I am afraid I will lose internet connection....so I will proof later....sorry mom, I know you taught me better....
LOVE YOU MOM, DAD, Keegan, Kaley, Alexander, Shedelah, Lori, PREACHER MAN, Preacher LADY!!!! (I'll include you preacher man & lady since you guys have had to raise me some...OH and yes YOUR baby is fine...he is playing basketball right now, and Sean, your momma is sleeping right next to me) (oh Lori, the travel pillow was awesome, even if your nephew made fun of it, ans Shedelah....HE IS FINE)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
All I need is a dose of trust and a pedicure
In 2 days the journey begins....but today I had to say Goodbye to two of my prize possessions. Kaley and Alexander are headed to West Virginia to stay while I am in Guatemala. Keegan will be staying here with my mom while I am gone and going to tennis camp. I hate goodbyes..and Goodbyes to your babies are even worse. There continues to be a range of emotions about this trip, from excitement to stressed about making sure I have packed all I "might" need, to even emotions of "do I really want to do this". I know I have been called to Guatemala, it was a feeling I got from the first mention of this trip. As I have said before, I truly believe this is where God is going to reveal how mighty he is.
I call myself a "newbie" still at all of this "church stuff". I was saved when I was 8 years old, but it wasn't until last August, that I feel I really met him. I sometimes feel like he said to me "ok, its my turn, you are running this race alone, and you look like your getting tired...Please let me hold your hand, and if you do....I will show you what a better race you can run". So out went my hand, and to it, I have held on tight....sometimes I try and let my grip loosen, and that is when he holds on to me tighter. But like I think with most Christians or even its our human nature to trust in him, and in the back of our minds think "ok is this for real....like I really am going to be ok"? If that's not the thinking of most, then oops I guess I just revealed that sometimes I need to see the black and white. Since last August, I have grown to love completely indulging myself in church, and longing to know more, and be with my church family. And let me just say, if you are attending a church, and you don't feel like they are apart of your family....YOU ARE AT THE WRONG CHURCH FOLKS!!!!!!
So anyways, I have prayed for strength over the past 6 months to overcome some of the hurdles I needed to get over, he has provided that. How do I know he has given me strength???? When decisions that should be hard to make, or should be a reason to cry for days over, are not....GOD has given your strength....When you ask God to give you peace.....and in the middle of the storm, people who know you well don't even know your going through a storm because the world doesn't become completely insane as you have a 24/7 meltdown.....GOD has given you peace. So at this point, I am at.....God please make you trust you 150%......trust that you know what is best for me, that you will protect my kids, my family & friends, that you will protect these amazing people that will journey with me, because they are my family, trust you that you will blanket all of us with a calmness as we all begin to say Goodbye to the ones we love before we become warriors for you.
Tonight is our last meeting with all of us that are going, I feel like emotions maybe high tonight. Last minute packing, and planning, but I know that whatever fears, or emotions any of us is experiencing we have each other to lean and walk with...That is one awesome feeling. The only last minute things I need to do is:
Get more SD cards....LOTS AND LOTS of pictures and videos
and yes......I need to get my nails done and a pedicure- OK...I said I was going to Guatemala...I didn't say I was gonna fall completely apart!!! If I only get a 5 minute luke warm shower a day, and the humidity is going to attack the hair, I must at LEAST have my nails and toes done......plus...I know if something happens to me, that some of my crazy family...like my brother would make sure no one touched up my roots, or flat ironed my hair, or did my nails before they put me in that pink casket with the rhinestones....because he would be laughing trying to make me look tragic....I will not go out like that!!!! hehehe...
I call myself a "newbie" still at all of this "church stuff". I was saved when I was 8 years old, but it wasn't until last August, that I feel I really met him. I sometimes feel like he said to me "ok, its my turn, you are running this race alone, and you look like your getting tired...Please let me hold your hand, and if you do....I will show you what a better race you can run". So out went my hand, and to it, I have held on tight....sometimes I try and let my grip loosen, and that is when he holds on to me tighter. But like I think with most Christians or even its our human nature to trust in him, and in the back of our minds think "ok is this for real....like I really am going to be ok"? If that's not the thinking of most, then oops I guess I just revealed that sometimes I need to see the black and white. Since last August, I have grown to love completely indulging myself in church, and longing to know more, and be with my church family. And let me just say, if you are attending a church, and you don't feel like they are apart of your family....YOU ARE AT THE WRONG CHURCH FOLKS!!!!!!
So anyways, I have prayed for strength over the past 6 months to overcome some of the hurdles I needed to get over, he has provided that. How do I know he has given me strength???? When decisions that should be hard to make, or should be a reason to cry for days over, are not....GOD has given your strength....When you ask God to give you peace.....and in the middle of the storm, people who know you well don't even know your going through a storm because the world doesn't become completely insane as you have a 24/7 meltdown.....GOD has given you peace. So at this point, I am at.....God please make you trust you 150%......trust that you know what is best for me, that you will protect my kids, my family & friends, that you will protect these amazing people that will journey with me, because they are my family, trust you that you will blanket all of us with a calmness as we all begin to say Goodbye to the ones we love before we become warriors for you.
Tonight is our last meeting with all of us that are going, I feel like emotions maybe high tonight. Last minute packing, and planning, but I know that whatever fears, or emotions any of us is experiencing we have each other to lean and walk with...That is one awesome feeling. The only last minute things I need to do is:
Get more SD cards....LOTS AND LOTS of pictures and videos
and yes......I need to get my nails done and a pedicure- OK...I said I was going to Guatemala...I didn't say I was gonna fall completely apart!!! If I only get a 5 minute luke warm shower a day, and the humidity is going to attack the hair, I must at LEAST have my nails and toes done......plus...I know if something happens to me, that some of my crazy family...like my brother would make sure no one touched up my roots, or flat ironed my hair, or did my nails before they put me in that pink casket with the rhinestones....because he would be laughing trying to make me look tragic....I will not go out like that!!!! hehehe...
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Little things that let you know God is smiling
4 Days....Well its 10:45 PM so almost 3 days!! Today was filled with another trip to Target to see if there was anything else I couldn't live without.. So I am wondering why it hits me in the oddest places or times. Today, it was in the baby section of Target. Its a good thing is was 8:30 in the morning and all the shoppers hadn't filled the store yet....So there I stood in the baby section, holding up a cute pink onesie with a cute flower on it, and the price tag said $1.14 !!! And I pictured a sweet little baby girl wearing that onesie, and then the vision of what is in my head of how the faces of children in Guatemala will look like filled my head...and WATERWORKS!!!! Tears started flowing...snot was pouring.....and I was hoping my tears wouldn't land on the price and smear it, because I felt I had scored a bargain!!!
So after a few more items in the buggy (yes including more Cottonelle wipes...we have been told toilet paper is not a commonly found item in Guatemala, and you can't flush anything....but poopoo and peepee) ANYWAYS, after Target, Keegan and I headed to the church to pack the stuff I had that still needed to go in the last suitcase with any room. Lets just say, there is no more room now!!! I watch as Keegan opened packages of dinosaurs and dumped them into a larger ziplock bag, and as he admired the different items being packed. He asked lots of questions, like Mom, are you going to make sure ALL the boys get a dinosaur? and Are you gonna be the one to paint all the girls fingernails? And Mom, you are probably going to play dress up all week with those girls aren't you? and Mom, can you bring one home? my response..."Bring one home?" Keegan- Yeah...if you really like one of the kids, can they come sleep at our house like for a few nights"? What I stopped to think about was child-like faith. This is the kind of faith we all need going into this trip. For Keegan, Guatemala is no more than a 30 min car ride...Its not scary or far away, there is no language barrier, no poverty, no starving kids. To him, he has all the faith that Mommy will be gone for a few days, I get to play with children, and help teach them about God, and then Mommy will pick up a few cool prizes and she will be home in no time....because he has child-like faith. How awesome is the faith of a child!!!
I got to spend some time with family tonight and got to sit down and talk with my brother and sister in law, I spoke of how excited I am and yet some of my fears. I even found myself throwing hints in to my brother of what to do in the " What if something happens". My brother turned to me and said, Sis your gonna be fine, I know you are....God is with you!!! WOW, coming from my big brother, it took on a whole new meaning. He has become an amazing Christian man, and I am so proud of how he is leading his family...I hope he caught on to the hint tonight of "if something happens to me" that its him that I want to place the most precious things in the world to me. WHEWWWW tears...snot....ok....I'm back....
So one last thing, tonight after going to the pharmacy (haha and being told between me and John Grigsby, we have every med we need for motion sickness....we MIGHT be fighting for the front seat) anyways, I realized how many strangers I had come in contact with that found out I was going to Guatemala...whether it was the man behind me in Target, commenting me on the amount of childrens flip-flops I was buy, which turned into a 10 min conversation about Guatemala, or its the lady at check-out noticing all the travel size items....or the pharmacist, wondering where I am headed with some many meds to keep me from throwing up... I am amazed at the support and prayers offered by strangers....This alone has given me somewhat of a peace and calmness....that even strangers are praying for Gods will...
Ok as mentioned on the last post....I MUST SLEEP....last night was filled with random nightmares (yes the kind you feel you need to wake someone else up to tell them, just to make sure all is OK), so tonight...I must sleep....but I love watching the clock go to midnight...and knowing I can say...one day closer!!!!
So after a few more items in the buggy (yes including more Cottonelle wipes...we have been told toilet paper is not a commonly found item in Guatemala, and you can't flush anything....but poopoo and peepee) ANYWAYS, after Target, Keegan and I headed to the church to pack the stuff I had that still needed to go in the last suitcase with any room. Lets just say, there is no more room now!!! I watch as Keegan opened packages of dinosaurs and dumped them into a larger ziplock bag, and as he admired the different items being packed. He asked lots of questions, like Mom, are you going to make sure ALL the boys get a dinosaur? and Are you gonna be the one to paint all the girls fingernails? And Mom, you are probably going to play dress up all week with those girls aren't you? and Mom, can you bring one home? my response..."Bring one home?" Keegan- Yeah...if you really like one of the kids, can they come sleep at our house like for a few nights"? What I stopped to think about was child-like faith. This is the kind of faith we all need going into this trip. For Keegan, Guatemala is no more than a 30 min car ride...Its not scary or far away, there is no language barrier, no poverty, no starving kids. To him, he has all the faith that Mommy will be gone for a few days, I get to play with children, and help teach them about God, and then Mommy will pick up a few cool prizes and she will be home in no time....because he has child-like faith. How awesome is the faith of a child!!!
I got to spend some time with family tonight and got to sit down and talk with my brother and sister in law, I spoke of how excited I am and yet some of my fears. I even found myself throwing hints in to my brother of what to do in the " What if something happens". My brother turned to me and said, Sis your gonna be fine, I know you are....God is with you!!! WOW, coming from my big brother, it took on a whole new meaning. He has become an amazing Christian man, and I am so proud of how he is leading his family...I hope he caught on to the hint tonight of "if something happens to me" that its him that I want to place the most precious things in the world to me. WHEWWWW tears...snot....ok....I'm back....
So one last thing, tonight after going to the pharmacy (haha and being told between me and John Grigsby, we have every med we need for motion sickness....we MIGHT be fighting for the front seat) anyways, I realized how many strangers I had come in contact with that found out I was going to Guatemala...whether it was the man behind me in Target, commenting me on the amount of childrens flip-flops I was buy, which turned into a 10 min conversation about Guatemala, or its the lady at check-out noticing all the travel size items....or the pharmacist, wondering where I am headed with some many meds to keep me from throwing up... I am amazed at the support and prayers offered by strangers....This alone has given me somewhat of a peace and calmness....that even strangers are praying for Gods will...
Ok as mentioned on the last post....I MUST SLEEP....last night was filled with random nightmares (yes the kind you feel you need to wake someone else up to tell them, just to make sure all is OK), so tonight...I must sleep....but I love watching the clock go to midnight...and knowing I can say...one day closer!!!!
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Countdown is on
In Five Days, myself and 15 other members of Graveston Baptist church will embark on a journey of a lifetime. We are the first mission group from Graveston to go on a foreign mission. WOW, that alone brings tears to my eyes, and chill bumps!!! I have been looking forward to this trip since since Mike Parker came and talked with our church.
So this is a first for me, I have never been "truely" out of the country. I got my first passport, my first "big girl" hiking backpack, a survival kit (WITH my VERY OWN knife) not sure what I'm gonna need it for, but it sounds offical..maybe I will need to kill a snake or cut a tree down....haha probably just cut my finger instead....BUT either way I am excited!!!
The mission team spent last Saturday packing 16 suitcases filled with 120 pillowcase dresses, underwear and socks for boys and girls, sillybands, medical supplies, and enough supplies for a bible school with 500 kids!!!! Even in those times of everyone running around I feel the 16 of us are in a time of bonding. I can't imagine how close we will all feel after our return. We have spent time praying about our fears, excitements, unknowns, but mostly for God to protect us, our families left in the states and for the people of Guatemala, may they been receptive to hear the word!!!
We are meeting up with Union Baptist church and there are 8 of them, I look forward to making new friends and sharing this experience with them. They are bringing 3 nine year olds with them and we also have a child coming with us! How exciting for a child to be able to experience this....
Through all the excitement, I have never once been scared or fearful. There was a time about a month ago that we were unsure whether we would be going. There had been an increase in crimes and murders. We found out that those acts of violence were approx 8 hours away, with that being said, we have still been warned to be careful. We will have 5 armed guards surround our compound at all times and whenever we leave the compound we will surrounded by police....(like a police escort). I have felt this whole time that we would be perfectly fine. Today it hit me....I am leaving the country....with 15 other members of my church...Some I don't know real well and some are like family....So 16 members are going, and 16 families are being left behind, I think I added all the people with children...but 14 children are in the states while their parents, are in Guatemala. So not only is this trip affecting the 16 that are going, but it affects their entire family...Whether it is actual tears missing their mom or dad, or grandparents watching their grandchildren so that their own child can go.
And today it hit me, WHAT IF? What if something happens? I have thought all along that this is where God is going to reveal to me how much he really is in control, he is going to remind me of patience, and teach me to put my trust completely in him. Don't get me wrong...I am still making sure that some areas are covered....Writing letters to my family and putting them in a special spot, making sure everything is in order, and that all the important insurance papers are somewhere to be found by family members!!! Part of that is my natural personality, I'm a planner, and I feel sure that once again, God will remind me of HIS PLAN, and that no matter how much I plan, he has already mapped everything out. He already knows the children I am going to meet, the sweet babies I will hold, that special child that will steal my heart, that new pair of shoes I am going to put on that childs feet, the nail I will hammer into the side of a families new home, and the lives that will be affected. All I have to do is be obedient. WOW...How awesome....I serve an awesome God!!!
So here is a run down....
THURSDAY July 21st- Our last planning meeting before we go
FRIDAY July 22nd- try to contain myself.....and sleep...I MUST sleep...adrenaline is going to be in high gear
SATURDAY JULY 23rd- Meet at the church at 10:30, say our Goodbyes, load up on a bus, and drive to Atlanta, and our flight leaves at 7:20... It is approx 3 1/2 hours to Guatemala. I will have access to internet, and my goal is to update this as much as possible so that everyone back home can see what we are doing and how God is shining in Guatemala. Right now....its prayers that we need....for God's will to be done!!!!
So this is a first for me, I have never been "truely" out of the country. I got my first passport, my first "big girl" hiking backpack, a survival kit (WITH my VERY OWN knife) not sure what I'm gonna need it for, but it sounds offical..maybe I will need to kill a snake or cut a tree down....haha probably just cut my finger instead....BUT either way I am excited!!!
The mission team spent last Saturday packing 16 suitcases filled with 120 pillowcase dresses, underwear and socks for boys and girls, sillybands, medical supplies, and enough supplies for a bible school with 500 kids!!!! Even in those times of everyone running around I feel the 16 of us are in a time of bonding. I can't imagine how close we will all feel after our return. We have spent time praying about our fears, excitements, unknowns, but mostly for God to protect us, our families left in the states and for the people of Guatemala, may they been receptive to hear the word!!!
We are meeting up with Union Baptist church and there are 8 of them, I look forward to making new friends and sharing this experience with them. They are bringing 3 nine year olds with them and we also have a child coming with us! How exciting for a child to be able to experience this....
Through all the excitement, I have never once been scared or fearful. There was a time about a month ago that we were unsure whether we would be going. There had been an increase in crimes and murders. We found out that those acts of violence were approx 8 hours away, with that being said, we have still been warned to be careful. We will have 5 armed guards surround our compound at all times and whenever we leave the compound we will surrounded by police....(like a police escort). I have felt this whole time that we would be perfectly fine. Today it hit me....I am leaving the country....with 15 other members of my church...Some I don't know real well and some are like family....So 16 members are going, and 16 families are being left behind, I think I added all the people with children...but 14 children are in the states while their parents, are in Guatemala. So not only is this trip affecting the 16 that are going, but it affects their entire family...Whether it is actual tears missing their mom or dad, or grandparents watching their grandchildren so that their own child can go.
And today it hit me, WHAT IF? What if something happens? I have thought all along that this is where God is going to reveal to me how much he really is in control, he is going to remind me of patience, and teach me to put my trust completely in him. Don't get me wrong...I am still making sure that some areas are covered....Writing letters to my family and putting them in a special spot, making sure everything is in order, and that all the important insurance papers are somewhere to be found by family members!!! Part of that is my natural personality, I'm a planner, and I feel sure that once again, God will remind me of HIS PLAN, and that no matter how much I plan, he has already mapped everything out. He already knows the children I am going to meet, the sweet babies I will hold, that special child that will steal my heart, that new pair of shoes I am going to put on that childs feet, the nail I will hammer into the side of a families new home, and the lives that will be affected. All I have to do is be obedient. WOW...How awesome....I serve an awesome God!!!
So here is a run down....
THURSDAY July 21st- Our last planning meeting before we go
FRIDAY July 22nd- try to contain myself.....and sleep...I MUST sleep...adrenaline is going to be in high gear
SATURDAY JULY 23rd- Meet at the church at 10:30, say our Goodbyes, load up on a bus, and drive to Atlanta, and our flight leaves at 7:20... It is approx 3 1/2 hours to Guatemala. I will have access to internet, and my goal is to update this as much as possible so that everyone back home can see what we are doing and how God is shining in Guatemala. Right now....its prayers that we need....for God's will to be done!!!!
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