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
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