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.

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