What Now?

This has been an amazing week.  We've seen abject poverty side by side with all the conveniences of a major city back at home.  We've seen gorgeous landscapes & and real suffering - sometimes at the same time.  Best of all we've witnessed (and been allowed to share in) something special God is doing.  Communities & living conditions are being improved, children are being educated, and ministries are being formed to provide jobs/a source of income.  Most importantly, new churches & small groups are being multiplied to plant the Gospel in more & more communities.

Coming home, our minds turn toward what God wants to do where WE live.  Poverty may not be as pervasive, but it's still very real.  And while it's hard to imagine, the percentage of people who profess Christ & are connected to a fellowship may be lower in Hall Co. than in Guatemala.  If the experts are right, our own nation is sliding towards secularism at an alarming rate, and we're watching it happen.  

The  "What now?" question is about where we're willing to be available.  If its just one week a year... 1000's of miles from home, we've missed the point of missions.  Each of us is coming home with a fresh commitment to make some changes.  Hopefully the result will be a missions lifestyle everywhere we are, not just here.  We want to be as available to God @ home as we have been here.

Jojo & Debbie Thomas

Another amazing day!

I am sure my wife, Kristin Wagner, will find it amusing that I am writing a blog that consist of anything more than, " it was great day"!  But I would be doing everyone on the team and those at home a great disservice if I did not mention some of the amazing things that be all experienced today! 

We started the day with taking a group to the old building that the preschool use to be located in order to give it a new face lift.  A wonderful group, For the love of missions, which is a ministry out of the Buford area, has rented the building and will be setting up a business that will allow people in the landfill to work and earn a living. We were able to paint four rooms and are excited about the blessings that the families in the landfill will get as they have new opportunities to provide for there families.

Another group went into the landfill in the afternoon to do house visits.  The group brought bags of food, shared, prayed, and witnessed to these families.  Several wonderful reports highlighted by a 19yr old young man, David, accepting Christ! Glory be to God! Pastor Saul and his team have been witnessing to David for 2 years.  Today was his day, he committed his life to the one and only Jesus 

Christ, what a blessing!

We then regrouped with everyone at 5:00 pm and went to the landfill to pass out dinner to the families there.  God was great as he held off the heavy rain, just a few showers, and were able to have several wonderful conversations and play time with the kids.  We finished off the time in the landfill with a gathering in the church there, as we were honored by Pastor Saul and all given some cool shirts!  We also thanked him and his team with a gift as well, prayed, sang songs, and encouraged each other...what a great time.

We finished off the evening with a group devotion back at SETECA, which always is a highlight.  How amazing it is to see God at work in so many hearts!

Until tomorrow.......

Joy, Joy, Joy

Today was a good day, we had a great day in Antigua touring the city and some doing homeless ministry. It was a fun filled day of bonding with our translators and thanking them, as well as Pastor Saul and his family. The work that the Lord gives us opportunity for here in Guatemala would nearly be impossible if it wasn't for the hard work and dedication that Ingrid and Pastor Saul put in before we get here. They are a key aspect in the ministry of God here in Guatemala City and Antigua. It was a joy to be able to sit down, share a meal, and thank them for all their efforts. 

While I speak of joy, I think back to Wednesday when we were at the AID's hospital and I was able to reconnect with a sweet little girl named Maria. She is not the typical patient that you would see in the AID's hospital, most of the kids can function as normal just with medication, and seem as if nothing is wrong from the outside. Maria was different, she could not run around and she had a much different outward appearance. She is 4 years old and has had cancer, most likely in her brain because of the scarring on the base of her neck and lack of hair. Not only this but she is deaf and mute, along with the loneliness of having no recorded family at all. I first met Maria last week and she was basically quarantined from the outside and I was unable to communicate with her or play with her, due to the lack of spanish and sign language knowledge, so we just sat there. As we sat there I repeatedly proclaimed her beauty to her and prayed that I would get another chance to see her, play and communicate with her. 

Now, back to Wednesday. I had first visited the hospital with the AXIS team and have stayed for the Family trip as well. Returning again to the AID's hospital with a new group of people, I was hopeful for a new opportunity to arise with Maria. We walked in and there she was eating her snack, but still in the solemn attitude that she had had the week before. I went over and began to smile and sit with her again and gave her a sticker sheet, then we wandered around inside the common area and then it hit me that Debbie Thomas knew sign language and I could finally communicate with this young girl. Then I turned and there Debbie was with some bubbles to share with Maria. She began signing to her and it was as if a new child had entered into her body and took over. Maria's face lit up more than any light bulb ever could. It was and overcast day so she was able to go outside since the sun was not out,so  finally we could play. We did bubbles, stickers, and pushed her gently in the swing. All the while, Debbie is teaching her sign language. 

We played the entire day and then towards the end I wanted to proclaim to her that she was beautiful and so Debbie taught us the sign for 'beautiful' and we did it and within seconds she repeated it after us, knowing that she was truly beautiful and a child of God. She then found it funny to pin these hair clips to my shoes and just giggled the sweetest giggle ever. I know God has a plan for all the turmoil that is in Maria's life, because he changed my life through hers. Although we were only with her a few hours, those were a few hours that she did not have to know she was sick, she didn't have to know that she has no family, and it didn't matter that she couldn't hear or speak to us, God made a way to answer my prayers and let Maria know that she matters to someone, but most of all she matters to God. 

This entire experience with Maria made me reevaluate my perspective on life, and how I think I have problems, yet I truly don't. I have good health, my 5 senses, a family, and I have a home to return to each night, Maria has none of that. I was convicted to now begin to truly survey anything before I choose to get upset about it. 

The Scripture that was posted on the wall was Psalm 84, and it couldn't have been more suiting for the day. It says: 

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heavens Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of The Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heavens Armies, my king and my God." Psalm 84:1-3

Whitney Brechter

Jesus is All We Need

My heart is full as I reflect on our day and on our trip thus far. I have seen The Lord answer prayers that are big and small and can't help but be reminded of His faithfulness and His perfect love for us. We started our day doing our final VBS at the school "Rayitos de Esperanza". This was a special time as we shared the story of Paul's conversion and the role Ananias' obedience played in his life and ultimately in the life of the church. Next, we walked to the courtyard for an assembly from the students and the staff. Seeing the children and staff members dance and sing will be a sight I will never forget. (As well as the memory of them asking us what dance we could do for them and the best we could come up with was the chicken dance...we were glad they gave us white Americans a break and left us off the assembly agenda)!

Later in the afternoon we traveled to an aids hospital where 70 children from birth to 17 years old live. These children either have HIV or were orphaned because their parents had HIV. Our team immediately began to love on the children by playing soccer, blowing bubbles, sharing bible stories about Daniel in the lions den and jumping rope with them. It took me a little while to connect with a child as the language barrier has been a discouragement to me at times. So I just started walking and praying for The Lord to direct my steps and show me who He wanted me to love on...He led me to Olga! Although Olga and I spoke very few words to each other we enjoyed laughter, smiles, hugs and high-fives through multiple games of tic-tac toe ( in which I lost the majority of the time). Olga asked me my name and even wanted to know how to spell it. Olga was an encouragement to me as she reminded me that all things are sacred in Christ and in all we do we should do it for The Lord; even a game of tic-tac toe with a beautiful girl named Olga. The Love of Christ can be seen in all things BIG and small.

We ended our night by celebrating one of our team members' (Lexi) 14th birthday with cake and ice cream and worshiping together thru music and devotion as a team. It was a sweet picture of the body of Christ coming together as one family to serve, love, worship and fellowship! 

This week two verses have really been on my heart. The first is Romans 5:3-5 "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Many times throughout this trip I have looked into the eyes of the people and felt discouraged because I didn't feel like I could do anything for them. I can't cure their addictions, I can't instantly take away their poverty or heal their sickness. BUT I know a Savior who can...and the hope I have in Him and His love I can share with these precious people. And that hope and truth does not put us to shame-it is life changing! 

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task The Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace" Acts 20:24. I am amazed by the believers in the landfill and those who serve there daily. They exemplify this verse. In the midst of dirt, trash, sickness, and poverty they are able to sing, dance, worship, pray, and share the gospel with others. They have Jesus and they truly believe that Jesus is all they need. The race they are running is one that will last throughout all eternity and one is which they will be richly blessed! 

I am forever grateful as I will always remember these people as I daily claim the truth that Jesus is all I need, He is enough in every circumstance, He is our only hope, and to love others because He first loved us.  For everyone at home who is praying, we are so very thankful and are feeling those prayers every day. 

Holli Howard

First Timer

Filth . . . That is the only adequate word for what we've seen. As a first-timer here in Guatemala, I've been blown away by the conditions these people live in. Mounds of trash twice my height, a stench that is sometimes beyond my ability to stomach, and dirt. Everywhere. 

I've been on numerous mission trips, and I've seen extreme poverty, but I've never seen such living conditions. And I complain when our garbage can at home isn't emptied on time. Perspective? Mine is being changed.

Today started off at the school. It was my privilege to work alongside some awesome team members as we served the six-year olds. I was transformed into a human jungle gym, but I didn't mind one bit. Their sweet smiles and attempts at calling for me ("Eriiiiiiiiiin!") made it worth it. 

I felt as though I stumbled through the story of the Good Samaritan, not making much sense, until one child spoke up. We had discussed the way our heavenly Father is always there to help us when we've been wounded, and how we should behave as He does by doing the same for others. A sweet little hand shot into the air. "We should be generous," he said. Generous . . . Here he is with NOTHING,by American standards, but in the eyes of heaven, he's got it all. A heart of gold, a love for his peers, and a Savior who loves him beyond comprehension. Perhaps I should reevaluate the generosity of my own heart . . .

The afternoon was spent doing VBS in the landfill. It was a semi-chaotic compilation of Red Light/Green Light, the beautiful story of Christ Jesus (aptly illustrated with puppets), snacks, and coloring sheets galore. Children, some who already knew and some who didn't, heard about the Man who'd loved them enough to die for them. Mothers and grandmothers who'd tagged along heard about the Man who will never leave them or forsake them, even when other men in their lives had. It was such a sweet time. I left physically dirty from the unwashed hands that had hugged me, touched me, tugged at me, and the precious unclean faces that had pressed their cheeks to mine. But my heart was full, my Jesus was near, and I had been reminded, once again, of the universality of the gospel. 

Tonight we worshipped with Pastor Saul and his congregation. Joe Joe brought a compelling and comforting message that, quite frankly, convicted me deeply. Wayne, Whitney, Josh, and a band from the church led us in musical worship. To someone who doesn't know Jesus, it may have sounded like a mess when we all joined in singing together. A chorus so familiar to us being sung, all at once, in Spanish and English. It was somewhat indistinguishable, but I sang, thinking that this must be what heaven will be like. A harmonious cacophony of adoration. And He listens with joy and understanding.

I'm tired, but it's a good feeling. God is good. God is faithful. And the God of creation is honored by His children in the U.S. and those in Guatemala. How sweet to share time with believers, no matter the location.

Erin Chewning

Ivy Creek Baptist Church