For nine days I had the priviledge of loving on some of God's most wonderful children. There is a hospital in La Antiqua, Guatemala named Hermano Pedro that houses children, teens, and adults with Cerebral Palsy and malnutrition. Currently there are approximately 240 of God's creation who reside there, and while they are provided food, clothing, and baths, they often lack a key ingredient...love.
Imagine your world being a stainless steel cage (its a crib if you sleep in it, its a cage if you live in it) in which you reside for 20 hours a day and a wheelchair next to your cage in which you sit for the other four. Imagine having a cloth diaper that is changed twice a day by a nurse who rushes in, does the deed, and rushes away because there are 15 other children awaiting the same. Imagine being heavily medicated so you will not cry and will go to sleep by 8:00 pm. That is an accurate picture of the lives of these precious children of God.Our team of nine had the wonderful experience of loving the children in Jesus' name. We held them, fed them, changed them, played with them, took them for walks, and even had the chance to take 14 of them out to eat at a local restaurant. And during the time, they came alive. Laughter replaced blank stares, animated motions replaced lethargy, and hope replaced despair. It was a wonderful week of love!
But on Sunday morning as I said goodbye to the children of Hermano Pedro I was haunted by this question..."How can you walk away?" After all, when you return to your life in Ohio they will still be here in this place and in this same cage, and you won't be here to love them. "How can you walk away?"
But just as quickly as the question arose, the answer came. "You can walk away because you will bring others back!" And therein lies my passion and vision...to bring at least four teams a year to Guatemala to fulfill the vital roll of holding, loving and caring for the children of Hermano Pedro and others like them in other institutions and orphanages. We are the hands of Jesus and there are children waiting for His touch.
It is time for the church of Jesus Christ to realize that we have wasted time with meetings and programs that focus more on our own wants than the world's needs. It is time for us to have our hearts broken by the same things that break our Savior's heart. It is time for us to take our theology into the world and change the world in Jesus' name.
Would you join me in that mission? If so, go to http://www.hopeforhome.org/ and click the "Ministry Trips" link to request more information. Let us choose to not walk away.
