God’s Life-saving Design

(Note: Kathryn woke up sick this morning and was unable to go to Casa Jackson with us today. She stayed behind at the motel, took some medicine, rested, and is feeling much better this evening. That is why she is not in today’s photos. Please pray for her continued healing.)

Our team spent today at Casa Jackson, a home for malnourished children. We gave baths, feedings and some much needed love and attention to these precious little ones. Each member of the team bonded with at least one special child, and each of them had difficulty saying goodbye. And none of them will forget the faces and experiences of the day.

Pastor Jeff fell for a little boy named Gerson (pronounced Hairson). This little guy bonded with Jeff as he fed him, played with him, and followed him all over the 2nd floor. When Jeff placed him back in his crib he wailed, and those cries were heard as we walked away from the facilities until we turned the corner at the end of the block.

Mara connected with a beautiful little girl named Ellsa. Elsa has beautiful curly hair and big brown eyes that seem to see right into your heart. By the end of the day Mara was trying to figure out how she could smuggle little Ellsa back to the US with her. (That was just a joke for any immigration officials who may be following this blog!)

Tim bonded with a little girl named Madara (sp?). As I looked into this little princess’ eyes I could see the suffering of a lifetime. I don’t know what she has had to endure in her short life to this point, but as Tim began to spend time with her I saw a smile break out that seemed to wipe away the bad memories. I think Tim left a part of himself there when he walked away today.

I connected with a boy named Emmanuel. He is blind and you can see the cloudiness in his eyes when you look into them. He slept much of the day, but he still has a wonderful smile and a desire for cuddling when he’s awake.

I could continue to list the group members and their children, but it would take too long. So I will simply place some pictures at the end for you to enjoy.

  If you have never worked with people suffering from malnutrition, you may not be aware of the early symptoms. Usually, the first sign of malnutrition is a pallor of the skin followed by pealing which leaves the person red, raw, and bleeding. This is quickly followed by the loss of hair. Many of the children at Casa Jackson have suffered or are suffering from these conditions. And while it is difficult to see these signs of hunger, it is actually a part of God’s wonderful design. The Master Architect of the human body designed us to protect our vital organs, even in the face of incredible hardship. So, as the body suffers a shortage of needed supplies, it begins to delegate those resources to the most needed systems while allowing the less important systems to struggle. In the event of malnutrition, the heart, lungs, and brain are the last systems impacted.

As I fed, held, and played with these children today, my heart was broken by their suffering. It hurts me deeply to know how much hunger and pain they have had to experience. I choked up as I touched pealing and raw skin and stroked thinning hair. But at the same time, I gave praise to our awesome God for his incredible love and design that kept these little ones alive until help could come. And I prayed that next time help would come sooner.

Good evening from Guatemala!

 

The Difference

Our team spent today at a special needs orphanage called Los Gozosos. The name means “The Joy-filled Ones” and is a very appropriate description. Their are 12 children who live in this home and their faces reflect the joy and love that is at the center of this ministry.

We spent the morning putting two coats of paint on a large wall. The paint was thin, the rollers were not right for the job, and a Tammy was renamed Dot due to the speckles that ended up covering her face and clothes, but the job was completed and looked half-way decent. Afterward, we sat and enjoyed some wonderful fried chicken for lunch (some of the best I have ever eaten) with the staff and the children.

Then we were a part of little Helen’s 9th birthday party. Helen blew out her candles, enjoyed her cake, and opened her gifts while the photos were snapped. It was an incredibly special moment. If you don’t understand the significance of a birthday party its because you are not aware of the existence of most orphans with special needs in Guatemala. The majority of these children spend their birthdays in institution and never have their special day acknowledged at all. It is just another day that blends into all the other days. But at Los Gozosos they are a part of a family…and that makes all the difference. And that difference was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Every child should have their birthday celebrated.

This experience was just another of a long series of confirmations from God that our move to Guatemala to open a family-based home for orphans with special needs is exactly what God wants. And during this long wait to sell our home, it was exactly what I needed.

There is a gentle rain falling, the day is cooling, and I am tired. So I leave you with a few more images of our day. Blessings from Antigua!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frustrations and Fulfillment

As I sat down this evening to update my blog at the end of a very long, exhausting, yet wonderful day, I realized that I have been guilty of a great omission. While raving on a couple of occasions about the wonderful team God has provided for this trip, I have never told you who they are. I want to rectify that now.

We have eight people who have joined us from Trinity Missionary Church near Cleveland. Pastor Jeff Kephart is leading this wonderful group composed of his son, Daniel, Tim Morgan, Katheryn Frank, Tamara Kreis, Deborah D’Alessandro, and her two daughters, Rachel and Deanna.

In addition, we are joined by Mara Farmer from Pleasant View Missionary Church and Whitney Reed from Kenton, OH. The team is rounded out by Zac Robinson who is my Hope for Home Trip Co-leader and who has been a supporter and volunteer with our ministry since its beginning.

I have truly been touched as I have watched the gentleness, compassion, and joy of this group as the work with the children. I could not ask for a better team.

We spent today at Hermano Pedro loving the kids. We had a great time, but our day started rough. We arrived at the orphanage only to discover that they were throwing a party for the children. They had them gathered in a courtyard with music blaring and numerous people wearing cartoon like costumes with big heads dancing. Now, for a child coming from normal circumstances, this would have been great. But for a large number of the children who have suffered severe neglect and a lack of stimulation, this was simply terrifying. As I looked around at the faces of many of the kids I saw that a fear and daze had settled on them, and my heart broke.

To make matters worse, I saw numerous administrators, priests and local dignitaries walking among the children and having their photos taken with them. This would be fine if they were people who actually cared. But they were not. You never see them with the children at HP unless there are cameras around.

I confess, I wanted to rage at that moment. My first instinct was to cross the courtyard, kick over the sound system, and preach a sermon. However, since I speak very little Spanish and they speak very little English, I decided such an approach would be ineffective and open to “misinterpretation.”  So, instead, I chose to liberate my little buddy Louis, who was trembling in fear, and take him back to his ward for some quiet cuddling and soft singing. We had a wonderful time together. In addition, the rest of the team returned to the wards where there were numerous children who had not been brought out for the “celebration.” They spent the morning playing and cuddling with them.

The rest of the children returned to the wards around 11:30, so I quickly went through the procedure to check out some of them to take to Pollo Camperos for lunch. I told the team last night that I would only take 7 or 8 of the kids because of the work involved in getting them and their wheelchairs through town, ordering food for them, and taking care of their individual feedings. But, if I take Roberto I really need to take Diego. And if I take Diego I really need to take David. And, of course, I need to take my little buddy Ervin. And Henri would really enjoy the time out… So, I broke my promise and checked out nine of them. Whew! It was both wonderful and exhausting!

I sat next to Roberto who took great joy in smearing his sauces on my shirt and pants. I returned the favor by giving him war paint of sauces on his face. Someone (I won’t say who) started a paper airplane war. And the group made a large mess at the table set for 21. (I left a large tip as an apology to the waitresses.) About halfway through lunch we were joined by Dick Rutgers who ate with us and helped us on our journey back to the orphanage. And, of course, Dick became the largest trouble-maker of all! (if you know Dick you know how true this statement is!)

We returned to HP via Central Park where we splashed the kids with water and took a group photo in front of the large fountain. We got back just in time to love on the other kids who were looking a little dejected that we did not take them.

Diego, who went with us to lunch, had really been asking for my attention all afternoon. But I was somewhat preoccupied with Roberto and the sauce wars and Ervin, who sat across from me and played the war drums on the table. So he was ecstatic when I took him back to his bed and fed him his supper at the end of the day. Contrary to the photographic evidence, some of the food did make it into his mouth!

Below are some of the great images of our day. Please enjoy while praying for the children you see in them. Goodnight from Guatemala!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Worthwhile?

Once again, I find myself blessed with an incredible team of 11 other people who are doing a fantastic job of loving the kids of Hermano Pedro. Each one of them has shown great wisdom in embracing children who most need their love and attention, and I am truly grateful to God for bringing them here.

Today, after a wonderful worship service at Iglesia del Camino, we had lunch with my friends, the Derstines, who recently moved here to minister. It was great to hear about their transition and God’s direction on their lives. Then they accompanied us to Hermano Pedro where we orchestrated another “jail break” and gathered the kids in the courtyard for fun, balloons, and bubbles. By late afternoon we had liberated 27 children who had a great time.

  At one point during this time, I walked through the two wards that are next to the courtyard. During that stroll, I realized that there were still 32 children in their cribs. At that point, I faced a choice…do I try to bring more children outside or do I simply focus on giving attention to the ones who are already out? I realized that the greatest needs of all these children were not fresh air and sunshine, but rather love and attention. So, I chose to sit down and love the children who were already out.

I confess, I still don’t know if I made the right choice. I guess the answer would change depending on which child you asked. The few children I ended up holding would likely say my decision was right, while the ones left in their cages would undoubtedly say I was wrong. Regardless of the correctness of my actions, there were a lot of children who spent the afternoon in loneliness. And remember, those 32 children of which I speak only represent the ones in those two wards. It doesn’t account for the little ones in the malnutrition ward, the ladies’ ward or the men’s ward. There are around 240 residents of Hermano Pedro, which means there were around 213 to whom we did not give our attention today.

Add to that the awareness that Hermano Pedro is just one of many orphanages in Guatemala filled with children who need attention. And there are very few people who are actually trying to reach out to them.

All of this has left me feeling overwhelmed and very ineffective. Even with the great team of people with which I am working this week, we are only making a small ripple in a very large ocean. Is it even worth it?

But, of course, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” It is worth it. I know, because I saw the value in the faces of the children that made it to the courtyard today. For Delmi, Beberly, Ervin, Big Melvin, Louis Andreas, Patricia, Roberto, Diego, and 19 others it was definitely worth it. And tomorrow we will go back and make it worthwhile for more.

And, while we do, we will pray for more and more Christ-followers to come to this place and others like it and make it worthwhile for more and more children. And maybe, eventually, there will be no more children left in cages. Oh, please Lord, let this dream become reality! Let you kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!

My Heart vs. My Head

I once again find myself in Guatemala among the children I love. I am here leading a team of 11 other people and helping them develop a passion for some of the things that are so important to God. And I absolutely love it. Once again I am blessed with a group of people who love Jesus and who have walked right in, rolled up their sleeves, and started loving children. It is a wonderful thing to watch.

At the same time, this current trip has left me with an internal battle like never before. It was nearly a year ago that we recognized God’s call to move to Guatemala and begin a group home for children with special needs, and it has been an intense and busy year. We have placed our home on the market, sold most of our possessions, spent time fundraising, planning, and praying. And now we still find ourselves waiting to sell our home. As a result, we are still waiting to move.

And, with my return to Guatemala, I find myself asking God a simple question. “How long, Lord? How long until we can finally move and begin this calling?” I think this question has become especially strong this time because I am here without any of my family. Over the last few trips I have been able to bring Wanda with me. And the last trip I had the privilege of being here with Wanda, Brittney, and Krishauna. This time, I am here without any of the family that shares my passion for these little ones. In addition, seven of our ten children have never been here, even though they already have learned to love the children through our photos, videos, and stories. And that is hard.

We have always been a family that has embraced ministry and calling together, and that is true for our call to Guatemala. But at the present, ministering in Guatemala is only done by a few of us. I can’t tell you how badly I long to be here in this country as a family caring for these kids. And that desperate longing has led me to that haunting question. “How much longer, Lord?”

Now, before you begin to preach to me, I know what you are going to say. But you don’t need to say it. I know that God is good, and I know that He is trustworthy. I know that His timing is perfect and that He will fulfill this calling in us at just the right time. I know that He will do it in the way and time that is best for us. I know all these things…in my head.

But my head is not the only part of me. I also have a heart with a very big mouth! And it will not shut up since our plane touched down in this wonderful and horrible country. It is demanding its own way and insisting that the best timing is right now. (Actually, it is saying six months ago, but since that didn’t happen it will take the next best thing…NOW!) I have repeatedly told it to shut up and have preached the above mentioned sermon to it. But that big mouth keeps shouting me down.

So, one more time before lying down to sleep I will allow my head to preach to my heart:

God IS good

He IS trustworthy

His timing IS perfect

He WILL fulfill this calling in us

And He WILL do it in the way and time that is best for us

Now, close your big flapping gums, heart! I’m going to sleep!

Volcanoes and Tropical Storms

Although the media coverage has been very sketchy, I am sure that most of you have heard about the double dose of natural disasters that have recently hit Guatemala. Last Thursday the volcano Pacaya erupted, spewing lava a kilometer into the air. The resulting cloud of ash quickly began to settle on Guatemala City leaving up to three inches of black soot in some areas. This is especially significant to us since we will be living close to Pacaya when we move there.

This was quickly followed by tropical storm Agatha, which dumped as much as 15 inches of rain in parts of Guatemala. The resulting floods and rock and mud slides have resulted in 150 deaths with 100 still missing. Over 1,800 Guatemalans are now displaced and living in shelters. In addition, the rain turned the ash into a black mud and caused the ash still in the air to mix with the rain and fall as black, slimy drops. Streets were slick with the mix, resulting in numerous car accidents.

Guatemala City’s airport was shut down for five days and reopened on Tuesday. This has left several of our friends in a difficult situation. Don and Melissa Derstine and their family were scheduled to move to Guatemala on Friday. Due to the shut-down of air traffic their flight was rescheduled for June 7th. Scott and Melissa Davis were in the states visiting family and are still waiting to return to their home. Numerous teams that were schedule to fly in and assist with various ministries had to reschedule or cancel their trips.

On a positive note, I have spoken with most of our friends in Guatemala and was relieved to hear that they are all okay. Dick Rutgers has assured me that all of the kids in Hermano Pedro along with he and his boys are fine. Steve Osborn from Amor del Nino reports that they survived the weekend without power and water and all of the children are doing great (although a significant portion of their back yard was washed down the mountain along with a couple of large trees). I just received an e-mail from Mayra Garcia and found out that she, her family, and the kids at Kairos Christian School are okay.

When we received the news of these events our entire family had the same response…we all wished we were there to help. We already consider Guatemala our home, and it is filled with so many friends and children whom we love deeply. Our frustration concerning the sale of our home has grown, and we just want to be there. Combine this with the knowledge of these recent hardships and you will find that we have reached “critical mass.”

So, please pray for Guatemala:

1. Pray for the families of the dead and missing.
2. Pray for the families whose homes were destroyed and who are now living in temporary shelters.
3. Pray that Pacaya will stay calm and allow the airport to remain open so that teams can get in to help.
4. And pray that our home will sell soon so we can make our move to Guatemala.