There are many aspects of this trip that I could reflect on, but one aspect that I saw revealed over and over again was God's faithfulness.
One example was in the way that He gave us strength every day for the challenges and joys that we faced.
One day I had an extreme pain in my eye. If you've ever had problems with your eyes, you know that it affects everything you do. The whole day was a struggle, but especially as I considered going to home visits to translate and exert lots of energy to teach English that night. I didn't think I could do.
Then I thought about why God had brought me there. He brought me to share His message of truth and love. I prayed that somehow God would give me strength and take away the pain. I clung to the truth of 2 Corinthians 12:9:
"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."
The Lord definitely provided! Even though there was smoke pouring through the open windows making it difficult to see from one side of the church to the other, the Lord was faithful. Hallelujah!
Another example was in God's provisions of friends. Marie and I were able to connect really well with Marta, the other translator, and Maria, the cook for the week. We had so much fun and many times stayed up too late talking, but we are looking forward to connecting with them in the future here in Guatemala.
It was also so wonderful to connect with a beloved church family from Wisconsin.
God is good. God is faithful. His ways are so far above ours. We love our Lord!! May His name continue to be praised and glorified in all that we do! :D
Sunday, March 30, 2014
The Circus is in Town
"The Circus is town." This is what Mark said when we first entered Obrahuelo with our large green van and giant moving van full of supplies and food. Little did I know what truth that would hold.
I watched the kids in the small town look at us with curious eyes and interested faces. Even though there had been two other trips from the United States, we are still so much different than what they are used to. Plus, we bring balls and parachutes for them to play with. Sometimes we even take pictures of them and let them watch short videos of landscapes on our phones. Since they don't have televisions, that is pretty amazing for them!
So when we started inviting the jovenes (youth) to English Classes, we should have expected lots of kids. What we didn't expect was around 60 people from ages 5-70.
Talk about a full church!
Everyday Marie and I planned activities to teach them simple English words, such as family, colors, food, animals, and greetings. It was an adventure every day, and we don't know exactly what they walked away with, but we pray that we at least planted a seed.
On the last day Cathy presented the gospel with an EvangiCube while Marta did a marvelous job translating. About 7 kids came forward to accept the gospel message. We pray that those decisions were honest and that there is follow-up. Praise the LORD!
I watched the kids in the small town look at us with curious eyes and interested faces. Even though there had been two other trips from the United States, we are still so much different than what they are used to. Plus, we bring balls and parachutes for them to play with. Sometimes we even take pictures of them and let them watch short videos of landscapes on our phones. Since they don't have televisions, that is pretty amazing for them!
So when we started inviting the jovenes (youth) to English Classes, we should have expected lots of kids. What we didn't expect was around 60 people from ages 5-70.
Talk about a full church!
Everyday Marie and I planned activities to teach them simple English words, such as family, colors, food, animals, and greetings. It was an adventure every day, and we don't know exactly what they walked away with, but we pray that we at least planted a seed.
On the last day Cathy presented the gospel with an EvangiCube while Marta did a marvelous job translating. About 7 kids came forward to accept the gospel message. We pray that those decisions were honest and that there is follow-up. Praise the LORD!
El Obrahuelo- One Special Home Visit
One Special Home Visit
One of the home visits was specifically special. It was a home visit that all 12 of us attended.
One of the members of the church in Obrahuelo has developed a relationship with various team members over the 2 visits from Faith Evangelical Free Church (the church from Wisconsin we were working with). She requested that we come to visit her house, where her mom is very sick and cannot see, and her dad has fallen away from the faith.
One afternoon during our Free Time, we headed to visit this family. Little did we know what God would do. As we all sat, we engaged in a conversation with the family. The mom was so excited to "see" us that she did not stop kissing my hands and arms until her daughter politely asked her to let me sit down. It was a reminder that sometimes all people need is your presence.
At first, it was obvious that the father was very closed. He was extremely happy that we were there to visit, but as we shared our verses, he told us that he knows everything in the Bible. He had visited the United States for a couple years and we heard from his daughter that he did not come back the same man. He was a man full of pride.
Cathy, one of the members of our team, sensed an opportunity to share the gospel and pulled out her EvangiCube. As she sat next to the man and explained the gospel, all I could do was pray. He seemed so closed to everything because he claimed that he already knew everything.
At the end, after some more conversation and a few more Bible verses, he asked for a Pastor to pray with Him. Mark, one of the elders of Faith Evangelical Free, prayed with him to re-dedicate his life to Christ. It was a time of celebration as we had witnessed the Lord work in His heart. For the sake of his daughter, as well, we rejoiced.
We told him we hoped to see him in church the next day. By the grace and work of the Lord, we did.
We continue to pray for Him and His family, that they would continue to pursue truth and relationship with the Lord and that He would give them strength to carry on in every situation.
One of the home visits was specifically special. It was a home visit that all 12 of us attended.
One of the members of the church in Obrahuelo has developed a relationship with various team members over the 2 visits from Faith Evangelical Free Church (the church from Wisconsin we were working with). She requested that we come to visit her house, where her mom is very sick and cannot see, and her dad has fallen away from the faith.
One afternoon during our Free Time, we headed to visit this family. Little did we know what God would do. As we all sat, we engaged in a conversation with the family. The mom was so excited to "see" us that she did not stop kissing my hands and arms until her daughter politely asked her to let me sit down. It was a reminder that sometimes all people need is your presence.
At first, it was obvious that the father was very closed. He was extremely happy that we were there to visit, but as we shared our verses, he told us that he knows everything in the Bible. He had visited the United States for a couple years and we heard from his daughter that he did not come back the same man. He was a man full of pride.
Cathy, one of the members of our team, sensed an opportunity to share the gospel and pulled out her EvangiCube. As she sat next to the man and explained the gospel, all I could do was pray. He seemed so closed to everything because he claimed that he already knew everything.
At the end, after some more conversation and a few more Bible verses, he asked for a Pastor to pray with Him. Mark, one of the elders of Faith Evangelical Free, prayed with him to re-dedicate his life to Christ. It was a time of celebration as we had witnessed the Lord work in His heart. For the sake of his daughter, as well, we rejoiced.
We told him we hoped to see him in church the next day. By the grace and work of the Lord, we did.
We continue to pray for Him and His family, that they would continue to pursue truth and relationship with the Lord and that He would give them strength to carry on in every situation.
El Obrahuelo-estufas (stoves) and home visits
It's been a long time since I last posted, which reflects the busyness that has just occurred!
At the beginning of the month, Marie and I went to a small town called El Obrahuelo to serve as translators. It was a great experience!
We were working with some adults and teenagers from Marie's parent's church to build stoves, teach English, and visit homes to encourage the locals.
Building Stoves
Seeing some of the conditions that the people from El Obrahuelo experience when cooking gave us a new appreciation for the stoves that we were building. Before they were cooking over fires that used lots of wood to cook something small like soup. Many times they cooked inside a covered shack that kept all the smoke inside. This caused many "eye-shots" where smoke enters your eyes and causes an intense sting. Jerry and Mike, two of the adults from Wisconsin, experienced this first hand when they cooked corn for us. "How can they cook like this everyday?" was their question. But thanks to the generosity of monetary donations and the labor we accomplished, there are 3 fewer families that need to cook like this anymore. Praise the LORD!
The new stoves are built out of concrete blocks and firestone bricks (I think...). They are structured to conserve heat so less wood is needed. They also include a chimney, which eliminates the "eye-shots" that many experienced.
Home Visits
After building stoves, we then spent some time planning and relaxing before we went on our home visits. These were a great experience, especially as a translator! I was forced to rely fully on the Lord to help me understand what was said in Spanish to translate it into English for my group of 3 Americans with one local church leader and 2 or 3 other church attenders. I also had to depend on the Lord for wisdom to remember the correct words and conjugations to effectively share the stories of the 3 Americans. The home visits really strengthened my ability to speak and understand Spanish.
This experience also helped me see a new part of the Guatemalan culture. The people that we visited did not know we were coming. We came with only a couple bags of rice (if you have ever packed rice for Feed my Starving Children or Kids Around the Word this is an example of how it is used) and our stories. The people immediately welcomed us into their homes and listened to what we had to say. Some asked questions and some simply listened, but we pray that the Spirit of the Lord will continue to work in their hearts.
This is something that 3 women in Obrahuelo continue to do consistently. We continue to pray that the work they do and the message they bring will continue to change lives and encourage others to pursue Christ or return to Christ.
At the beginning of the month, Marie and I went to a small town called El Obrahuelo to serve as translators. It was a great experience!
We were working with some adults and teenagers from Marie's parent's church to build stoves, teach English, and visit homes to encourage the locals.
Building Stoves
Seeing some of the conditions that the people from El Obrahuelo experience when cooking gave us a new appreciation for the stoves that we were building. Before they were cooking over fires that used lots of wood to cook something small like soup. Many times they cooked inside a covered shack that kept all the smoke inside. This caused many "eye-shots" where smoke enters your eyes and causes an intense sting. Jerry and Mike, two of the adults from Wisconsin, experienced this first hand when they cooked corn for us. "How can they cook like this everyday?" was their question. But thanks to the generosity of monetary donations and the labor we accomplished, there are 3 fewer families that need to cook like this anymore. Praise the LORD!
The new stoves are built out of concrete blocks and firestone bricks (I think...). They are structured to conserve heat so less wood is needed. They also include a chimney, which eliminates the "eye-shots" that many experienced.
Home Visits
After building stoves, we then spent some time planning and relaxing before we went on our home visits. These were a great experience, especially as a translator! I was forced to rely fully on the Lord to help me understand what was said in Spanish to translate it into English for my group of 3 Americans with one local church leader and 2 or 3 other church attenders. I also had to depend on the Lord for wisdom to remember the correct words and conjugations to effectively share the stories of the 3 Americans. The home visits really strengthened my ability to speak and understand Spanish.
This experience also helped me see a new part of the Guatemalan culture. The people that we visited did not know we were coming. We came with only a couple bags of rice (if you have ever packed rice for Feed my Starving Children or Kids Around the Word this is an example of how it is used) and our stories. The people immediately welcomed us into their homes and listened to what we had to say. Some asked questions and some simply listened, but we pray that the Spirit of the Lord will continue to work in their hearts.
This is something that 3 women in Obrahuelo continue to do consistently. We continue to pray that the work they do and the message they bring will continue to change lives and encourage others to pursue Christ or return to Christ.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Desfile (Parade!)
Here the schools celebrate everything! Last week, the school had a day devoted to Basketball games. We started the school day at school with a mini-assembly. Then we paraded across the city to the "cancha" (court). There are pictures below! It was quite an experience watching about 700 students walk down the streets about 1 mile to the basketball court.
There was a band leading the desfile (parade), students waving pon-pons, and classes shouting cheers. Each class even formed lines that was led by a designated niña (girl) in each class.
We arrived at the "cancha" and the students filed into the seats to watch the games. Three games were played between the fifth and sixth grade classes. The students in other grades cheered and ate snacks that we had prepared earlier.
The pictures speak louder than words. :)
There was a band leading the desfile (parade), students waving pon-pons, and classes shouting cheers. Each class even formed lines that was led by a designated niña (girl) in each class.
We arrived at the "cancha" and the students filed into the seats to watch the games. Three games were played between the fifth and sixth grade classes. The students in other grades cheered and ate snacks that we had prepared earlier.
The pictures speak louder than words. :)
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| 650-700 students on the way to the court |
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| We met some cows on the way. Notice the truck following on the sidewalk! |
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The leader of one of the 5th grade classes
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| "Go team!" |
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| The band that led the parade and then entertained us during the games. |
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| One side of the stands (1st-3rd) |
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| Jump ball to begin! |
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| Playing basketball |
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