Blessings to you from Guatemala!
One more new casa had been added to the list of places we have stayed in Antigua! I think we're up to four or five by now... We spent the last weekend at the ministry and are back studying in Antigua this week. We've found a home stay which has internet available, so we'll be able to keep up a little more with emails while we're here. Yay!! It continues to be a challenge to be living in one room...spending probably at least 18 of each 24 hours in the room sitting on the bed studying or working on the internet. But we're excited that we will be able to study for two consecutive weeks before coming back to the States for our niece, Mary's wedding on September 22 where we'll be able to see my family in Michigan which will be more than a treat! Then, we are lucky to have the opportunity to attend a Michigan church worker's conference at which The Servant's Heart will have a display. We hope to be able to share information about what God is doing in Guatemala through the ministry: information about the sponsorship program, mission trip possibilities, long term missionary opportunities, and projects that churches and schools can do to help support His work around the Guatemala City dump. It's going to be a great chance to share our excitement about what our awesome God is doing here!!
Our mission team season has wrapped up now with the small team from the St. Louis Seminary two weeks ago. It's been amazing to watch God working in the hearts and lives of the members of each team for the last four and a half months since we arrived here. Most people on these teams come thinking they are going to "change the world" and do great things for the people here. But more often than not, it's THEIR lives that are changed instead. The love that is received from the people we visit...simply the fact that they receive us into their homes with such open arms and hearts is beyond comprehension.
I remember one of the visits we made a couple weeks ago in the shanty town in the city. Edgar (aka "Chilis") was leading us to our next visit. We walked up one narrow walkway, past many doors that were padlocked and others that weren't. We finally "knocked" on the door of a shanty (which was a piece of fabric across the doorway) and asked if we could come in and visit. The young mother invited us in and we spent the next several minutes getting to know her. Her "husband" worked in the garbage dump and she told us that she had four children. One was in school, two sweeties were playing quietly, and there was a wee little baby in a sling on her back. We came to find out that she had never heard the wonderful story of Jesus! What good news we had to share! We read a few verses from God's Word and prayed with her, asking for God's protection and provision for her family. She had much to think about after we left! Often we're asked who decides where we'll visit. Well, this was one day that we knew that it was the Holy Spirit leading us! We had walked by so many other shanties, but this one was exactly where God wanted us to be that day! We continue to pray that the Holy Spirit grows the seed of faith in this precious mother and her family.
Another visit was with a grandmother who was taking care of a little girl whose mother had died. When we said we would like to pray for her, she immediately got down on her knees and started crying. The whole room full of us fell to our knees around her. She cried and prayed throughout our prayer, then Chilis prayed for her, too. I'll never forget the loving hand this 19 year old young man placed on this woman's shoulder. Such tender words he spoke with the Father asking for Him to love and provide for this sweet lady.
Last Friday, after our ministry prayer walk, the ministry workers split into a couple of groups to visit two of our workers who are sick. Rosa, a seamstress in our sewing department, gave her kidney to her son several months ago. Well, that has healed very well, but, as a result of an accident a while ago, she has a wound on her leg that just doesn't seem to want to heal properly. We're thankful that we have been able to provide some pain medication (Ibuprofin) and antibiotics from our clinic to bring some relief. We continue to pray that this wound heals quickly so that she can care for her family and be relieved of pain.
Our other group went to visit Merly, who works as one of the cooks for the mission teams. Her four children attend our school: Little Ana, Jhonny, Gesler and Kevin. There are six people living in their little shanty. I was reminded again, as I am so often, that these kids who look so clean and spiffy in their school uniforms return home each night to a small, dark shanty. There is one lightbulb in the ceiling, one large bed, a couple of dressers and not much else. Where do they all sleep? How can the kids see to do their homework? What's the uneven dirt floor like during these torrential rains that we've been having every day and night? I told the sponsor of Merly's little daughter, Ana, this week that we so appreciate their sponsorship. I can clearly see how the education of these kids is going to open doors, and how it already has made a huge difference in their lives. Through Merly's tears, after we had shared Scripture and prayed with her, I could see that she was encouraged and lifted up by her friends and coworkers. Pretty cool how it's such a normal thing here to so comfortably visit a friend who is sick and to pray with them... hmmm... And it also reminds us of how blessed we are to have a bed in a dry room to sit on...
Jen McKnight from Florida has joined our missionary team here and will be studying in Antigua for the next few months. We're so excited to have her as part of the ministry team down here and look forward to seeing how God will use her talents and gifts. Welcome, Jen!!!!
On our prayer list this week is safety and protection for all in the path of Felix. Seems he has Guatemala on his radar at this point, but we pray that he heads north and fizzles out completely before doing any more damage. The torrential rains bring mudslides and I'm sure their power supplies wouldn't be restored as quickly here as in the U.S.
Please also pray for the health of the people of Guatemala. It's incredible how many people are sick here. The pollution and the cold rain every day surely takes its toll. And people simply can't afford doctors and medication. A couple more months of the rainy season and we'll hopefully be back to drier, healthier weather. We pray it comes sooner rather than later.
And speaking of health, I've got the sore throat/cold thing going on again. Pray for healing and strength so I can study with all my might and serve in the city again over the weekend.
Muchisimo gracias for your prayers and emails of encouragement. They bring joy to our hearts and truly uplift us. If you ever don't feel as if God is using you for His service, be assured that He uses your prayers and words of love in ways you'll never know!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment