Guatemala Day 6: God Is Moving!

Today was a free day! We got to visit the shops and local vendors to see the sights a bit before heading home on Tuesday. I really wasnt in a shopping mood, but after working with everyone this week, it was nice to enjoy the tight bonds in a casual setting. Waking up to kids in the orphanage has been a fun way to wake up. Those kids are so hungry for love and its hard not to just pour it all out in abundance and then leave. I will miss their faces and giggles for sure. We even had a rare opportunity to see 2 babies just a few weeks hold, dropped off. They were abandoned at the courthouse and brought to the orphanage. Sad to think about that happening but when you see the condition of the villages, their homes and the lack of food they have, I can understand the fear they face in trying to feed one more person on such little wages. When you don’t feel equipped to do much on a mission trip, things like loving on children is a universal language we all can share. Shopping and the Volcanoes were cool today! Antiqua was not like anything I’ve seen before. I felt so wanted walking by vendors and asking , “how much I’d pay.” I felt like I could put up any amount of cash and get what I wanted. They did have good deals. I had to cut myself off at one point. It was nice walking into once shop and American worship music was playing. It was also ironic to realize that the lady working there spoke very little English. Goes to show that just the Holy Spirit can fill the room and His presence is felt no matter the language barrier. Devos tonight were unbelievable! Each night this week has been a challenge from God in the call on our lives to seek Him, Find Him, Communicate with Him and Feed His People. Not just feed monetarily but with the Word of God. We each have heard the word “distractions” this week. From the families in the homes we build to distractions during the Jesus Film and you can’t help but think about the distraction in your own life. As we head home, we each took away something different but last night we each had things in our lives that we needed to make sure we laid at the feet of Jesus in order to know that we have given Him EVERYTHING. There’s nothing He doesn’t want control of in our lives. To take over every room in the house, even the smelly closets, so that He is the master and we are the servant. Even when you think you’ve given it all to God, there is always more. Final Thoughts Being on a missions trip is God’s great way of removing the distractions and getting our attention but as we head back into our mission fields at home, What are we doing to stay focused on Him? What are we doing to feed His people? What are we doing to put ourselves into God’s word as we read and study it daily? These are all challenges we face without a missions trip to remind us but they are challenges no less. Being accountable to one another helps us as we lean on each other but ultimately WE CAN DO NOTHING WITHOUT GOD. Complete and utter surrender to Him is how His Will and his Work get done.

Guatemala Day 5: Lovin on the Kids

I have to say as a sucker for sunrises and sunsets, they are breath taking here. It’s a little chilly in the morning but it feels good and nothing like what we have had this winter in West Michigan. It’s truly beautiful! Each morning the team is up and spending time with God while sitting around the sunrise. Both sites are quite inspiring. The food has been great too. I think I have a new desire to have tortillas with every meal. It makes things all seem right somehow. ☺ It was a tearful day! Lots of souls won for the Lord tonight and the crowd didn’t want to leave. Seeing little boys coming to Jesus and then opening up the Bibles we gave them was inspiring. Most of them opening a Bible for the FIRST TIME! The best part of the day for me was I started tossing the “football Americano” around with one little boy and the next thing I know about 30 boys were tossing it around with us but it was more like a rugby style of hot potato. Big dog piles every time someone hit the ground with the ball. Lots of cute kids on this trip and its making me miss mine. One little girl even painted my fingernails. Bright Pink!

Guatemala Day 4: God is Moving!

Oh my word! The kids in the Paradise Bound Orphanage are so cute. They just melt your hearts and make you want to scoop them up and take them home. There is little girl Sophia that has the best laugh. She just cackled today it lit up my day. There’s also a lil girl named Douche that had hip surgery in January and has a cast on from the waist down. She was a premmy and then dropped as a baby so her cast will be off soon. She loved to be held. It was amazing to watch her face light up. At one point, I had 4 kids on the floor playing, they kept trying to feed me chocolate cereal. It was hilarious. Then the rest of the day was filled up with playing games with kids and handing out medication at a village about 2 hours away. It’s hard to realize sometimes, when you have WALGREENS at home on the corner and you can run and pick up something to feel better or make your kids well, not everyone has that. Some families suffer from little things in their life when seeing the medication in hand from Paradise Bound makes all the difference. Once the games and meds were done, we showed the JESUS FILM and saw lots of people accept Jesus tonight. PRAISE GOD! Each day we share our God sightings and I had a pretty big one today. During the JESUS movie there were 2 guys in the back. One was being a distraction to his friend and seemed to be making a mocker of the movie. So I just started to pray. Asking God to bring their hearts in tune with His. Well a few minutes later they BOTH left. I was bummed to say the least but then I started to ask God to work on their hearts after they left and for the Holy Spirit to bring at least one of them back. AND HE DID!!! The best part is the guy accepted Jesus tonight and is changed forever. God is SO good! I can’t wait to do this again tomorrow. It’s sad to think about people NOT ever hearing about Jesus and then powerful to see lives changed. That’s what Radiating Christ is all about. This trip for me could not have come at a better time. I’m being challenged to dig into the word more. To put myself in the scripture as I’m reading and finally getting something out of it like never before. I also am learning not to throw around the word love. I love pizza, I love music, I love sunsets. I want to use it on things that are lasting and realizing just how much God wants to spend time with me daily. I look forward to that more each day. I came on this trip knowing it would be life changing. I’ve been on mission trips before and each trip changed me. This one has been NO different!

Guatemala Day 3: Mi Amigo Jose

Well the homes are complete and we said goodbye to the families today. What an amazing feet to go from house to house, present gifts, prayed over the homes and then headed to the base for a good nights rest. Well the best of the trip so far anyway. I will say what a great perspective when you see the inside of the homes with crosses and Bible verses on them. Knowing that as these families are presented the gospel, all 6 families accepting Jesus into their lives, then being surrounded by those verses as a reminder of God’s love and to have a safe place to go for peace and sanctuary. The team I was on worked with a family whose Dad Jose had the head knowledge of the Bible and knew God was working in the village but was also one that accepted Christ and one I made a connection with as we worked on his new home. I felt challenged as a Dad watching him with his kids, not that I’m a bad Dad or not showing them Christ, but seeing Jose read the Bible to his son and watching him love on them, made me just want to step up my game and my intentions as well. The language difference was not something that kept Jose and I from becoming amigos. I will say the bumpy roads in and out of San Ramone will not be missed. That made potholes in the states seem like a just a roller coaster compared to these. Made napping impossible. Its still an experience that is once in a lifetime. Words can not fully describe the emotions but the closest I can compare is that of Christmas morning excitement coupled with that of a Revival. Praise God for the work HE has done!

Guatemala Day 2: The Sunrise and Roosters

What a beautiful sunrise!!! I started the day to the sounds of chickens and roosters having a pep rally then to walk outside, you and a see God’s canvas was amazing. West Michigan mornings may have a rival I think. I opened my Bible to Psalms which was perfect for the start of a new project: The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever. (Psalms 28:7-9) I can't wait to draw from His strength today and see where He takes us. Today was a productive day! Building homes along side the families who will be living in them was great. Despite the rain, the work got done. The night is chilly and very comfortable. I'm not gonna complain after months of frozen temps . Looking forward to Devos tonight as we wind down then bedtime will be restful. God is really bringing the team closer!

Guatemala Day 1: The Adventure Begins!

The travel was as smooth as it could be. Typical flight and minus the wrong ticket I got with a woman's name no less, it's been really easy. :-) The team is great. They are passionate and full of good attitude. I think it's pretty amazing to see what God has done in assembling this team. You have just enough veterans and newbies mixed in like a bowl of chex mix that it's gonna be flavorful. I saw God today in the sunset from 10k feet above Georgia and then after the Bumpiest ride I've ever had, I got to the village and the stars were beautiful. Can't say it's not nice to be warm after the polar vortex. It was 56 as the night winds down. Laying here in my bunk listening to the guys make their beds and the girls giggling as they walk down the cement stairs to the "ladies room" that it feels like I'm 7 and back at camp. One of my teammates is trying to put up a mosquito net too which is pretty hilarious. The Paradise Bound team has prepared us for everything and while we all are giddy with fatigue, the early morning will come quickly and have us eager to serve as we build homes for the families here in need. I'm Praying that God keeps us well and safe so we can do His will but I know hearts will be changed this week as tears will be shed, comfort zones will be stretched and lives will advance for eternal glory.