Day 6

Today was the grand finale of an amazing week. I had been waiting all week for food distribution and it came out to much more than I had expected. The place that stuck out the most was a daycare type of place that was supposed  to government funded, but was not. The kids were so bright and enthusiastic. From when they first saw us and started yelling ‘gringos’ to when no one wanted to leave it was single handedly one of the best experiences of my life. When I walked in the door all the little girls started to grab my hands and drag me along to play. That made my mood so much better the entire day. I pretended to be ticklish for one of the kids and then the rest of them came and started drowning me in tickles. When pictures came along they were so happy and they all wanted to be in them, it was hard to fit all of them in the photos. It was unimaginable that in one hour I made a bond so strong with these wonderful kids.

I had so much respect for the woman who ran this house because through everything she wanted the best in those kids. The last house we went to had me bawling my eyes out by the end. This woman went through recycling to make money. She had been widowed and her oldest son (15) wanted to quit school. We tried to convince this boy how important it was to get an education. The mother just wanted to see him thrive and give him what she never had. It was heartbreaking to see him not understand how much she cared. I tried to tell him, not that it mattered, that girls love a guy with an education. He seemed to respond to that comment which made me feel like I had made a difference. Over an emotional day we got ice cream which just sold the whole finale. I don’t want to leave, but I guess my parents want me home. I can say with confidence that something in me has changed.

Alta Jordan

Being in Guatemala is a different experience every year! Each year you team up with a new team, some familiar faces and some different. Even though we’ve both been before we never really know what to expect when we arrive in the country. Something special to us that’s always constant is the amount of joy and love that the Guatemalan people have. Seeing people that have so little but contain so much happiness really makes you take a step back and look into what really matters in life. Every year always has it’s hard moments but it’s all worth it in the end when you see their smiling faces. This year we built three houses, gave away 55+ wheelchairs and 30+ bags of food. Doing God’s work in a country that needs it so much is such an emotional and fruitful experience. The amount that your own personal faith grows is tremendous. Being able to share God’s love, mercy and compassion with so many different people is truly a modern day miracle. From seeing the joy on the faces of the orphans in Antigua to hugging and praying for a single mother of four, the amount of love, team work and happiness is life changing. 

Katie & Noah

Day 5

     Today, we went into Antigua for the day and for the team the emotional and mentally exhausting part of the day was visiting the orphanage.   Here you have children, adults with special needs that cannot be taken care of full time  by their family, so the state cares for them.   The team spent most of the time with children whose bodies were deformed by diseases or they had some other illness making them difficult to deal with for the poor families of Guatemala.

      While we were with these children , it was their nap time and they were enclosed in their cribs.   Upon looking at them in their cribs, it looked like they were in cages.   But looking beyond that ,one could see that it was for their own safety.  Even though they ranged from ages 4-13, some of the team members fed them with bottles, or spoon fed them.   Others just brought God’s love and just made them smile, laugh or just gave them the missing attention they needed.

      For me, I made a very good friend in a young lady named Veronica.   She was such a sweetie with a wonderful smile and laugh.   It took a while for me get her to open up, but once we did,  I so enjoyed making her smile by moving her arms and making goofy faces at her.   Due to the intensity of the interaction, I would have to walk away coming back later.   Each time, I came back, and she heard my voice she got the biggest smile on her face, obviously melting me, making it harder to leave.   It was an experience that will stay with me for a long time.   Even though they may have disabilities, they have the ability to experience joy, but more importantly they too can relay a life changing joy and love back to you.   That’s what happened for me.

Rick Gaffney

Visiting the orphanage for the severely disabled is always the most difficult part of the trip. The first year we went down, we were at a complete loss as to what to do with these children that had been placed in our arms. We set like bumps on a log gently rocking them trying not to hurt them as they struggled. The Mooney’s daughter-in-law took pity on us and suggested we read to them, play ball, or sing. We watched Chris run in circles with them laughing hysterically. As the years have passed, it has gotten easier to go. We are learning how to bring a smile and laughter.

As I walked in today, I was looking for familiar faces. In the first room, I realized I knew almost all of the children. Memories from previous years interaction with them came flooding back. Since they had just gone down for a nap, we could not get them out of bed, so I moved from child to child rubbing their arms or back, talking, and laughing. Laying twisted in their beds, without control over their limbs, they are still so interactive. Children in the neighboring cribs strain to get into a position to see you, smiling just at the sound of your voice. 

Valerie was particularly giggly. We had a good time talking (I was the only one talking.) and laughing. I moved on to her neighbor and Emily started playing with her. Emily told her that I was her mother, so I scooted closer to agree that yes, I was indeed Emily’s mother, wasn’t that exciting news?! Emily went on to tell her that I was 30 years old. (You all know how true that is!) Valerie cracked up laughing at that precise moment. It was hysterical. Her timing could not have been more perfect. Laughing, I told her that was not very nice, and she giggled all the harder. 

I still consider the hour we spend interacting with these children harder than mixing cement, laying a foundation, or building a house, but I know that the joy we bring by smiling, touching, cuddling, playing, and laughing with these beloved children of God is worth it. 

Marcy

Day 4

I warned the newbies that VBS could be exhausting, but I do not think they believed me. Were they in for a shock when we added not one, not two, but three rows to accommodate the children as they kept flooding in. We were hopping! VBS is our opportunity to tell the children how much God loves them. They heard the message as they ran from game to craft to snack and back to game. We ended with the puppets singing of God’s love and Chris Mooney (our missionary host) using the team members and children to reenact Jesus’ frustration when the disciples would not allow the children to come to him. It was very visual and real as Chris - portraying Jesus - placed his hands on each child blessing them.

After putting the church back to rights and a quick lunch, we split into teams and headed out. My team built Berta’s house. Assembling three walls, painting the back wall, and then picking the house up, moving it three feet, realigning it, and securing it into the foundation was a first for me. There was no clearance between it and the house next to it. We were all pretty proud of ourselves as we got the last bolt into place. 

The other team was on food and clothing distribution. They were quite excited about a video they captured of a12 year old girl, Irma, Bethel Ministries began sponsoring for last year. She is now reading at a first grade level and read a passage out of 1st John. 

Sunday we will head to Antigua for our “day off.” Attending a bilingual service, touring a monastery, holding “babies” in the orphanage, and shopping are on the list for our relaxation. It may prove to be our most exhausting day!

- Marcy

Falling in love

Today we fell in love with 120 little children who were running around, shouting, laughing, and dancing at VBS this morning while we did our best to tell them that Jesus loves them. They were sticky from frosting and pushing to be first in line for the games and crafts, but they were all smiles and excitement. Yesterday we fell in love with 56 people who were given mobility through the wheelchair distribution. We learned their stories, heard their thanks, and saw their joy. We have fallen in love with many people this week, and will continue to love more as we go to the orphanage tomorrow and do another food distribution and house build on Monday. As we fall in love with these people, we begin to see God in them, and begin to discover a push to fall deeper in love with him. 

- Emily Mooney

Day 3

Where do I start well it was my first time at the wheelchair distribution. Besides it being really hot like if you were next to a volcano while the sun was right on top of you, it was still a great experience. I saw these amazing people just so happy to get these wheelchairs and there families were happy for them. I would just see them pushing them away with a great big smile on there face. Just seeing that made me feel good that we are helping these families. overall it was a great experience to encounter and hope someday I can do it again.

Jake Anderson

Today on wheelchair distribution I got to experience and encounter another new thing. I realized how many people needed these wheelchairs and it is very heart warming to see these people get the joy they deserve. I saw two people cry of happiness and all of the others would give hugs because they were so grateful. The families of the receivers were also very loving, but seeing the way the families cared for their relatives made me overwhelmed with happiness. Seeing how little they have and how much they appreciate the things they have makes me realize the personalities our lord has put into these lovely people. 

Alta Jordan

I am always in awe when God ties things together so perfectly.  Each night we come together to share about our day and have a brief devotion. Wendy had sent us off with the admonition to go be joy makers, so joy was on my mind. The passage about joy that first comes to my mind is James 1:2-4 “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” 

On the way to our job site, I discussed with Emily and Ben the idea of using the passage, not to talk about our joy, but the joy we see in the Guatemala people we have the opportunity to serve.

We begin our group time by sharing. Each comment that was given began with “they were filled with so much joy.”  The slab we laid was for Elvira. Her husband was an alcoholic and eventually left her and the children. She remarried, but he also was an alcoholic and violent, so she and Allan (14) work in the fields and she takes in laundry. Combined they earn $80 a month. The house we built yesterday was for a young widow, Karen. Her husband was murdered when their youngest was one. Karen earns $81 each month doing washing and ironing. Our last house will be for Berta. Her husband abandoned her when their son was born. She washes laundry and makes tortillas earning $72 a month. Yet the opening comment about these families was “they were filled with so much joy.”

We are here giving a lot of joy in they way of provision, but we are learning from their example about being joyful when troubles come, so our faith may be tested resulting in our endurance being developed so we will be complete and needing nothing.

Marcy

Day 2

It’s my second day of my first trip and I still can’t believe the things that i’m doing. Yesterday, I painted a church and it was the most beautiful day. It was great to be around the people of Guatemala and too see what they were like. Before that I had only seen the city at night, but it was a whole different world in the morning. Today, I was on cement. The people we met today were so happy and eager to help with our job. I saw how little they had and I still saw their faces light up about every little thing. It was a new experience laying cement, but all of the people on my team made me feel very comfortable doing all the work. I loved helping the family because they were so grateful and it really put into perspective how much I take for granted. The funniest thing of the day was when the kids asked my name and I told them it was Alta. They would repeat the question over and over again because my name means tall in Spanish and they just thought I was saying I was tall. I am eager to do wheelchair distribution even though we have to wake up super early in the morning. 

Alta Jordan

I woke up to a pleasant surprise this morning - I got bumped to cement! We divide into teams, but since we are dividing into two teams some days and three teams other days,  there was not a spot for me to do cement. While some people may consider this a blessing, I was quite disappointed. Our host, Chris, informed me as I headed down to help with breakfast, that they only needed four people on the house build and the rest were to go to cement. Problem solved! 

The foundation we laid was for a single mother with three children, Her oldest, Allan, worked along side us all day. Her young daughters, along with a couple neighbor boys, enjoyed conversing with us. We met Keyla (9), Carlos (10), Louis (10), and Leslie (4). They were quite chatty, and after exchanging names, Kayla went in and got out a tablet and proceeded to write all of our names down. They learned how to ask our names in English, and were quite excited to ask over and over. It was a fun start to the day. 

The pace picked up as rain threatened, but with a large team, we were able to trade in and out of jobs without over doing.

It was amusing to realize as the day progressed that my daughter Emily (22 years old) was now the team mother and I was the team grandmother, as she told everyone - including me - to repeatedly put on sunscreen and drink water. We trained her well!!

Marcy

House building