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