It’s the end of another busy week here in Panajachel. Here’s
a glimpse of what I’ve been up to……..
After getting caught
off guard in the coffee shop with no form of entertainment for the kids beyond
my journal and a pen, I decided to invest in a coloring book and some crayons.
Luckily I found a book that was full stories from the Old Testament…it had
pictures of creation, Noah’s Ark,
Abraham and Isaac, Moses, Joseph, and tons more. I figured it would be a great
way to interact with the kids and also be able to share some Bible stories with
them. I took the color book and crayons to the café where I planned on meeting
up with Kari, but I kept them hidden in my bag because I really wanted to have
a few minutes to myself to journal, pray, etc. first. Kari and I were enjoying
our coffee and talking through our accountability questions for the week when
young 3 girls walked in with all their merchandise.
We politely told them we
didn’t want to buy anything, and although they stopped trying to sell, they
didn’t leave. They just stood there staring at us. It was quite awkward for a
few minutes. They didn’t say a word, and if I looked up they all just smiled. I
kept thinking, “Why aren’t they leaving?” Then Kari finally looked at me and
said, “So you think it’s time to get out the crayons?” It seemed like a great
idea since I could no longer focus on my journal with 6 little eyes staring at
me. I said, “Would you like to sit down?” and in a flurry of smiles, giggles,
and screeching chairs across the tile floor, we had 3 new guests seated at our
table…Isabel, her little sister Lorena, and their friend Veronica. They quickly
looked through the book and decided which page they wanted to color, then we
dumped out all crayons and began to work. While we were coloring Veronica began
singing a little song. I asked her what she was singing and she said it was a
song she had learned at church. I asked her if she was a Christian and she said
yes.
She said she goes to the Evangelical church with her mom. I asked her if
she knows Jesus, and she got
a huge smile on her face and shook her head yes. We drew some attention from a
few other street vendors walking by. Some just looked in from the street,
others came in to see what was going on. One lady came in with two little kids,
so we asked if they wanted to sit down and color with us. Welcome Ingrid and
Edgar to the party. The little café was getting quite full, but luckily the
lady running the place was ok with us all being there.
When it was finally
time to go, Veronica asked if I would buy her something to eat because she was
hungry.
Turns out everyone was hungry, so I told her I would buy them some food
on our way home. Halfway to the bakery we ran into Henry again…I swear that boy
snuck a homing device into my bag last week because he shows up everywhere we
go!
The other highlight of
my week happened yesterday. We were invited by Bill (a missionary from Long
Island New York)
to go swimming with a family that he’s been working with here. This family has
practically nothing, and Bill goes over there 3-4 times a week to play with the
kids, bring them food, and help meet whatever needs he can. He and Ginger
actually built a table for them on Saturday because their family of 8 didn’t
have one. I’m not sure if they are Christians yet, but they are definitely
seeing the love of Jesus being poured out through this man. He loves these kids
so much and has really gotten to know each of them individually. They are
really comfortable with him, and you can tell that they completely trust him.
There are 6 kids in the family, but a few of their friends came along too. They
are all absolutely adorable! They are so happy and affectionate, and like all
kids, they just love to play! Bill even brought soap so the kids could bathe in
the lake since they don’t get to bathe at home. Here are a few pictures from
our afternoon.
Me trying to warm up
Irma (the lake was freezing cold!) and Kari with Giovani
The beautiful lake
Fun in the sun
After a couple hours
at the lake, Bill took all the kids out for licuados (smoothies). We had fun
passing my camera around the table, taking pictures and making funny faces.
After smoothies, we
walked the kids home and I got to meet the rest of the family. We all sat down
(around the table Ginger built) and talked for a few minutes, but it was
difficult to communicate because they mostly just speak Kakchiquel. Although
few words were spoken, it was obvious how much they appreciate everything Bill
has done for their family. Although their needs seem overwhelming, he is making
a difference in their lives every day. I know those kids will never forget his
kindness and love, and I know that every time they see Bill, they see Jesus.
This is the table
Bill and Ginger built for the family.
So there you have it…the latest chapter in “The Amazing
Adventures of Children’s Ministry in Guatemala.” Stay tuned for more as
we finish out our last few days here in BEAUTIFUL Panajachel. Much Love!
