Come Thirsty

I just wanted to share a little bit about what my team has been doing in ministry in Guatemala.Tomorrow it will be two weeks since I have arrived in Guatemala! Praise God! For the past almost two weeks we have been doing street ministry in Guatemala City.  The ministry we have been working with is called The Street Revolution!  The purpose of this ministry is to reach out to the street people, the children who run around in the bus terminals, and those who have nothing.  The biggest part of the ministry is building relationships with those who live on the street and sharing with them God's love!  The first day of ministry was really hard for me; because I have been feeling heartbroken and empty because I just lost my best friends.  It was a big struggle for me to love those who are dirty and always high.  My team encouraged me to ask God to give me his love and his strength to share with those who we are ministering to.  That's exactly what God did!  Its tough sometimes, but its easier than it was.  So like I mentioned the biggest thing The Street Revolution pushes for is building relationships and loving on the people.  We as a team go hang out with the street people; we play cards, paint nails, braid hair, show them how to make bracelets and try and love on them as much as we can.  The main part is showing them that someone cares for them and loves them.  We have had the opportunity to pray for many of them, we just want God to reveal his love to them.  We also have had the opportunity to go into a men's Teen Challenge and do a Bible study with them!  It has been a blessing to see these men and how they are learning to love God!  Throughout the week a few times, we have had the opportunity to play soccer with them!  Another big part of our ministry is going to a bus terminal and playing with the children.  This has brought so much joy to my heart!  I never knew how much playing with little kids could help me smile!  Many of these kids live in tiny shacks with their families, sometimes about six or seven people live in a shack.  These shacks have no kitchen, bathroom, or bedrooms.  It pretty much is just a little room with bedding in a corner and maybe a woodstove and a chair.  It breaks my heart to see so many people living like this.  Playing with the children is probably my favorite thing we are doing this month!  I love it when that one little girl or one little boy comes up to you and all they want you to do is hold them, or play with them, or just sit with them!!! These kids run around the streets many of them dirty and hungry.  Could you imagine letting your three or four year old running around a dark alley at night?  Crazy.  The biggest thing these kids need is someone to love them, someone to hold them, someone to play with them.  That is our reason for being there!  Who knew how fun throwing a piece of paper back and forth with a four year old boy could be so entertaining for him!  God has blessed us with so much, we need be thankful for everything we have; and pray for those who have nothing.