It took way longer to get to April 2, 2017 than I every would have imagined, but it was finally the day I got to hug my mom and dad for the first time in 6 months. These first six months were hard and I missed them beyond words. But then they finally rolled up on the second chicken bus (this was such a cruel joke) and I completely lost it. When they finally got off it was purely the best feeling ever- I never wanted to let them go.
Here’s my dad’s first ever blog and it’s about Parent Vision Trip:
Guatemala 2017!
I have been looking forward to the Parent Vision Trip (PVT) for many months to see my Shara. However to be honest I really had no idea what to expect. Would my daughter be different? Would I want to just take her home? Would she beg me to take her home? These and many other thoughts clogged my mind and caused me much stress. But when that bus rolled up the hill and I saw all of the beautiful girls waving at us and I spotted Shara I knew I was in the right place at the right time. When she told us stories of her months in Cambodia, Thailand and Malawi I knew I was in the right place. Some of their ministry and living conditions were hard, very hard at times and that was tough for old Dad to hear.
It was neat to live in community like her team does even if it was just for a few days. We also got a glimpse of their ministry days as we went to a nursing home and took the elderly out to a park for some fresh air in their wheelchairs. I will never forget the woman we took to the park, she was so nice and we tried to converse as best we could in our different languages and somehow made conversation enough to realize we cared for one another and we both believed in Jesus. As she spoke she pointed to the sky and spoke of Jesus several times, I could tell she was a woman of great faith. When we left she took each of us by the hand, kissing it and thanking us so much for being there.
Another day we went to a hospital where the people were afflicted with Cerebral Palsey, a totally crippling disease, the patients requiring intense 24 hr. care. We were told we were there to help the nurses and brighten the patients’ day. I had never seen anything like it before, the people were so crippled and could hardly move but when I looked in their eyes I could see they were God’s children no different than me they were just in a different situation. I will never forget feeding this one young boy with a bottle, he was maybe 18 years old, could not speak or move much, his bones were so entangled but his eyes were beautiful and he could make some expressions. As I fed him I tried to encourage him by looking deeply into his eyes and at some point I decided he needed a laugh so I began to make funny faces at him, it worked and he began to laugh so hard his eyes watered and he could hardly eat his supper. I don’t know if I made any difference in his life but he did in mine.
The third day we were taken to a small village where we visited several families in their homes. We were so out of place, we literally stuck out like a sore thumb amongst these people but everyone was so friendly and we were greeted with a smiling “Buenos Dias” by every passerby, even the man wheeling a freshly finished coffin on a dolly. The town was odd as there were several woodworking businesses around building wooden coffins. Before we went to the homes I will never forget Luis telling us to just relax as I think he could tell we were very apprehensive about these visits. When he said this I felt like he was saying to just let go and let the Holy Spirit help us. These were families that lived on about $2 per day and lived in tin shacks they had pieced together. Once again I could feel how strongly God was showing me how much he loved these beautiful people. Yes, they were poor by our standards but we found out they were rich in their faith and values. We had wonderful visits with the families thanks to our awesome and caring interpreters. I will not forget these bright and beautiful people.
Another highlight was the evening meal with everyone where we were served delicious Guatemalan food by Luis and his wonderful family of helpers. They worked so hard for us and I cannot express how much I appreciated it. After the meal we heard many great testimonies from the racers. I could not believe all they had experienced and how mature these girls were in their faith, very inspiring. I will admit that bunking with 11 other guys for a week was a little weird but it gave me a sense of how the racers have been living and I made some new friends because of the community as I am sure our daughters have also. So proud of my Shara and all the racers, I know God has great things in store for all of them.
Paul Mullenix (Shara’s Dad)
So, there you have it!
I will remember this week for the rest of my life. See you again in 51 days, Mom and Dad!!!
Here’s some pictures: 
