We have been in Guatemala for 10 days. Ministry has begun, and we have been able to explore Guatemala well. We are in the beautiful and historic city of Antigua.
I am ministering in three places within Antigua this month:
Special Needs Home: There are about 75 people here ages ranging from about 3 to 30 years old. These kids have severe cerebral palsy. Most of them have been abandoned by their families because they are not able to take care of them. I have been around special needs children before, so I expected my experience to be similar. When we walked in the first day, they were all gathered in one large room ready for lunch all facing a TV that played Barney in Spanish. Each of them is in a wheelchair or lying on a bed unable to communicate through spoken words. We were able to talk to them and love on them before lunch. Once lunch began, we helped the nurses feed them. I got to feed the sweetest boy. He couldn’t speak to me, and at the beginning of the meal he just groaned as I pushed food (that had already been blended into mush) into his mouth. It took me about 45 minutes to feed him a bowl of food. Toward the end of the meal, he began to laugh. It started as a chuckle, then it turned into the big belly laugh, and he couldn’t stop—food was even falling out of the corners of his mouth. It was the sweetest moment I got to share with him. He had such joy and gave it to me without uttering a word. It was a hard day. It was hard to see these children that are severely handicapped. Yet, at the same time, it was beautiful. It was a time when words were not needed. Love prevailed.
Elderly Home: My sweet abuelos! We affectionately call the elderly home the “Grandpa House.” (Yes, grandmas live there too!) I got to go three times last week, and I feel like I have adopted some Guatemalan grandparents. Most of the people in this home have no family or have been abandoned by their families. They are sweet, precious people, but they are so lonely. I primarily work in the occupational therapy room. I do various exercises with them to help sharpen their minds after strokes, accidents, or just due to older age. I am always laughing in our attempts to communicate, but it is so fun! One sweet lady was in a bus accident years ago. I was talking and working with her, and in an attempt to make more conversation, I asked how old she was. She immediately replied, “22!” At first, I thought I just heard her wrong, so I asked again. I got the same answer, “22!” So, I responded with, “How can you be 22 when I am only 23???” She just laughed and laughed and laughed. I don’t know how these moments can get any sweeter?
I adore these people, and I am thankful for the opportunity to love them.
Teaching: I will also be teaching a values class with two other teammates once a week, I will have to update you on that progress once it begins. School just started back here, so we will be starting on Tuesday!
Through the past 10 days in Guatemala, there has been a reoccurring theme: LOVE.
I am on team Mighty Love. (I will post a blog soon about the incredible people I get to live the next 10.5 months with!)
My ministry this month is to basically show LOVE to the special needs children and elderly.
Our church here is in a series about how to love like the first time. Loving with a passion like never before.
This month marks the 2nd year anniversary of when my Daddy went to be with Jesus forever. One of the biggest lessons my Daddy taught me was to love. His love was beautiful. It was so selfless. He loved my mom, me, and my brother more than anything on this earth. Unexpectedly, Jesus took him to be in Heaven with him two years ago. My heart felt like it had been ripped out of my chest. My best friend was gone. I felt that way for months. Sometimes, I still do. God has been so faithful, and even though I still hurt to have him here with me, I can’t help but think about how beautiful it is worshipping God forever. In worship today, I just had tears streaming down my face thinking about how beautiful it is that my Daddy has been in Heaven worshipping and loving God like I can’t imagine for 2 years now. I was doing the same thing at the same moment as my Daddy: Worshipping our living God. And here on earth, I am doing what my Daddy (and heavenly Daddy God) taught me to do best, LOVE. I am living out his legacy of love. He would be so proud of the adventure I am on: growing deeper with God, bringing the Kingdom to earth, and ultimately loving God and loving people.
So, that is my heart for this month and the next 10 months. I want to give of myself in order for others to feel love like they haven’t in a long time…or maybe never in their lives. I want to love well—better than I ever have before.
