Pure, Undefiled Religion (Ministry in Guatemala)

 

Small family bible studies, building a
Guatemalan version of a dumpster at a Children’s home, live in a
house with about 15 boys, teach futebol americano to a group of
orphans, eat a lot of beans and rice (yes mom I actually like black
beans and rice now) and some amazing Guatemalan dishes as well… so
far it has been a lot of what I expected coming back out: fun,
tiering, hard, and just all around awesome.

 

To come away from my home culture again
and see a totally different world, a world with what we might
consider less fortune, a world of questions with out easy answers, an
orphan’s world has made me think a lot. There is a Guatemalan man who
is managing the Children’s home that one of our teams is working
with. Here is a man with a wife and two children that he is
responsible for providing for and who has devoted his life to caring
for dozens of orphans, living on their compound with them and his
family, making about the equivalent of $25 a month and yet he is the
most full of life, wisdom, and just pure unadulterated happiness of
any person I have ever met. He loves Jesus with all his heart and
Christ has given him an exponential portion of that Love and joy to
give back to many who have no one else to get it from. This is just
one example of many that are here doing the same thing.

It really makes me think about my life,
priorities, and actions, and ask some questions. Are these just some
religious acts that are supposed to make me feel better? What are we
really doing out here? Can we really make a difference? What does God
really expect of me? He answered this in the book of James.

 

“This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God, to
visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself
unstained by the world.” James 1:27

 

For me, this
gives me a very simple answer to what I want to know. I don’t really
have to wonder if the significance of my building a trash box for the
Children’s home, or sitting in a small family living room while the
Bible is read and discussed in a language I don’t really understand,
or whether throwing a small orphaned boy who has never even seen
American football a touchdown pass in a game with all his friends is
really going to matter in the grand scheme of things. All that the
Lord asks of me is to do it and leave its significance up to the
eternal God who sees all things and times and knows what result every
action ever taken will have in eternity. I think I can do that and
for now just be satisfied with the smiles and laughter that I share
with these people that I am serving with.