A Divinely Orchestrated Week

Buenas!  I’ll apologize in advance for the length of this blog-post, but SO much has happened lately, and this is my last free day in Puerto Barrios!  L  Que Triste! (How Sad!)  I literally cannot believe how quickly this summer has flown.  In a week, my team will be leaving for a city called Antigua, where we will spend several days for debriefing with the other Guatemala Mission Team, from Panahachel.  I’m thrilled about how God’s going to use the things I’ve learned here in my life in the United States, but, I’m really sad to leave.  I literally cannot remember what life in the United States was like… I know that sounds rather overdramatic, but after being immersed in a culture, which is so unlike that which I knew previously, for 2 months, I have really forgotten a lot of how the American life works.  It will be interesting to see how things look and feel differently back home.

I’d like to share something from last week, that I should have written about, but was rather rushed in my blogging.  We did a program in the Dump.  We went one day and invited people, telling them that we’d be there the next day (That day I brought work gloves and decided to dig in the dump with them, so I could sort of get a feel for what it was that their lives revolved around.  It was incredible, and I am so glad I did it… Even if everyone else thought I was a weirdo!  I had a divine encounter with a 17 year old boy named Moyses, who was also a believer… But, that’s a whole other blog in and of itself!)  So anyways, we went back that next day and…. BAAM!  I see like 70 kids and 20 families just waiting for us!  SO, SO, SO far above my expectations.  Now, all of them didn’t live IN the dump, but they lived right around it.  It was really a blessing, and we were able to reach them and give out clothes and food (like typical missionaries, we threw stuff out the back of our sketchy van).  About 6 or 7 children also stepped up and accepted Christ… So that was just AWESOME!

 Anyways, this past week has been quite an adventure!  I guess the team has really realized that we are in the home stretch of our time here, and really want to go all out with our ministries.  And that we have!  On Saturday, we took several of the children from the special needs orphanage to a pool/water park.  It was a trying/exciting time!  We had to carry them through the pool for the most part, and keep a REALLY close eye on them at all times, but it was absolutely wonderful!  They enjoyed it so much, and for even just one day, they were able to escape the prison they call home (for real, that orphanage looks and feels like a straight up jailhouse!).  It was good to be able to give them a change in scenery and spend several hours just letting them be kids.

On Monday, I felt called to do a day of fasting.  So, that’s what I did.  We had planned to do more prayer walking/ evangelism in the markets BUT….. THERE WAS A RIOT! Dun, Dun, Dun!!!  It had something to do with the communists in the 1980’s and the revolutionaries wanting the government to pay them back for that.  30 years later?  I’m not sure where that anger mustered up from, but….yeah.   Our team was basically confined to our houses, so we had a little fun.  We pretended we were being chased by the rioters, and that we were going to be defenders of “Casa Verde” (the name of our ministry house)…  Our weapons included (but were not limited to):  my 2 inch pocket knife, a broom, a fan bar, a can of Glade air freshener, a fork, a turbin (purely for the fear factor, of course), and a Dr. Pepper.  Some climbed the radio tower, some ran around with boldness, and some stood in terror as the mysterious ice cream truck (the rioters in disguise, of course) drove by.  

ANYWAAAAYS… After that quieted down (It was around 1:30, so I guess the rioters had to go home and eat tortillas, bean mush, and rice) we were able to go to the nursing home (which here is translated “The House of the Ancients” … Subtle right?).  We got to sing to them again, and just bring some joy to a place of deep sorrow, pain, and loneliness.   Fasting that day was really good for me, because I got to spend a lot of time with the Lord, and a lot of time just reading.  It was really good!

On Tuesday, we went to the Catholic orphanage… It was really great to be able to lift the kids’ spirits.  There is a set of 4 sisters, though, whose mother dropped them off about the time we arrived here.  She had said they’d only be staying there for about 2 weeks because she had a sick relative in the hospital… But, she’s still not come back to get them.  It’s really sad.  The youngest girl, probably about 3-4 years old, is literally suffering from depression.  She doesn’t smile.  EVER.  No matter how funny, silly, happy, goofy you are… No one has ever made her smile.  She cries at times, but mostly she just stares blankly.  Imagine being that age and having your Mom just abandon you.  It’s incredibly upsetting. 

On Wednesday, our day started off with an ATL morning.  This is where we Ask The Lord to direct us.  So, we did (and yet again, this could be an entirely different blog post, but I’ll try to consolidate) just that, and eventually I made us trapse through the jungle on this little dirt path.  We found a man named Chino, who had a lot of head knowledge and Biblical knowledge, but “didn’t have time to be a Christian.”  See, here in Central America, being a Christian is a LOT of work, and a lot of rules.  No nail painting, pants wearing, hair cutting, ear piercing, etc… (not all churches, but enough to give Christians a bad name).  He asked us to come back on Friday to share some more, and that’s what I intend to do.  We then descended down (pretty much) the side of a muddy mountain (with flip flops on: FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL---- That’s been my absolute favorite and famous line.) and followed the Spirit to a woman’s little shack.  Her name was Daniella, and she was very heartbroken by having to give up a son to be adopted, because she couldn’t take care of him.  He now lives in the USA, but she can’t talk to him because he only speaks English!  We read her a story from the Bible about how God never leaves us, and always cares for his sheep (she can’t read… it’s not atypical here).  Our meeting and prayer over her seemed to bring a lot of encouragement and healing…  There were many encounters, but, honestly, I could write all day about the awesome things that have been happening!  And…I assume it’s been quite a struggle for you, dear reader J, to reach this point in the blog.  So, I’ll go ahead and cease my writing, only wishing I could share with you all of the intensely awesome things that have occurred! 

Something here is wrong, There are children without homes...

This is Julito from the Special Needs orphanage.  He's 14 years old, and I believe I wrote about him in one of the blogs...

This is Nacho.  He lives at the Catholic orphanage... I was mopping the floor (which is literally a broom with a cloth on it!) and he ran over and grabbed it.  He proceeded to mop the floor with intense force, as I filmed with a shocked face.

Por El Poder De Tu Amor

I can’t believe how much I love this place!  Thinking about leaving make me want to cry!!!  But, this week has had a great deal of ministry!  I even got to stay a night in Honduras (which was AWESOME!)

Yesterday we did prostitute ministry, again.  Wow.  It may have been partially because I was a bit sick, but God really broke my heart.  The last time we did that ministry,  my heart went out to one particular woman who was crying because of the things a man was doing to her in the bar.  But, this time my heart broke for a number of women.  This was the first time that I was severely distraught by what I was witnessing.  There was one girl in each of the bars yesterday that my heart really broke for.  The first one was Carla (who is apparently married to Oscar:  you can see that prostitution is often “just another job”).  I  asked her if she liked where she worked and she said “a little”… Ya right!  In the next bar I met Natalia.  She poured herself out to me and a teammate, and just cried as she said “I hate it here. I want another job so badly!”  She has 3 children, and this is the only way she knows how to support them!  She felt trapped, and wanted a way out.  At the same bar, I watched as a man completely defiled one of the women there.  My anger grew quickly, and I wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face.  At another bar, I met another woman named “Carla.”  This wasn’t her real name… They rarely give out their real names because that’s the only sense of identity they have left.  They essentially make up a “stage name” because their lives are all an act.  She was new there.   She had just arrived on Sunday, actually… Her family was in Honduras, and she knew no one from this area.  Another RED FLAG to tell me she was trafficked.  The women are treated like worthless trash, and I just wanted to be able to do something about it.  But, I couldn’t.  I can’t.  I can pray… But I can’t rescue them.  It was a hard realization.  I know that they deserve so much better…    

On the way out, we met a little boy.  He was probably about 6 or 7 years old, and his name was Jonathan.  He tried to sell us marijuana.   That’s the second time a little child has tried to sell me drugs!  They are trafficked as well.  I even saw his “owner” watching him.  It BREAKS MY HEART.  These precious women, and precious children are forced to live in captivity.  Never knowing freedom.  Never having a sense of self-worth!  How did I get so lucky?  How did I avoid all of this insane torture and degrading lifestyle?  By the grace of God.  Keep praying for these women… Pray for a way out.  Pray for other jobs, and for alternate lifestyle opportunities to emerge.  They need our prayers, and I learned just how powerful prayer really is!

In the World: Yes. Of the World: Never!

I can honestly say that this week has been the most exhausting of all, so far.  I ALMOST stayed home from ministry several times, because I didn’t think my body would be able to withstand the pressures, both physically and mentally.  But, this week was also one of the most rewarding.  We did prostitute ministry 3 different times this week.  I’d like to share a story of how the Lord used ME…

On Saturday, June 25, we had planned to go out at 8:00 pm for prostitute ministry.  Unfortunately, two of our girls were rushed to the hospital, and we didn’t know if we would be able to go anymore.  The rest of our team spent quite a long time in prayer, and really felt that we needed to go out that night, despite the lateness.  Each time we do prostitute ministry, there is a very distinct darkness that we can literally feel.  This time, though, there was a different feeling.  I knew that something was going to happen that night, and that it was critical that I go.  I prayed and prayed and prayed for courage in whatever the Lord was leading me into, and then, ran full force into that darkness.

The first bar we came to, we were unable to get inside.  So, we walked next door and prayed for someone.  At that very moment, several police trucks came rolling in and raided the bar that we had literally JUST tried to enter.  We realized that none of us had proof that we were 18 years old, and that the LORD protected us from that raid.  (This actually happened twice that night!!!)  Anyways, this was the second time that we had gone out to do prostitute ministry, and we had already met several people the first time.  Because we had gone out at a later time, there were many women that were already “working”… But, God had a plan for that.  We came across a man named Oscar, whom my group had met the last time.  This man speaks English very well, and quickly asked our ministry contact to talk to him about God.  He was frantically asking questions about God, but nothing our contact spoke to him seemed to get through.  I was eavesdropping on the conversation and I had a huge urge to just talk to him.  Oscar talked about how he felt that God didn’t love him, and at that point I just couldn’t stay quiet.  I opened my mouth and words came flooding.  I shared a part of my testimony and Oscar really seemed to relate to me.  He admitted that he was drunk at that moment (as if we couldn’t already tell) and that he was drunk 6 out of 7 days each week.  He lived in the bar because he was homeless, but he was hungry for the love of the Father.  I told him that God DOES love him and I was able to pray over him (in my own language that he could understand!!! – Big blessing)… Oscar had a huge potential to be a violent man that night… He was drunk… He was frustrated… and He was angry.  But, fear left me.  The Lord granted me the courage that I had prayed for.

Typically we bring flowers for the prostitutes… But that night we had baked some cookies.  It was another big blessing because that night we talked to more men than we did women!  And what man wants a flower? Haha It was an eye-opener to see that the “prostitute ministry” is a two way street: men and women need to be ministered to.

We spoke to many different men that night, and we were able to bless a lot of lives.  We also met a man named Harry who KNEW that God was keeping him from getting into any of the clubs or bars that night… He was just looking for a little “fun” and something prevented his entry into every place he went.  He saw us across the street, and ran over to talk to us.  He wants to transform his life, and if you could have only seen the joy on his face after realizing that he didn’t NEED to live that way… Oh wow.  It was a blessing just to be a part of that night.

We went out twice after that this week… But during the day!  Apparently a great deal of the girls live in the bars (a sign of trafficking) so we went when they weren’t “working” yet.  It was a chance to really dig into their stories and get to talk with them without the men, loud music, drugs, and alcohol.

We also saw Oscar… NOT DRUNK (yet, at least)… He was walking to the hospital because his ear had been infected and he couldn’t hear.  We prayed over him, but I didn’t get a chance to talk to him very much.  It is interesting to me, though, that his ears were giving him trouble… As he is having a hard time hearing from God.  (I’ve had the EXACT same issue on this very trip!)  I think the Lord has big plans for Oscar… Pray that he will open his heart to the words I have to say to him in future encounters, and to the love that God wants to pour all over him.

God’s using me.  He’s giving me a voice.  And he’s USING that voice for HIS glory.  I’m so blessed to be an instrument in furthering His Kingdom!!!

Culture Shock/ Interesting Facts About Guatemala:

• ·         Beans and Rice… AT LEAST twice a day
• ·         Hot Sugary Rice/Milk for breakfast
• ·         Warm Milk for Cereal
• ·         Toilet Paper Makes Toilets Explode.  Used TP goes in the trash can.
• ·         Laundry in the Pila, then hang dry (And hope you don’t get caught in a storm)
• ·         No AC
• ·         McDonalds has REAL food
• ·         Rain. Everyday.
• ·         Power Outage. Everyday.
• ·         Tap Water = Parasites.
• ·         Electricity is 10 times as expensive as in the USA
• ·         Clothes are spandex… Modesty is NOT their policy.
• ·         Motos and Taxis.
• ·         Honking, Hissing, and Whistling is TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE and IMPOSSIBLE TO ESCAPE. Gross.
• ·         Sweeping/ Mopping at least 3 times a day.
• ·         Eggs for dinner (with rice and bean mush of course)
• ·         HUMID. A constant state of sweat.
• ·         World starts at 5 AM. Loudly. (Did I mention the honking? Haha)
• ·         Kindness.  Legitimately serving others.
• ·         Wild Road Skills. Who cares if you drive on the left side of the road?
• ·         Ormegas. (Ants) – They eat me. A lot. Especially in bed.
• ·         Cold Showers. (But, who really cares? It’s SO dang hot here…)
• ·         Fresh Fruit! YUM! – All Chiquita bananas come from here! J
• ·         Water is NEVER a guarantee.
• ·         Shower pressure = a few drops at a time… Very slowly.
• ·         A pound of bananas = 1Q;  1Q= approximately 14 cents USD.
• ·         Brooms are all purpose.  Use them to sweep, then put a rag over it, and it’s a mop.  Transport it to the bathroom and it’s a shower scrubber.

Out of the ashes we rise...

This week was a very trying and emotional one.  Our ministries were very difficult, but so very rewarding!  On Friday night, we went and did prostitute ministry.  I had never been around anything like that, and honestly I’ve only ever heard stories about the things that I saw.  Walking into bars and clubs was definitely new to me, but in I went.  The women there had an heir about them that I had never experienced before.  Aside from their dress and attitude, I could see a sadness in their faces.  They didn’t WANT to be there… They didn’t WANT to sell their bodies.  They felt as though there was no hope.  Some of them were less than 17, prostituting themselves because they were essentially sex trafficked by their own parents!  Some parents will tell their young daughters that they need them to make money and that they have no other choice.  It’s a sad life.  It’s a life that makes them feel worthless.  We brought each of them a flower, telling them that the flower was beautiful and that they were beautiful.  We tried to convey that the Lord loves them, and that they can find their identity in HIM and not in the men that use and abuse them.

We also visited a dump this week.  It was a very powerful ministry for me personally.  This is where all of the trash from around the area is emptied.  And there are children and families that LIVE in it!  They spend all day in the garbage, rumaging through trash, looking for anything that they can sell to buy food.  The stench of the dump was one that I have never experienced before… Imagine thousands of pounds of trash.  Imagine this trash burning all around you.  Imagine millions of flies and bugs.  Imagine dead carcasses and bones lying all around.  And imagine living in that.  There was a young girl, 17 years old, who is pregnant…. My heart definitely went out to her.  In a few short months she’ll be bringing a baby into this world… A baby that will grow up in trash.  Literally in trash.  A baby that will have no chance at a prosperous future.  A baby that deserves better, but has no choice in the matter.  This young girl needs help!  So a teammate, Nina, and I have decided to try do just that.  We want to get this girl to a doctor, buy her prenatal vitamins, and just try to make the pregnancy as good as possible under the circumstances.  Please pray for her, and for her unborn child.  There’s slim chance that they will ever leave the dump, but prayer is something that changes things.

Emotionally, this week has been very draining.  Seeing such sad and inhumane situations truly affected me… But, knowing that the Lord has a plan has certainly helped me.  While I’m here, I want to help those that are in such terrible circumstances, and maybe with just a small stretch of time, I’ll be able to change a life.

This precious face lives in the Dump.

EVERYWHERE you look.  Pictures  don't do it justice.

Ministry :)

Well this gringa is definitely a sight here in Guatemala!  With my blonde hair, and pale/freckly skin I’m already on show… But it’s like they’ve never seen blue eyes before!  People just come up and stare, it’s hilarious!  (It did help me sell raffle tickets, as well as picking up a few 9 year old boyfriends! Haha) My team was even on the news!!!!

This week has been exhausting, in all honesty.  Constantly doing ministry is something that I’m psyched about, but I didn’t expect it to be so tiring!  Thursdays are my free days, so it’s time to relax and just do stuff that I want to do… Today 5 of my friends met up with a couple of native Guatemalan friends that took us on a LOOOOOONG hike up to an awesome spring!  The cold water was well worth it, but I haven’t ever walked STRAIGHT UP like that .  It was a seriously intense hike, but definitely a memory!  But, before we can have our day off, we have a full week of ministering to the people of Guatemala.

Sunday we went up into the jungle for a church service that we led for the children.  Before it we went door to door to invite people… The folks here are so generous!  At one house (a shack really) we were given an entire bushel of bananas, sugar cane, and mangos!  Another family cut down about 30 coconuts (which are marvelous)… These people have nothing, and yet they give everything!  It’s a trait I wish that the entire world shared…

Yesterday we did a presentation in the school for kids, then we went to the market to sell raffle tickets for a woman who was wrongly accused of robbing a bank, yet still has a huge fine to pay.  After that we went back to the school for another presentation (with different kids:  the school system here is weird)  We also spent some time this week in a children’s hospital and an old folks home.

Exhausting as it’s been, I love it here.  I may be sporting my first Guatemalan sunburn, but I’m so glad to be doing the work of the Lord.  J