eXchange

It’s late Friday night and we are tired.  Packing and then some sleep before a 5:30 breakfast.  I will get all the pictures up on Flickr sometime in the next few days.

See you soon!

—Scot

It has been a long and wonderful day in Guatemala.  We started this morning with our last visit with the boys at San Gabriel.  We taught a lesson on self-control, our last session of teaching the boys some truth about God and his will for their daily lives.  We gave them much needed T-shirts, deodorant, and school supplies, as well as the ever popular candy, and then we played. As Scot and Jack tell it, they “schooled” Walter (the semi-professional soccer player) in a game of “football”…that might not be what really happened. Josue wrote me a letter about how he loved me and thanked God for letting me come visit this week.  The special needs boys softened and settled closer to Jennifer and Amber on this last day.  It was hard to leave them, not sure when we’ll be back, but we were able to honestly say, “we’ll be back as soon as we can.”  You can’t help but leave part of your heart with them, especially when your heart breaks into a dozen pieces with a letter, a “gracias”, or a hug that won’t let go.  Yesterday, Josue gave Scot and me bracelets he made.  Walter gave me a photo of himself, apologizing that he didn’t have more to give.  Talk about the “widow’s mite”.  It was incredibly humbling to be in their presence this week.

Our afternoon included a visit to the baby home, and it was wonderful to see the children we saw in August growing bigger and more healthy.  We played outside, blew bubbles, laughed, and gave them gifts.  We shared more of the blankets we made at the Chix retreat in January.  Abby, the director, was very appreciative, but Juan Pablo’s shout as we left was priceless: “Thank you for the blanket so I won’t be cold.”

We ended our day with attending a party for Mirna, one of the girls at the Transitional Home (where we visited on Sunday).  She invited us to her graduation party, as she is finally graduating from chef’s school.  As we were at the party, watching the girls dance (and being dragged onto the dance floor ourselves), talking with the Buckner staff, we realized what a big deal it is for Mirna to be an orphan who has become a professional.  It was explained to us that it is because of groups like ours, individuals who have come to know her and feed blessings and health into her life, that she has been able to accomplish this huge goal in the life of an orphan.  Imagine the hope that gives the other girls in the home!  We were witness to a milestone in Mirna’s life, but also the lives and futures of orphans in Guatemala.

We are exhausted and still processing all that has happened this week.  It has been wonderful to build on our previous visit, adding layers of texture and meaning to the relationships we started 6 months ago.  We end our day praying for the boys and girls we met this week, for their futures, knowing that as much as we love them, God loves them more.

– Jody

Today we started our day by visiting a community home in Guatemala City where single-parent families can find quality day care for a reasonable price.  Upon arrival, our group was quickly met with squeals of joy and laughter  from the preschoolers.  In no time at all, kids were up on the shoulders of several members of our team while others were being pushed on the swings.  Jack was especially blessed through the anointing on his shoulder from one of the children.  Scot and I spent most of the morning being the prisoners of a three-foot tall cowboy wearing Jay’s hat and wielding a jump rope.  I can’t think of a better way to spend the day.  We finished our time with some coloring, some bubbles and some wonderful singing by the children.  It was a very different atmosphere than San Gabriel but still a place very much full of God’s love.

After lunch at the mall, we returned to San Gabriel as the boys were finishing up school for the day.  Before heading inside the compound, we were able to tour the school that the boys attend in the morning.  The school was incredibly small with a scant amount of classrooms.  We walked into one classroom just in time to be serenaded by one of the boys playing his guitar.   The music teacher at the school gives workshops in the afternoon in addition to the instruction they receive in the morning.  After the tour, we were quickly escorted by the boys out to their soccer field where a game was in progress.  Strangely, the area by the soccer field was also the designated trash area….and it was everywhere.  Because they do not have regular trash service, the only way to dispose of it is to burn it.  So our view of the game was blurred by the haze of smoke. 

Sadly, several of the boys were gone again today but each group had good conversations with the ones that remained.  Today we talked about compassion and how it could be applied to life inside the walls of San Gabriel.  Some shared about how devoid of compassion their lives have been while others expressed a desire to be examples to their fellows.  It was another amazing day of love and laughter.  The boys painted pictures during craft time and once again seemed thrilled to have the opportunity to express themselves through art.  After leaving them this afternoon, the team has begun to process the idea that tomorrow will be our last day with the boys.  It is a heartbreaking thought and one that came with many tears this evening.  Amanda shared with us this evening that some of the boys asked for prayers that they not be forgotten.  I know I speak for our team when I say that will never be possible for those of us who have been blessed enough to be in their presence. 

 – Jen

Today was another beautiful day at San Gabriel, the boys’ home.  We had the opportunity to help the care workers again, moving approximately 1000 lbs of flour, sugar, and other ingredients for the bakery; helping fold clothes in the laundry, and sorting beans and chopping some mystery vegetable which looks like stubby zucchini.  We laughed so hard in the kitchen as the ladies in the kitchen quickly developed a crush on Jack…some things are evident despite the language barrier.

Our time with the boys today was rich with conversation about patience with the hardships in their lives, situations I can barely wrap my brain around.  They were open to hearing what God would have for them and the prayers we offered up on their behalf.  Our play time included crafts (some of them are tremendously creative), frisbee and soccer, sidewalk chalk, and other fun things.

The thin places sneak up on you.  By thin places, we mean times when it seems that heaven and earth are very close, when you are certain that you are in the presence of God, doing what he would ask of you.  That happened to me today laying on dirty concrete with Dani tracing an outline of my body with pink chalk.  I looked up at the sky through the trees watching the clouds roll by with Dani drawing my body, thinking that God was really close and this  was an unlikely holy place.

Tomorrow is more time at San Gabriel and a visit to the community home to love on the little ones. I think Jack is hoping for another trip to San Gabriel’s kitchen. –Jody

Today the team returned to San Gabriel,the boys’ orphanage, for the first time since we left the boys in August 2006.  We were excited and apprehensive; wondering who we would recognize…would Thomas be there?  How about “Rod Stewart” (aka, Eduardo)?  We pulled up this morning, walked through the big iron door, and were pleasantly surprised to find physical improvements since we were there last.  Those cosmetic improvements paled in comparison to watching Eduardo walk up to Jen,bury his head in her neck, hold on tight for full minutes,and walk away choked up.  I was interested to see who I’d recognize…I didn’t count on so many of them remembering us.

We had a great day talking with the boys about forgiveness, playing frisbee and soccer, working on our Spanish, sharing hugs and kisses.  We had fun together as a team,building great memories, laughing and telling “remember when” stories.  Amber and Jen had an amazing time of prayer with their group; Scot has an appointment to get whooped at soccer later this week; everyone on the team had some divine appointment with someone today.

We bring toys and candy for the boys, we buy them treats to eat, and we donate money to their living space and programs, but all of those things are mere tools to get to the real purpose for our visit: to love on these boys with the love of God.  To build relationships with these boys one hug, one smile at a time.  To let them know that we love them so much we want to come back and see them again, and we haven’t stopped thinking about them since we first met.

—- Jody

We spent today with a group of girls who are in a transitional girls home.  They are orphans and have been placed in a transitional home while they finish school and get out on their own.  We went to church with them this morning, had lunch, went bowliing, had ice cream,a nd toured their home.  Just before leaving we gave them blankets from the Chix ministry.  They each thanked us for the day we had spent with them.  It was very cool.

We arrived in Guatemala City around 7:30.  After a ride to the hotel, check in, dinner, and prayer, we are unpacking and calling it a (long) day.  Tomorrow we are to worship at a local church and hit a transitional home for girls as well as some other ministry.  We will keep you updated. 

Thanks for the prayers!!

Scot

7/8ths of the exchange Guat team. Loaded and ready for Indy.

Thanks to Jeff Gormong for the 1st class shuttle to Indy. You da man.

Jeff dropped us at the airport, unloaded the luggage, looked at the team and said “Make his name famous.” Man, I love this community of people. They know what it is all about.

Jack and I are the only new team members this year, so we have a ton of questions. Between the two of us we speak no Spanish. None. El-zero. Two white guys in Guatemala who speak no English. Yea, I’m sure we will blend right into the culture.

Oh, Buckner missions (the group we are working with) asked us to wear these swell blue shirts. We are telling everyone we are with the Buckner Family Reunion. We have elected Jack as Big Daddy Buckner.

Seriously, I have a feeling my world is about to get rocked.

Jen (the last member to join us), Amber, and Amand filling the role of eye candy for passengers.

Wrapping up some last minute details at home and I am taking off.  Very last minute, I need to leave in 10 minutes.  I have a feeling we are heading into some frustrating and demanding thin places.  I have very little idea of what it will be like this week.  I have been praying that God would open up some clear places for exchange to invest in long term.  Maybe this is such a place, maybe not.  Either way, my prayer is that God would be a little more famous in Guatemala and in our personal lives this week.

Godspeed.

Tonight I was with some of my traveling companions and other great friends for a time of prayer before we leave on Saturday. We talked a bit about how stressful and hectic this week has been for those of us who are going to Guatemala. It seems as if we’re running up against obstacles thrown down by the enemy to distract us from our mission, to keep us from being as effective and focused as we could be. That makes sense.

We came back changed last time. Changed by God grabbing us by our hearts and burning into them his passion. We experienced things we’ve only read about in theory, and while you forget what you read or hear about second hand, you don’t as easily forget your own experiences. We witnessed God on the move, alive and breathing new life into us and into an impoverished people in a third world country.

I remember one of those moments at San Gabriel. We were there for 3 days. The first day was awesome; the second day was horrible. The boys were fighting, disrespectful, angry. There was a general feeling, a spirit, of despair and anger. We prayed that night for the binding of those dark forces and for a release of God’s peace over that orphanage. When we arrived the third day, the boys were lined up in their groups, they carried our bags, they wanted hugs and were ready with smiles. God bound Satan again, smoothed our path, worked in the lives of everyone present on that day.

I pray that God would smooth our path, shine a light to guide us, protect us from harm and anxiety, change our hearts to better reflect his character. I pray that he starts tonight, before we even enter Guatemala.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Ephesians 6:12