Our time here in Guatemala is over. We are all leaving changed people. Today a few of us were asked to take the children to the health clinic for immunizations. Thirty of us packed into a small van and went to the local health department. Several of us had two children in our arms. This is the only time the children leave the center during their stay, so the ones that have been before find this a very dramatic occasion.
Today we were all heavy hearted knowing this was our last day. All of the ones that were supposed to be doing maintenance or working in the kitchen were drawn to the children. Our men where all walking around with one or two babies in their arms singing and praying for their child. They would stop and change a diaper or feed them.
The singing in the hallway sounded like an angelic choir. There were 28 people from Highland Baptist in our group. When we came together for this trip some of us barely knew each other. We all serve in different areas in the church but we are returning home as a team. Our hearts have all been broken and we will never be the same. We represent 10% of our Sunday morning congregation and now we feel like a close knit family. We took several of the teens on this trip, now they will be returning home as young missionaries,
Each day when we got to the center little hands flew up in the air and their little eyes connected with our hearts and it seemed they were saying "pick me, hold me, I am so scared, I miss my momma.” I was told that when a mother travels far to the malnutrition center and gives up her child to be taken care for however long it takes she leaves crying and broken because she cannot do the one thing a mother should do, take care of her precious baby. I was also told that when a child becomes strong enough for his family to take him home the workers gather together and cry with broken hearts. Today our entire group gathered together and cried with broken hearts, we could hardly find words to comfort one another we tried to sing, and tell the funny stories but it was so hard.
Father God, each one of us answered the call when you asked who will go? Now we feel this is only the beginning of what you would have us do. I heard some in our group say they had been on many mission trips even spent years serving God's call to missions, but this trip, with these beautiful babies with swollen little tummies fighting hard to survive without their families are loved beyond a shadow of a doubt by you. Thank you for using my arms and hands to wrap them up with your love.
This week a little boy named Marvin died in the arms of his family as they were trying to make it to the center for formula to make him strong enough so he could have surgery for a cleft pallet. The need is so great I saw how busy everyone was each day except for a few minutes at lunch. Most never even stopped for a break and no one wanted to leave. How can these workers take care of so many little one? Please continue to pray for the ministry of the Florida Baptist Children’s Home........
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