“Big Blessings in Small Packages”
Today was our first day out at the Malnutrition Center!
After breakfast, we had a devotion time at the hotel, and guess what Scripture
God had laid on Donna’s heart to share? The Scripture from yesterday’s blog
from 1 John 4! What an encouragement and reminder that God is always present
and so graciously allows us to see from time to time just a glimpse of the
beautiful tapestry He is constantly weaving in us, through us, and around us.
We left Antigua at about 8:00am to start the one-hour trek
to San Juan, Sacatepequez.
This winding drive is very similar to the mountain driving in North Carolina,
if you have experienced that before. Not exactly fun for anyone with motion
sickness issues! Upon
arrival, we received a tour of the facilities. We saw the children’s rooms,
play areas, kitchen, laundry room, and worker’s areas. Then we got right to
work! Or more accurately, we got right to play!
Donna, Brenda, and Doris worked with the “Canaries” aka the
bed babies. There are about 23 of them, so one can imagine how much food and
how many diapers they go through! Paula and Flo worked with the “Bunnies” aka
the 1-2 yr-olds. There are 11 in this group. Karen and Lauren worked with the
“Chicks” aka the 2-3 yr-olds. There are also 11 in this group. These children
are truly beautiful! Their smiles and laughter light up the Center, and it is a
joy to work with them. It has only been one day, and already they are stealing
our hearts. Burney and Jim did maintenance and painting around the center –
tasks that probably would not get done without volunteers like them.
Our team has been so blessed by our translators, Olivia and
Alejandra. These two young women are hired by Orphan’s Heart to assist with the
visiting teams. We met them on Sunday when they helped us with lunch at
McDonald’s and shopping at one of the local markets. Their language expertise
and relationships with those around us are invaluable! They eat with us and
work side-by-side with us at the Center, all while juggling graduate programs
and other responsibilities. The children adore them, and they have such a
caring heart for this work.
Please be praying for the health and strength of our team.
We stay very busy, and are constantly in contact with some children who are
sick. Pray for the children, that they would grow and get stronger quickly and
not have to stay at the shelter very long. Please pray for their families, that
they become educated on nutrition and are able to provide this long after the
child leaves the Center. This not only prevents children from returning to the
shelter, but also helps the entire family and community where they live. Pray
that word will spread about this Center, so that more children and families can
be helped. Please pray for the staff at the Center who work very hard in
sometimes difficult conditions. Pray that the needs, both big and small, of
this Center would be met. Pray that the community of San Juan, the region, and
entire country would be touched by this ministry. And above all, please pray
that the people of Guatemala see God’s love through this ministry and come to
know Christ! Also pray for the ministry of Orphan’s Heart, for its leadership,
staff, needs, direction, and future.
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