Guatemala, August 23-29, 2014

Our last day here.  The excitement that we felt walking into the rooms when the babies recognized us is unexplainable.  We wonder what they will think when we do not show up tomorrow.  That is one of the reasons we cry so hard on leaving.  These babies have felt the love of Christ through our arms each day.

We are so thankful for the Nannies and workers here at Orphan's Heart Guatemala and the love they have in caring for "Our Babies.."  The nannies are dedicated to helping these children gain their strength and health so they can once again go home to their families.  Thank you, too, to our driver Kike; his great driving is only exceeded by his wonderful cooking. Marina was a great blessing, too!  We have been well taken care of and have not had to sacrifice so every day we have energy and motivation to love on and play with these babies.  We all feel so blessed to be able to be a small part of this effort.

We can't adequately express our appreciation to Howie, Olivia and Alejandra for helping us each day, for inspiring us, praying with us, leading us and most of all putting up with us.    Last night's dinner was a typical Guatemalan meal right down to the music.  We dressed in our Guatemala finery and some of us were finer than others.  It was great fun and continued on into the night when the earth shook to say "now you have experienced Guatemala."  A 5.2 quake just off the west coast of Guatemala and believe it or not some of us did not even wake.

The Jade Factory was fun and very informative......did you know there is more than one color of jade?  The jewelry was beautiful, and we were pleased to find out that a percentage of our purchase was donated to Orphan's Heart.  It was a wonderful excuse for the women to purchase more ..... after all it was for a good cause.

As this day comes to a close, we will begin saying our goodbyes to these babies and pray over each one that God will continue to grow them in body and spirit.  We will all want to return one day and see how "our babies" are doing and continue with new ones.  While malnutrition is high for the children of Guatemala, it does not have to continue.  Please pray with us that God's Mercy and Grace will continue and we will show His Love in all nations.

GUATEMALA, August 23-29, 2014

This week our team is made up of folks from Oregon and Florida!

What an Awesome God we serve!  When we see what has been accomplished in His Name here in Guatemala at the Malnutrition Center, we are overwhelmed.  

We are told we are on a Mission Trip to serve in His name taking care of malnourished children, helping nannies complete duties that they take care of every day, loving on children that are less than half the size they should be, and we believe that we are going to be a blessing to them......and we are, but only a fraction of the blessing that we receive!  Our hearts are filled with joy as we watch "babies" get excited on our arrival and to see growth in these children in just one day.  The little things like being able to stand on legs the size of toothpicks because they are now getting the nutrition they deserve.  

The children are  brought to the Malnutrition Center by parents who love them and seek help in making their children well.  Can you imagine how hard it must be to admit that you cannot provide sustenance for your children and leave them for someone else to care for?  Most parents do come to see their babies once a week, and when they see what is being done in the name of Christ they can't help but appreciate it.  

These children go home once they have reached a standard of reasonable health; and to make sure they will not have a relapse, Orphan's Heart has initiated a plan of support.  Just $35 a month will take care of continued care for each child including monthly check-ups.  There is no other help for these children....no food stamps, no welfare....just your help in completing the Great Commission.  These children learn of God's love through our willingness to be His Hands.  

Another blessing we receive this week is enlarging our family.  Loving, laughing, shopping, eating and praying together draws us closer together and allows us to learn more about each other and really becoming brothers and sisters in Christ.  From the ones on their first mission trip to the one on her 17th mission trip, we are changed and know it will not be our last.  We serve because we received the Greatest Gift ever offered, and it is our joy and responsibility as Children of The King to share.

Guatemala FBC Plant City and FBCH Youth

Sunday

Today marked the start of our work here in Guatemala with the Orphans’ Heart Malnutrition Center.  Following a delicious breakfast (cooked by perennial favorites Art and Ilvie) Jennifer Ruble (LaBelle, FL) shared with us from I Kings about God’s faithfulness to a discouraged Elijah, encouraging us to trust whatever it is that God has to show us this week, strengthening us with whatever He chooses (like a raven) when we are weak and crying out.   As we loaded the bus, it was so fitting that Lynn Hauser’s t-shirt had Joshua 1:9 on it—the exact same scripture referenced also referenced in today’s devotion. 

Sightseeing was the agenda for today before we begin actual work with the children tomorrow.  We stopped first at the R. Dalton Coffee Plantation outside of Antigua, with three groups split into horseback riding, zip-lining and a coffee plantation tour.  By the end of the tour (my group) when we finally were seated for a fresh cup of joe, I was truly questioning whether I had ever actually had an incredible fresh and flavorful cup of coffee before.  Thank you, Barrista Roberto, for a wonderful first day in Guatemala. Mariana, the malnutrition's new administrator, joined us for our excursion and even zip-lined... well kind-of.  She zipped the first line but refused to return on the second line and had to be escorted back to the other side on a tandem zip with one of the workers, screaming and holding on for her dear life!   Mariana gave us all a great laugh.

After lunch at quite possibly the worlds finest McDonald’s (15th century-like architecture bursting with colorful bougainvillea nestled in the heart of the Sierra Madre), we toured more landmarks and ancient ruins.  And then we finished our adventure at the market, bartering for local goods of fine quality.  Kudos to Thea (Tallahassee) for the best deal of the day—a Walmart $5 watch traded for multiple, high-end items—to the envy of all.

So here’s to Sunday and the high standard it set for us.  We are ready for this week and ready to meet us with whatever God chooses.  

Check back tomorrow for pictures!

Guatemala Family Mission Trip July 19-25, 2014

Monday

Our new crew arrived today, and we have already fallen in love with the beautiful kids!  We have a great team this week that come from Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, and Puerto Rico.

“So encouraged by how amazing the babies look.  FBCH has REALLY come a long way, baby!  Jose is my “non-favorite”!

“I like how the older children come and sing to the bunnies + chicks because 1) The older children know great ‘Jesus songs’, and 2) The little children enjoy hearing them sing!”

“Holding each of these beautiful babies make me feel that my life is worthwhile!”

“The twins, Veronica and Miriam, wanted to be held this morning.  They are precious!  They had to leave today and they cried and stretched their arms out to us.  I pray safety and health for them.  I cry now thinking of them and missing them.”

“Looking into these eyes I see the beauty of the Lord’s creation, and very quickly remember that we are all God’s children…not one of us is loved more or less than another.  I then realized that we do these things not because of our love for Christ, but because of his love for us.”

Guatemala July 5th- July 11th, 2014

Kathleen Baptist Church, FBC Leesburg, FBC Labelle & Friends

Day 1&2:

Welcome to the Orphan’s Heart blog. Whether this is your first time here or you’re a regular to the site, we pray that what God is doing in our lives and in the lives of these children and women is a true testament of His unfailing love for us.

As usual day one and two consisted of our teams arriving in the beautiful country of Guatemala and taking the nearly one hour bus ride to Antigua where we will stay each night as we travel back and forth to the Malnutrition Center. Our team of 55 consists of groups and individuals from all over Florida such as: Labelle, Tallahassee, Bartow, Lakeland, Eustis, Wauchula, Leesburg, and even a few ladies from Kentucky and New York. We’ve already had the opportunity to see the city, go to the market, zip line, tour the coffee fields, take a mule ride and even ride in the local tuc-tuc’s. Our planning began last night as we broke up into teams based on which group we would be serving with throughout the week... Discussing crafts, Bible Studies, music, rules for the center and praying for our week.

While the rest of our blog will most definitely include stories, pictures and updates of not only your family and friends but of course the adorable kiddos of the center, we’ll also hope to share more about the men and women who help make this entire operation run so incredibly smooth.

As you read about the children and workers here at the center we encourage you to lift each of them, and their families, up in prayer. This week, our hope as a team is that the workers in particular know what a vital role they each play in serving at the center. God has placed them in the center for a purpose. May they always know and even hear from the teams that they are appreciated, they are important, they are loved and that we, their brothers and sisters in Christ, are praying for them.

Guatemala June 28th- July 4th, 2014

First Baptist Church Aurantia & First Baptist Church of Naples

Day 1:

Our first full day in Guatemala was a “fun day”. Even though it was an amazing day of sightseeing and adventure it was also a great day to get familiar with the local culture. The people are friendly and generous. We were truly blessed by our experience.

Our group went to the Filadelfia Coffee Resort in Antigua. Some of the group participated in the zip line adventure...  

...while the others took a mule tour of the plantation.

Afterward we had lunch at a restaurant in Antigua and went to the local market for some shopping.

Our final stop of the day was at a mountain top park that overlooked the city.

After a great day of fun we are now ready to begin work at the Center!

Guatemala June 14th-20th, 2014

Women of Compassion & Springdale Community Church

Day 1 and Day 2: 

(From the perspective of Hannah, age 19)

Starting the trip off early, as in 3:45 am early, I who had never been on any sort of mission trip did not know what to expect. Fortunately this trip consists of a few pros, so I haven’t had to worry about anything pertaining to travel. Even though I did not know what to expect from this trip, I knew it had to be awesome since Cathryn, a 10-year old from Lakeland Christian, started a business of making bracelets with her friends to help raise money for the Malnutrition Center in San Juan. She was so passionate about this mission trip that after she came here the first time, she desired to do more for the Center. I feel honored to go on this trip with people who have left parts of their hearts down here in Guatemala. Today Cathryn was able to give all she and her friends raised to the Orphan’s Heart staff here in Guatemala.

We started off the trip with a slight flight delay, but I did not consider that bad, because if it weren't for that delay I would have never met a girl named Emily. She sat next to me for a while at the airport gate and was also heading to Guatemala for a different mission trip. Even though we weren't going to the same place it was an awesome experience to meet a fellow sister in Christ who had a similar passion as mine to serve our Lord, Jesus Christ. A WOW moment, indeed. After finally boarding our flight from Florida we met up with the other half of our team from Kentucky in Guatemala City, where we entered into a completely different culture. Strangely enough, my friend Josh and I agreed we felt at home. We ate at Pollo Campero and thankfully had Samuel to help us translate our food orders. Even with Samuel translating I still tried to speak to the people of Guatemala in Spanish….it wasn't pretty.

This inability to speak Spanish brings me into telling you of our next day in the beautiful city of Antigua. We woke up, went to breakfast, had an hour of amazing worship and headed straight to the the Filadelphia Coffee Plantation, a coffee plantation that has zip-lining and horseback riding. People could either tour the grounds by horse or by foot with a guide, or go zip-lining. The majority of the group chose to zip-line while a few chose to sit, relax, and bond with one another over freshly brewed coffee. Yum. I chose to zip line which was SO fun and thrilling. The reason this all ties into my poor Spanish speaking skills is because we had an encounter with a few girls who were working near the zip-line course. I was watching them and realized they didn't speak any English and were watching us too. I thought trying to interact with these girls was a perfect opportunity to practice my Spanish and show God’s love. However, while my intentions were good, when walking over I meant to greet them and ask “Como te llama?” ("What is your name?") but accidentally said “Te amo” which means, "I love you" (in a husband to wife kind of way.) Oops. WOW. 

Told you it wasn't pretty. I tried to recover, but the damage was done my friends. At least everyone laughed…right?

Afterwards the group met up with Alejandra and Olivia, our Orphan's Heart Guatemala staff . These two women are absolutely wonderful. They both have such fun, hilarious, and genuinely sweet personalities. You can tell that they enjoy helping the volunteers, as well as the children, at the Malnutrition Center. It was amazing to see their excitement for our group to come and help. They gladly took our group to the ruins of an old cathedral where I watched as everyone really began to bond. We talked and laughed. After this we went to a beautiful market in Antigua. It was amazing to see what the people of Guatemala had made and were selling for very good prices. We weren't there for too long but it was so enjoyable and, yet again, a great way to work on our Spanish speaking skills. 

Once arriving back to the hotel our group gathered to go over rules of the Malnutrition Center. Everyone was assigned to their age groups (I got Bunnies!) and could sense that everyone was ready to get to the Center.  This is when the nerves started to kick in. This is when God said “wake up”. So far the trip has been a total vacation: a beautiful city, wonderful coffee, great food, zip-lining…endless fun! It isn't that working at the Center won't be fun, I have full confidence it will be. But there we will see children who have great needs. Needs that most Americans see as entitlements. These children are in desperate need for love, compassion, and nourishment. While this trip has been amazing and I am so thankful for the memories already created, I cannot describe how excited I am to be serving The Lord, and the people of Guatemala, with the group I am with.