Reflections: Mission of Hope

Kelly has been kind enough to send us all a brief set of thoughts after she returned from Guatemala. Please email me your reflections and I will post them (if you want me to. Enjoy:

Good morning Team Guatemala!

Hard to imagine that just a week ago we were hanging our first sheets of plastic and preparing activities and lunch for our first comedor lunch! I trust all made it home safely to families and friends that were so glad to see them and hear all about the trip! I know I was really glad to see my girls but looking at Zoë everyday reminds me so much of all we saw, did, and experienced in Chiquimula Guatemala.

Thank you for being such a wonderful, service oriented group. You all were a total blast to travel with and the things we accomplished were only because we were united in the love of Christ to do His work. All the praise to Him!

Pastor Barry has asked me to prepare 10 slides and talk a bit briefly about our trip. If anyone wants to share something at the three services this weekend, by all means please let me know. I would love it if we could wear our Guatemala Mission t-shirts -- if for no other reason than to provide me some comfort and solidarity by seeing you all in the audience:-)

The box that right now contains all the stuff we didn't have room for will be picked up on Friday, July 25th. If anyone has any small items to include, such as photos, jewelry that didn't make it to Carla last Sunday or anything like that, let me know and make plans to drop it off at my house before Friday. I will be out of town on business on July 22-23 but someone will be here during the day so feel free to drop in. It would be great if we could send a book to Carla of her photos from her party and any individual photos you took with the kids that you would like Myra to give to them, that would be awesome!

We will be planning a picnic for the Guatemala team and their families before the summer ends to continue our fellowship -- more details and potential dates to follow.

You all did an amazing job in Guatemala! Thanks for your love and support of the people there. Your blessings on them -- from Myra and her staff to the poorest of the poor -- were truly God working through each and every one of you.

Going forward, I would like to gather any volunteers who are interested in fundraising, soliciting corporate donors, finding more church partners, working on grants, etc. for the school/comedor building. This is a big step but it is so needed in that area. Imagine how many more children that could go to school if a school was standing and operational? We are looking to raise about $75K. Just email if you are interested and we will work together over the next 4-5 months to see what God wishes to accomplish though us for this school.

As a reminder for some of you that were interested in helping individual families, the cost of the Lorena stove is about $125 USD and the latrine is about $325-$340. These are basic needs of most all the families we visited and/or saw during our time in Guatemala. As the holidays approach, you might consider these as gifts in someone else's name or working with a couple families to raise the money for these items. Any monetary donation should be sent to WMOTW (watchmen on the walls ministries) at 3415 Fallstaff Road, Baltimore, MD 21215. Make sure to indicate on the check memo line what or who the money is to go for/to. Myra also has payment option through PayPal. Any donation is tax deductible and Myra sends out tax receipts at the beginning of the year.

I miss serving with you all but I miss breakfast with you all the most I think because it was our quiet morning time to share God's word and reflect on how His word is changing and has changed each of us. I encourage you to continue being in His word and consider a day or time of fasting to remember all we have and how much others -- Marcos, Lester, Sarita, Javier, etc. -- don't have.

Keep walking in your faith and thank you again for a truly life changing experience,
Love to all,
Kelly

P.S. Please don't forget to upload your pictures to Kodak Easy Share Gallery so we can all view and download/print those that we wish to have and share with others.

Update on Marco

See the note from Myra below on Marco's status:

Subject: update on Marco Tulio

He is okay. He was sent home today (Wednesday). He came by and I gave him the shirt and ball from Mike. he said the bag of oranges he had across his back saved his life but we know it was God. He has a big knot on the forhead and a few scraps and bruises but otherwiise looks good. I took a photo but can't find it. Go figger.

Alicia is rejoicing. He needed some medication and I used the money that Emily gave me this morning and it was exactly what I needed to get his presciption filled.

He said thank you. Please pray that he will rest.

Angel said to tell everyone he missed ou all...me too.

Love Myra

More Pictures from Day 6

Enjoy (and don't forget to pray for the safe return of the team - they are traveling today):

Day 6 Update

A final update from Guatemala from Kelly:

Hi Mark,
We have just finished our debrief with Myra after a traditional dinner of empanadas - YUM! We are emotionally exhausted I believe it is fair to say -- we've learned so much about Myra and ministry here, the people, each other, and of course, how God has worked with us and through us. This trip was incredible in so many ways and we again thank everyone for their support and prayers. None of us would be here working in Chiquimula Guatemala without the love and support of the husbands, grandparents, and friends and other family members that are holding it all together while we are here! Thanks so very very much!

Today was a perfect end to a week of hard work here in Chiquimula. We started this morning around 8:30 am up the mountain by bus where we were to deliver blankets, graciously donated by the Power Up kids (grades 1-5 at PVC), to the families and to cover five other houses in plastic. We also visited the house of Graciela who was the recipient of a latrine for her family. It was really hot and sunny today so we were anxious to get started with the very physical task of ripping out old plastic and replacing the new. She lives with her husband and four children and mother in law and a few other family members outside of Chiquimula. Interestingly, all the families on this mountain wanted us to leave the plastic so that they could put it up later. We were happy to comply with their wishes but we wondered if word of our workmanship had somehow spread to this mountain (hehehehehe). The pride these people have for their homes and the dignity that comes with doing something yourself is so evident and so important to these people, just as it is for us--whether you have a mansion or a home made of plastic -- it is still your home. We walk along the river at one point and all around are mountains that are just breathtaking. It is rainy season so the vegetation is lush, abundant, and the farm animals with their ribs showing are finally getting some grass to eat. We finish delivering all the plastic and begin our walk back to Myra's to get ready for visiting the Songs of Joy home for children. The home, or hogar, is not really an orphanage because the kids here all have parents but they have been abandoned or placed there for their safety. We load up a huge bag of basketballs, jump ropes, frisbees, balls, parachutes and bean bag games and head out to the hogar. We are welcomed by Betty who is the acting "manager" while the administrators of the hogar, who are missionaries from the U.S., are away. Betty first takes us on a tour of the facility -- it is a very clean and beautiful home. The children range in age from infants to 17 years and the hogar includes sleeping quarters, a huge kitchen and dining area, pool, basketball court and a primary school. We could not get over how beautiful it was--but this is not the norm for a children's home in Guatemala. After our tour, we asked all the kids to come play. About 60 kids came flying over to see what we had brought and all of sudden, balls of all shapes and sizes--along with frisbees, were flying in the air. Girls took turns jumping rope and playing with the parachutes. The kids were so loving and it took no time at all for them to warm up to us. I turned around at one point after dodging three flying frisbees and at least 4 members of our group were holding kids and tickling them, making them laugh so much! Everyone had a wonderful time!

We reflected tonight on our experience here -- so many emotions it is hard to express in words! We are blessed to have had the opportunity to serve here--to learn and interact with a field missionary and to serve from hundreds of people literally from her garage. We have given much, but feel we are taking so much more with us. We forged relationships with Myra, with the kids and their families, and with each other. Above all, each of us as individuals have experienced a deepening relationship with the Lord our Savior. It is bittersweet leaving--there is much to do -- sometimes it is overwhelming to think of the needs that need to be met. But we long to see our families and God will provide further opportunity for us to serve this ministry here in Chiquimula.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we travel home on Wednesday. Peace and Blessings,
Kelly

Pictures from Day 6

One more:

Day 6 Update

From Kelly again, please read and pray:

Hey Mark,
...
here is some important info for the blog--we need a lot of prayer right now for a little boy, Marcos, who lives directly up the hill from Myra's. He got hit by a car yesterday on the road outside of Myra's house and is in critical condition. The driver that hit him drove away. Marcos has been following us all week and went to the pool with us. At first he was very shy but really warmed up to all of us and his mom is really worried that he will die. Please ask everyone in the church and anyone reading the blog to take a few minutes this morning to pray for Marcos.
We are heading out the door for a very long day repairing houses and visiting the children's home. Will write again later tonight
I've attached two photos of Marcos.
thanks Mark,
Peace and Blessings,
Kelly

Pictures from Day 5!

Here are some pictures from Day 5 - please see the previous post, or the context won't be as clear as it could be:

Day 5 Update

Here's the latest from Kelly:

Hi Mark,
We are all going out to lunch in Chiquimula so i thought i would email the events of this morning now.
...

Sunday - This has been a very emotional morning for all of us in many different ways. We are exhausted and it's only 11:30 am here! I believe it is because we all realize that such little things that we take for granted, like a birthday party, are so uncommon here and many kids' birthdays come and go just like any other day. But............not today for Carla, a young lady who celebrated her 15th birthday which is a huge deal here in Guatemala and in the latino/hispanic culture. We likened it to a young woman's first prom or even a very small wedding, but it really is something very special to celebrate. Carla arrived before 8 am this morning. From our generous donations and fundraising activities, our group paid for her skirt, blouse, shoes, and the very traditional and special ring that a girl of 15 receives from her family. We also brought a big bag full of special gifts for her--makeup, hair adornments, body wash, a journal, jewelry. Carla appeared before us from upstairs as beautiful as she could be in her new clothes, makeup and special hair do. There were very few dry eyes from our group--it was as though we were watching our daughter in this very traditional and special event. Our group also made a three tiered yellow cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. We had some issues with the cake not cooperating but with the expert help of our team, we patched it up with frosting--no one complains about too much frosting, right??
About 100 people came for the birthday party and gospel message this morning. Carla was presented to everyone and Francisco, a new pastor to Chiquimula, came to give the gospel message. He spoke about how you can do anything with Christ -- that Jesus will help you with all your problems, small to very big. He spoke of God's love for all of us and that God is perfect and shows perfect love! It was very moving. Finally it came time for Carla's family to present to her the special ring. Both her mother and father and siblings attended. She was overwhelmed with joy! We sang songs (well, the people attending the church service sang songs) and then presented Carla with a prayer. We told her that God should be number one in her heart and that he will love her for her entire life. Then Carla stood up and thanked her parents and when she turned to our group, well, let's just say that tears of joy were flowing freely from our entire group, Carla and our translator, Aimee. You could feel the Lord in the presence of this church service and birthday celebration. IT was so awesome. We served cake to everyone and then sang "How Great is our God" to the people. I think that while they didn't understand english, they got the message. The gift of song and God's love transcends all language.
Thank you all again for your prayers -- they are so encouraging and we are very grateful!
Peace and Blessings

Pictures from Day 4!

Here are some pictures from Mike Jenkins for day 4 (remember, for full-size pictures, click on the link):

Day 4 Update

Another great update from Kelly:

Hey Mark,
We are all doing great! Had one minor injury today with Gus Malone -- he fell at the pool and busted his knee and had to get 5 staples. The doctor is a Christian and loves to help missionaries and so he fixed him right up and sent him back. They were back at Myra's before we got back to her house. Not like an emergency room visit to PWC hospital! anyway, here's an update and Michael Jenkins will send photos later tonight. we are having storms right now.
take care,
Peace and Blessings -- and thanks again for all the prayers!
Kelly

Saturday - Today was an awesome day! At 8 AM the kids were lined up in Myra's garage ready for bathing suits and ready for the all day fun fair and pool day! First we distributed bathing suits to the kids and then started the 1/2 mile + walk down the highway, across the bridge and to the government operated pool. Walking down this highway with 70 kids was a real trip -- literally a road like Rt 66. We were all nervous about managing so many children but it worked out fine. Once at the pool, the children received a gospel lesson while we set up 10 different activities and games -- face painting, bean bag toss, t-shirt decorating, beaded jewelry, water races, basketball, frisbees, beaded bandanas, ring toss, and a host of other activities. The kids loved everything!! The joy in their faces was priceless and worth every ounce of our work to get there and get all the games and activities organized. We did these activities for a couple hours. It was so incredibly hot that so we all headed for the pool. This pool was so nice -- two slides, deep end, shallow end and the biggest "baby" pool we'd ever seen. The kids laughed, jumped, splashed, ran (the whistles would be going crazy at Piedmont and Dominion Valley) and swam until lunch time. We ate lunch of black bean sandwiches, and nutella and jelly (yum!) and then headed back to the pool. We spent all afternoon (yes, we are much closer to the equator here so we have a lot of burned bodies!) in the pool having a ball! Games, splashing, picking up kids and throwing them, and all the time, they just wanted to be with us and experience our love and attention -- which we were more than happy to give in abundance. Our hearts were weary as we thought about what the kids experienced today knowing that tonight, they will be sleeping on dirt floors in a terrible storm that we are experiencing. But, they remain happy. God provides, God is good, God is faithful. Knowing this, we can sleep well tonight preparing for another day with the beautiful people in Chiquimula.

More Day 3 Pictures!

Here are a bunch more from Day 3. If you'd like to download the full-size picture, click on the picture and download from Picasa. Enjoy!

Pictures of Day 3!

See below:

Day 3 Update

Another Update from Kelly:

Day 3 - Friday
In the early morning, 9 of us set out to repair two homes on the mountain. These homes are made of plastic and corrugated steel -- the plastic was so dry rotted and ripped that any weather events would leak on the families there. in the winter, temperatures in the mountains can go as low as 40 degrees F. We removed the filthy plastic, coated with soot and dirt from their cooking fires which they keep inside. For one family of four, we repaired their entire two room home. Note that in the sleeping area, there is a muddy floor -- no beds. Kids and parents sleep on dirty bed rolls. We hope to bring blankets to these families later this week.

At the next home we find a 6 year old caring for her 3 year old sister and 6 MONTH old sister. -- there mother is away in the river washing dishes. The infant weighs about 7 lbs -- she look like a newborn and brought us all to tears as we took turns holding her. Her sister shows the classic signs of malnutrition -- reddish hair and distended bellies. We struggle to get to work but finally begin to take down the old plastic and completely "re-plastic" their home. As we finish, the mom returns and is happy with her new home.

Back at Myra's garage, four of our team prepares food for 150 people -- today is rice, vegetables and chicken in a broth with a warm, fresh tortilla. They also get all the craft supplies out for the hundred or so kids that come to the comedor for lunch. The kids make puppets and put on a puppet show behind our PVC pipe theater that we brought. They play with Playdough and then blew bubbles--which was an event in and of itself. Every child and mother wanted bubbles--very popular!!

After 4.5 hours on the mountain, the 9 of our team returned dirty (very) and tired (very) to the comedor. When we walked in the door and saw all the kids making puppets and playing with the Playdough, we were instantly filled with energy that only comes from seeing all of the God's children. We served all the kids and mothers their lunch. After lunch, Myra and our team handed out medications for those that were ill. You can only dispense as much as they need for a few days-- a bottle of tylenol is worth a lot of money and many sick people will sell it for money.

One of the very special things that happened during the comedor was that some of our team members who are supporting children to go to school got to meet in person. One little girl, Juanita, ran to her sponsor, Jen Zombron and hugged her so tight. So many more children need sponsors so that they can attend public school -- it is the ONLY way to break the cycle of poverty in Guatemala and so many other 3rd world countries.

Tonight, we eat and make a large cake to take with us to the pool and "fun fair" program we are doing tomorrow (Saturday). Look for further entries on Sunday.
We ask for your continued prayers that we do God's will here in Guatemala and grow as Christians working together.

Note that Kelly had led her update with the following:

...
Sorry for the delay in getting to you -- we have been so busy but Michael Jenkins got Myra's new computer up and running! its works great!
Photos to come soon - having a little issue with the internet. thanks so much!
Kelly

Day 2 Picture

Here's a picture from Day 2:

Day 2 Update

Further update from Kelly Schaeffer:

Day 2 - Thursday - Today was eye opening and spent both in the City of Chiquimula and at Myra's home, which serves as the primary place for the women, children and men that come to Myra's ministry, feeding program and for medicines. We first go shopping in the open air market in Chiquimula -- we buy all our food for us and for the "comedor" -- the feeding program-- for the next 4 days. After an adventurous ride to and from the city markets, we start working on Myra's home -- we painted the kitchen, dining room which took awhile since we discovered that someone in the market had stolen one of our full cans of paint! BAck to the city of Chiquimula for another can! We sorted all of our materials for Friday and Saturday children's programs and at the end of the day, treated Myra's ministry workers to pedicures and manicures. We were so happy to serve Myra and help her with the things she needed done in her home. It's the little things that makest some of the biggest impact to people's lives.