Sometimes the littlest things make the biggest difference

      This morning was my last visit to the hospital as I would be heading back home to America tomorrow. I went into see Obdulio and he was peacefully sleeping. I carefully picked him up and set him against my chest trying so hard not to wake him up. Last time I held him like this I did not think that he was going to make it another day on this earth. I was standing there holding, now healthy, Obdulio and felt his little heartbeat against mine and was just in awe of God's masterpiece that I had in my hands. He slowly started to open his eyes as he woke up and gave me the sweetest smile that I have seen on anyone's face. He thankfully had gained some weight so now you could see the cute dimples on his cheeks when he smiled. I was flooded with so many emotions holding that little boy. He was a fighter and he has a huge life planned ahead for him. I cannot wait to come back one day and see how much he grows.
        Yesterday on the rescue we picked up and eighteen year old boy with special needs.When I came into the hospital this morning I noticed him sitting down at breakfast by himself. I asked if I could sit with him but he shook his head no. I left it at that and thought that I would try again later. About an hour later I walk into the foyer of the hospital and saw Axial sitting on a couch all by himself with his small dirty bag right beside him. He was sitting there blowing up a small beach ball. Jonathan and I walked over to him and asked if we could play fútbol with him. He liked the idea this time and finished blowing up the ball then passed it to Jonathan to start the game.
          We played with Axial for a good hour until it was time to go to lunch. He sang and we danced. He was having the time of his life and his smile could not have gotten any bigger. I noticed that he was wearing the same clothes that he wore yesterday when we picked him up at his house way in the mountains. His shoes were in the worst shape and it looked like he had been wearing them every day for years. I wanted to give him a pair of new shoes; he desperately needed some.
            After lunch I went back up to the room and got a pair of sneakers that one of our girls left behind. They were small and a tad bit girly but I knew that it wouldn't hurt for him to try them on. I also grabbed a few pairs of flip flops from the pile that were donated to us to bring for the people here. I brought them back to the hospital with me. I found Axial in the same exact spot that I found him earlier in the day; on that couch by himself. I walked over to him and when I showed him the shoes, his face lit up. He immediately took his old shoes off and put on the sneakers. They fit perfectly. I truly believe that God did not remind us of those tennis shoes until today because he was waiting for us to give them to Axial. We also found a pair of flip flops that fit him as well. He was so happy. Those two pairs of shoes were only a couple of his own personal items. We opened up our bags and gave him everything else that we could. By the end he had a new backpack, socks, toy cars, sunglasses, a bracelet, crayons and two pairs of shoes.
             On the plane ride back to America I missed all of the kids but the one that I could not get out of my mind was Axial. I was wondering what he was doing. He was probably sitting on that couch all by himself like he was when I found him. I asked God why I had not met Axial sooner. I was there for an entire month but only had one solid day with this boy. If I would have met him sooner I would have been with him every single day making sure that he knew that he was loved. I realized that God did this for a reason though. His timing is perfect even when we do not think so.
               Even though I sometimes felt like I was not doing anything worth while being in Guatemala, I knew that God used me the last day. He used me to show love to someone that was taken away from his family and had nothing. Axial will never leave my mind. I will continue to pray for him every single day. He filled my heart with so much joy and blessed me in so many ways.
              I experienced God's grace watching a two month old baby fight for his life. I experienced true happiness when I watched a lonely kid finally be able to walk around with a huge grin on his face along with a new pair of shoes.

Hope

        This morning I woke up knowing that today was the second to last day of my journey here in Guatemala. The plan for the day was to go into a village to dedicate a water well and I was so excited to go with my team. When I walked into the rancho for breakfast my boss came up to me and told me he needed to talk to me. I hate when people say that. So many things were running through my head. Was I in trouble?
"I need you to so something for me." He said
Oh no, here we go. I am about to get in so much trouble. Oh wait, I know exactly what he wants me to do.
"I know exactly what you are about to ask me. You want me to speak in front of everyone at the fiesta tonight, don't you?" 
"Yes, I need you to speak tonight but not about just anything, I need to speak about the baby rescue that you are going on this morning."
           My mouth dropped. What? Is this really happening? I have been praying for this moment since last year and gave up on it since my journey here was almost over. I never wanted to get my hopes up because I knew that there was a slim chance of me going on one. I asked God to send me if he felt like I was ready but to not open the door if he did not think I was. I couldn't believe it. It was out of no where and I couldn't be more surprised.
           We had to eat breakfast fast and then have a short meeting before we got in the two trucks to start our journey. It was a 2 1/2 hour trip and there was so much racing through my mind the entire time. I did not know what to expect, how old the children would be or how healthy they would be. I just knew that God had sent me to go on that mission today. He knew I was ready.
            Our first stop was in the middle of the top of a mountain. We could only drive so far in and then had to get out and walk the rest of the way. It was about a mile walk to the house with the two children in it. When we arrived at the small house we went in and found a mother holding her crying baby with her toddler daughter by her side. The baby was not in clear sight but by the way the belly was extended on the little 2 year old girl, you could tell that she was malnourished. The family was expecting us so the mom was finishing packing the bags and when they were done, the family of four headed back down the mountain with hope for some help.
              After we piled in the trucks we headed to another house just a few minutes off of the hike that we took. When we got out of the car there was a fairly large family there waiting. We were told that we were going to pick up a child with special needs. When I saw him he looked like an eight year old boy but was actually eighteen and he had the biggest grin on his face. His dad was holding a small dirty black bag for him to take. I was wondering who would come along with him from his family but soon found out that he would be traveling alone. His mother was weeping and was taking it very hard. A few of us went over to her and gave her a hug. It broke my heart that we were taking her baby away from her but she knew that it was the right thing to do. We loaded back into the truck with Axial between Hannah and I. Before we shut the door his dad handed him his little black bag, squeezed his arm and then closed the door. It was so very sad. We drove away leaving his family behind.
                The half hour drive back to where the ambulance was parked was exhausting. We were tired as it was and we kept dozing off. At one point I fell asleep and my head fell foward and hit the back of Axial's. We were extremely weary and we were only half way done with the rescue.
                We drove an hour and a half to another village where a mother would be meeting us to hand over her daughter. She was a very young mom, still wearing her school uniform actually, and her daughter looked to be around three years old. We were told that her grandmother would be coming with her so they both got into the ambulance and as simple as that, we were off to rescue our last baby.
                An hour from the village we drove and pulled over on the side of the road. This house was literally only a few feet from the busy road. A mom was there holding her daughter that has cerebral palsy along with her husband and son. I was able to talk with her and ask her her daughter's name. Her name was Beverly and she was three years old. Her hair was pulled back into a tiny ponytail and her olive skin was flawless. Her mother handed her over to me and I walked her to the ambulance. 
                  Each one of these families had hope. Hope for something better, hope for help and hope for a future. What would life be like without hope?
              I am so grateful for this opportunity and for representing both Hope of Life and my home church going on this mission. I know that without many prayers and obedience, this opportunity would have never arose for us. This was by far the highlight of my entire 28 days here and I still cannot believe that I was part of a baby rescue.
             Please keep this ministry in your prayers as there are millions of sick babies up in the mountains here holding on to hope. Hope of Life saves hundreds of children each year but it is a very expensive mission to accomplish.

"For I know the plans I have for you. declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
-Jermiah 29:11 

A Servant's Heart

         I have always heard people talk about earth angels but have never really felt like I have met one. People say we pass them every day and definitely see them, we just do not think anything differently because they are humans just like us but with a genuine servant's heart. These past three weeks in Guatemala I have been working with one of those angels. Her name is Kathy Wheeler. Every year Mrs. Kathy spends six months down here in Guatemala. She flies back and forth between America and Guatemala all year round. She works with children with special needs at home and has a huge heart for Kelly's house down here which is where the children with special needs stay. That is basically where she lives. If you can't find her anywhere else, you will always find her at Kelly's House.
          I have never been so inspired by someone until I met Mrs. Kathy. She truly has a servant's heart and is so obedient to The Lord. She has both grandchildren and children at home but all in different states. When she is not here in Guatemala she is at home spending time with her family traveling from state to state.
         Mrs. Kathy will go above and beyond for anyone. She never takes a lunch break and is always late to dinner because she helps the nannies feed the children at Kelly's house. It is a long process because there is one nanny for eight kids so Mrs. Kathy will stay there until the last baby is fed. She always finishes what she starts, no exceptions.
          We call Mrs.Kathy our Abuela, which means grandmother. She has taken us under her wing this entire trip and is always looking out for us. She is a Liberty University alumni and is also a liberty ambassador so we always run around doing LU chants. She is awesome. Kelly's house is draining and a lot of work and if it wasn't for her passion and drive, I would not have been able to get through a whole day there. She is so encouraging even when she is weary from the long day.
        I am more than thankful that I was able to work with such an inspiring woman this month in Guatemala. Mrs. Kathy is a blessing to so many people here including the children, cooks, nannies and other volunteers. People from groups come in and fall in love with Mrs. Kathy's willingness to serve The Lord while serving others as well.
         Mrs. Kathy, you are a gift from God and you have changed so many lives in the past few years of you being here. You have certainly changed mine and I am so blessed to call you my friend. Thank you for everything you have done here for both the people and for me. I hope one day I have a heart like yours!

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." 
       -Galatians 5:13

Why Me?

           Sometimes when we think we have been taken out of our comfort zone far enough, The Lord places us even further away from our security blanket.
            After a long day at work Hannah and I go to the rancho, where we eat our meals, to get ready for dinner. While we are catching up with other volunteers on how their day went our boss comes up to us and says he needs a favor.
    "There is a very sick baby at the hospital and I need you two to stay the night with him to monitor him."
             Of course our answer was yes because we came to Guatemala to do whatever needed to be done. Tonight was just an inconvenient night. We had so much laundry to catch up on and tonight was one of the nights that we worked out. Sometimes though, inconvenience is more convenient for our souls than we think.
             We were dropped off at the hospital at 6:45 p.m. When we walked into the infirmary we saw that the baby was Obdulio, a baby that was rescued two weeks ago and one that we have been spending time with the past two weeks. He is only about two months old and is very malnourished. He was hooked up to an IV with his arm strapped down to keep the needle in his tiny vein. The nurse told us that he got sick early morning and has been crying the entire day. Along with that, he has also had diarrhea every ten minutes and throws up everything that he drinks.
            "We can do this", I thought to myself, "besides, my dream growing up was to be a neonatal nurse so now I can get a dose of what it feels like". 
             We stood over his crib and watched him cry so helplessly. First thing was first. Hannah and I grabbed hands and laid a hand on Obdulio and began to pray for this precious boy.
             For the first two hours we both towered over Obdulio's crib not saying a single word. We had no idea what we would experience tonight. All I could think of was why me, why us? We are in our early twenties with no kids and are very inexperienced with sick babies. There were so many other volunteers on campus that were moms and nurses that knew what they were doing, unlike us. So why us? I think that is a question that a lot of us Christians ask God at some point in our lives. Then again, why NOT us?
            We spent all night in a small room that served as an office, examination room, x-ray room, the ICU, and medication room. People were in and out of there all night with their sick screaming children. 
            This night was an unplanned adventure that The Lord led me to. I have been praying months before even being in Guatemala for him to open up a specific door for me. I did not see it being like this in any way but I know that this experience was definitely God opening that door for me.
             After a weary 13 1/2 hour shift watching over precious Obdulio, I felt at peace. I am a very impatient person and I surprised myself with how patient I was that night. Through all of the screaming, crying, and around 37 diapers changed, I remained very calm. I felt like God was using me. Never would I have thought that being the hands and feet of Jesus would look like staying awake all night in a foreign hospital watching over a sick baby. You never know what The Lord will call you to next. No matter how hard it may be to say yes to him, we have to be selfless and go.

>>You cannot live to the flesh and at the same time be available to the spirit<<

Obdulio is still very sick but getting stronger each day. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he keeps fighting.

It's not supposed to be easy

           I have spent two weeks here in Guatemala already this summer. Sometimes the days will fly by while others will slowly drag on. Sometimes I feel as though my pictures that I post make it seem like I am in paradise and that I am living the dream. Sometimes that it true. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it here but it can be very difficult at times. It was definitely a challenge to adapt to the different culture and living situation. Sometimes I even find myself asking God why he brought me back here. I love this country and I love the people so much but I want to be here with a purpose. I want to accomplish what The Lord has sent me here to do.
            While being here I have seen God so much but I have also seen the devil quite a bit. During my every day tasks I feel like there is so much tension. I have never experienced spiritual warfare and Guatemala would be the last place that I would have ever expected to experience it. Things that I never expected would happen are happening and I have no explanation as to why. As soon as I see The Lord working, something negative takes over and changes the positive atmosphere completely.
             I read an article the other day about missions and it hit home to exactly what I am feeling. It stated that being a missionary is not always easy. Following God's will is not always easy either. Yes it is right and it is what he calls us to do but nowhere does it say that it would be a stroll in the park. It is actually easier for us as sinners to follow the way of the world and to be tempted, than to follow what The Lord calls us to do.
             I love what The Lord has sent me here to do and it feels good to recognize it some days. The other day while I was having an extremely bad day I was holding a little girl named Illy in my arms from the village that we were in that day. I looked down at her and she looked up at me with her big brown eyes. That is when it clicked for me. This is why I am here. I am not here to feel comfortable or to feel like someone owes me something. I am here to serve these precious children and people that are so desperate for Jesus' love.
               I prayed before I came to Guatemala for God to put me outside of my comfort zone and he sure has. The minute I got off of the plane and stepped on Guatemalan territory knowing that I would be here for an entire month was when he first placed me outside of my comfort zone. He challenges me every single day. That doesn't mean that I can give up, I have to strive to be the very best that I can be each day. Every morning I wake up and pray for The Lord to give me enough strength and energy to get me through the day so that I would be willing to serve and do whatever I am asked to do even if it is outside of my comfort zone. Even though I may encounter the devil throughout the day, I need to stand firm in The Lord's will.
              I asked The Lord to send me and he did. 

"Since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each others feet."
           -John 13:14

                                                             3 year old Illy

Experiences. Mangos. Laughter

            I walk into the older girl's room in Kelly's house and find Hannah getting frustrated because she cannot communicate clearly with Brenda. Brenda is a 41 year old woman who lives in Kelly's house. We do not know her story but we do know that she gets very nervous and uncomfortable with people because of the past that she has had. She does not talk, she cannot extend her legs, and she has no expression. She is just Brenda. I walk over to where Brenda and Hannah are sitting and plop onto the desk next to her bed. I sit there and study Brenda for a minute or two. It is not her fault that she cannot communicate. She cannot help how she looks or acts because of the disease that she suffers from. God made her this way and there is a reason. Brenda does not get much attention either. Usually when groups come in they will want to hangout with the younger children that are more talkative and spontaneous.
             We decided to take Brenda for a walk around the house because she literally stays in the same spot every single day. Both Hannah and I grab one of Brenda's hands and help her stand. Her feet are so swollen because the blood cannot circulate properly in her legs. We walk slowly to the boy's room and tell them hello and then lead sweet Brenda outside. Brenda cannot talk but she can coo and say "oh". While we were walking, we could clearly hear her cooing which was a good sign. We walked for a few minutes and then took her back to her room. I sat on a stack of foam puzzle pieces while Brenda sat on the edge of her bed where she always sat. I held both of her hands and talked to her. I felt like I needed to pray though and I definitely could not say everything that I had to say in Spanish. I sat there and prayed aloud, in English, for Brenda and when I was done I looked at her and she shook her head as if she understood everything I just said.
         Here at Hope of Life we have very little fruit. We are lucky if we have it once a week and I have been craving it every single day. There is a mango tree between the elderly home and Kelly's house with some ripe mangoes on it. A few days ago I stood there for ten minutes throwing rocks at one measly mango but had no luck. Today I NEEDED to get that mango. I had a pair of tennis shoes in my backpack so I switched them with my flip flops and decided that I was going to climb that tree and get it. I climbed the tree and got as close as I could to the mango and started shaking the branch as hard as I could. My three coworkers were laughing hysterically at me but I was determined to get that fruit. I tried using a stick, a board, a rock and my flipflop but I could not get that mango to budge. After fifteen minutes the doctor was walking through to Kelly's house and saw me.
"I can get that" he said confidently.
I let him go right ahead. Apparently I was doing it wrong the entire time. He climbed way higher than me while only clinging to one branch. After one shake, two juicy mangos fell.
            After we finished eating our mangos, Hannah and I started to head back to our room which is a good ten minute walk up the mountain. We get so burnt out and tired here during the day that we do not want to walk that enormous hill unless we absolutely have to. We stopped to think and then decided that we were going to flag down some people on dirt bikes, or at least try to. Two minutes later two different men drove up and we had to run and wave at them to stop and turn around to get us. We begged for a ride up the mountain and the two men agreed. It was honestly the funniest thing that happened today. You see, we witness people and children here go through their daily lives solely depending on others for the rest of their lives. When you fall in love with these people and see how helpless they are it is completely heartbreaking. Little things like mooching a ride from two strangers was a much needed adventure. Looking behind me and seeing my best friend laughing her butt off while holding on to a random guy made me so happy.
              Do not take advantage of what God has blessed you with. He has blessed each of us in different ways with our own talents and dreams. I encourage you to spend some time with someone you would usually never hang around with. It may be awkward or weird but it blesses YOU more than it blesses THEM, believe me.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 
 -Galatians 3:28