Como Estas? Moy Bien, Gracious!

First of all, thank you all for your prayers for our trip. We needed the prayer cover from the start, and God, true to his promises, showed up big time! Before we even hit Guatemalan soil, miracles were leading the way! Pastor Scooter’s illness and ER visit, hours before the flight left for Guatemala was a shocking and deflating turn of events. But to our amazement, God used it as evidence that we were about to see him move in a mighty way.

What an amazing experience this has been! Life changing is an understatement. My mind is full of memories, faces, and total awe at what God has done. The medical clinic saw over 500 patients, the evangelism team lead 159 to Christ, and the construction team helped put up walls that will house a Pastor and his family, as well as more Charlie’s Lunch facilities. This means lives will be touched in a very tangible way in villages that have amazing needs. I wish so much that I could communicate the sounds, SMELLS, and sights we encountered, because without them, it is very difficult to explain all that we experienced. And unfortunately, due to technical difficulties with my camera, I do not have many pictures to share. (We set up a Shutterfly Account for the rest of the team to share their pictures; so hopefully, I will get some pictures soon.) So, words will have to do. Lord, help me!

The team leader, Chris Jordan, was a total pro. Every detail of the trip was well handled and under control. Organized is an understatement, the man was so on top of it all. What a pleasure it was to serve under his leadership! There were three teams, from three states, two denominations, but we all came together in Atlanta, GA to join as one. Right away we each had medical bags to carry and be responsible for during the trip. All but four made it, due to Customs in Guatemala. They wanted to charge taxes on the value of the donated supplies. It took days to resolve, but we eventually did get the supplies back in time to use at the last village we visited. Praise God!

Once out of the Airport, we boarded a nice tour bus for the five hour trip up to the mountain to Xela. This was an exciting adventure in itself. I heard from the front of the bus on several occasions, via minor whimpers and groans, and figured the bus had cut it close a few times, but I preferred to stay in the back and remain as ignorant as possible while heading up the mountain. Afterwards, I heard the front of the bus went over the edge several times. Nice.

Once in Xela, we emptied all our luggage and medical supplies and headed into the hotel. Finally. Carrying a 50 lb. bag up five flights at 5,000 feet altitude proved to be a challenge. So, half way up, when a bell hop offered to carry my bag, I was more than ready to let him! So, he literally threw my bag onto his shoulders, grabbed the other two he already was carrying, and sped up the steps. Unfortunately, he went up an extra flight, and even though I tried to stop him, I had to carry my bag down again. But it was worth the tip to see him carrying more than his own weight in luggage like it was nothing! Then we were off to dinner, a shower, and finally bed. Sleep never felt so good.

The next day was our first day of ministry in the village of Chuikavok. We boarded the tour bus and drove to meet the school bus, lovingly christened the “chicken bus”. We boarded the chicken bus because the tour bus was too big to make it to the village. We met our two interpreters, Glenda and Guesetta, fast friends, and headed to work. First order of business was setting up in the church for devotions and praise and worship. Awesome! This was church like I have never had it and I LOVED it. Baptists and Assemblies of God (AOG) can worship together, I promise!

After devotions, we broke into teams. I joined the Evangelism team and with our face painting supplies and nail polish in hand, four of us headed for the streets, along with others carrying balls, balloons, and games. It was our job to create a commotion and bring attention to the church. Just in case the sight of 41 Gringos on a chicken bus wasn’t enough. Soon, I was surrounded by little bodies. (I think I’ll have pictures of this later.) The kids loved having their hands painted! It was a blast. They taught me the names of the shapes and colors in Spanish and laughed at my attempts to pronounce the simplest of words, but it was fellowship all the same. Three hours later, our team had the pleasure of moving into the house of a local volunteer. She met us in the streets, waving us in the right direction. That is when we noticed that she had emptied her entire home to give us room to tell stories, color, and sing with the children. This 10 by 16 foot room became ground zero during the day and then turned back into her home at night for the next three days. Very humbling. This was also the place were the first groups of children accepted Jesus into their hearts, first 16, then 20, and so on. Tears stream down my face as I remember those precious faces. God is Good! The smell of mildew, sweat, urine, dirt, and who knows what ever else covered 70 bodies in that 10 by 16 room, and at times it was too much for some of us, but this was the home where many woman and children came to know that they had a savior, a loving God, who created them for a purpose and wanted to give them a hope for their future. This was like seeing God turn beauty for ashes right before our eyes.

This was Chuikavok for me and the Evangelism team, but simultaneously, the medical and constructions teams were also experiencing God move. Walls were raised under less than ideal circumstances, and bodies were cleansed, refreshed, and ministered too. Medicine without the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is an amazing thing! Many of the team learned to take blood pressures, give shots, and administer drugs and vitamins. We had one doctor and two nurses on the team, but many others registered and filled out paper work, ran the pharmacy and eye clinic, and handed out baby clothes and blankets. Two cases, minor to care for in the U.S., went untreated too long. One baby was 7 months old and weighed only 12 lbs; the other was 20 months but was also severely under weight. Neither would thrive. One had four months to live; the other would not live past the age of seven. Imagining those mothers going home with such news was heartbreaking. We surrounded them both and prayed for God to heal their babies, and tried to give them hope by reassuring them that they had both done a good job taking care of their girls. This was very difficult. I will never forget these women.

The next day we served the Charlie’s Lunch kids. This was a good day. Some helped make the meals, and others organized the gifts, or helped set up the make shift furniture for the children to eat lunch. The children filed in with their cups and bowls in hand and took their places very quietly. Though this was a happy time for us, it was also difficult because of the realization that this was the only meal many of them would have in several days. And then, there were the faces of the children pressed against the windows outside that would not be served. This was more than I could handle. This was my “moment” during the trip; the realization that what we were doing would still not be enough for all the children in Chuikavok shook me to the core.

After lunch, we handed out small gifts, like shoes, hygiene kits, hot wheels cars, hair bows, hats and t-shirts. This was fun!

Two faces I’ll always remember were Thomas (65 years old) and his wife, Catalina (54 years old). They have been married 35 years. When we heard of their age difference we teased Thomas about robbing the cradle and even with the language barrier, he knew exactly what we meant. He was very proud of his beautiful bride and she was just as smitten. Catalina loved to have her picture taken so hopefully a few shots of her and Thomas will emerge from the group. Monica and I had our pictures taken with them, but then Monica’s camera was stolen, along with all her pictures from the trip. It was not a good week for cameras!

The next day was a travel day. We left Xela, and headed for a short stop at El Caman. This was where the team had worked last year. Seeing the Charlie’s Lunch facilities here was heart lifting. The children looked very well fed compared to Chuikavok. They were clean, happy, and best of all healthy. This was the home of Lady, a small girl who had survived cancer. She was a great sight. I would have never known that she had had cancer from looking at her. The team from last year was thrilled! This was also the site our church had donated a water bump. To see it in operation was incredible. Clean water is nothing to take for granted anyone.

After this quick stop, it was on to Antigua and another trip down the mountain. This was equally as hair-raising but praise God, we made it! Our Hotel in Antigua was our last stop and headquarters for the next three days. It was nice to be some what settled, with fewer bags to carry, and nicer accommodations. Again, dinner, a hot shower, and then off to bed and sleep, wonderful sleep!

El Aguacate was the final place of ministry. The condition of this village was some where in between Chuikavok and El Caman. It was more westernized but still very poor. Here the spiritual atmosphere was unique to Chuikavok due to the fact that the Pastor and his family lived on site. The need to complete the Pastor’s home in Chuikavok is essential and therefore the mission feels incomplete. Please pray for the village of Chuikavok and its Pastor. If the Charlie’s Lunch Facilities can be improved there, it will mean a better quality of life to that community in many ways. Again, our daily devotions were amazing, and even more so here. Singing God of the City in El Aguacate was a highlight I will never forget. Afterwards, for me, more face painting. I loved it. I sat outside a little store front and the scene reminded me of the old TV show 220. The shop keeper lady was sitting on the steps and she “gossiped” with the ladies as they walked by. It was fun for me to witness. And the fact that she was quite a character didn’t hurt either.

Here I met Dominese, Katy, Catalina, Kevin, Karen, and Nataly, my ladies and gentleman. These children captured my heart. Dominese also “captured” a ring, stuffed lion named David, and a family photo. The way her face lit up was better than all the antibacterial hand soap in China! Truly, I would have brought her home in a heart beat, but I am blessed to know that she is healthy and in a much better place than most.

El Aguacate was the icing on the cake, so leaving here was hardest. Our final minutes ended in an impromptu praise and jam session and a time of heartfelt intercession with the Pastor and his family. Pastor Louis, one of our team members and the leader of another Charlie’s Lunch Facility outside Guatemala City, lead the prayer. Since he only speaks Spanish, you would think this was awkward, but not at all. It was significant, powerful, and right on. After all, we sang in English and he had no problem singing along in Spanish as loud as could be! The unity of family was all we felt; family of God ties bind beyond culture, church membership, or denomination. It was beyond what I can express in words and one of the most powerful moments of the trip. God lives on the hill of El Aguacate. Amen!

So, it was time to leave now. And none of us wanted to really. A sweet little girl kept asking me about my back pack, and after finding an interpreter I discovered she wanted to carry it down the hill for me. What an honor. I was humbled and touched, and yes I cried. Still am. I walked down the hill, surrounded by my ladies, and we all hummed the words of a praise song until we reached the chorus, and then we sang Santo, Santo, Santo (Holy, Holy, Holy.) all the way to the bus. God is Good!

Thank you all for your prayers, support, and well wishes. I could not have done this trip without you. I am forever grateful for this experience and yes, I want to go back again next year! So, keep the prayers coming please. God is not done with Chuikavok yet, and I’d really like to go back and help finish the work there.

What about cost? We all hear that it’s expensive to eat well. But, if you feed your body the fuel it needs and spend a little more along the way to stay lean and healthy, isn’t this cheaper than eating cheap processed food that ruins your health and costs you money for doctors’ bills, missed work /school, less energy and less enjoyment of life? We can’t just look at the store receipt to measure the cost of how we eat. And, the good news is, there are ways to eat very simply and nutritiously without spending a lot of money.

Let me take you back to last year. My daughter went to preschool at a local church where the drop off time was 9:00-9:15. School started at 9:15. I had trained my mind to believe that 9:15 was my deadline to get her there. Why did I not decide to aim for the goal of getting her there at 9:00? Who knows? One morning as we raced in to my daughter’s preschool parking lot, my daughter decided to ask again like she did every morning “Are we late Mommy?” My answer was either: “If we do not hurry, we will be!” OR “Yes, I am sorry. Mommy will try to do better tomorrow.” This morning, however, my daughter said more to get my attention. She told me how her teacher had crafts out starting at 9:00 and the kids who got there early got to make the crafts. At 9:15, she cleaned them up. In her sweet little voice, she asked me if I could bring her earlier more often so she could make a craft because she rarely gets to. My heart tore into a million pieces. Instantly I felt guilt and condemnation come over me. How could I be such a bad mom? How could I start my 5 year old daughter’s day with disappointment? Why could I not get myself organized and make my life less stressful?

There were a couple mornings during the rest of the year that I got my daughter to school at 9:00 but it was not very often. I did accomplish something though; I managed to allow condemnation to creep in to my thoughts. I began to compare myself to other moms. They all seemed so organized, so neatly dressed and they never looked stressed. I put myself down because I could not be like them. They seemed to be SUPER MOM! Whenever I heard what my fellow moms were doing, it made me feel worse. They were baking fresh bread, doing a craft with their kids, sewing, playing make-believe, working in the garden, etc. Well maybe I am exaggerating a little bit. Truthfully, in my eyes, they sounded like SUPER MOM! Why can’t I do that? I can’t even keep my house clean.

I started to realize that I was comparing my weaknesses to other woman’s strengths. I was only looking at the good things they were doing because that was all I could see. I know I am not the only woman who compares herself to other woman. That is why I am opening myself up to you and admitting that this is something I struggle with. I don’t know what is going on at their home. No one is perfect and “the grass is not greener on the other side.” The verse in the Bible that has ministered the most to me during this time of growth in my life was Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” God does not want us to live in condemnation or compare ourselves to other people. We are made in God’s image.

It is time to go back to that morning I was telling you about in the beginning. You thought I forgot didn’t you? J My daughter and I were getting ready to go downstairs to grab breakfast and head out the door. We were doing well on time but we definitely did not have time to spare. I called to my 2 year old son in the playroom to come so we could go downstairs. After the fourth time of calling his name, I went to check on him. I quickly realized that I forgot to finish dressing him after his morning potty break. We were a few weeks into potty training. As you can imagine, he had an accident all over the floor and it was not pee-pee! A few minutes into cleaning up the mess, I had to tell my daughter that she would be late for school. She understood and did not seem upset. I felt bad though. After walking her into her classroom late, I walked to the car holding back tears. It was a rough start to the day no doubt, but it was also a time to fight off the thoughts of condemnation once again.

I wish I were as strong as my 4 year old thinks I am. When you’re a Mom there are endless opportunities to cry. You have your feelings, plus your child’s feelings. Everything matters more than ever. The future matters. The past matters. Right or wrong decisions matter. The news matters. It can all be overwhelming, if we let it. And we can cry in frustration. But 1 Peter 5:7 says to give all your cares to Him, for He cares for you.

God’s plan is not for tears of fear or stress. His is for tears of joy.
Jeremiah 31:9 says, “Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care.”

Technique:
Raise one arm at a time over your head and a little back.
Using opposite hand, take first two fingers and begin with the perimeter which believe it or not is under the arm pit. This area is called the Tail of Spence and is the most common area for breast cancer’s in women.
Move in a circle doing the entire perimeter before moving closer and closer to the nipple.
After examining both breasts manually, do the rest of the exam in front of a mirror after dried off.
Lean forward and note any dimples or puckering of breasts.
Also, while leaning forward note that both breasts look and move the same way.
Squeeze one nipple at a time taking note of any discharge.
Note any discolorations that are not equal on both breasts.

When to call the doctor:
Call if you note any CHANGE in the lumps in your breast or breasts after examining and getting to know yourself.
Basically, if you are naturally nodular (lumpy) than there is less concern at first if you are on an exam. You will get to know where they are each month.
Also, if the lump hurts when you push on it then it is less likely to be cancer as cancer only hurts in the Final stages and by then you would have the unintentional loss of weight, nausea, vomiting etc.
ANY discharge warrants a call to the doctor.
If your mother, sisters, aunts, or grandmother’s have had breast cancer than this is a reason to call the doctor as you need earlier mammograms and perhaps more often.
Call the doctor if one breast looks different than the other (size is a natural deviance) such as color, dimpling, or movement is different from one breast to the other or a lump that feels DIFFERENT to you than a previous exam.

The Message Bible says in Matthew, chapter 5; “You are blessed when you are at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You are blessed when you feel you have lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. You are blessed when you are content with just who you are – no more, no less.”

Loss, of a relationship, although not an actual physical death still constitutes a loss and has a way of pulling us inward. After the initial shock subsided I looked inside the me, that is me. And I found, I have a history of allowing unsafe people in my life~ especially romantic relationships. A look back into my journals and my memory, revealed that I have become very savvy and discerning with the female friendships and the platonic male relationships; but, not so wise with the “tall, dark and handsome men” who waltz through my life!

I believe I am what the sociologists call a “head knocker.” We are resilient folks who go through life taking the bumps and knocks, fall down, get back up, dust off and start all over again. Well not this time! I knew that this time had to be different!

I got on my knees and I asked God to heal me and my wounded spirit. Jeremiah 30:17 says I will give you back your health and heal your wounds. We know that confession of sin is necessary for salvation when I submit that confession of weaknesses and is also necessary for healing.

The book From Bondage to Bonding by Nancy J. Groom, states that in order for us to move from bondage (what ever that happens to be for any person) confession is essential to the healing process. Releasing through confession the hurt, pain and shame is the first step. Confession is a cleansing and release of the stuff that hurts us, binds us and prevents us from growth and contentment in healthy relationships.

Please allow me to be totally honest and truly transparent. I never realized that my emotions were wounded when I was an itty-bitty girl! Only through the time I spent on my knees confessing my need for healing did God reveal to me the origin of my wounding.

Both my parents worked very hard. They were decent good folk, trying to make a living in the early 1950’s. They each brought to the marriage their own wounded spirits coupled with the pressures of the day…I remember our house being volatile at times!

My dear sweet grandmother offered to keep me throughout the week so they could work out some of their issues. She also thought I would be less affected by their arguments if I was with her.

As I prayed, God please heal me…I saw myself as a little girl in my grandmothers’ house waiting for my Daddy and Mommy to pick me up. They don’t they like me, I thought. They couldn’t love me since they only want to see on Saturday and Sunday…

A sob escaped my throat and tears flowed like water from a well; as I remembered how I felt as I waited for them. I was always excited when Saturday rolled around! I could hardly wait for them to come. And, as the sun set and the sky became dark my little heart would begin to sink – thinking they are not coming! They don’t love me!

As the tears continued to flow and the sobs subsided I felt a release in my spirit…a letting go! I praised God for the remembrance and the healing I was beginning to feel.

Clearly I see that what my parents and grandmother thought was for my good was not understood by me. I was too young to understand their absence. I thought they didn’t love me. Of course they did! They were just trying to do what they thought was best for me!

In order to spend more time with them I purposed to be the perfect little girl. If I’m perfect, I thought, surely they will love me, and let me stay with them always! What I did not realize was that I carried this “perfection” into my adult years. Always, loving, always caring, giving my very best and often receiving nothing in return!

A life changing revelation brought to light by a simple confession through prayer. Something that I had completely forgotten about God revealed to me because I asked for healing…I will heal your wounded spirit.

So my dear sisters in Christ, do you need healing? Does your soul long to be freed from repetitious acts that cause you pain? God can and will heal your wounded soul. Simply ask him.

Prayer,

Lord, God, almighty, we all came into this world because you ordained the time and the purpose for our birth. We purpose to be women of wisdom. We pray to be in your will and be useful in your kingdom. We need healing to be whole. Please open the heart and mind of the reader to ask for healing. I plead the blood of Jesus over the lives of everyone who reads this piece; that they will allow you Father, to heal them today.