"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
This is the verse that sticks out in Sharmon Coleman’s mind when asked about her trip to Guatemala with her daughter in July 2011.
“I prepared for the trip by getting shots,” said Sharmon, “making sure my passport was valid, and buying clothes that would be cool in the extreme heat of a Guatemala summer. I also spoke to other people who had been to Guatemala to figure out what to take, what to leave and, most importantly, what to expect. Prayer was a huge part of my prep along with three or four meetings with the entire team to plan our activities and to get to know each other. I have to admit that my worry over temps over 110 degrees and no air conditioning at all had me waking up at 2 a.m. praying to survive the heat! God was good and sent rain our first day there, and our week there was unusually cool. Thank You, God!”
Sharmon’s experience echoes others who have traveled. Participants do a bit of everything - in this case, food distribution, evangelism, construction, village VBS programs, and work in the elderly home - but found her special niche in the orphanage, a bit of a surprise for the woman who was particularly concerned about her language barrier.
“Words weren't necessary. I played on a see-saw for a long time with a sweet young girl of about 10 or 11 who was half my weight, which meant I had to do most of the work with my legs so that we actually ‘seed and sawed.’ I could hardly walk the next three days, but it was totally worth it to see the smile on her face. We played hand clap games, colored, and braided each other's hair. The memories are priceless,” Sharmon said.
A little boy sat in Sharmon’s lap while his friends rehearsed a presentation. Since she couldn’t talk to him, she just tickled and scratched his back; he quickly learned to point to itchy spots on his back or shoulders where he wanted attention!
“When it was time to go,” she recalled, “he turned around and hugged me fiercely and called me mom. *Gulp.* How do you say goodbye to kids who don't have anyone to tuck them in bed, read them a book and kiss them goodnight? Who don't have a parent to kiss their skinned knees and to sing them happy birthday?”
Sharmon didn’t say goodbye to those children without giving them a part of her heart. When you minister to God’s children, a piece of you stays behind. Guatemalan orphans are waiting for you to play with them, to cherish them, to hold their hands. What are you waiting for? Join a BBC missions team today and let God use you to bring joy to a child without a family - religion at its purest!
-Lisa
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