Save the Date!

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the Austin-Guatemala golf tourney on April 21st!  Register at http://www.lglp.golfreg.com/ and meet us on the fairway for a good cause!

-Chris

Sharmon's Story

"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

Lissa's Story

Lissa Holguin (top row, 2nd to right) had never been to Guatemala, but felt the Lord leading her to get on that plane and go anyway.  

Mission trips are funny in that they don't always turn out as expected.  In fact, sometimes participants walk away with a heart more burdened than ever before.  But part of doing God's work is simply being available and trusting Him to work out any details, frustrations and hesitations in His perfect time.

Yep, Lissa cried at the airport when she said goodbye to her family this past June.  Upon arrival in Guatemala a few hours later, however, Lissa had no time for homesickness or worry.  The team hit the ground running as they always do, making the most of the short time allotted.

She distributed food to families, worked with the children at VBS, shoveled dirt to even out the foundation of the house her group built, painted it and helped fill it with furniture and supplies upon completion.  She my have been sweaty, tired and messy, but she definitely wasn't bored!

"When we worked with the orphanage and elderly home, I was the only Spanish interpreter!" Lissa said.  "This terrified me because my Spanish needs a lot of work, but I did it anyway."

She was quick to point out that God honored her willingness to leave her comfort zone.

"I was blessed beyond measure.  I love every person we met in Guatemala - I absolutely fell in love with a 12-year-old boy at the orphanage."

The team's accommodations were dorm-style, with about eight bunk beds to each room, as well as a communal living area and bathrooms with running water.  Lissa compared the stay with memories of Girl Scout and school trips - no air conditioning, and limited hot water, but everything was clean and in workable order.

"We weren't there on vacation, after all," she said.  "We were on the mission field and focused on others."

Besides, who cares about the indoors when the outdoors is so breathtaking?  A step through the doorway and visitor's find themselves in a world full of God's creative artistry and wonder.

Lissa also reported that the food is delicious, and laughingly warned that if team members aren't careful, they will gain weight despite all that labor!

Will she go on another trip if given the opportunity?  In a heartbeat, if God so wills!  She also hope to have the opportunity to take part in more evangelism.

In closing, Lissa shared a favorite memory from her trip:

"My favorite memory is probably picking up trash after the hot food service feeding we did.  There was trash everywhere, and it really affected me.  I was in tears as I picked up trash thinking to myself, 'Here we are trying to help but we have come and made a huge mess!'  As I have contemplated that moment I realize that there is always more to be done and the Lord will shine through us even if we make a big ol' mess of things."

-Lisa

Snapshots from Guatemala

Two weeks ago today, I was bumping along on a bus from Guatemala City to Hope of Life mission in Llano Verde, barely able to contain my excitement about seeing all the friends I'd missed so much in the six months since I'd last visited!

When people ask how many trips I've taken, my answer is "not nearly enough."  And truly, my five visits to the highlands of Guatemala always seem far too short and insufficient for how deeply I've fallen in love with the people and the work God is doing there!  This trip was no different, of course, and rather than try and give you the whole story in this post (way too long) or choose a single moment to describe (impossible to pick), I just decided to share with you several highlights and snapshots from the week.

This is me with Frances, a little boy from the orphanage who I met last November.  The first thing our group did after arriving two weeks ago was head up to the orphanage to say hi, and he immediately shrieked, ran up, and threw his arms around me in the best bear hug ever.  After a few moments, he took my face in his little hands and, very seriously, asked me,

"What's my name?"

The question brought tears to my eyes - this little boy so longed to be remembered not just faintly, but by name.  I was so thankful that I did indeed remember not only his name, but his nickname - something that immensely pleased him!  He ran off to play with his friends, but every day that we were there he made sure to ask me what his name was and every time was just as happy that I knew it.  I couldn't help thinking of Psalm 139 - how beautiful to serve a God that knows Frances, and me, and every single person on earth by name!

 

 

One of my very favorite things about this trip that set it apart from all the others was the attitude shift I saw in our village.  Chris and the Austin-Guatemala groups have returned time and time again, so the people have learned they can trust us; but as we move further towards self-sufficiency projects - teaching the single moms to knit and crochet, planting greenhouses, exploring projects such as raising tilapia in 50-gallon barrels - as opposed to pure relief work, the village has begun to believe in its dignity again. This was the first trip that I was confident/brave enough in my developing Spanish skills to engage the women (very few adult men present, anyway) in conversation, and that is where this transformation most blew me away.   Mothers that once watched me with eyes empty of every emotion but wariness became friends, welcoming me into their homes and lives with grace.  I was surprised and delighted by the wealth of personality that began creeping out of the woodworks; from gorgeous pregnant Miriam who solemnly informed everyone who asked that her baby was due that very day (and then laughed so hard at the frantic reactions I worried she really would go into labor) to Sra. Casasoja who explained her longing to make her home welcoming even in the midst of squalor to the newly widowed woman who was mourning the loss of her husband.  To be even a small part of their everyday lives, in joy or in pain, was an overwhelming blessing.

We also had the privilege of pouring into a local pastor, Daniel (in the green shirt), and dedicating a multi-purpose building that we used for both the feeding program and our first-ever worship service in Modelo.  Daniel and representatives from two other village churches briefly spoke, as did the pastors in our own group, and we sang praises to the Lord in a building so crowded with people I could hardly believe my eyes.  Children perched along the wall and the largest crowd I've ever seen in Modelo pressed along every side.  Chris will be posting with more details (and photos) later on, but basically it was flat-out amazing.  Pray along with us that a great impact was made that day!

While in the rescue center, I met this sweet baby boy; and I'm pretty sure that he's a front-runner for the most ticklish human being on planet earth.  I would poke his stomach and he'd squeal so loud that I started laughing and I'd tickle him more and he'd laugh even louder and I'd get going so hard I couldn't stop and on and on and on.  I have nothing particularly spiritual to say about the experience.  We just had a really fabulous time together.

So there you have the highlights from my trip.  Each face, each moment has a special place in my heart and I can't wait to get back!

P.S.

To see more photos and keep up with the day-to-day happenings of BBC missions, don't forget to like our Facebook page!  www.facebook.com/bbcmissions

-Ryley