Guatemala Support Letter 2014
I have finally written my support letter for my work in Guatemala this year. Read the letter here! :)
Above The Clouds
Peering out the airplane window, I saw the majestic Mount Ranier
We descended through the clouds into the dark, dreary Seattle evening
below. I reflected on what the people
thought about the miraculous sunset I had just experienced. Stuck underneath the oppressive sea of white,
they no doubt barely noticed it, other than observing that the darkness of the
day became darker as night approached.
Maybe some felt depressed, experiencing some effects of S.A.D. (Seasonal
Affective Disorder). When all one sees
is the clouds, sometimes it is easy to forget how small the clouds really are
compared to the vast beauty that lies above them.
I have had clouds in my own life that have obscured the
reality. I have had times when all I see
are the negative thoughts in my head, unable to see God’s amazing love for me. During one period of intense anxiety, at a moment
when I could not feel God’s presence, I heard Him say to me “I am here, I love
you.” The truth is, the clouds in our
lives seem so big and in the moments we are under them, it feels like they are
the only reality. But there is such
overwhelming beauty in those moments that still exist that we can’t see. The clouds are only a tiny part of the whole
picture. Have faith in those moments
when all you see are the clouds, and as the wind blows them away, you will see
the amazing truth once again.
Fathers in Poverty: The Story of Miguel
It was my last day of a seven month stay in the small town of Cotzal, Guatemala. It was time to say goodbye to a family that was dear to my heart. Sitting on a child’s chair outside Miguel’s tiny mud floored home, I listened as he spoke about growing up without a father. He broke into tears. I had never before seen this man so emotional and I looked at his quiet humble wife, who also had tears forming in her eyes. Their beautiful eight children were also there, sitting around us. That day he asked if I would share his story, a story that is far too common in this area.
I had gotten to know this family through his children. I taught four of them English at the Christian school called HOREB. His eldest also came to my house once per week. The children were always well behaved in class and shy. Pedro is the eldest and is in the 8th grade. At HOREB, I taught Maria (6th), Alicia (4th), Brenda (3rd), and Humberto (2nd). Their other three children (including a baby) are not yet of school age. Miguel encourages all the children to get a good education and his greatest desire is for all of them to attend university one day. He lives his life for his children and wishes he could provide for them and make that dream a reality.
He sees the value in education because he doesn't have one. Miguel only made it to the 2nd grade. He did not have a father encouraging him to get an education and now as a man struggling to provide even the most basic needs for his family, he wants his children to have a better life. He works hard. He owns and drives a “tuc-tuc” and also works as a laborer in the fields. But it is not enough. He does not own his own house or own land, the family of 10 lives with his wife’s parents in a house the size of a middle class living room in the United States. It is by the shores of a river which flooded one night this past May. The water took some of their few possessions they had and turned their dirt floors into a muddy mess. The children still went to school the next day, looking very tired.
Miguel feels so much weight when it comes to his responsibilities as the father of the household. He sees no hope in properly providing for his family in his current situation. So a few years ago, he was able to save enough money to travel to the United States as an illegal immigrant. It was a dangerous journey but he made it all the way into the U.S., hiring a “coyote.” He was deported back after only one week and returned home. He seeks to return, viewing earning money in the U.S. as the best hope for his family.
As a father, he is invested in his children’s lives. When the HOREB soccer team traveled to Nebaj, a nearby town, or later to the much bigger and farther away town of Quiche, he insisted on coming with the team and teachers to support his daughter. He was the only father to do so.
While poor in material possessions, the family is rich in love. In my first meeting with them, I shared how wealthy I thought that they were in having a family of eight children, all so full of love. I know God will use them and do amazing things through them. As the head of the household, Miguel falls into worry, wanting to provide for his family without the resources to be able to do so. In the end, all he can do is rely on God. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Please keep this family in your prayers and pray that the Lord would give Miguel work, to be able to provide for his family and give his children a good education. There are many fathers like him in the Ixil: fathers without an education and without a means to receive one, feeling powerless to provide. Many seek to immigrate illegally to the U.S. Many give up and leave their family. Many turn to alcohol. Thank God for the
I had gotten to know this family through his children. I taught four of them English at the Christian school called HOREB. His eldest also came to my house once per week. The children were always well behaved in class and shy. Pedro is the eldest and is in the 8th grade. At HOREB, I taught Maria (6th), Alicia (4th), Brenda (3rd), and Humberto (2nd). Their other three children (including a baby) are not yet of school age. Miguel encourages all the children to get a good education and his greatest desire is for all of them to attend university one day. He lives his life for his children and wishes he could provide for them and make that dream a reality.
He sees the value in education because he doesn't have one. Miguel only made it to the 2nd grade. He did not have a father encouraging him to get an education and now as a man struggling to provide even the most basic needs for his family, he wants his children to have a better life. He works hard. He owns and drives a “tuc-tuc” and also works as a laborer in the fields. But it is not enough. He does not own his own house or own land, the family of 10 lives with his wife’s parents in a house the size of a middle class living room in the United States. It is by the shores of a river which flooded one night this past May. The water took some of their few possessions they had and turned their dirt floors into a muddy mess. The children still went to school the next day, looking very tired.
Miguel feels so much weight when it comes to his responsibilities as the father of the household. He sees no hope in properly providing for his family in his current situation. So a few years ago, he was able to save enough money to travel to the United States as an illegal immigrant. It was a dangerous journey but he made it all the way into the U.S., hiring a “coyote.” He was deported back after only one week and returned home. He seeks to return, viewing earning money in the U.S. as the best hope for his family.
As a father, he is invested in his children’s lives. When the HOREB soccer team traveled to Nebaj, a nearby town, or later to the much bigger and farther away town of Quiche, he insisted on coming with the team and teachers to support his daughter. He was the only father to do so.
While poor in material possessions, the family is rich in love. In my first meeting with them, I shared how wealthy I thought that they were in having a family of eight children, all so full of love. I know God will use them and do amazing things through them. As the head of the household, Miguel falls into worry, wanting to provide for his family without the resources to be able to do so. In the end, all he can do is rely on God. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Please keep this family in your prayers and pray that the Lord would give Miguel work, to be able to provide for his family and give his children a good education. There are many fathers like him in the Ixil: fathers without an education and without a means to receive one, feeling powerless to provide. Many seek to immigrate illegally to the U.S. Many give up and leave their family. Many turn to alcohol. Thank God for the
fathers like Miguel, who keep fighting with faith, hope, and love.
Happily Ever After: The climax from a Ben Courson message...
From the climax of Ben Courson's message centered around Psalm 37:4:
Stop asking for lighter loads and start asking for stronger
backs because God wants to give us an epic biography...
You can’t get to Easter egg dying, bunny hopping, Jesus
Christ resurrecting, Easter Sunday unless you go through black crucifixion
Friday.
Lets stop seeing the difficulties in every opportunity and
start seeing the opportunity in every difficulty.
Lets stop saying the thing’s too impossible to be done and
start saying the more impossible a thing is, the more it should be done.
Lets stop seeing our challenges as obstacles to greatness
and start seeing our challenges as opportunities for greatness.
Because we have somebody on our team who is braver than
batman, stronger than superman, more indomitable than ironman, they call him
the Son of Man, Jesus Christ.
That’s good news.
So stop focusing on the size of your storms and start
focusing on the size of your Savior.
Stop worrying about the power of the grave and start
worshiping the power of your God.
Stop looking at the size of your giants and start looking at
the size of Jehovah
Because our God is in the business of turning dark plots
into happy endings.
Our God is in the business of not just meeting our
expectations but infinitely blowing our minds.
So you, delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give
you the desires of your heart.
And so you will live happily ever after.
Elmer's Story
“Muy bien, muy bien, muy bien!” Elmer and I slapped our hands together in fast succession, our heads moving at the same time as our hands slapped, timed perfectly with each “muy bien” we screamed. It was always followed by laughter. That is how this family is. They love to joke around, love to laugh. While materially impoverished, they are always rich in laughter and service. Elmer was a product of his family. He was the middle of seven children, having three older sisters and three younger brothers. Josue, the father of the family, instilled in his children a passion for learning and a strong faith in Jesus. Elmer had the best of these characteristics. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, he wanted to be a Pastor when he grew up. Some days he would go to the church all dressed up, preparing for his future as a Pastor.
One day, I went to have lunch with the family as I always did. This family is so hospitable that it is literally impossible to enter the house without eating something. They told me Elmer was not feeling well and that he had a stomach ache. I didn’t think anything of it, thinking he had the flu. A couple weeks later, he was still sick. They had taken him to the medical clinic in Cotzal and they had given him injections but he was not better. They took him to a hospital in the nearby town of Nebaj. The doctors in Nebaj did not know what was wrong with him. I visited him a few times in the hospital and at one point he appeared better. He was able to talk then and he told me thank you for visiting him and gave me a big hug. He was such a sweet kid.
The family decided the hospital was not helping and took him back to their home. One night I got a phone call from Elmer and he asked me to lunch with him and his family the next day at his home. He sounded better and I was excited to see his recovery for myself. Walking to his house, I could see him waiting for me from a distance. I noticed right away that while his condition had improved, he still wasn’t himself. While eating, he began getting chills despite it being a hot day. Josue got him up and arranged a tiny soccer game. He tried to play, but was clumsy. His chills got stronger, he couldn’t stop shaking. It was the start of another fever. He wasn’t better. We prayed together and I urged them to go to the city to get help but the family was resistant after what happened in Nebaj.
I arrived the next day and he was worse. He had gotten extremely skinny as he vomited up everything he ate. He was in extreme pain. I got stronger with the family, urging them to do something. We prayed for an hour for the will of God. I was sure this time they would go. Their answer stunned me. They said that their decision was to trust in God and not go to the hospital. They also told me not to tell another trusted family friend, Paul Townsend, of the situation. I felt so powerless. I cried that night. They had faith that God would heal him. That was on Friday.
On Sunday, I arrived back at their house. Elmer was screaming in pain. Every part of his body hurt. I told them not to worry about money if they preferred to go to a private hospital. The family got into action. Josue borrowed a car and we went to a private hospital in Nebaj as it started getting dark. He was seen in the private hospital and a doctor examined him without a sign of care or concern in his face. He gave them a list of things it could be, wrote a note, and told them there was nothing they could do. They went directly to the hospital in Quiche that night, about 2 hours away.
It was in Quiche they diagnosed him with Appendicitis. But it proved to be too late. He had two operations and to my knowledge was given strong antibiotics. The appendix had already burst and the infection was spread too far. He died from Septic shock that next Saturday.
I was passing by Quiche soon after hearing of his death. Josue had called me screaming in anguish that Elmer had died. I was with a group driving to Antigua where I would stay until my flight. A man named Ivan took me to the hospital in Quiche. I will never forget that experience trying to comfort that family soon after losing their 12 year old son and brother. His father, mother, and one of his sisters were there. All were wailing. I embraced them, cried with them, and couldn’t find the words to comfort them. Ivan was a blessing to have there at that time. He reminded them of their six other children, reinforcing to them that Elmer was in heaven and that they must wait to see him again with hope. He even got the mother to laugh briefly. Ultimately as the ambulance arrived to take his body home, the grief was too much. They were returning to Cotzal with their dead son. I was going home. The mother kept repeating to me: “There is no more muy bien muy bien Jordan, no more jokes...” I just told her in heaven, there would be many more “muy biens” together. I said goodbye to the family right before the ambulance took them away. Ivan and I got back in the car together and rode to Antigua, mostly in silence.
The experience leaves all those involved with many questions. Why did God not heal Elmer? What does God see that we don’t see? What could I have done differently? How can we honor the short life of Elmer and make his death mean something? How can we educate families to seek medical attention earlier? What can be done to improve health care in the region so children don’t die from something as curable as appendicitis?
This is one story I wish I didn’t have to take home with me. Please keep this family in your prayers.
One day, I went to have lunch with the family as I always did. This family is so hospitable that it is literally impossible to enter the house without eating something. They told me Elmer was not feeling well and that he had a stomach ache. I didn’t think anything of it, thinking he had the flu. A couple weeks later, he was still sick. They had taken him to the medical clinic in Cotzal and they had given him injections but he was not better. They took him to a hospital in the nearby town of Nebaj. The doctors in Nebaj did not know what was wrong with him. I visited him a few times in the hospital and at one point he appeared better. He was able to talk then and he told me thank you for visiting him and gave me a big hug. He was such a sweet kid.
The family decided the hospital was not helping and took him back to their home. One night I got a phone call from Elmer and he asked me to lunch with him and his family the next day at his home. He sounded better and I was excited to see his recovery for myself. Walking to his house, I could see him waiting for me from a distance. I noticed right away that while his condition had improved, he still wasn’t himself. While eating, he began getting chills despite it being a hot day. Josue got him up and arranged a tiny soccer game. He tried to play, but was clumsy. His chills got stronger, he couldn’t stop shaking. It was the start of another fever. He wasn’t better. We prayed together and I urged them to go to the city to get help but the family was resistant after what happened in Nebaj.
I arrived the next day and he was worse. He had gotten extremely skinny as he vomited up everything he ate. He was in extreme pain. I got stronger with the family, urging them to do something. We prayed for an hour for the will of God. I was sure this time they would go. Their answer stunned me. They said that their decision was to trust in God and not go to the hospital. They also told me not to tell another trusted family friend, Paul Townsend, of the situation. I felt so powerless. I cried that night. They had faith that God would heal him. That was on Friday.
On Sunday, I arrived back at their house. Elmer was screaming in pain. Every part of his body hurt. I told them not to worry about money if they preferred to go to a private hospital. The family got into action. Josue borrowed a car and we went to a private hospital in Nebaj as it started getting dark. He was seen in the private hospital and a doctor examined him without a sign of care or concern in his face. He gave them a list of things it could be, wrote a note, and told them there was nothing they could do. They went directly to the hospital in Quiche that night, about 2 hours away.
It was in Quiche they diagnosed him with Appendicitis. But it proved to be too late. He had two operations and to my knowledge was given strong antibiotics. The appendix had already burst and the infection was spread too far. He died from Septic shock that next Saturday.
I was passing by Quiche soon after hearing of his death. Josue had called me screaming in anguish that Elmer had died. I was with a group driving to Antigua where I would stay until my flight. A man named Ivan took me to the hospital in Quiche. I will never forget that experience trying to comfort that family soon after losing their 12 year old son and brother. His father, mother, and one of his sisters were there. All were wailing. I embraced them, cried with them, and couldn’t find the words to comfort them. Ivan was a blessing to have there at that time. He reminded them of their six other children, reinforcing to them that Elmer was in heaven and that they must wait to see him again with hope. He even got the mother to laugh briefly. Ultimately as the ambulance arrived to take his body home, the grief was too much. They were returning to Cotzal with their dead son. I was going home. The mother kept repeating to me: “There is no more muy bien muy bien Jordan, no more jokes...” I just told her in heaven, there would be many more “muy biens” together. I said goodbye to the family right before the ambulance took them away. Ivan and I got back in the car together and rode to Antigua, mostly in silence.
The experience leaves all those involved with many questions. Why did God not heal Elmer? What does God see that we don’t see? What could I have done differently? How can we honor the short life of Elmer and make his death mean something? How can we educate families to seek medical attention earlier? What can be done to improve health care in the region so children don’t die from something as curable as appendicitis?
This is one story I wish I didn’t have to take home with me. Please keep this family in your prayers.
A Month of WIND teams
This last month has been a whirlWIND. My dad guided four short term WIND teams back to back to back to back. All four of them left quite an impact to the region. First, a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) team comprised of 9 young women, including my awesome cousin, arrived a month ago from Central Washington University. They organized activities at the school which the children enjoyed immensely. They also installed stoves in the afternoon. Many families cook over an open fire in the home and each of the 10 HELPS International designed stoves built by this group will significantly reduce the amount of smoke inside the houses. They are also much more efficient requiring less firewood, meaning less trips walking long distances gathering firewood for the family. One of the girls shared her testimony of when she lost her leg in a boating accident and how she relied on God through that time. I have never seen the children that silent before listening to a story. On that Saturday, we had a field day at a nearby park where the group organized some games. This was a tough group and despite battling a variety of ailments, every person showed up to the school each day, and nobody complained. I know the all the girls left changed.
Two dental teams also arrived back to back through Medical Teams International (MTI). It was really neat to see MTI, WIND, and Agros all working together in order to put this on. One of the visions of WIND is to work together with other NGOs already in the region and it has been fun watching that come to fruition. The dentists served about 500 patients from the surrounding area including around 140 associated with Colegio HOREB. Tooth decay is very common here because families do not understand the importance of brushing and also drink too much soda because it’s cost is equal to that of clean water. Besides treating patients, the two teams also provided much needed dental hygiene education.
The final team was a group of high schoolers from Westminster Chapel in Bellevue. They worked five mornings at Colegio HOREB teaching English worship songs, crafts, drama, and physical education. They bring a youthful energy that the children love. In the afternoons we installed 10 more stoves. On our final day, the entire school stood in one big circle with the group holding hands as my dad said a prayer, talking about us being one family. It was such a beautiful moment. We sang some songs in our circle while the team passed out bracelets. God clearly was working strongly within this group and I have never come across children that age with such strong faith.
These groups were such an encouragement to me. As the only native English speaker and only member of my culture working in Cotzal, sometimes it feels like I am alone. It is hard to keep my faith high but sharing in fellowship with these groups revitalized me and also helped prepare me for the transition ahead. I only have two more weeks working in Cotzal, with my flight returning home scheduled for August 4th. I will be coaching High School swimming while praying about my next steps. I have many stories to share from my time here this year and hopefully I will get a chance to write the important ones in the coming months to provide encouragement to others.
Thank you so much to all who have supported me through prayer and finances. I am excited to share more about how I have seen God work during my time in Guatemala. I hope you take a chance to check out the WIND of God Facebook page which provides photos and information about the short term teams that worked here the last month!
Two dental teams also arrived back to back through Medical Teams International (MTI). It was really neat to see MTI, WIND, and Agros all working together in order to put this on. One of the visions of WIND is to work together with other NGOs already in the region and it has been fun watching that come to fruition. The dentists served about 500 patients from the surrounding area including around 140 associated with Colegio HOREB. Tooth decay is very common here because families do not understand the importance of brushing and also drink too much soda because it’s cost is equal to that of clean water. Besides treating patients, the two teams also provided much needed dental hygiene education.
The final team was a group of high schoolers from Westminster Chapel in Bellevue. They worked five mornings at Colegio HOREB teaching English worship songs, crafts, drama, and physical education. They bring a youthful energy that the children love. In the afternoons we installed 10 more stoves. On our final day, the entire school stood in one big circle with the group holding hands as my dad said a prayer, talking about us being one family. It was such a beautiful moment. We sang some songs in our circle while the team passed out bracelets. God clearly was working strongly within this group and I have never come across children that age with such strong faith.
These groups were such an encouragement to me. As the only native English speaker and only member of my culture working in Cotzal, sometimes it feels like I am alone. It is hard to keep my faith high but sharing in fellowship with these groups revitalized me and also helped prepare me for the transition ahead. I only have two more weeks working in Cotzal, with my flight returning home scheduled for August 4th. I will be coaching High School swimming while praying about my next steps. I have many stories to share from my time here this year and hopefully I will get a chance to write the important ones in the coming months to provide encouragement to others.
Thank you so much to all who have supported me through prayer and finances. I am excited to share more about how I have seen God work during my time in Guatemala. I hope you take a chance to check out the WIND of God Facebook page which provides photos and information about the short term teams that worked here the last month!
The Age of One Click Global Communication
I sit here in my favorite place in Antigua, the little El
Refugio coffee shop. I have finished my
cup of exquisite coffee, I have finished my Bible study for the day, and I know
I must write. I have not written
anything in months. I am not sure what
happened. I have been busy, but there
has also been plenty of opportunity to share.
But I don’t know how to sit down and put into words everything that has
happened. The more time passes, the
harder it becomes. There is plenty to
communicate, but putting it all into letters, words, and sentences that can properly
express it to others seems like an impossible task.
The technology we have nowadays allows us to communicate in
miraculous ways. Sometimes I pine for
the days of couriers on horseback delivering messages from faraway lands. Why was I not born in that time I wonder? Times seemed simpler then and I romanticize
the past. In so doing I ignore the
opportunities there is at hand to truly impact the world with one click.
With one click, everything I have written will be available
to be accessed by the entire world. Sometimes
I forget the monumental potential that the right messages at the right time can
have on people who stumble across something I have written. However at the same time this amazing
technology can backfire. There is so
much information on the Internet. I
could spend the rest of my life staring at a computer screen taking in
information and contributing absolutely nothing to our local or global
society. How am I using this age of one
click global communication? Am I using
it to glorify God, to love others, and to leave an impact on our world? Or am I distracting myself with it, leaving no
time for the greater purposes God has called us toward? I hate to admit that for me it feels at times
more like a distraction.
I get lost in the land of infinite information (or
misinformation). One link leads to
another link which leads to another link.
If I’m not careful an hour or two can pass. I find myself taking in endless amounts of
information and opinions without contributing anything.
I want to stop wasting time.
I want to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity technology allows
without being distracted with it. For
believers in Jesus, our relationship with Him and the love that flows from that
must be the center of everything we do, and that includes the time we spend
online. Are we using that miraculous
opportunity to love others and bring God the glory, or do we find ourselves
addicted and in over our heads?
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