The first day was the letter 's' for See. We need to see everyone as God sees them: individually, created in His own image. We need to see the richness of the community that we are working in rather than it's material needs. We also need to see the poverty in our own lives, and see that we all need Christ.
Genesis 1:27
the next was 'e' for Equal. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are all equal. Everyone has poverty in their lives, though in different areas. God's forgiveness is for everyone, and He views everyone equally.
Romans 3:23-24
'r' is for Reconcile. Christ came to reconcile all things to Himself. He is the answer to the brokenness and all the forms of poverty. Only in Him will we have the life that was intended for us.
Colossians 1:19-20
'v' is for Vine. He is the vine, we are the branches. This is God's work. This was His idea, not ours. Instead of trying to work with our own efforts and ideas, we should find where God is at work and join Him.
John 15:5
'e' is for Encourage. We need to encourage one another and build each other up. We need to look for the good in others and see them as God does. We were very blessed when John shared kind words about each of us, telling us how he saw God using us that week and how he saw God's love in us.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
At the end of devotions the last morning, John shared the well-known story of the boy who was walking down the starfish-covered beach and was trying to save as many as he could by throwing them back into the ocean when a man came up to him and asked him why he was doing that when there was no way that he could possibly make a difference with the thousands of starfish on the beach. The boy then picked up a starfish and tossed is back in, telling the man that he made a difference for that one. John then handed Amy, our translator and trip coordinator, a necklace with a starfish on it, and told her that she was one of the starfish that was thrown back in. See, Amy was a sponsored child, and because of the opportunities that the love and support of her sponsors gave her, she is now able to be on staff at FH, helping children in the same position that she was in to live their life for God and as He intended. How awesome is that?! There are really no words to describe that experience.... God's presence was very real and the work that He is doing was shown so clearly.
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On Thursday morning we left the communities that FH is working in and where we'd spent the week, and began our 5 hour drive down the curvy mountains to the beautiful city of Antigua, which is just about an hour from the capital, Guatemala City. Antigua is a small, touristy town with a lot of shops, restaurants, museums, tours, volcanos, ect.
When we arrived at the hotel at which we were to stay at, they informed us that they did not have enough rooms saved for us. Great.... they had reserved the proper amount of rooms for us weeks ago! How very Latin American to do that. If someone else comes first that needs a room, why not give it to them?
SO. They organized a reservation for us at at a hotel about ten minutes away. Fine with me... I can sleep anywhere. Well, one of the reasons that I was very excited to go on this trip is because there are two schools in Antigua that I am looking into attending for a semester to study Spanish, and I was planning on visiting them while there. Well, that afternoon we were taking a walk into town, and as soon as we left our hotel, John said to Dad that he thinks that one of my schools was right there across the street. Dad didn't believe it so he called up to me and asked the name of the schools. I told him, then turned and looked, and there right across the street was the school! So THAT'S why we went to this hotel!! I was so thankful how God totally worked that out. The other school, which is the one I'm planning on going to, was just several blocks away... our hotel ended up to be in the perfect location!
I very much enjoyed walking around the city with our team, shopping, sightseeing, touring a coffee plantation (very cool!) and visiting the Spanish schools. I am SO VERY excited to return and have Antigua be my home for a few months!
The morning before we left the country, we met with a couple for breakfast who are from the States and who have been working for FH and living in Guatemala for nine months now with their six kids. Well, it turns that they attended CSA (Christian Spanish Academy) which is the school that I want to attend! They were so kind in telling me that I could come down a week early and stay with them and they would show me around the city and help me get accustomed to being there.... you can imagine how relived and thankful I am to have a someone there that I know and who can help me with any questions I have... I am so thankful that God has had our paths cross! With each step I take in my plans to go there, God has never failed to show me that He is going before me and working everything out. I am so looking forward to my time there!!
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