Wrapping Up

These past few weeks since we wrote last have been a roller coaster to say the least.  Moving out of our home of ten months in Jalapa, confronting our neighbour/cleaning lady about the theft of about $800 of items (more in particular the back up drive of our computers), saying goodbye to friends and business relationships, closing off projects, researching for future projects, and watching our family split and live apart for a short time to get our lives straightened in Guatemala and Canada.  However, the mission is far from over.

Working with Eddie
to fix up Casa Hogar

Working with the girls to build
community in Los Pinos.

What makes things difficult is seeing the emotional impact that has been made in through our service here.  Watching people like Eddie's family tear up when they think about us leaving  for the long term.  How the girls at Casa Hogar miss the contact of my kids and Mandy and appear heavy hearted.  Francisca (the oldest of our 'adopted' daughters) crying at the mention of the airport.  Seeing my children break into sobs as we pulled away from Casa Hogar for the last time as a complete family unit.

Max and his 'hermana' Darlin

Celebrating our cultures.

Transition is not always an easy thing.  I do look forward to coming back to Canada and live in my home culture close to family, friends and safe community.  There is satisfaction in the thought of working in an environment where I can express myself intelligently and have rich conversations with anybody that is willing to spend the time to do so. Not feeling condemned looks for my appearance, choice of faith practice or assumed wealth that I possess.  However, through this all my heart still burns for a group of people that need a beacon of hope in the name of God to walk with them.

Learning new skills
and having time to play.

Faith is strong here in Guatemala and admittedly our mission is not an evangelical one, but it is one of hope, love and trust.  Guatemalans have taught me to be more faithful in God because in many cases what else do you have other than your faith.  They also have taught me that community and relationship are critically important in getting by and making something of ourselves.
My prayer today is to continue to have strength in getting the message out about the needs in Guatemala and to have my community back in Canada walk patiently in faith that an impact can be made in serving the poor and neglected in the name of Christ. With a deep love to serve as Christ served, Amen.

Partnering with other missionaries
to help those in need.

Miracles in Plain Sight

Bananas starting to emerge in our garden.

      I personally struggle in my faith walk as to why it seems all so magical in the bible. Why is it that the miracles Jesus performed and the amazing actions of God in the Old Testament are things I have never witnessed in my life?  Frustrations mount when I hold these expectations for God to answer my prayers in an instant, or desire to see the change through our work at Casa Hogar but things stay the same.  However, we could be, and more often than not are missing something that God wants us to see.
     When I was looking at our banana trees this morning it is amazing to witness the miracle of the provision of food starting to emerge from the central stalk.  My science mind boggles at the idea of how God designed a plant to absorb carbon dioxide, sunlight, water, and minerals from the soil to construct a beautiful shade baring plant that in turn provides food.  The complexity of the process is miraculous in itself but can often be ignored due to its common place in our life.

10 000+ bottles = miracle

     Recently a former student of mine carried out a task that surprised all of us in the community that knows him.  Not being the strongest in academics I think most of us would cast him off as being more of a follower under the guidance of someone with a stronger academic skill set.  However, he managed to prove that heart, belief, and faith are more powerful than the ability to get high marks.  His efforts and determination managed to collect enough beer and wine bottles to raise over $1000.  I can't imagine being a pre-teen and pulling off this through my own drives and to be selfless to give away that much money.  To miss the idea that he and many other stories like his of 'underdogs' coming through to prove that they are made more unique with skills that have been gifted to them would be denying the thought that miracles happen.


    Even thinking back to our first trip to Guatemala, my wife and I had debated for years about adopting.  I was a firm no, being happy with our three kids.  What I didn't realize is that when I was thirteen years old the first of my children was being born thousands of kilometres away and being cultivated to fit into my heart.  Francisca and her three sisters definitely are a part of our family and to experience a deep change in my heart when we met these girls is miraculous.

A complete family photo.

     What I firmly believe is that God requires us to see Him in all that we do and to be aware of the miracles that surround us.  How grand the miracle is more of a perception.  God is working and if we fail to see that we miss our opportunity to see God.

The Power of Children

It is amazing during this time of building support for our mission this coming fall who surprisingly steps up to the plate to help out.  Over this past month we have had children from grade 6 and under in our community show up to our house with donations to help the girls we so love in Casa Hogar.  In total between 8 children they have raised close to $600.  I know when I was that age the idea of helping someone off in a distant land didn't cross my mind.  It simply amazes me that these kids have forgone birthday presents, spending time playing, and/or buying something of their own interest to ensure that a just act can be done for those they don't even know.
Two of these children held a birthday party and through their own decisions came to the conclusion that another gift is meaningless compared to the value of investing in others, so donations from the partygoers to our mission was what they opted for instead.
Another of these kids took it on himself to go door to door in his neighbourhood with our brochure and talked to these people about our mission to raise support.  Pretty brave act in my book since I am not the type to be overly comfortable in a "sales" situation.
Often I am humbled by the noble and faithful acts of children.  As an adult, I often do risk analysis to many situations in my life and sometimes fail to act on things because of the unknown.  How many of us are skeptical of how our donations are being spent?  It is within good reason and prudent to find out what is being done with the money God provided for you.  We all have heard how some organizations fail to exercise effective use of monies.  However is this true for most?
After meeting a series of people in missions work I have witnessed more often than not the dedication and (as some may call it) sacrifice these people endure to ensure the betterment of others.  An example of this is my former gym teacher in high school.  He has travelled to Zambia for the last few years to develop communities over there that are in need of aid through basic housing, infrastructure and education.  His devotion to the cause and development of the mission caused him to set the goal of raising $30 000 per year for aid services for the next five years.  It has now ballooned to $500 000 in total donations received within the same time period.  The staff is completely volunteer and no cost is ever directed to covering the expenses of these volunteers when they do the short term missions.  This and many other stories exist out there of people's dedication making it possible for those donating to see God's money being used to the greatest extent.
As Mandy and I continue down this faith journey we often need to pause and have that child like faith that this too will work out.  It is not to say that planning and strategizing how we are doing this is being thrown out, but to believe that God has people in mind for us to give us support and that He will be abundant in providing for us is what we lie heavily on now.  Our prayers are that people see us as effective stewards of what God has entrusted with so far in our lives.
In the meantime, work must carry on and trust that this will work for the glory of God.

Matt

Getting connected

It is funny how a few months ago when we were applying to CTEN (Commission to Every Nation), that we had no idea how much work it would be just to make contact with the people we have made friends with over our lives to rally support for our mission.  We are beginning to get ready for our first big mail out this week and of course Canada post still remains on strike.  However we have faith that this will not hinder us in getting our message out (thank you Blogger, Facebook, and email!).

Part of what CTEN taught us is that our mission in Guatemala is really only half of our job.  As we forge partnerships with people in Canada to make the work at Casa Hogar possible we are using this opportunity to develop community that wasn't there before.  This shift in thinking extends our ministry much further than we intended.  Sure the vision is to see these girls succeed in Guatemala to become self sustaining women in Christ, but the unwritten vision is to involve our partners in Canada to shape their hearts in helping these girls in need.

I always thought missionaries were lucky people being able to go off to far off places and doing amazing work for God.   This made me underplay the importance of the supporter who stays at home, "not taking the risk".  My view has changed significantly with this and it inspires me to have those who are involved with supporting us to be an active part of the decision making.

My encouragement to our blog followers and supporters is to post comments.  As our family goes through this year of big changes you may give us ways to look at a problem differently or connect us with resources and people that can help.

So follow along with us and keep us in your prayers as we journey together.

Planning for the Unknown

Today has been a shift in gears with trying to find someone to rent our house.  Thanks to sites like Kijiji this has made the advertising very easy however the flood of people responding is a bit overwhelming.  Mandy says it feels like we are exposing ourselves, which is pretty much true.  That reminds me that I need to clean up the underwear off the floor and quickly hide all the small messes around the house!!

Aside from renting our house we are starting our mailing campaign for support this week.  We couldn't have timed it any better in the midst of a postal strike.  Going through these stresses has forced us to become more faithful in God.  In all honesty I am not worried, but I do feel stretched.

Preparing for a year without a salary and no real defined work day is a challenge.  Today when I was reading the bible I came across this verse in Luke 18:29,30
 "'Truly I tell you,' Jesus said to them, 'no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life'"

Reading passages like this gives me confidence in what we are called to do.  I don't personally think God is going to bestow material riches by committing to a work term in Guatemala (not that it is impossible), but I believe that he will make us rich in relationship, which is far greater in value.

This time of preparation is like swallowing horse pills as you humble yourself to being exposed to everyone about your home, finances, and spiritual walk.  Regardless getting through this time is what builds character as we surge forward towards Guatemala.

In the meantime, if you are looking for a house to rent you can find it on Kijiji here and you could help us check off one more unknown off our list.