Family Matters

The adoption journey for us has been a crazy one to say the least.  When we got Lily back in August 30, 2016, I thought most of the difficult journey was over.  In reality it separated our family from being complete for nearly six months.  Whether it was myself working in Canada to sustain my status with the school board, Mandy visiting family and sponsors, Max studying in high school, Gabe and Mercedes travelling to and from Guatemala with mom or dad, or running fundraising events each time Mandy or myself would have to stay in Guatemala with Lily while the other travelled.  This fragmentation of our family was premature.  Despite the discomfort created, God used this opportunity to shape us a bit as we were put to the fire yet again.

We are now entering the next set of battles that need to be conquered: the jostling of sibling position; living as a biracial family in an almost pure latino environment; eliminating contact between Lily and the orphanage as she establishes our family as being home; gathering all legal documents to apply for a Canadian visa; and living as a family unit that has jumped into having a family member being in the toddler stage.  Regardless of all of life's challenges we know as a family that we are doing this together.  Breaking up the troops is not an option, at least until the time is right to deploy one from the platoon for their next set of battles into adulthood.  We give praise daily for our family and what lies on the road ahead.  To God be the glory, for the great things He has done and still is doing.

It was never intended to be this way.

I studied biology in university and learned of how we have natural cycles of various sizes.  One example is oxygen and glucose entering the cell and activating a cyclical chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide, which in turn is taken by plants to produce glucose and oxygen.  Or, how we consume food and eliminate the remainder which in turn returns to the earth to bring nutrient once again to grow more food.  These are just two of a slue of other natural cycles that exist, but they show how our understanding of life is: be what you are-> change into something else -> cycle back to the original.

To say that God didn't intend death to occur would be difficult for me to accept because He made so many beautiful systems and cycles to take care of all of what is needed to be recycled.  However, God did set us aside from all of His creation as something unique that could be in eternal relationship with Him.  We were given a special pass from the rest to become supernatural beings with a soul.  My brain rattles a bit around these questions: 'If we were built to live forever, were we even a living biological being or just a spirit in physical form?  Was God in the same form as Adam and Eve when walking in the Garden of the Eden?  Did this change once sin came in the world and we anchored our soul to a now mortal physical form?  Am I just a little nuts and only ponder about this after gluing my kids project together?'

Regardless of all of these thoughts, it is important to realize that we were made different and do live for eternity in a spiritual realm.  It is also important to note that sin separated us from God and that to have eternal life with Him only comes when we accept Him as our saviour and Lord over our lives.  Our experience with death is complicated.  As Christians we admit to an afterlife but do we believe in it?  And if you do believe in it,  how might you live differently knowing that this here is the short run?  Why is it so painful to experience the death of a loved one when you know they are in eternal paradise?

Shortly after the death of my Grandma Wilson we attended
a funeral of my friend's grandmother.  It was a good time to
mourn both their deaths as I wept in the graveyard of Jalapa
with the multitude of others that were equally pained with
the result that sin produces.

Personally I have experienced the death of both of my grandmothers while working here in Guatemala.  On both occasions I was relieved to know that my grandmothers were right with Christ and that they are blessed to be living an amazing life in glory.  However, this never lifted the burden of my sorrow that they are now separated from me.  Maybe I'm selfish, but I loved having my grandmothers here, learning about our family origins, and bonding with someone that really cared for me and my interests too.  I know I'm not unique with this feeling.  Even Jesus Himself cried in anger at the death of His friend.  I remember our pastor in Canada speaking that even though Jesus had the power to raise the dead He still wept because we were not intended to exist this way.  That when sin entered the world we created a divide between us and God.  Thankfully for Christ He bridged that gap for us and we can be in relationship with Him again.

I urge readers of this blog to seek out a relationship with God and carry out a life with Him.  If you need help in what to do next, please don't hesitate to message Mandy or myself, or contact a local church and get connected.  If hell is the complete separation of us from God, we unfortunately get a small taste of it when someone dies.  I know my grandmothers are in a better place.  I will continue to strive to live for Christ and someday I will get to see my grandparents and other loved ones that continue to follow Christ.  But until then, I am left with the reminder that sin isolates us and breaks up the original intended plan God had for our lives.

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.