God is soo good to me! Wednesday and Thursday I got the wonderful opportunity to go with Dick Rutgers (and Dad, Carissa and Taryn...) into the villages... which I have been itching to do since I was back in the states. How awesome it is to have such incredible examples of how to be like my Jesus!
Dick (like my Dad says) is probably the closest thing to Jesus you'll ever meet. Well, both him and my Dad.. And having both of them together is incredible! Dick moved here about 11 or 12 years ago. Going out into the villages is only a fraction of his ministry here in Guatemala. It is a pleasure to have met him.. let alone spend 2 days with him in ministry!
On our trip, Wednesday afternoon, we went to a little girl Jessica's family's house. (Jessica is currently in Hermano Pedro Hospital because of her malnourishment.) We stopped there to see about putting a huge tank in place because they only get water for 1 hour every other day. They fill buckets, containers, pitchers, etc.. anything they can find to help store the water for when the water's not running. While we were there, we also learned about a rash Jessica's brother (Hector) had on his head. We spent Wednesday evening buying the tools necessary to put in the tank and also finding the medicines that would best take care of little Hector's rash.
Bright and early we went to breakfast and then off to Jessica's house to teach momma how to apply the creams to Hector's rash and also to put in the 200 gallon tank we purchased.... and it only took us about an hour to do it!
Our second stop was to Sergio's house. Sergio is a 20 year old young man who's wheelchair needed repaired. This was a big deal because he relys on his wheelchair to go to and from school everyday. No wheelchair, no school. Having not known what the problem might have been, Dick brought all his tools in case of anything. Thankfully, the only problem was t hat the wheelchair's battery slid out of place because of all the harsh hills Sergio has to climb on his way to school. Since we were there, Dick also made adjustments to it..and made it a little faster for him. ;)
Third stop was to Herlindo's house. Herlindo is a 6 year old little guy who's been through quite a lot. Just a few months ago, his older brother Ronnie passed away from Muscular Dystrophy only at the age of 17. Showing signs of some sickness, his parents assumed Herlindo had it too and quite frequently reminded him of the fact. Having concern, Dick took the little guy to the doctor to get all kinds of tests done.Thankfully, he doesn't have it! but because of the very bad drinking water the family has, he has the worst kind of parasite.. We went there to teach his parents the dosages of the medicines...and also to bring yet another water filter to them. Hopefully after having a doctor call and explain that they really need to be using the water filters, they will finally put it to use this time.
Before I went and during the trip, I prayed God would teach me what He wanted me to learn.. and He did.
Seeing all that the families had broke my heart. Dick's teams actually built houses for 2 of the 3 families to replace the shanties they used to live in. Seeing the old, tattered clothes the kids wore, the rotting teeth of the beautiful kids, and to see the situations these people are in, I am so thankful for all I have. I am ashamed of all the times I complain when I don't get everything I want. It makes me frustrated when I wake up every morning and don't give God thanks because of the beautiful, clean, and protective house I have. How could I be so selfish? I have way more than I need and complain about what more I want when there are people who have literally next-to-nothing.
God also showed me their brokenness and the lack of hope. After helping Jessica's family with Hector's medicine and the water tank, we prayed with them before we left. After praying, Momma looked us in the eyes and gave a sincere thank you and choked up while doing it. With my little bit of Spanish, I was able to understand the pain they've gone through. After a year and a half when their father passed away, it has been a real struggle for them to keep going....How could they have hope when they have to live wondering where the next meal is going to come from, having to wear old, torn clothing because there is nothing else in their wardrobe, when they have to hike down that mountain to get more water because all they collected in their precious one hour wasn't enough? How can hey have hope when we as Christians have failed to show it to them? It is our job to show them all they have in Christ despite what they see when they look in their home. It is our responsibility to show them the worth they have in Jesus Christ.
It is our responsibility to be Jesus to them because if we don't, they will die never having met Him and they will pass down hopelessness to their children and their children's children.
That's what I want to do with all of my heart. To bring hope to the hopeless. To love the unloved. To give worth to the abandoned. I want to share Jesus Christ with these people because if I don't, who will? He died for everyone of us, so don't you think everyone of us deserves to learn about Him? Doesn't everyone deserve the chance to get to know Him? That is my heart and passion.Though I have no idea how I'm going to do it as of now. Though I don't have the means yet to do it. Though I am only 17, I am determined to do it. This is what God has called me to do and where He calls, He provides. I know He is enough for me because He has always been enough.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Love Never Fails
I had the opportunity this past week to go to a home for malnourished kids, go to Hermano Pedro Hospital for special needs orphans, go to Kairo's Christian School for kids who desperately need to be shown the love of Jesus, and I played with many, many kids on our street. All of which have helped me to be so very thankful of all I have. All of which have helped me to see a glimpse of our God's own heart.
Tonight as I was reading my Bible,a verse stuck out to me: Luke 12:48 says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." I have been given much; much is expected of me. I have a healthy, working body, I have been shown an undying love from my Jesus, I get 3 solid meals a day, I have a beautiful house to protect me every night, I have more than enough clothes to wear each week, and I have 2 Bibles from which I have the freedom to read about our incredible God. I have been entrusted with the story of our incredible Jesus to tell others about it. It is my responsibility to help those who are in need, to help those who are less fortunate than I am.
I think of severely malnourished Andrea at Casa Jackson. He was 1 year and 4 months old and VERY skinny. He would point to the coat you had to wear to hold him and would want you to just sit and hold him tightly for as long as you could. He only wanted attention, to be touched, to feel safe, to be able to trust. He would cry any time you would put him down but would stop immediately if you picked him back up again. How much has he suffered in his short little life! I can't imagine that much pain in a whole lifetime, let alone only 1 year and 4 months.
I think of the kids that attend Kairo's School who have no hope of a future. Their families only know to get married at really young ages, work the bean plantation, and have literally next to nothing. The struggle not only for the parents to keep their kids alive and healthy, but also the families that are broken because of lack of education and the knowledge of an amazing God is unbearable. I know I have a bright future because I'm almost finished with my schooling and Ihave the love of Jesus in me.
I think of my little Genaro at Hermano Pedro Hospital that doesn't have a working body. I can tell he is so smart, but never is given a chance because he just can't seem to get his body to do what he asks it to do. He works SO incredibly hard to say "hola" when I ask him to, he works so hard to put up his own arm so I can tickle his armpit,and he works so hard to stick out his tongue when I ask him where his lengua is.
Everyone of these kids have been failed. Andrea has been failed to have the food and likely the attention he needs as a 1 year old who is learning and experiencing the world for the first time. The kids at Kairo's school have been failed at having been shown hope. They don't believe they have bright futures because they get stuck in this sick cycle that is seemingly impossible to get out of. Genaro and the kids at Hermano Pedro have been failed in getting a working body and having the chance at life because of physical disabilities and no family that is able to help.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is the definition of love: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..." This also helps define God because God is love. In verse 8, "Love never fails." Though this world will always fail, though it always lacks, love will never fail; God will never fail. God will never fail in showing love and affection to sweet Andrea even though he may not see it now, there is hope of a bright future for the kids at Kairo's, Genaro is perfect in God's eyes and God knows every little thought and action that is in little Genaro's head...even when he can't communicate it himself.
Much has been given to me, so much is expected. I am supposed to help share Christ's love to these people. I am to be that city on a hill that shines light for my Jesus. I am to help the least of these because I am to share the love of Christ; I have been called to do it...but it's not always easy.
Sometimes it's hard for me to see all that He has planned for me because I am only 17. I get intimidated by those older than me... Sometimes it's hard thinking of the difference I can make because I don't have much experience in life. But God reminds me it's okay in 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." I am to set an example in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I don't have the same God in me that Moses did. The very same God that parted the Red Sea lives in me! I don't have to be afraid because my God is always with me. I don't have to be afraid because His love never fails.
So while there are many people even within the radius of 1 mile of my home will go to bed tonight with an empty belly, while Andrea will struggle to keep his food down and regain his strength and trust in people, while the kids at Kairo's struggle to fight the cycle this world has set up for them, while Genaro will go to sleep tonight without a Mommy to hold him tight and without the working body he might covet, my God will never fail them. They are His and He is theirs. "The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few." There is so much need around the world that most people are ignorant of but very few people who listen to the call to help. These are the least of these. These are which He feels the stomach pains screaming to be fed, He feels the loneliness and neglect from lack of a working body, He feels unimportant because of the life already mapped out for them. He feels it all because they are the apple of His eye. He will never fail them because He knows what it feels like to be neglected....He came to earth to bring hope. He is good because His love can surpass any pain that this world brings us because He is good and because He is enough.
Tonight as I was reading my Bible,a verse stuck out to me: Luke 12:48 says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." I have been given much; much is expected of me. I have a healthy, working body, I have been shown an undying love from my Jesus, I get 3 solid meals a day, I have a beautiful house to protect me every night, I have more than enough clothes to wear each week, and I have 2 Bibles from which I have the freedom to read about our incredible God. I have been entrusted with the story of our incredible Jesus to tell others about it. It is my responsibility to help those who are in need, to help those who are less fortunate than I am.
I think of severely malnourished Andrea at Casa Jackson. He was 1 year and 4 months old and VERY skinny. He would point to the coat you had to wear to hold him and would want you to just sit and hold him tightly for as long as you could. He only wanted attention, to be touched, to feel safe, to be able to trust. He would cry any time you would put him down but would stop immediately if you picked him back up again. How much has he suffered in his short little life! I can't imagine that much pain in a whole lifetime, let alone only 1 year and 4 months.
I think of the kids that attend Kairo's School who have no hope of a future. Their families only know to get married at really young ages, work the bean plantation, and have literally next to nothing. The struggle not only for the parents to keep their kids alive and healthy, but also the families that are broken because of lack of education and the knowledge of an amazing God is unbearable. I know I have a bright future because I'm almost finished with my schooling and Ihave the love of Jesus in me.
I think of my little Genaro at Hermano Pedro Hospital that doesn't have a working body. I can tell he is so smart, but never is given a chance because he just can't seem to get his body to do what he asks it to do. He works SO incredibly hard to say "hola" when I ask him to, he works so hard to put up his own arm so I can tickle his armpit,and he works so hard to stick out his tongue when I ask him where his lengua is.
Everyone of these kids have been failed. Andrea has been failed to have the food and likely the attention he needs as a 1 year old who is learning and experiencing the world for the first time. The kids at Kairo's school have been failed at having been shown hope. They don't believe they have bright futures because they get stuck in this sick cycle that is seemingly impossible to get out of. Genaro and the kids at Hermano Pedro have been failed in getting a working body and having the chance at life because of physical disabilities and no family that is able to help.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is the definition of love: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..." This also helps define God because God is love. In verse 8, "Love never fails." Though this world will always fail, though it always lacks, love will never fail; God will never fail. God will never fail in showing love and affection to sweet Andrea even though he may not see it now, there is hope of a bright future for the kids at Kairo's, Genaro is perfect in God's eyes and God knows every little thought and action that is in little Genaro's head...even when he can't communicate it himself.
Much has been given to me, so much is expected. I am supposed to help share Christ's love to these people. I am to be that city on a hill that shines light for my Jesus. I am to help the least of these because I am to share the love of Christ; I have been called to do it...but it's not always easy.
Sometimes it's hard for me to see all that He has planned for me because I am only 17. I get intimidated by those older than me... Sometimes it's hard thinking of the difference I can make because I don't have much experience in life. But God reminds me it's okay in 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." I am to set an example in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I don't have the same God in me that Moses did. The very same God that parted the Red Sea lives in me! I don't have to be afraid because my God is always with me. I don't have to be afraid because His love never fails.
So while there are many people even within the radius of 1 mile of my home will go to bed tonight with an empty belly, while Andrea will struggle to keep his food down and regain his strength and trust in people, while the kids at Kairo's struggle to fight the cycle this world has set up for them, while Genaro will go to sleep tonight without a Mommy to hold him tight and without the working body he might covet, my God will never fail them. They are His and He is theirs. "The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few." There is so much need around the world that most people are ignorant of but very few people who listen to the call to help. These are the least of these. These are which He feels the stomach pains screaming to be fed, He feels the loneliness and neglect from lack of a working body, He feels unimportant because of the life already mapped out for them. He feels it all because they are the apple of His eye. He will never fail them because He knows what it feels like to be neglected....He came to earth to bring hope. He is good because His love can surpass any pain that this world brings us because He is good and because He is enough.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)