Today, I had the wonderful opportunity of accompanying Dick, Daryl (my Dad), Taryn, and Gerardo (our translator) to visit Escuintla and Las Palmas. We visted and were able to help more people than I imagined we would! Our day went a little something like this...
After departing at roughly 9:30 this morning, we headed off for Walter's house (a six year-old boy who is just about as cute as they get!) He has an appointment at Hermano Pedro Hospital in Antigua tomorrow, and we went to educate his mother all that would mean as far as what time to get there and what to expect. We also provided her with the money to take the chicken bus into Antigua along with money for the appointment itself. Please pray that all will go well with his appointment tomorrow and they will be able to take care of all that is needed!
Second stop was David's house.. We got there to invite him to camp and also to see when his graduation will take place... which is a pretty big deal! It was a privilege to get to meet his family! :)
Third stop was down the road to visit an elderly woman, Pilar, who is 85 years old and who is struggling from malnutrition. I can honestly say that I've never seen a person that skinny in person before... We checked in to make sure she was drinking the Insure we provided her a little while ago and to make sure she was drinking plenty of water. We found out that she was only taking about half the Insure she should be taking and that she hardly drinks water... She prefers coffee. But Dad explained to her (with the help of Gerardo) that she needs to be taking more Insure and she needs to be drinking lots more water for 2 reasons. First that she will start to feel better physically and gain some weight and be healthier altogether. And Secondly, she'll gain the energy she'll need to meet some new, cute men. ;)
And while we were there with Pilar, we met a little boy who is 4 years old and who has struggled with fevers, breathing, and just lack of energy his whole life. His big brown eyes and his sad little face broke my heart! But we were able to set up a time for them to go to Antigua to Hermano Pedro next week to get him checked out.. Prayer would also be greatly appreciated that all will go well with his appointment!
On our fourth visit, we saw a man named Ponsiano. We were pleased to see that his father had built him some parallel bars.. that he can hold on to to hopefully Work on his walking! It was very encouraging to see his famly step up and try to help him in his need! It was kind of rough, but it didn't matter because the excitement in his eyes and the smile on his face made up for it! Hopefully with time and more practice, he'll get much better at it :)
The fifth place was across the street from Ponsiano's house, where we visited an elderly couple, Pedro and Victoria. Being as old as they are, they were previously advised to drink about 6 cups of water a day because they were dehydrated... and they could use all the energy the could get. They're now up to drinking 3 cups of water a day... that's progress, right?
Sixth stop was a few doors down to Reyna's house, an elderly woman who was also having dehydration issues. We stopped there for just a few minutes to make sure she was drinking all that was suggested to her (and of course she wasn't... but she's drinking more water than she was before..) But even though we coulnd't stay for long, the smile on her face when we walked in told me that it was worth it anyways. :)
After Reyna's, we went to Carlos' house to drop off a few camp forms... one for himself and two others that he would give to his friends... And after Carlos, we went to Maria's house to also drop off a camp form. She's 23 and has sever spastic Cerebral Paulsy. She lights up the whole room with her beautiful smile!
The last stop was Jorge's house.. We didn't think we'd have time to visit him because of the late hour, but we ended up going... and we're very thankful that God had us go.. We learned of a couple things that we had to confront about.... but thankfully, Dad, Dick, and Gerardo together showed them God's love and confronted...and forgave. God's hand was definitely with us while we were there..
I am so thankful that I could be a part of the ministry of Dick and Dad.. And I am thankful that I can learn how to better serve my Jesus with them. I would be very blessed if someday I could have half as much wisdom as they do...
So today was a long, but great day and I learned a lot! ..but most of all, God was glorified! And that's all that matters. :)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Today I sit here, in awe and I'm speachless in front of my amazing God. I don't understand why He has chosen me, and nor will I even try. Because I know that as hard as I may try, I will never understand. Not that He has chosen me to do anything great in this moment, but I don't understand why I get to be a part of His great story. I don't understand why He gives me His love unconditionally and I don't understand how He could never give up on me. But I am thankful. I am thankful that no matter what I do, no matter what I struggle to give up, He is still there for me, waiting with open arms. He is there for me. Always. And I can't even fathom it. But like I said, I am thankful.
The last few months, I've struggled. I've struggled to let go of my own will, of what I want, and cling to His precious hand. I've struggled to hear His voice over the voice of the one who wants to destroy me. I wish I could say that I chose to listen His voice, but if I did, it wouldn't be true. The last few months, I listened to the lie of the enemy that I know what's best for me. I know what I need, I know what will ultimately make me happy. But like I said, that was just a big fat lie.
To this very moment, I'm struggling to hold on to His saving hand.. I'm struggling to remember that He knows what is best for me. I'm struggling to remember that He is good no matter what. I'm struggling to let go of my desires and cling to His..
I most definitely do not understand why God does the things that He does. I can't even imagine His great story that He has for me, for all of us... And sometimes it's really hard to see things from His perspective, simply because He is far too complex and too big for my small, insignificant imagination.
But as I sit here, fighting myself to do what is what He wants me to do, I remember that He is good. He has never EVER failed me before. And He has promised me that He will never fail me in the future. Though all of this is happening now, and though it doesn't make sense to me, I can trust that He knows what He is doing.
A long time ago when I was a little girl, and I was ripped away from my biological family's arms and placed into a stranger's home, I never could've imagined why God would do such a thing to me... I know I didn't yet have a relationship with Him at the time, I still didn't understand all that was happening... But now that I can look back on it, now that it is all done and over, I can see that He knew what was best. I can see how His great hand held me through it all, and I can see that that was the best thing that has ever happened to me.. even though at the time it felt like it was the most horrible thing that could ever happen.
So now when I look all around me, I feel like I know what is best for me. But (like always...) I am wrong. He knows what is good for me. He knows what will ultimately make me the happiest. He knows what will in the end bring Him the most glory. And that is all that matters. I must trust in His perfect, flawless plan because He knows what He is doing.
I know that it will only be a matter of time that I will forget all that I'm learning now... I will fail in trusting Him. But for now, I am trying to cling to His goodness, to what He has planned for me because I know that on my own, I am not enough. And while I'm trying to remember all this, I sit in His loving arms trying to find His peace, with my heart about to burst out of my chest. Closing my eyes because if I look around again at the mess I've made, I just might completely fall apart. I'm trying to trust Him to hold me together, because on my own, I can't do it because I am nothing.
So I ask for your prayers that I will trust in Him who never fails... and I will pray the same for all of you..
The last few months, I've struggled. I've struggled to let go of my own will, of what I want, and cling to His precious hand. I've struggled to hear His voice over the voice of the one who wants to destroy me. I wish I could say that I chose to listen His voice, but if I did, it wouldn't be true. The last few months, I listened to the lie of the enemy that I know what's best for me. I know what I need, I know what will ultimately make me happy. But like I said, that was just a big fat lie.
To this very moment, I'm struggling to hold on to His saving hand.. I'm struggling to remember that He knows what is best for me. I'm struggling to remember that He is good no matter what. I'm struggling to let go of my desires and cling to His..
I most definitely do not understand why God does the things that He does. I can't even imagine His great story that He has for me, for all of us... And sometimes it's really hard to see things from His perspective, simply because He is far too complex and too big for my small, insignificant imagination.
But as I sit here, fighting myself to do what is what He wants me to do, I remember that He is good. He has never EVER failed me before. And He has promised me that He will never fail me in the future. Though all of this is happening now, and though it doesn't make sense to me, I can trust that He knows what He is doing.
A long time ago when I was a little girl, and I was ripped away from my biological family's arms and placed into a stranger's home, I never could've imagined why God would do such a thing to me... I know I didn't yet have a relationship with Him at the time, I still didn't understand all that was happening... But now that I can look back on it, now that it is all done and over, I can see that He knew what was best. I can see how His great hand held me through it all, and I can see that that was the best thing that has ever happened to me.. even though at the time it felt like it was the most horrible thing that could ever happen.
So now when I look all around me, I feel like I know what is best for me. But (like always...) I am wrong. He knows what is good for me. He knows what will ultimately make me the happiest. He knows what will in the end bring Him the most glory. And that is all that matters. I must trust in His perfect, flawless plan because He knows what He is doing.
I know that it will only be a matter of time that I will forget all that I'm learning now... I will fail in trusting Him. But for now, I am trying to cling to His goodness, to what He has planned for me because I know that on my own, I am not enough. And while I'm trying to remember all this, I sit in His loving arms trying to find His peace, with my heart about to burst out of my chest. Closing my eyes because if I look around again at the mess I've made, I just might completely fall apart. I'm trying to trust Him to hold me together, because on my own, I can't do it because I am nothing.
So I ask for your prayers that I will trust in Him who never fails... and I will pray the same for all of you..
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