Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? –Job 3:16-18
I was reminded today, on a hill above Antigua, Guatemala, just how small I am. Make sure to watch it in HD.
Today was our last day with the kids from the Buckner baby’s home. We took them to the Children’s Museum and Chuck E. Cheese (all paid for from a special offering taken in eXchange) and both were a huge success.
We then returned back to the baby’s home where we spent a little more time connecting with the kids before leaving. You can see some great write-ups over at the blogs of my traveling companions Scot, Jody and Nate and Rachael.
Perhaps you’re expecting a video or photo from our departure but I’d decided early on to make these final moments something of a more personal experience. We sat the kids down, told them we loved them, that God loved them, and that we were leaving tomorrow but would be back.
Estuardo began to cry at the realization that we were, in fact, leaving and then Danny, who’s only a little younger than Estuardo but much smaller in stature due to having fetal alcohol syndrome, speaks up and says, “don’t worry, they said they’d be back.”
It wasn’t so much Danny comforting Estuardo but the trust Danny has in us that got me. We told him we’d be back, we’ve never broken that promise before, why would we start now?
I can only hope that the faithfulness we’ve shown in coming back accurately portrays how faithful God is to them, and how much he loves them. We tell them Jesus loves them, and we’ll continue to do so.
The remainder of the eXchange crew that’s here (those people being Nate and Rachael and Jody) depart tomorrow morning for home. Scot and I then connect with Compassion International to embark on their four day Vision Tour. It’ll be a good time to decompress from all I’ve taken in over the last three days.
Deep down inside me a new fire has been lit. God calls us to be world changers. Soon, I’m going to ask you to join me in doing just that for some orphans in Guatemala.
If you want to get more insight on what’s going on here in Guatemala hit up the blogs of my traveling companions, Scot, Nate and Rachael and Jody.
Below is a shot from inside the Eliza Martinez teen boy’s home looking out into their courtyard. This is what they see day every day. (click for full sized image)
My first day saw boys being tentative but still outgoing when talking to me. They’d come up, tap me on the shoulder, then say “hola” and want a hug.
Today they got more comfortable. I’d be standing talking to or playing with some of the boys and I’d feel an arm slide under mine for a hug. I didn’t need to see the face. I’d just start squeezing then look over to see who’d snuck up on me.
These kids are just like your kids and mine. They need love. They are beautiful people with varied and wonderful personalities.
Which brings me to Horaldo.
Horaldo is a unique snowflake.
What you’re about to see is a brief outtake in Horaldo’s life. But let me tell you. If you live with Horaldo, you get this all the time. And it never gets old.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. –James 1:27
I am quite positive that the sounds you hear in this video are the same sounds we’ll hear ringing throughout the Streets of Gold.
For blog posts from Nate and Rachael, Scot and Jody.
Jesus follower.
