Just in case you weren’t around for my trip to Guatemala last October, here’s all the pictures I took in slideshow format.
We all have them.
Sometimes they’re in the back of the closet.
Sometimes they’re in a container of some kind, stuffed away.
Forgotten about.
Until you’re looking for something else, something of value, and you happen upon them.
And even then, you typically push aside the less valuable to obtain the more valuable.
Shove the old shoes to the back of the closet.
And forget about them again.
Welcome to the world of the boys of Eliza Martinez.
They are, truly, the least of “the least of these.”
Just like old shoes, they are shoved in a box and put away, hoping they’ll stay out of the way, quiet.
Which is why I simply can’t get them off my mind.
They are the unlovable, unloved detritus of Guatemalan society.
Boys with mental issues, emotional issues, physical issues, and everything else you can think of.
While we were visiting Eliza Martinez, Horaldo became unnerved to the point that he began to cry and wield a rock like a weapon.
Horaldo has some problems with his mind.
But I also saw his episode as Guatemala’s leftovers rising up to be heard.
Believe me, when I saw the rock in his hand, he had my full attention.
And it made me ask the question..
When’s the last time we stood up with a rock in our hand to tell the world about places like Eliza Martinez?
Because I’m quite confident that, if Jesus were flesh and blood today, He would be standing with a rock in his hand, saying…
”What you are not doing for them, you’re not doing for me.”
And I just can’t sit idly by knowing the forgotten have no voice.
Because, you see, even if we don’t do something…
the rocks will cry out.

These past 10 days have flown by. Things are a blur and yet there are so many moments that reside in my brain (read: my heart) with such amazing clarity.
Jose making it to the top of the climbing wall.
Crystal yelling “Net? Net!” for Nate because she’s just so in love with him.
Jody getting groped by Miguel.
Sammy joining my family.
Roca (quite likely) joining Scot’s family.
Rachael pouring herself out to every kid she comes in contact with.
This is going to sound cliché but I’m leaving a piece of my heart in Guatemala.
And because of that, I’ll have to come back.
Today we’re leaving for the airport at 4:15am (yikes), departing Guatemala at 7:00 am or so and arriving in Dallas around 11:45am. We’re hoping to get an earlier flight out of Dallas but who knows if that’ll work out. If it doesn’t we’ll arrive home in Indiana around 7pm.
Pray for smooth re-entries into normal everyday life for Scot and me. We’ve been living on mission, all day, every day for the past 10 days and, frankly, my emotions are threadbare.
I’ll likely have PMS (Post-Missions Syndrome) for the next few days so if I’m crabby, I’m sorry. Please bare with me.
See you soon.