Surrounded by beauty and blessings

I will explain later but I am in El Salvador and have very limited internet access but at the end of this week I have the privilege of meeting my sponsor child through Compassion.  They said last minute meetings normally do not work but they believe this is God ordained.  Her mother is having doubts and is not sure if she wants to keep her in the program.  So please pray that I will be able to make a huge impact and change her life.  God is so good.  His mercies are new everyday.  El Salvador is absolutely beautiful.  When I get back to Tactic on Saturday I will update you all with more.  Love you all.
Becca

A piece of paradise, falling in love, the power of prayer, and an amazing blessing

Last Saturday I had the privilege of going to Semuc Champey with Cathie, Walter, and some of their friends, Erick, Gloria, and their family.  Semuc Champey is a little piece of paradise.  Although it took 4 hours to get there, 1.5 hours of that on a bumpy gravel road, it was so worth it.  The closer we got, the more it felt like a jungle.  There was so much life, so much green beauty.  Vines were growing on all the trees.  It was absolutely beautiful.  But that beauty was nothing compared to what we were about to see.  Cathie, Walter, and myself did a hike to the mirador (view point).  Before we started it, there was a sign saying that it was 1.2 km long, would take about 1 hour and 15 minutes and was rated as 'difficult'.  Turns out the sign was right as the hike was basically straight up.  But it was so worth it.  The view was breath taking.  Semuc Champey is a collection of natural spring fed pools that are above an underground river.  I had never heard of anything like this before but from the mirador we could see where the strong river went underground and then at the bottom where it reemerged.  It is so hard to explain, a picture is definitely worth a thousand words.  We then climbed down and went swimming in the lovely pools.  I was struck with God's power and might in seeing where the river when underground and then also with His beauty and peace in the pools.  A few verses struck me about water.  God gives us living water.  The most amazing thing.  We never need more but thirst for more so that we can be closer to Him.  He restores us.  He replenishes us.  He gives us life.
"God thunders across the waters, Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness - God across the flood waters" (Psalm 29:3)
"For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water" (Revelations 7:17)
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul." (Psalm 23:1-3)
"But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14)
Semuc Champey was a piece of paradise for me.  I found rest, rejuvenation, and an awe for my Creator.  It truly was amazing.


The next day it rained here like I have never seen it rain.  Our road became a river.  I actually could not get to the car without getting my foot completely soaked.  But nonetheless we went to church.  Thank goodness Rio Vida Church has a mike because otherwise it would have been impossible to hear Hermana Rita preach.  And thank goodness we were able to hear her preach for the sermon was amazing.  It was about loving God.  I am still reading Crazy Love and am beginning to truly feel a love for my Lord and Savior so I was just soaking in her message.  We need to develop a love and gratitude for our Lord that encompasses our lives.  Hermana Rita gave us a few examples in which can truly bring us closer in love with God.  I will share a few with you because I think we all need to do some of them - especially in our busy North American lives.  She sets an hourly alarm for when she is awake.  When it goes off, she stops what she is doing and just expresses her love to God and her gratitude for what He has done in her life.  We can put notes on the mirror, a header on our phone, establish a set time in the day for sharing our adoration of our Lord to Him.  Whatever it takes, we all should spend more time sharing our adoration to the Lord.  I have decided that I am going to have tea dates with God.  That is what we do with friends.  We talk about coffee.  Why not do the same with God?  Prayer is powerful and I now have a desire to prayer more.  I confess that before I usually prayed in the morning, before meals, and then when I was falling asleep.  Short prayers.  Nothing amazing.  And definitely not prayers where I would listen for God.  I am going to jump ahead to this past Thursday.  Thursdays are prayer nights at the church.  I hadn't gone to any and decided that that evening I needed to go.  So I went and was completely changed.  There was worship intermingled with prayer - yes, out loud pray your heart out type of prayer.  As I did not grow up in a Pentecostal church, this is a little unnerving to me.  But once I got past my pride or fear or whatever it was, it was amazing.  God touched my heart.  I knelt on the ground and cried while I was praying for Him to touch the lives of some of the broken families in the church.  I then realized that I had a fear of love - of love going wrong, of giving everything, becoming vulnerable, and then being hurt.  I prayed that God would take this fear away and allow me to fall head first into His love and return to Him the love I have been getting for Him.  Prayer truly became powerful for me that night.  Wow, God is amazing.

Back a day to Wednesday.  Cathie, Walter, and I went back to Mocohan to do the last follow ups there.  Praise God, the boy with the infected ear, no longer has pus or pain.  He can hear better and his tympanic membrane looks a lot better.  If you haven't already picked this up, I love Colegio Vida de Mocohan.  I love the children so much.  I just love Mocohan.  So I was super excited to go back.  It meant seeing Yoselina again (and being able to visit her family as we planned a home visit!), worshiping with them again, and being with people that love me and that I love.  When we arrived, the teachers were still in their morning meeting so the kids were playing.  The moment we walked through the doors, I was surround by kids.  Next thing I knew, Yoselina was sprinting around the corner into my arms.  She then introduced me to her older sister, Erika, who excitedly told me how Yoselina was so happy that I was sponsoring her and that they had a younger sister, Bebe, who I had to meet.  It was amazing seeing her siblings and their love for each other and me.  We then started playing Pato, Pato, Ganzo with a bunch of the other kids.  I love playing that game.  Not only does it mean having a good time laughing with the kids, it also means being surrounded by them.  They were sitting on me, hanging off me, hugging me - it was fabulous.  Then it was time for worship.  This time I stood with Yoselina's class instead of at the back.  It was powerful seeing them worshiping with such passion.  Their time of worship impacted me once again.
Then after check ups came the time I was expectantly waiting for.  We took Yoselina out of class and went to her home.  Her home is also her mother's business.  They have a corn mill so ladies can grind their corn to make tortillas.  Upon arrival, I immediately noticed it was concrete.  Praise God!  They had a roof, concrete floor, and electricity.  What a blessing.  I was pretty amazed because not many families can say the same.  I brought some food with me: beans, rice, pasta, tomato sauce, tuna, cookies, and some fruit, all of which cost me about $10 Canadian.  $10 goes a long way here but still, it really wasn't that much.  However, after I gave a few gifts to Yoselina, I gave her family the food.  Her mother started to praise God and thank me.  She started to pray and as she was thanking God for blessing them with this gift, she started to cry.  She was so grateful to me.  And although from the outside it seemed like they had more than enough, that really wasn't the case.  They owed the bank a lot of money.  My little gift, blessed them immensely.  She kept thanking God for what I had brought them and that I was now sponsoring Yoselina (or Melisa or Chica as they call her at home).  They showed me around their house a bit more.  Yoselina, Elvia (her oldest sister who is in high school), her mother, and myself sat in the bedroom for a while.  Her mom started telling me how Yoselina was coming back home so excited.  She told her that the nurse from Canada was sponsoring her and that she now wanted to be a nurse too.  Wow, how amazing is that?  How did I, little Rebecca from Delta, impact her like that?  God is good!  She then told me how Yoselina was sad because I was gone (since we are at a different school now).  She thought I had gone back to Canada.  I'm so glad I hadn't gone back yet so I could share this amazing time with them!  Elvia then told me that I was now a part of their family.  This truly touched my heart.  After chatting for a while, we came back into the main room where Walter and Jose (her eldest brother who is now going to teacher school) were standing by the computer.  The computer that they borrowed money from the bank for.  The now broken computer.  Jose needed a computer for school and although Tactic has internet cafes, Mocohan does not.  Unfortunately, their efforts to try and help him, ended up becoming nothing.  This really broke my heart.  Regardless of their struggles, they are a family that definitely loves the Lord.  I was so blessed to be able to be a blessing to them.  Before we left, I prayed for them.  It was a really special time.  I will never forget this experience.  What an amazing family.  After leaving and thinking about their debt, I was left wanting to do something.  What though?  Do I find out how much they owe and pay it?  Is that the best thing?  I don't know.  I am just starting to read a book called "When Helping Hurts".  Sometimes just giving, ends up harming.  It is a weird concept to wrap your mind around for sure.  So this is something I need to pray about and figure out how I can help them in the best way.  God is good and He provides - whether that is in the form of answers to our questions, through finances, through unexpected gifts, or through His comfort and love.  


So there are a few more of my experiences, my challenges, and my joys.
I pray that you will be challenged and encouraged.  I love you all.
Many Blessings, Rebecca

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul...Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground" Psalms 143:8,10

The Best Hug

This week we have been doing check ups at Chamche school which is really nice because we can walk to work.  But it isn't the same as Mocohan.  The kids come from families that are generally more well off than those in Mocohan.  This is the first school that Impact started so there is a certain sense of pride that is not evident at other schools.  The atmosphere is just different.  Maybe I just have my heart in Mocohan, I don't know.  

Me telling Yoselina that I am her patrocinadora

Her response - the best hug ever!

Yesterday, we went back to Mocohan to complete a few follow up appointments.  There is a boy, Oscar, who has a really bad ear infection and will need surgery as it has been chronic and his tympanic membrane is perforated.  Unfortunately, his twin brother has a heart murmur that also requires surgery.  Hopefully, with help from Impact, they can get these surgeries.  So we checked up on both of them and a few other students.  I woke up with joy that morning knowing I would be able to worship with these children that have changed my life and also get to see Yoselina again.  We finished all of the check ups just before recess started.  When I walked out of the room we were using, two girls immediately ran to me - one being Yoselina.  So with the help of Walter (the doctor's husband), I told her that I was now her sponsor, loved, her very much, and would be praying for her every day.  She was shocked speechless and just gave me the biggest hug - the best hug ever!  She was so happy.  You could see it in her eyes.  Once the bell rang signalling the end of recess, we said our goodbyes.  But she wouldn't let go of me.  I did not want to let go of her either.  Finally, we parted ways but I made sure she knew that she would see me again.  I plan to make a house visit to her place and spend more time with her.  She is a beautiful child of God and I am so happy and blessed to be able to call her my sponsor child.

 

Live, Laugh, Love

Life in Guatemala is amazing.  I love it here more and more everyday.  I love the culture, the mountains, the people, the traditional clothing, the market, the colours, the beauty.  Nothing is dull.  There is so much life.  Yes, there is also immense poverty, but this does not mean a dullness or lifelessness in the people.  No matter where you are or who you are, you will be greeted by everyone.  Whenever I am introduced to someone, I get a hug or a sincere "Mucho gusto" (Pleased to meet you).  Everyone in the Christian community refers to each other as Hermano/a (insert name).  The meaning of family is understood.  Living in community and service is understood.  Immense love is also understood and lived out.

We finished our check ups at Mocohan on Friday.  It was sort of bitter sweet.  I have grown to know the children there and truly love them all.  They have taught me so much about worship and love.  They are amazing.  But we finished.  I took on a pilot tooth brushing program with some of the kids who needed it most - but really how do you decide who is most deserving when all of them could have major dental work done?  Barely any of them own a toothbrush or know how to brush their teeth.  So I taught about 9 of the children to brush their teeth without water because water is scarce in Mocohan.  No everyone has safe water and if they do, they don't have enough of it.  It is hard to imagine not having water.  Even here I waste so much water.  I take long showers, rinse my dishes more than necessary, use too much water when I brush my teeth... Sad.  Water is something I definitely need to be more grateful for.  I take it so for granted.  Anyways back to tooth brushing.  After 3 days of teaching and monitoring them, I gave them a toothbrush and small toothpaste as a gift.  They were all so happy.  Another thing I take for granted.  So since my little pilot project was successful, Impact is going to implement a bigger pilot project - the whole school of Mocohan once a few things are fixed since they have a working well with water now!  I bet the dentist will be glad to hear about that.  There is a nursing and dental mobile unit in Mocohan although it is not usually open because the

Yasmi (on the right) is a girl I played with 4 years ago!

government decided not to pay public health workers since January.  I wouldn't be working either.  On Thursday, I brought 7 kids with bad tooth pain over to the dentist, as their mobile unit is right beside the school, and 6 of them got teeth pulled.  They were scared but I tried to comfort them as much as possible.  One boy wouldn't open his mouth once he saw the freezing needle but after a while he decided to be brave, I held his hand, and he did it - yay Widman!  And the next day, he did not have any more pain and was happy as a clam.  
On Friday, during recess I played pato, pato, ganso (duck, duck, goose) with the kids.  It started off with 3 girls and then grew into a group of about 20 kids.  It was really fun.  I was the ganso a lot because for some reason they liked picking me.  And then when I was saying pato, pato, pato, everyone was screaming yo, yo, yo - how was I possibly supposed to pick just one?  During the game, about 5 of the girls decided to play with my hair instead.  They clung to me (making it hard when I was ganzo) but it was so wonderful.  But what did I do to deserve their undivided love and attention?  Nothing.  Sure I gave up time and the comforts of home to come and serve here but really, what did I do?  Then I got thinking what did we do to deserve the love God gives us?  Absolutely nothing.  We are so unworthy, we are sinful, we continually screw up.  But God's arms of love are always open and He continually blesses us through His never ending perfect love.  Wow, I guess we just need to accept it.  I am learning what it means to truly be in love with God.  It is pretty amazing.  For so many years I viewed Him as my Father and Creator but did not desire to be with Him or grow closer to Him.  But now I do.  I want to pick up my Bible.  I want to study a verse and pick it apart.  I want to just rest in Him.  I want to start my day of in prayer and meditation.  I still have a lot to learn but it is pretty cool.

One of the couples who got married

Back to the girls and their love for me.  One of them is named Yoselina.  She is seven, super cute, loves to laugh, smile, and just give hugs.  I went to choose a sponsor child from the upstairs guesthouse bulletin board where some of the children who still need to be sponsored are put.  And guess whose picture was there?  There was no decision for me.  I was so excited to become Yoselina's patrocinadora.  Then to make it even better at church on Sunday, she came running up to me when I arrived and gave me a huge hug.  She did not know that I was sponsoring her and that did not matter.  It is amazing to know she loves me not because I help her go to school or send her letters, she simply loves me.  We went to the daughter church of the one I usually go to in Tactic.  Impact started the one in Tactic, which is in Alta Verapaz and then they decided to start one in Baja Verapaz (where the Mocohan, Chicoy, and Puruhla schools are) because it was too difficult for them to travel the 30 minutes into Tactic.  When you don't even own a bicycle, travel is difficult - either really long or expensive.  So they have a service at Puruhla now and we were all invited to go this week to show our support and also to be apart of something pretty exciting.  Three couples who had been together for years and already had families were getting married.  Marriage is not a priority in Guatemala.  Yes, family is super important but not the actual steps of marriage.  So they wanted to make things right before God and they got married.  It was so precious and impacting.  They valued God's law and knew they needed to change things.  They were so happy.  It truly was a special thing to be a witness of.  After the service, lunch was served to everyone.  After eating my tamale, I went over to where the children were.  Yoselina was there but Karey, my roommate, cautioned me not to say anything just in case it wasn't her or something fell through.  She immediately ran to me, hugged me, and did not let go of me.  For about fifteen minutes she just sat in my arms.  She didn't run off with her friends who were playing.  I felt this amazing connection with her.  At first I had doubts.  What if my sponsor child is a different Yoselina that looks similar to her?  Satan was trying to plant worry in my heart but I knew this had to be her.  I was so at peace with it.  She already had a place in my heart and nothing could take that away.  Just to be sure I asked her what her last name was and she told me her birthday, so when I got

Yoselina is on the left!

home and checked and it is definitely her!  Wednesday we are going back to Mocohan to do a few follow up visits.  I am so excited because I can tell her that I am her patrocinadora.  That I love her so much and am now praying specifically for her all the time.  
God has blessed me with so much and I am so grateful that I can bless others.  My time here just keeps getting better.  I don't want to leave.
Let's all remember to always spread God's unconditional love to everyone we meet - whether we can find reason for them to deserve it or not.
Live, laugh and love to the fullest.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3:12-14

 

Filled with Wonder, Joy, Love, Expectancy, and Peace

Wow, once again I am encompassed with amazement for my Savior.  God is so good and has been teaching me so much.  Sunday at church Les preached about Knowing God.  I was overcome by the Spirit and a hunger to know God more.  It was a great sermon but I did not get hit until the end when we started singing a song that when translated is something like this: Receive all the glory, Receive all the honor, Precious Son of God.  These words became the prayer of my entire being and I just starting crying.  At this moment, I knew that I was a sinner, who was undeserving of grace, but I also new the glory of God and that I wanted my life to be focused on growing more and more in Him.  I want it to be evident that I am living more life for the honor and glory of the true Lord.  

God is definitely moving here - in my life and the people of Guatemala.  So to know God better I am trying to follow the advice of this verse, which was read at the service: So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. - 2 Peter 1:5-7

May we all be challenged to know God more and more, and for God to receive all the glory and honor in our lives.

On Monday, we did a medical clinic in the mountain town of Chacalte.  After driving up the cloud engulfed mountain and walking for 10 minutes down a muddy trail, we arrived at a one room building that Impact and the people of the church had transformed into our medical clinic.  There was a waiting area, 3 exam rooms, and a pharmacy in this dirt floor building with little light - but it all worked out!  I was nervous as I had no idea was to expect and had the fear that I may be coerced into having my own exam room (including assessments, diagnosing, and prescribing... truly a doctor's job).  But I left it all to God and asked that He would just use me to show these people His love in whatever way He had in mind.  I ended up working the pharmacy with Cathie's daughter Patricia.  Although I didn't get to exercise my nursing skills, I had a great time helping in the way I did.  When we were filling prescriptions, kids would look through the dividing sheets out of curiosity and we got to play and take pictures with them, which was really a joy!  It was hard to communicate, however, as this town speaks Achi, one of the indigenous languages that is very different from Spanish.  Nonetheless I was able to share God's love and blessings to these people through medical aid.  And just to make it more amazing, when we were finished all the children helped us pack up and carry all our supplies back to the van.  They really knew what joy was.  They blessed my heart through their eagerness to help.  And just to top off the day, our drive back down the mountain was spectacular.  Chacalte is one of the most beautiful places.  God is truly the most amazing artist!

Our Language Helpers!

Today, we were back at Mocohan school.  I just love those kids so much.  They are getting to know me now and every time I walk around, I get a million amazing hugs - it is fantastic!  If you could bottle up their love and joy (which definitely comes from God) and ship it around the world, the Earth would definitely be a better place.  It amazes me.  These children have literally nothing.  If it were not for their sponsors, they would not be going to this school, have most of the clothes they own, have a guaranteed nutritious meal in the day, and be taught about a transformed life through Christ.  They know what it is to rely on Him and to praise them with everything they have.  I wish I could stay with them forever.  One of the girls asked me if I was a patrocinadora.  I was not familiar with this word and so I answered I do not know but I am studying nursing...  That was a fail to her question but then she said her patrocinadora was a nurse in Canada.  She told me her name was Michelle and asked if I knew her.  She told me she loved her sponsor although she has never met her.  So if you sponsor a child, know that they truly love and value all you do for them!  I sponsor a child through Compassion Canada but because of all the experiences here and knowing how much these children value their sponsors, I feel compelled to sponsor a child through Impact.  If any of you have ever considered sponsoring a child and haven't, I would encourage you to look into sponsoring a deserving child through Impact Ministries (Impact's website).

I also wanted to extend a huge thank you for all of your support through prayers and finances.  I have now paid off all of my expenses for being here - praise the Lord for a month before I left, I never thought it would be possible!  I had $195 left to pay and my mom just let me know I got my tax return the other day for just under $195.  Wow God is good, all the time.  All the time, God is good!

Be encouraged for God is amazing.

Blessings in abundance,

Becca

A Crazy Kind of Love

I want a crazy kind of love for my Creator.  My love for Him has been growing and I have been radically changed in my time here so far.  God is so good and reveals Himself in so many ways.  Everyone weekday morning this past week, I have been in one of Impact's schools helping with their annual check ups.  Nothing can compare to my time there.  Thursday morning near the end of chapel, Cathie's family and myself were called up to the front so that they could pray for us.  Immediately I was surrounded by children.  I felt as though I were a magnet.  They were all so close and placed their hands on me.  The director of the school started praying for us and then all the children and teachers also started praying.  It was probably one of the most beautiful things I had ever heard even though I did not understand much as not only were close to 200 people praying at once but they were also praying in Spanish.  However, I know that my soul understood.  I felt so refreshed and transformed.  The Spirit was definitely present and at work.  These children understand prayer and what it is to be a Christian.  Francis Chan describes this crazy love and what it truly means to be a fruit-bearing disciple of Christ in his book.  I started this book before Christmas with a good friend of mine, Rachel.  However, slowly as the next semester got busy again, we slowly stopped meeting and discussing what we had read.  So I picked it up again and started from the beginning.  And I am sure glad that I did.  This book is challenging.  It is not an easy read or one that you can pick up and not be changed.  Like I said, I have been so challenged during my time here - to be a better person, to be a true disciple, to see things differently, etc.  Not that I am almost half way through my time here (which has flown by), I have been thinking about going back home.  Yes I am excited to see my friends and family, but I am almost scared to go back.  I know that I will be returning as a different person.  Here in Guatemala, I am so passionate about God, knowing Him more, reading His word, and resting in Him.  But at home, it was hard to find that passion.  I know I was lukewarm (and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I've fully figured it out now but I am working more towards that full abandonment to the One I love) but the busyness of life always seemed to take priority.  I refuse for things to go back to 'normal' and I do not see how they could.  But I am still uncertain how to transfer from how I have been living here to when I get back home.  But God is good and I still have plenty of time here to contemplate these types of things.  I hope that it does not have to take a trip to a place like Guatemala for others to figure these sort of things out.  I pray God will reveal Himself to you all and that you will be changed from the inside out.  Francis Chan says that "God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward.  He measures our lives by how we love" (p.93).  May this be a new way to view the way we live our lives.  

Much love and blessings,

Rebecca

Praise God!

So I received news that Marvin, my roommate's brother, is coming back today.  This morning they could not find anything in the tests they performed and therefore the surgery was cancelled.  So he has to go back on the 27th for more testing but as of this moment, things are definitely looking up.  I can bet you anything the doctors will not be able to find anything on the 27th for our God is good and does the impossible.
Praise God and thank you for your prayers!

Prayer Request

One of my roommates just found out that her youngest brother is getting brain surgery tomorrow.  He was having bad headaches and was losing his peripheral vision, so the doctor recommended that he get some tests done.  They just got the results today and he is booked in for a surgery tomorrow.  Praise God that he could get the surgery so quickly; however that probably means that it is serious.  So please pray that God's will be done in this situation and that He send His perfect comfort for him and the family in this time of uncertainty.
Thank you so much.  I will keep you updated once I hear how the surgery went.
- Rebecca