So Long, Farewell

Sorry about the lack of a post yesterday. We were having troubles with the internet and were too tired. So here is Justine's post from yesterday:
Today we built four more houses and it was a great day filled with many God given moments of down time. Our Canadian culture seems to want to rush everything, and get things done as fast as possible. Today, we felt there were times where God forced our team to rest and enjoy our time with the wonderful people we were building houses for; rather than rush to complete the house on time. We are so thankful for the people we got to spend time with today, the children we got to talk to and the memories we made!

Leah, Otto, Andrew, Pastor Luis, Justine, Jacqueline and Kims hat&sunglasses

I think riding in the truck was so fun because its illegal at home!

Today we built our final two houses. We were building them side by side. It was nice to be able to walk back and forth between the two houses and see the families interact. The property was down a narrow road and there was a locked gate. Behind the gate there was a large green space with the two cement pads for the houses. There were numerous structures made of rusted tin and rotting boards. We aren't sure how many families lived on the property, but now they have two safe houses!
After we built, we head back to the school for lunch. There were four students who had helped to make the food and they served us food. They then shared a little about themselves. Julio is 14 and he was so proud to share about himself in English. He told us he likes to play soccer and his favorite food is pizza. The next boy shared how he lived in an orphanage and decided he wanted to leave. He said when he left he learnt that people who say they are your friends don't care, and that the world is a scary place. He wrote a letter to the orphanage begging to come back, and they allowed him back into the school as well as the orphanage. One of the girls graduated from the grade school and volunteers at the school almost every day. She is going to school on weekends to be a teacher. The final student is a beautiful girl who is the top ranked student in all of Parramos. She was so happy to be able to serve us.

We then had the kindergarten students perform a farewell song and play which was so cute. They dressed up as animals from Noah's ark and danced around. They then wanted a picture, and then we got hugged by a bunch of tiny animals! As we were waiting to leave, the kids kept running up to us to give us hugs. Colleen and Darryl were told by the social workers they had someone waiting for them. Their little sponser child Stephanie had went out with her mom to buy some treats. Diane was saying that the treats they had purchased were traditional sweets but were quite expensive. Stephanie had brought them to school as well as a letter for Darryl and Colleen. She was so excited to share with them. One of the social workers translated the letter, and then Stephanie hugged Colleen. She didn't let go for at least a few minutes. She then peeled herself off of Colleen and did the exact same thing to Justine.

Stephanie and Colleen

I was able to see Christian briefly today as well. He saw me from across the room. I looked up and saw the blur of a red shirt with a smiling face and before I knew it, he had jumped into my arms. He didn't stop smiling except for when I told him I had to go home tomorrow so I wouldn't see him for a while.
All of these kids are so incredibly precious, it makes leaving them so hard. Saying goodbye to the staff is difficult as well. I already hate goodbyes, but today was really difficult.

Before coming on the trip, we noticed we had some extra money that wasn't allocated for a certain need. Len had emailed AOJ and asked where they think the money would be used the best. Today we went out to a small community that had been given seven stoves with that money. We were able to see that the women had been cooking on the floor in these small huts. The walls and roofs were black with ash and it was so smokey. These new stoves are going to improve their quality of life and their health. When we were talking to the ladies, we found out that they were all widows and most were single moms with small kids at home.

The Widows and some of the children

Happy about her new stove!

Thank you for being a part of this week, even without leaving home. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers as well. Please don't stop praying for all the staff at the school and for all the children they care for wholeheartedly every single day. They put in long, hard hours. Pray for encouragement for them and for safety as they travel to and from the school on public buses. Pray for the children, that they know what it means when they are told God loves them. Pray they are able to stay in school and stay healthy.

Tomorrow we have a day for sightseeing, and we fly home on Sunday. We would love to tell you about our trip when we get home, but please be patient if we are unable to put into words what we experienced this week.


From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support and encouragement.

Break my Heart for What Breaks Yours

Break my heart for what breaks yours, everything I am for your kingdoms cause. Show me how to love, like you have loved me.  - Hillsong

Today was a tiring day, but different than the past few days. Justine and I had very different experiences today, so we are going to try and both explain a little bit.
The children just come up to you and hug you, which is the best feeling. Every time we walk past, you have to prepare yourself for tiny people throwing themselves at you!

group hug!

 Lupe with Kim

A couple days before we left Calgary, we had received a schedule from AOJ. It stated that Kim, Jacqueline and I were to give a short presentation about arthritis and managing diet and medication for that specific condition. Yesterday we were talking to one of the social workers about what they expected for today. It didn't really give us a better indication of what they needed. So last night we prepared a little talk about arthritis, medications and a healthy diet. Jacqueline and Kim were going to demonstrate some gentle range of motion exercises. When we sat down this morning and started talking with the women, we quickly realized that they ha much greater problems than simply arthritis. One had breast cancer, another had end-stage kidney failure with a catheter who went for dialysis three times a week. There were two little girls, one with hydrocephalous who needed another surgery as the shunt was not working. The other girl had paralysis to her legs but we aren't sure why. The one little boy they said had epilepsy.  It was frustrating knowing that there wasn't anything else we could do for these people. Kim massaged some of the ladies, and Jacqueline showed them some gentle stretches. We were able to provide them with some prenatal vitamins as well as Tylenol and Advil that were generously donated. They are so grateful but it is hard to see a need that you cannot even start to help with.

doing exercise

Emily has hydrocephalus

The men were painting the back wall of the school today. We realized today that there were not in many pictures on the blog, so we took one today. We promise they are here and are working! Also, it was Andrews birthday today so we got to celebrate at lunch Guatemala style :)

In the afternoon we met with the sponsor children. Most of the team had previously met their sponsor children. We were sharing about our visits after dinner today and it was cool to hear how the children had changed over the years. Its hard to put into words what it feels like to meet your sponsor child. My brother had previously met Christian and had told me about him. I was so excited to meet him today. Once your translator is ready, you head over to where the families are waiting. Christian jumped up as soon as the translator said his name. I got a huge hug from him after I told him who I was. We talked a little bit and I was able to meet his mom and two sisters. Jonathan and I had picked out some gifts for Christian and his family. I gave the gifts to them and they handed me a bag of peaches from their house. Knowing what kind of homes these children live in makes a gift like that so amazing. To us it is a bag of peaches but to them it is probably the nicest thing they have.  Last year Jonathan had bought Christian a soccer ball but didn't have enough time to stay and play with him. Christian was bawling as Jonathan left last year. Every time I mentioned Jonathan, Christians face lit up and he didn't stop smiling. I was able to play basketball with him today as we couldn't find a soccer ball. After we had been playing for a while, he turned to look at me and gave me the same smile he had saved for Jonathan. It just about broke my heart. The worst part is when you have to say goodbye to them. Hr was telling me how he wants to be a doctor, and how he loves math and gym class. Without AOJ and the school, that dream could have never been a possibility.

It has been an emotionally exhausting day but it was totally worth it!
- Leah


My mom and I had the privilege to teach four bible classes today. It was a lot of fun! We taught the younger kids that God is always with them, even though they can’t see Him. We told them the story of Jesus appearing to His disciples after His death on the cross and reminded them that even though Jesus went into heaven, He has left the Holy Spirit to be with us always. We taught the older kids that God is strong and mighty. We told them the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Surprisingly, many of the kids had never heard that story, so they were extremely intrigued! Again, it was great to watch the kids worship and sing praises to Jesus. These kids are taught to have so much reverence for our God. It shows in the way they humbly lift their hands in worship! It was such an amazing thing to witness – I feel so incompetent to be teaching them about The Lord!

Today was the day where we got to meet up with our Sponsor kids. My parents have been to Guatemala at this school a few times now, and they have sponsored two kids. A seven year old boy who they have had for a few years, named Marvin, and a five year old girl named Stephanie. I had the pleasure to meet Marvin yesterday. He is one of the most precious and kind hearted people I’ve ever met in my life! Today we got to sit down with his mother and a translator and chat with him – hearing about his life, school, and his favorite things. During the meeting, my parents gave him some gifts that they brought from home. Marvin (pictured above in the second row) then turned to me and gave me a picture and a card with a basket full of chocolates. He said it was for me! I had only met this boy one time before this and I was already so special to him. His card (pictured above in the second row) says that my friendship is so dear to him, He even included a bible verse on the back. This kid is a real gem! As we said good bye to Marvin, he started weeping and held on to me and my dad. My dad told him that he’d be back next year, and Marvin just cried. My heart absolutely broke. He is so sad that he couldn’t spend more time with us and that he won’t see us for awhile. My goodness, this child is so precious and has such a big heart! He has touched my life. I will never forget it.

Lastly, because today was hugely focused on the kids, I was able to sponsor a child of my own today! It was a big deal, as I’ve never sponsored a kid before. When these kids get sponsored, they are able to attend the AOJ school, get a great education and spend time learning about Jesus every day. Wow! I wanted another child to have this opportunity. I chose a little four year old boy named Axel (third from the top, left). The social worker was able to call the family and get them to come and meet me today! What a blessed opportunity. This family has six children. Their oldest child has cerebral palsy and lives in a home. They are only able to visit him once a month, and I can tell, just by chatting with them briefly, how hard it is on them. I had the opportunity to lay my hands on the family and pray for them – the mother was so grateful to me for this opportunity that I am giving her son. Axel and I got to cuddle and play some soccer as that is both our favorite sport! He had the biggest smile on his face as we kicked the ball back and forth! Every time I would ask him questions, he would always just say “si”. It was so funny! The translator just said: “I think he only knows how to say yes.” We had a great time playing together and I can’t wait to bless Axel.

Darryl, Colleen, Justine, Marvin and his mother

Justine and Axel

- Justine

Building Houses in Guatemala 101

Today we built four houses. We split into two teams and each built one house in the morning and one house in the afternoon. I thought I would explain a little bit how we make the houses.

How to Build a House in Four Hours or Less

AOJ sends out a social work prior to our arrival in order to decide what families will get a house. In order to qualify, they have to own the land their home is on. If they don't own the land and we build a house, the property owner is more likely to kick them out as a house adds value. 

After it is decided who is receiving a house, Julio starts to build to the pieces.   Shortly before we are building, the pieces are delivered to the home. The families have to pour their own cement pad. Once that is all sorted out, we arrive and start to build the house. 

Step One: Get all of the men (or women who can lift heavy things)

Step Two: Assuming you are one of the people who do not lift heavy things (like me), watch them move the houses pieces from the street to the cement pad. After this point, things start hapenning all at once. 

We need 42 bolts with two washers on them. On each of the nine pieces for the house exterior, three bolts with washers are needed. They are then hammered in to hold the pieces together. 

Next, you need to add one washer followed with a nut onto the bolt. Then you get to use the drill to tighten all the nuts and bolts and things. After this is done, the four walls (with two windows and a door) are all secured together. 

At this point, the people who know what they are actually doing start to make sure the house is lined up correctly with the cement foundation. They bring out the measuring tapes and start adjusting the walls so they align with the cement pad as best as possible. Depending on how strong the people are and how hard the cement is, nails are either hammered or drilled into the cement pad to keep the house in place. 

While all of that is happening, the house is starting to get painted. Most of the houses are blue on the bottom half and grey on top. Yesterday our momma for the house wanted to have all of the walls completely blue with grey doors and windows as well as trim. We give them a choice as to what their home is to look like. Most of the homes we have built so far are in tight quarters. They like to keep the old house for a kitchen, an extra bedroom or for another family to move in to. Depending on where the house is on the property depends on how many sides of the house are painted. 

The next house building step is install the support beams for the roof. Once those are all in place, the excess drywall is sawed off the top. 

Next comes the tin roof. If you happen to be inside the house painting at this time, it is incredibly loud and kind of terriyfing. The people on the roof are hammering away, and every time they move, the tin roof makes a creaking noise and it sounds like it might cave in. 

The only other structure left to install are the two small walls inside the house that make the house into two small rooms. Those get painted as well. 

Once the trim is on the doors and windows and everything is painted,  we sweep the floor. It is extremely dusty in there! Then we get to dedicate the house to the families. We explain to them that the house is theirs, pray for them, and give them gifts. Each child gets a blanket made by the older ladies from the church. Each family member gets a personalized gift bag just for them. We have Otto translating for our throughout the dedication. We nail a sign up in their home with their name on it, as well as a cross. 

After that, we pack up and go do it all over again at a different house! The families have brought us food and water. Seeing their homes and how little they have, you realize how big of a gift that is for them. Kids from the neighbourhood come out and watch us build. We have slippers and dolls knitted by some ladies in Calgary that we can give them, as well as small toys and hats. They are so grateful for everything that we are doing. 

I've added a few pictures (although most of them are on cameras and can't be added) to give you a little glimpse of what we are seeing throughout the day! 

-Leah

Heidy, Jefferson and Derek in their new home

Len and Jefferson.  Jefferson helped us the entire afternoon. He painted the house, ran around trying to help drill things,  and he helped Len hammer the frames around the windows  he was so proud that he could help build his new house. 

 

 This girl was adorabke and all she wanted totlo do was help paint

"The Hammer of Broken Dreams" Andrew was working too hard and is just too strong for this hammer

Finished interior

Finished exterior

Children at AOJ school

The other school we visited Monday

Los Encinitas - prevously built by BBC, school for approximately 30 children kindergarten to grade 6

two houses down

Today was such a full day! We are tired, but so grateful for the many blessings through each moment today. We had an early start to the day. Otto picked us up at 7:30 this morning and we headed out to the AOJ (Arms of Jesus) mission school. As our team entered the walls of the school, the kids erupted with applause. They were so excited to see us. Our team had the privilege of sharing with the kids about Jesus! God had laid it on our hearts to teach the kids and remind them of His love for them. They are so incredibly special to Him! We shared a play, focusing on Jesus as our good shepherd. There were four sheep, two wolves, a shepherd and a story teller. Everyone did a great job! We got to share that truth in three more places today as well! The most rewarding part of this time was to hear the giggles from the little ones as we told our story. The moment we were done, we all got mauled by about thirty little ones, all wanting to hug us, kiss us and just be near us. When Jesus talks about letting the little children come to him, I totally understand what He means. Those kids have so much love and such incredible hearts. During our short worship time with the kids we were able to see a small glimpse of their love for Jesus as they sang, in Spanish, the hymn "I exalt thee." I was brought to tears watching them worship the Father! This organization is doing an outstanding job teaching these kids about life, about God and discipling them.

On our trip down we each had packed two, full suitcases filled with toys, school supplies, clothes, wool, typical hygiene supplies, slippers, blankets, etc. That is eighteen bags filled with goodies and things the kids will need. Today was the day we got to sort through all of that! Putting it all into bins really gave perspective to how many needs will be filled through these items. We are so grateful to those people who donated all of those things!

To end off our day we headed into the little village called Chimaltenango. We split off into two teams, each team heading to a house to build a new one. This is the village we will be building in for the rest of the week! The previous houses were merely cardboard and sheet metal, so these families were incredibly excited to have real walls and a roof! As we were hard at work, the neighbourhood kids would gather and start playing games or looking curiously at us. We brought along candy and toys to hand out to them! After we finished putting everything together with the houses and painting, we had the opportunity to pray over and bless the families before giving them the key to their building. I can't believe we get another 10 opportunities to do this this week! We are so thankful that God has given us the chance to be here and meet these people.

One day of work down, four to go!


- Justine

Mixed Emotion

Psalms 84:5 "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage". This week we are on a pilgrame and we need direction for whqt God wants us to be doing. This was the verse listed on the church bulletin this morning. The church is a 20 minute walk from the B&B. It is an English/Spanish church which was a pretty cool experience. The songs were sung in both English and Spanish. The preacher talked about Recognizing Jesus. After Jesus died, there were two guys who decided to get out of town to clear their heads. In the story it says that Jesus came to walk with them, but they did not recognize him. After 11 kilometers, they arrived in town and Jesus told them he was going to go his own way. They invited him in for dinner, and it wasn't until they broke bread together that the men recognized Jesus. This happens multple times in scripture, where people don't recongize Jesus. He stated this happens in our own life, where we get too busy, or overwhelmed and we don't recognize Jesus when he shows up. I find that I miss Him a lot of the times. I get too wrapped up in my own life and problems, and neglect to look for Jesus. This week, I would like to challenge you to look for Jesus in your every day life. Jesus says "If you seek me, you will find me". Take the challenge and seek Him.

Yesterday, we met one of the teachers from the school. He drove us from Guatemala City to Antigua and spent part of the day touring the markets with us. His name is Otto. Otto has a beautiful smile and kind eyes. He has the most adorable giggle and lights up the room. We had been looking around the markets after church when Len got a phone call from Otto. He said he was nearby and was wondering if we were around.  He told us his cousin was at the ocean yesterday when a wave pulled him out deep into the water and he drowned. Otto said he was trying to get all the paperwork done for his family as they were waiting for his cousins body to make it to Antigua from the coast. He wanted to make sure we were okay with him not being around for questions in the afternoon.  He stopped by on his way to the cementary. Pat was telling us it is law in Guatemala to bury the body within 24 hours. Len thought it was a good idea to go to the funeral to support Otto in this hard time. Kim was saying it was a different experience, and said it was hard to put into words what it was like to be a part of somebody's personal time like that.

Tomorrow we go the school and unpack the bags and see the children. Justine is sharing a story that the rest of us will act out. Then in the afternoon we will build our first two houses. Pleas pray for the weather today as it was pouring rain for part of the afternoon today and it looks on the forecast that it may continue to rain throughout this week. Please continue to pray for health and for energy for our team.
Please keep Otto and his family in your prayers as well. Pray for comfort for them as well. They are going to stay in the graveyard tonight because they don't want to leave the body alone until he can be buried in the morning.

Welcome to Guatemala!

Welcome to Guatemala! Finally, after a long trek, we have made it! Thank you for all your prayers regarding travelling mercies. It was much appreciated! Once we arrived in the airport, Pastor Louis recommended that we stay the night in Guatemala City and then make our way to Antigua in the morning as it is unsafe to travel at night. That is exactly what we did! After a restful and much needed sleep, we got to meet as a team and have coffee and breakfast together this morning. Pastor Louis told us what God had laid on his heart for us to do this week. God has some big plans - I'm sure even beyond what we we can see or hear in this moment.

After that we made our way to our destination at Antigua. What a beautiful ride - there is so much to see! After settling in and unpacking at the B and B, we decided to go out and cruise the town. It's awesome to have today and tomorrow to accustom ourselves to the culture and spend time as a team, preparing out hearts to receive what God has for us this week. We went through the marketplace, indulged in some delicious Guatemalan coffee, and spent time talking, observing and appreciating the people and culture. There is much to take in! Tonight after supper there was even a spontaneous firework show that we all ran up to the roof to watch! We can't wait for tomorrow and for all the wonderful blessings it will bring.

Here are some pictures from the last two days, sorry they are a bit out of order.

Colleen, Pat, Kim, Jacqueline and Justine in the park

 Our view from the roof of the B&B

 Justine, Jacqueline and Leah in the park

 Our 'small' detour due to turbulence and a lightening storm from Calgary to Toronto

 Andrew, Pat, Darryl, Len, a penguin, Kim, Justine, Colleen and Jacqueline in the Toronto airport

 Colleen at the B&B

 A horse drawn carriage by the market

Safe and Sound in Guatemala City

After 36 hours of travel, we have finally arrived in Guatemala City. We are all exhausted as we have gotten little sleep. All of our flights were quite turbulent and flew through a rain storm with lightning. Our flight from Houston to Guatemala City was delayed by over an hour and we don't have two of our bags. The airline believes we should get both of them by tomorrow afternoon.
We managed to find some flat benches in the Toronto airport and most of our team was able to have a nap during our eight hour layover. We are in need of showers and clean clothes, but most importantly a bed to sleep in!

We met with Pastor Luis at the airport and are now safely in our hotel.

We will write more tomorrow, have a good sleep because we sure will!