Global Outreach Website

Jun 07

Here we are in the wilderness.  We are trying  to get back to ministry from our two days out.  It has been an extremely tiring but moving two days. 

It all started yesterday morning as the team of 40 filled 4 Subarbans and one school bus and headed north to the village of Cerro de Oro at Lake Altibon. We were traveling at a quick speed and all of the sudden the pavement ended and it would be a very bumpy dirt road. Then after 200 yards the road would be paved again.  It happened again and again for miles. For those of us in the back row of the suburbans we would fly into the air off the seat.  Herman would apologize, but secretly I think his was chuckling at three 40 something women flopping here and there. 

We traveled into the countryside.  This is what I imaged when I thought of Guatemala.  Lush green foliage, long winding roads and small towns.  About half way into the trip we came to the mysterious place in the road.  I am sure you are asking what is the mysterious place?  We stopped in the middle of this tiny road that was going downhill.  Herman put the car in neutral and the car rolled backwards...going uphill.  He did it a number of times.  I am not kidding...facing downhill and rolling uphill.  Quite a mystery. 

We saw 117 patients in Cerro de Oro.  I sat at a counseling station all afternoon.  This is a Mayan village so we needed a second translator who spoke their language of Tzutujil (sounds like su tu il). All the women wear the skirt of their village and there is a huge sense of community.  The big church we used has tiled floor and is nice and clean.  Four large bouquets of flowers line the stage.  So beautiful.  I think I met 10 or so families.  Everyone who came through my station had already received Christ, that gave me the opportunity to bring them one step closer to God.  Cindy and myself had a wonderful day. We met one sweet young family who touched my heart. A young husband and wife came with their little baby. When he smiled his face lit up and you could see Jesus shine through him.

Today was a little tougher.  The village was named The Holy Land.  It was anything but that.  There was a sense of desperation.  The children were aggressive toward our offerings of candy, stickers and small toys.  At one point I had kids grabbing and taking all they could get.  They were in survivor mode.  Near the end of the day Lane and I counseled a young mother with 6 children, the youngest was just a year old.  The baby was very sick and hungry.  Her husband had very little work in the fields and therefore very little money to feed them.  The mother was unable to breast feed the baby enough to fill her.  I filled my water bottle and gave it to the mom and she drank the entire thing.  I filled it again and let the baby and her son drink.  Lane and I were so moved by Lucinda and her story we filled her blanket with crackers and cliff bars.  We had the local pastor come and talk with her and she is supposed to come back tomorrow with her husband and talk about the gospel together.  I do pray she asks Christ into her heart.  I was once again brought to tears and humility for this family. 

As we near the ministry after after a 5 hour trip home, we come to the end of our missionary work here.  We spend the day shopping tomorrow.  Our mission now is to come home and work in our own battlefields.

Jun 05

The last 2 days have been incredible.  Here is just a snippet of what has happened...

Yesterday my team went to a village called Chi Chi Mecca (spelling?).  The church was more primative then Fridays. It had cinder block walls with a tin roof.  Very quickly we were reminded that tin roofs create a lot of heat from the sun.  The church steamed up as people came in and took a seat, patiently waiting for the doctors.  I got to work a new job as \"pharmacist.\"  I laughed as Detrie our Guatamalan pharmacist said that this was \"our\" (meaning the Americans) pharmacy.  Ok I knew what a few drugs were, but was in no way knowledgable enough to call this my own.  Myself and Tony (the gringos) and Detrie manned the station.  I mostly filled prescription for vitamins, motrin and stomach meds.  Detrie and Tony did the harder orders.  Detrie smiled so patiently at me as I continuously asked questions.  By afternoon, Tony had gone to counsel and I had 2 11 year old assistants that were so lively and engergetic that I forgot about my weariness and continued on for the next 4 hours.  Occasionally there would be a lull in the scripts and I would look out onto the room and my heart would fill.  So many counselors, praying for the lost and weak. We have so very talented missionaries.  

During most of the afternoon, heavy rained echoed on the tin roof.  So loud at some times that I had to cover my ears.  Tony worked with a man during this time that is miracle of God.  I knew just who he was, because he was on crutches.  This man had been working and men came into his workplace asking for money. When he did not have enough money to give them gun shots were fired.  Before he knew it, he had 7 bullet holes in his body.  He lay on the floor crying out to the Lord.  He had not been a believer in Christ, but now in his time of desperation, he invited Jesus into his heart. He said if Jesus saved him, he would share his story with as many people as he could.  So God spared his life.  His trials did not end there.  Because he could not work, he could not provide for his family.  One night as he prayed for help, food from his neighbors came to his door.  He continued to tell story after story of how the Lord had provided during his time of great need.  Then he asked if he could pray for Tony and his son, AJ.  As you know, typically it is Americans that do the praying.  Tony and AJ were touched and the man prayed for them.  As the man stood up to leave, he held Tony\'s hand, and asked Tony to promise that he would go home and tell his story.  Tony promised.  The man would not let go of Tony\'s hand and asked back, \"What do you promise?\"  Tony looked him in the eye and said, \"I promise to tell your story.\" The man, satisfied his story would be spread to help save others, hobbled home and brought his wife and children back to meet Tony and AJ.  A bond was created that won\'t ever be broken, no matter how far or how long their separation might be.

Today was a day of church worship, lunch at Chili\'s and time at an orphanage.  This paticular orphanage does not adopt out.  They raised the children under God\'s word.  They feed them, clothe them, educate them and love them.  They believe they can develop strong, faithful Christians that will go out into Guatemala and help their own people.  I could feel the love.  One little toddler was in my arms the entire time.  She would not let me put her down.  Her name was Brookalyn.  As I walked her out into the courtyard, she received no less then 10 kisses from the older children.  So very sweet.  We did have an awful accident though.  Louis one of our young translators was kicked accidentally in the ankle and it was broken.  He is being attended to as I write this, and I would ask for extra prayers for his quick recovery.  

Tonight is pizza night.  We are gearing up for our overnight journey tomorrow. We truly are going into the wilderness.  Yikes!! What an adventure that will be.  

Jun 03

The morning arrived quickly and after a warm shower and a quick breakfast we met for our devotional.  We sang and worshipped and prayed.  Herman told lots of stories and related them to scripture.  One of the main ideas he preached to us was to how show Jesus\' love to the village people we would meet.  That we were counselors, we were to connect with the people to teach God\'s love.  If they were not believers we would tell of Christ, if they were believers, we could bring them one step closer to God.  This was about connecting with people and loving them.  

We split into 2 groups and headed out south.  The traffic was crazy and so were our drivers.  Herman told us God loved his driving because it made people pray more.  LOL.  We made our way out of the city and into rural Guatemala.  After close to 2 hours we pulled into a remote village near Santa Rosa.  The gracious ladies of the church served us lunch and then we got down to work.  The love was quite evident.  The first young woman to sit at my station was 19 and a mother of 2 boys, ages 3 and 1 1/2.  She looked scared and overwhelmed.  Tracy my partner started talking with her.  Asking her if she was a church member and if she knew who Christ was.  She kept smiling and nodding.  Marianna our interpreter was wonderful and tried to put Maria at ease.  She still just seemed very uncomfortable.  I then asked her if she ever felt lonely? Si...she said.  Do you ever feel sad? Si...she said, and then she started crying.  So I told her that I often felt lonely and sad.  I asked her what was happening in her life that made her feel this way.  In a nutshell she told us that her boyfriend, the father of her children, worked away in the city and did not send money home to her.  That he used the money to drink and that when he was home, hit often hurt her physically.  She said her mom and dad had turned their backs to her when she moved in with her boyfriend.  So at 19 she was all alone with no means to support her children.  For me I was unsure of what to say, because there are no shelters for her to go to, no place for her to escape, really no hope.  I of course wanted to pack her and her 2 boys into my suitcase and bring her home, rescue her from despair.  I could not do that.  But we had just talked this morning about giving hope to the hopeless and so we offered her the only hope there is.  The hope in Jesus and his love.  And that if she opened her heart to him, he would be her shelter.  She quiet bowed her head and said the believers prayer.  At the end, she said that we had made her feel better.  I pray that in the future she cries out to Jesus in her times of pain and he give her the comfort she needs.

The day continued on and I met so many wonderful Guatemalans, but Maria stayed in my heart and continues there.  I know that I cannot change her circumstances nor her life, but I do hope that Jesus changed her heart today.  I have lots of other incredible stories to tell, but it is late and I am tired.  Tomorrow is another day and another village.  See you then!! 

Jun 02

For most of us on the team, our journey started at about 4:30 this morning.  Bleary eyed but full of exctiement we met at Perimeter Church and caravanned to the airport.  I had butterfliesin my stomach.  Trying to calm my anxieties, I thought of the true meaning this trip would have for me.  Not only would I have the possibility to bring people to
God, I would be able to draw closer myself.  

We made it to the airport with our 30 bags of luggage, thankful that they all did weigh under 50lbs (the \"free\"limit).  We boarded the plane and the adventure began.  I have never been on a missions trip or to Guatemala, but as soon as I landed I knew this was going to be amazing.  The beautiful mountains, the people with huge hearts and the absolutely perfect weather.  (It was 87 at 9 this morning with high humidity in Atlanta, and 76 with no humidity in Guatemala.) 

Today being a travel day is a day of rest and preparation for our first village tomorrow.  After we unloaded the supplies we had successfully transported, we have enjoyed getting to know each other a little better.  Delicious smells come from the kitchen and kids throw balls and play cards.  The simple treasures of the day with little to worry about and much to be thankful for.  

From the book Isiah I think \"Here am I, Send Me\"  We are all ready to be used for the glory of God.        

May 30

My test blog...

I read today in Daily Strength for Daily Needs my thought for today.  \"Do not be afraid...I am your shield\" Genesis 15:1.  Just what I needed as I get ready to leave my 3 children and venture to a Central American country.  I will not be afraid, He is my sheild.  He will give us all we need to have the most amazing trip.  I can\'t wait to see what He has is store for us.  We all believe that \"anything is possible\" and He has our back.  One more quote from the passage...\"the last four letters of American spell I can.\"  Most certainly we can!! 

Sue Mangum