A Christmas Present For Kids In Guatemala: A School Uniform

Yesterday I had the privilege of riding along with a family that works with Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel (AMG) for the day.  We drove to a rural part of Guatemala to hand out school uniforms to the students at one of the AMG schools. School starts in January so it was a huge blessing for these families to receive school uniforms for free.
School in Guatemala is free as long as you can pay for your uniform (blouse, sweater, skirt/pants, black shoes, and white socks) and school supplies (notebooks, pencils, pens, art supplies). Therefore school really isn't free at all....anyway these kids are now ready and able to attend school in January.

This is the Wilson family that serves with  AMG and other friends of the family that went with them to hand-out school uniforms.

Sunday I will fly to the states to spend three days with the Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel's board. It will be a great time for me to get to know the ministry better and for them to get to know me. I would appreciate your prayers as I take another step towards partnering with this organization.

When the Time was Right

--> One of my beloved friends from the states sent me with a handful of cards to open as I needed them. I have needed them for the last few weeks but just yesterday I found the time to open one up. The envelope read (today). Hehe....Here is the message on the card:

When the Time was right,
the sea parted,
the walls fell down,
the lions went hungry,
the sun stood still,
the waves were calm,
the stone was rolled away,
the clouds were parted,
the Lord ascended....
And When the Time is Right,
The King of Kings WILLL RETURN.

What a wonderful promise. It doesn't matter the sadness I see or the heartbreak I feel. Because I believe in God and that Jesus died and rose on the cross, I will get to see Jesus face to face. Jesus is coming back so I need to continue doing good work. I want Jesus to catch me telling others about Christ not moping in my circumstances. The card continues with:

God is never early
and He's never late-
He's always right on time.
His plan for you is GOOD.

My prayer of thanks is this...."For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."...thanks for writing a beautiful story for my life Lord.

God know the hopes and desires of my heart. He knows what is best for me and he is continuing to lay a path before me. 

Rock Those Grades!

Tutoring sessions start this week. A bunch of our kids here at CB are not academically prepared to be promoted to the next grade. Another group of kids are old for their grade (15 year old in 2nd grade). Both of these problems were on my heart and happened to be on our principals heart too.  ("happened to be"..yeah right...The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord 16:1)

I will be tutoring these kids during their summer break, October-December. I am currently still working on the schedule but I will try to meet with as many kids as possible from 8:00-4:00 Monday-Friday. In January, the kids will be tested to see if they will be promoted to the next grade or able to skip a grade. Prayer is needed!!!!

Thanks everyone for helping me purchase items (printer, paper, ink cartridges, crayons, markers, colored pencils, paper, notebooks, plastic bags, and containers) for tutoring!!! I'm so excited and such a geek. I'm totally in my room at the moment looking at the school supplies, organizing them, and making plans for all the things you allowed me to buy.

Thanks for supporting and helping my kids learning.

God Direct my Steps

Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

Most of you are still under the impression that I am teaching at a bilingual school in the city. Well as the time to start teaching drew near the Lord let me have less and less peace about the job. I contacted the principal and told him I wouldn't be able to teach at the school. He was completely understanding that I needed to stay in full-time ministry.

 I returned to CB and have been working here since I returned to Guatemala. It is interesting to watch God open up doors and when he opens up doors.

I have been working with Sara, my boss, here at CB to get her a full-time team coordinator since last November. It has been a slow process beginning with us chatting about her needs and ways I could help her. Then it grew until I was the person helping/supporting the teams. I loved it!

Two days ago the official position/helper for Sara has been approved by the director, staff, and the American board. Yay! I am very thankful that all of those people that approved it are hoping that I will fill the position. Unfortunately for CB, my reality and desire to adopt is the same. I know the best way to love an orphan is to adopt them so is staying at CB the best plan for my life?

 A little over a month ago I began talking to a ministry Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel, http://www.amgguatemala.org/. They are currently looking for a team coordinator. They serve in the most difficult and dangerous parts of Guatemala. There mission is solely to spread the gospel. Isn't that what missionaries are supposed to do? Awesome! I would be leading teams from the states and they don't take US teams into the worst parts. It just isn't safe and it isn't smart for the ministry as a whole.

I could work at AMG while I'm in the adoption process because they do not serve orphans. The choice seems clear to me and probably to you. The difficult part is saying goodbye to the children and staff I have fallen in love with over the last four years.

Please pray that God will continue to guide my steps. I would love for him to close all doors and windows except for the one I should walk threw.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

In America

I will be in SC for another week. If you would like to get together and hear more about this upcoming year, please contact me. This past year has been wonderful and I can only guess what the Lord has planned for me next.

Here is a video the Smiths', missionary friends from CB, made for me. The video has a bunch of the large events that took place for me at CB from January-July. Enjoy!

Updating my Update

    My last week in Guatemala the Lord showed me that he had my life planned out in a different way than I had expected. Oh the fun you can have following Christ!
    Monday of my last week in Guatemala I shared with my boss and social worker at CB about my plan to work at the Christian Academy of Guatemala. Both of them smiled and congratulated me, until I told them I would need to continue raising support for the position. They encouraged me not to accept the position, but to apply for a position at a private school in the city. They informed me that I would receive some type of salary for doing the same job.
    One of my contacts in Antigua had been asking me for a month to give him my resume, so his sister-in-law could get me a teaching job in the city. Monday afternoon I e-mailed him my resume.
    Tuesday afternoon as I was leading an American team to Wal-mart I got a phone call from a school asking me to come in for an interview the following day. Sadly I couldn't even understand the school's name, but I was smart enough to ask her to e-mail me information about the school.
    Wednesday I went to the school and had an interview with the principal, the science department head, and the two grade level department chairs. I knew nothing about this school when I walked in its doors, but I learned a lot about the school during my 2 hour interview. I left the school with a job offer to be the English speaking full-time sub. That means I will substitute teach any of the English speaking classes (Language Arts and Science) whenever a teacher isn't able to teach. I would be at the school Monday-Friday. The school pays well for Guatemala, but it isn't an amount worth exchanging into dollars.
    Friday I was leading the gringos on their trip to Antigua, when I got a call from the principal. He informed me he needed me to teach the 5th graders science, because their part-time person wasn't able to do it any longer. He asked me if I would be ok with merging the full-time substitute position and the part-time science position. The way I saw it is that I would either be subbing the 5th grade science classes everyday or I could ease the principals mind by saying I would teach the class. I accepted the position while rounding up my team of 47 Americans. :) Then we headed for the bus to return to the city. 
    Friday night I met the Eternal team at a  hotel in the city, and flew back to the States Saturday. This is my story of how you just never know what God has up his sleeve.
Needed Prayers for...
~Having a girl that is aging out of orphan care August 14th move in with me.
~Life changes: need a an apartment, need a car
~Beginning Permanent Residency Paperwork
  

Flying to the States

    Thank you for being a huge support during my first year of missionary work. The Lord has continued to teach me through this work the importance of his sovereign control of my life, guidance, and protection in my life. He has continued to show me that I can rely on him.
     July 14th is my return date back to the States. This trip is going to be anything but leisurely.  :) The Lord is going to have to help me get of lot of things marked off of my to-do list in a short period of time (July 14th-August 10th).
    The first thing on the list is to begin all of my stateside paperwork to become a permanent resident of Guatemala. This includes getting a full background check. After I get all of my paperwork together, I need to get the Guatemalan Embassy (located in Florida) in the states stamp of approval.
    Another big task is spreading the word about what God has done in my life and what the Lord is leading me to do next. The pursuit to adopt is huge, and I need support to be able to do it. I know it is important to have people praying for me, and I appreciate your prayers this past year. If you would like for me to come share my story of walking with Christ, at your bible-study or church please let me know. I'm always available for a chat over coffee!!!
    I love being a missionary in Guatemala and helping others, but it costs money. My new job on the other-side of the city will cost me more money than living at the orphanage. For me to continue down this road, I need to purchase a car and raise my monthly support by $900.<---Not my favorite topic of discussion.
    Please consider supporting me in the journey to adopt, teaching at a school for Missionary kids, and continuing to lead missionary teams from CB to Antigua. If you are able to donate monthly, please e-mail me. It will be helpful to know I can count on your monthly support. Click the donate button on this blog for more information about one-time donations or monthly support.
    Thanks for helping me to follow God's calling for my life. I know I am where God wants me to be, so thanks for making that possible.  :)
sweet7sour@gmail.com

Physical Education is my New Middle Name

    Never thought I would being announcing that I have a job as a P. E. teacher. Well guess who is going to be a P.E. teacher next school year.  Me! Me! Me!
    The Christian Academy of Guatemala offered me a job as their new P.E. teacher starting in August. I think this job is going to be a load of fun. Their are many perks about this job that I think just suites me well. First of all, I love physical activity and young children.
    70% of the student body are missionaries kids so this job will allow me to bless missionaries. The school offers extremely reduced rates for missionary kids, which is awesome. I will get to see each classroom twice a week and have one day a week off to do other missionary work. On my day off from teaching, I will continue leading teams from the states serving at CB on their day excursions to Antigua.
    I have really enjoyed guiding teams during their day in Antigua. I have felt I have been able to bless the teams by scheduling a day of fun for them, translating from them, and being their guide the day of the excursion. I'm really exited to be able to continue to thank these teams that bless our children at CB.
    This P.E. position is not a paid position, but another type of missionary work. Please consider becoming a monthly sponsor or giving a one-time contribution towards me purchasing a car.  You can contact me at sweet7sour@gmail.com
  

Set of Wheels

Part of this new adventure is living like a typical city girl. That includes a new set of wheels. I will have to buy a car, so I can get around the city. The former director from CB is going to sale her car.  What do you think about the car?

2007 Toyota Echo, Full loaded, 93,000 miles, stick-shift, $9,000

Toyota cars have a good reputation for not needing a lot of work. Let me know what you think about the car. This is only the first car I have considered in Guatemala. I'm thinking this car is a little too nice for my needs.  :)
A car is a need I have so if you are able to help me buy a car please contact me at sweet7sour@gmial.com. Once I move off campus, I have to have a car because the public transportation in the city isn't safe.
Thanks for your thoughts!

The Beginning of a New Season

    Currently I am sitting in a café in Antigua enjoying a piece of chocolate cake. There is nothing new about me eating chocolate cake, but this week should give me clarity as to what I will be doing next year.
    Tuesday I am going to go to a school on the other side of the city to chat with them about working for them starting in August. The school is primarily for missionary kids, so I would be teaching in English (boo). I have some important things to think about before accepting this job.
    First of all they don't have a regular education classroom opening. They have a PE position available and 2 positions to shadow a special needs child. Right now the PE position sounds like the most fun. Going to work each day to play with kids all day sounds ideal. I love kids with special needs, but sitting in another person's classroom sounds like torture. I am probably too type-A to do that job. I believe I will have better clarity about which job I should take after I have spoken to the principal in person.
    I am torn about working at this school. I loved helping home-school some of our missionaries' kids this year. At the same time, I was also in-charge of The education (homework & tutoring) of the 12 Guatemalan children that live in the house with me. It saddens me to think that I won't be in the Guatemalan schools.
    I have learned a lot about the Guatemalan schools, and I would really like to improve the education system. The level of education is far below America. I have found that sometimes the kids aren't succeeding, because the teachers haven't been trained in best practices.
    The biggest draw of this school is that they will pay my attorney fees to get my Permanent Residency. My reasoning for taking this job may sounds selfish, but I considered this perk to be a sign. When the director mentioned an attorney doing the run around for my PR for free on the phone, I was ready to sign-up. This is the next step in adopting. God couldn't have made it easier for me. I feel I will be at this school next year. This week is a big week and hopefully by the end of it, I will know the job God has for me.
As always, thanks for your prayers.

Mother's Day

    Happy Mother's Day all you mommies. This morning during time with the Lord I thought what if this mother's day is the last time I was without a child. As tears filled my eyes, I brought it before the Lord. Lord could this be the last year I'm barren? And my flesh screamed....PLEASE!!!
    I realize the hurdles ahead of me and that a time frame of a year is very unlikely. I also realize the Lord has placed this desire in my heart. When he wants to move he will move. A lot of times it is swift.
    My church back in the states has begun studying 1 Samuel. It is the story of Hannah and her walk in a bitter than redemptive story of barrenness. I love in verse 13 the bible says "Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard." The Lord loves to hear our heart. Hannah speaks a vow to the Lord and the Lord gives Hannah a son named Samuel.
    I have a friend that was barren for 10 years and now she has 2 sons. Another friend was barren for 7 years and now has 2 girls. Yet another friend of mine is currently without child and is painstakingly praying for the Lord to bless her with a child. This is a terrible and difficult season of life for a lot of women.
   As I think of my situation and my prayers, my petition before the Lord is a lot of things. First of all scripture is clear about taking care of the orphan.
Deuteronomy 10:18, “He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.”

Psalm 10:14, “But You, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.  The victim commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.”

Matthew 18:5, “Whoever receives a child in My name, receives Me.”

Matthew 25: 45, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these, you did it unto Me.” 

James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.”

 Deuteronomy 14:28-30, “The Levite (priest), because he has not portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.”

  Deuteronomy 26:12-14, “You shall say before the Lord your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion from my house, and also have given it to the Levite and the alien, the orphan and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed or forgotten any of Your commandments.”

    The bible has a lot to say about caring for the orphan. One over arching theme is to take care of their daily needs. I believe the call is deeper than feeding and clothing the fatherless. Logically, biblically, and even research supports that meeting a child's daily needs isn't enough.  

    Hannah's vow to God points to the missing element of a lot of orphan care. Disciplining children is the real deal. Hannah gave her son Samuel over to the church to be discipled. Fatherless children need that same opportunity. They need a family not an orphanage to have a parent's attention to be brought up in the way of the Lord. 

    Lord continue to make a way for those of us you have called to adopt.  Help us to raise your sons and daughters  into God fearing adults.

  

What's going on?

I have to say I enjoy all of my jobs here. The Lord has gifted me in just the right ways to be able to serve his children. I haven't updated you on my jobs here since my kids from U.A.E left. First of all I should mention that I have moved into an all girls home. I am living with some of the campuses finest. We have12 girls ages 7-18, our orphanage secretary, a teacher from our school on campus, the house parents, and their two children living in the house. I have truly enjoyed living in this house for a number of reasons but lately our one bathroom hasn't been starting off my morning right. :)  I have been praying to get over this issue.
As for jobs, I have been given a lot of responsibility and a bit of decision power that honestly shocks me. I have earned the higher-ups on campus' trust so I'm able to talk about change that doesn't fall on deaf ears. Praise him! My biggest responsibility is taking care of the long term missionaries and the short term missionaries. You Americans eat up a lot of my time....Good thing I love you guys. I handle everything from helping long term missionaries renew their passports, to solving conflicts between Guatemalan staff and missionaries, to being a tour guide during a trip to Antigua. I can't say enough about how much I enjoy this part of my life.
Probably the coolest job I have is homeschooling one of our middle school kids. She wasn't succeeding in the school on campus so the houseparents and us asked to home-school her. The board, director, and principal agreed, so I am now her stay-at-home teacher. This has been a very rewarding experience and a great way to practice Spanish. Here grades have greatly improved.  Woohoo!
There are other little jobs, conflicts, and stuff always happening, but these are the big changes that I forgot to tell you.

The First Step

I went and saw a lawyer last week to make sure I am on the right track to get my permanent residency. The lawyer told me about two paths to acquire permanent residency.
     Pathway 1: Be employed or be a missionary in Guatemala for 2 years as a temporary resident.      Then apply for permanent residency.
    Pathway 2: Have an income of a $1,000 from the states per month and work at a ministry. When I have my paperwork ready, I can turn it in and be a resident as quickly as 4 months.

When the lawyer was telling me about the first option, my heart sank. I can't imagine not starting the adoption process for 2 more years. This brought up a lot of concerns about Miguel staying at the orphanage for longer. He already shows the common signs of living without a family.

Then she began sharing about choice number 2. I had already heard a lot about this option from other missionaries, but it didn't seem to work with my plans to adopt. The lawyer cleared that issue up. Both paths lead to permanent residency. The catch is that I have to show proof that I have an income from the states of $1,000 per month. Well, I don't have that kind of monthly support so my heart sank. Then she gave the following example: Let's say you have a house in the states and you rent it out. That is considered income that will satisfy this stipulation.

Wow....wait a minute. I looked at a friend that went to the lawyer with me and said, "This is how I'm going to do this." This is my loop whole inside of the loop whole! The last 8 months I have been wondering why I still have my house in the states. Why don't I just sale it? I now have an answer. My house is going to help me adopt. The Lord new what you was doing 5 years ago when I bought the house. Our God is so amazing to plant the seed in one season so we can reap the harvest when it is time. I now know what a victory in Jesus feels like!

This is one of the first steps in my journey in faith to adopt. I believe walking in faith is taking steps with the Lord by your side. Sometimes the Lord says yes and you to walk straight ahead, sometimes he asks you to stop walking and wait, and sometimes the Lord tells you to take a different path. This time the Lord gave me an open door to continue on in acquiring permanent residency.

The Lord has bombarded me with faith verses this morning as I read Proverbs 16.
Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:9 "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
Proverbs 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord."

Pondering the Impossible

     I haven't written in a while because frankly I don't know where to begin. My most urgent thoughts aren't about my current jobs here or how I can better serve the children. For the last month, I have been pondering how I can adopt a child from Guatemala.
    When I came down here on my second trip to the orphanage a little boy made his way into my heart. As I held this screaming child that was always restless and never satisfied, I realized that he was trying to attach to me. You are allowed to think I'm weird, but I don't doubt what I felt that day. This is the type of bonding that happens between a mother and child in the early months of the child's life. To be honest, this child was a huge reason of why I moved to Guatemala.
    After a year of preparing to come to Guatemala and being in the country for 8 months the issue of adopting this child has come up in my mind full force. The same week the children from UAE (story is below) left my care I discovered a loop hole in the adoption process.
    Let me back up just a step to explain why I need a loop hole. First of all only Guatemalan's can adopt Guatemalan's. The other issue important to know is you canNOT adopt children that you work with in orphan care. Don't ask me the logic, but it is the law.
     The loop whole I discovered was that if I become a permanent resident of Guatemala I can then adopt. I am a month and a half into researching how to do this but right now it seems it will be a lot of paperwork, time, headache, and money. After I become a permanent resident, I can start the adoption process which will be more paperwork, a home-study, more time, money, and more unforeseen events that will cause me to rely on the Lord. Lastly I will have to have my child legally adopted into the States which is more of the same stuff listed above. I said it was a loop hole not a short cut.
    Since I have moved to CB, my prayer has been for this child to be adopted into a family. Of course, I want this little boy in my family, but I felt this was the way I should pray. Logically I know the odds of adopting this child are against me. Regardless, I plan to take this process step by step to follow what I feel is God's will. I am continuously praying for God to guide me and stop me when I step incorrectly. I believe God is faithful. This weekend I have been praying this verse over this situation "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." ~Revelations 3:8
 

A Time For Everything

    Ecclesiastes 3 rang true today. At different times throughout the day I thought about this verse and it wasn't until the end of the day that I understood why it kept popping into my head.

    I have been a full-time nanny to two kids from an English speaking country. I can't share the details of why they are here but it isn't an accident that they are here. Today we went to the Child Protective Services office for them to have a meeting with a diplomat from their country's embassy.
    Our day began at 5:00 with me literally pulling the boy out of bed. The little girl was having stomach pains, so I had to talk her out of the bathroom when transportation arrived. When we finally got in the van, we (CB) shuttled around some kids and staff to various parts of the city for them to complete their days work. Then we were dropped off on the side of the road in front of a large business building.
    Let me just pause the story to say....it is amazing to me that the orphanage considers me to be a person that knows enough Spanish to take these non Spanish speaking children to meet with a foreign diplomat in the city into a building we don't know. I don't think this was a wise decision because I know how much I still struggle with Spanish. You should also know we survived, so I guess it was ok that they allowed me to be in-charge for this meeting.
     Continuing story...We sat around the lobby of the building playing UNO and eating Cheerios for a hour and a half. The children saw a person that looked like the diplomat we were there to meet walk into the lobby and said, "is that who wants to talk to us." Yes, it was the guy. He asked to speak to the kids privately and then the fun started. After some time, the man asked to speak with me privately and told me that he was in the country to have a Guatemalan judge sign over legal guardianship to him. After that he planned to take them back to their homeland. This lead me to a serious of questions about his plan of action including: Who would care for them at home? What did there mom want?  Remember mom is in jail in Guatemala.
    He informed me that dad would take care of them.  Uh, What? I was told dad was died. The diplomat said while laughing, "Oh no, he is very much alive and is very willing to care for his children". Well that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy (Sarcastic). Lets pack up the kids and send them off to live with the formerly dead dad. After talking to the kids about this, I learned they haven't seen their dad for 3 years. I never got a straight answer from anyone of why CB was told the dad was dead. Red Flag! This new information made me want to ask the now un-dead father a lot of questions like: Why aren't YOU in Guatemala getting your kids? Why haven't these kids seen you in 3 years?
    When I looked at my kids in one of several private meeting with the diplomat and lots of other adults standing in a circle around them, they looked traumatized. I interrupted and had them come out of the room, sit with me, and talk about the situation. Tears rolled down their checks and they were admit about staying in Guatemala and not leaving the country with the diplomat.
    In an earlier private meeting the diplomat had with me, he asked me to talk the kids into leaving with him. He realized the children trusted me and listed off all the reasons why returning to their homeland was better than their current life at CB. Unfortunately for him, I was no help to him. His plan didn't seem like a better life for them. I know what these kids do each day because I am living it with them. They are learning about Christ, playing soccer, playing in the band, and they are safe.
    After about two hours of private meeting, we were ushered into a van and on our way to the  courthouse. In the van, the kids unloaded their emotions on me and asked me a bunch of questions I couldn't answer. I just reminded them that God had this all under control and things would end up just the way he had planned.
    After waiting a bit for the judge, all of us adults and my two kids sat in a small room for a herring. The kids were crying because it seemed they would be returning home with a stranger, not their mom. The judge called for a break and I fought for the kids to be able to call their mom. They needed to hear what she wanted and I told the judge this fact. The next hour was spent with the judge, the diplomat, and the kids taking turns talking to the mom on the phone.
    Then a new court time was set for 2:30 that afternoon. Luckily, CB's social worker had arrived at the court during the hour long conversation with mom so I had another ear to fill with this craziness. He didn't have any answers but he had a car that took us to McDonalds. It was good for all of us to have a chance to process this unexpected turn of events and to laugh for a bit.
    When we returned for court, the diplomat and the judge met for about an hour before the children were told there worst thoughts would come true. This man had custody of them and they would be going with him tonight. Tomorrow they would visit their mother at the jail for the last time and would return home in the afternoon. All three of us sobbed for a few minutes and then got in the van with our social worker friend to return to CB.
    The kids continued to ask me questions about the future on the ride home from court that I couldn't answer. The little boy told me with tears running down his cheek that he was praying to God that something would happen so they could stay at CB. We began packing their things when we returned to CB. The kids asked me several times to pack more slowly so they would have more time at CB. When their luggage and book-bags I packed for them were in the car, I prayed for them, put them in a car, and watched them leave.

     This is the first time I have had to do this part of caring for kids in this capacity. It hurts. It is so easy to fall in love with kids, and I know the Lord placed these kids in my care. I am honored that God allowed me to teach them about him. I appreciate the Lord being so kind to me to give me these kids for this short time of their lives.
    Today I had no idea that God would take them away (Ecclesiastes 3) from me which reminds me to use the time the Lord gives you wisely. People talk about living each day as their last, but it is easier for me to think about making the most out of every opportunity God gives me. I am in my life circumstances and you are in your life circumstances because God allowed it. You never know when the opportunity to share the gospel with someone will be taken from you. Today is the day to tell them about Christ, because you may not be able to share it with them tomorrow.

Praying for the kids before they left.

Creatures of the Night

    My house is known for having bats living in the ceiling. Friday nights when we are all eating popcorn and watching movies it is normal to see a bat swoop in to perch in its home inside our ceiling. Since I have been here, we have all joked that the bats are the houses pets.
    This week we have had 2 bats fall from the ceiling. When this happens, the normal protocol is for one of the teenage girls to grab a broom and they push it outside. Typically one of the boys playing outside our home kills it. The older boys home came to our house yesterday to climb into the ceiling and exterminate. The boys couldn't find the bats, but we could still hear them screeching.They plan to continue there search Monday.
    Last night while all the girls were eating dinner, my two kids were sitting in the living room. Neither one of them have fully recovered from being sick last week, so I didn't want to torture them by making them sit at the dinner table. I was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room when I heard my kids screaming. I looked to find another bat flopping around on the floor. This was our third bat to fly down from the ceiling this week!
    As normal, the older girls stood up from the table and grabbed a broom. All 16 kids were crowding into the living room to survey the situation as Collin, the house-dad, and I were trying to get the kids away from the bat. One of the girls decided to try to step on the bat and then pick it up. As all the adults were yelling for her not to do this, the bat bit her. Of course, that was our fear and now we had a huge problem on our hands. What if she contracted rabies from this bat?
    The adults in the house sprang into action. Collin captured the bat and I called the nurse practitioner contact I have here in Guatemala. A lot of the missionaries literally began running around campus to get a vehicle, get a driver, get directions to the hospital, grab her medical history paper work. Others of us called the director to get permission to take her, get keys for the van, put the dead bat in a bag, and packed a bag for a potentially long night at the emergency room. The houseparents rushed her to the emergency room and I watched the other 15 kids at the house.

The dead bat in the bag.

    At the hospital, they gave her the first out of three vaccine shots for rabies and something to stop the itching from moving up her arm. The doctor's orders at this point are to watch for any extreme changes in her mood. The house-parents and I laugh at this. When aren't teenagers moody? How will we ever be able to tell if it is the rabies talking or her age? :) 
    Today she seems to be fine. Our prayer is for the Lord to take the rabies out of her body if it was ever in her body.

Going to Jail

    Today I went to jail with the two children I serve, so they could spend time with their mother. This is a weekly adventure but this is the first time I was able to go.
    All morning the kids were begging me to go, because it can be a scary outing. We, the kids and I, didn't know who would go because all the qualified personnel on campus were busy. Unfortunately, I don't have the appropriate identification to accompany the kids.
    While we were eating the french toast I made for breakfast we saw the van, their transportation, pull-up in the driveway.  Immediately we were running around the house brushing teeth, putting on shoes, and I finished packing my purse just in-case I got the chance to go with them. The little girl wouldn't get ready. I couldn't get here to move, because she was to busy hounding me about who would go with them.
     I ran to the office to see if they knew who would go. I was frantically trying to figure out who was going to accompany the kids. I had both secretaries on the phone trying to get answers when the assistant director came into view. He didn't know who would accompany the kids but he directed us to the director. The kids and I ended up running (literally) to the director to ask her. She immediately looked at me and said, "you."
    We decided that my passport would serve as appropriate ID so in the van I went. This won't surprise you but the jail wasn't in the best part of town. I have to say I never felt in danger and I knew the Lord allowed me to go this week for one reason or another.
     When we arrived at the jail, we walked past the living quarters and into a building with several offices. We stood on the second level, kind of like a balcony, waiting for their mom to arrive. The kids stared at the entrance below waiting for their mom to walk in the building. When she did, she quickly spotted her beautiful children and her eyes filled with tears. My breath caught and I struggled to hold back tears. I can't imagine living in her shoes. I can only imagine the thoughts and worries that go threw her head 24/7.
    For the following hour, she held them and they never ceased talking. When there time was up, I made it clear to the authorities at the jail that even-though I spoke the same language as this family that I would not be the one to tell them it was time to leave. I just couldn't do it! The children's protective services employee informed my kids it was time to go. We all walked out of the main building slowly with mom and children crying, prolonging the inevitable. Once again, I can't imagine being their mom. I spoke with her psychologist for a bit while the mom and children were spending time together. The psychologist said the mother was heart broken being away from her children. Rightfully so!
    After we exited the jail, the children recovered quickly and began focusing on what to order at McDonald's. People laugh when I say happy meals make me happy, but it seems to cheer-up other people as well. Maybe people think it's funny because I'm not ashamed to admit it. We needed a little ray of sunshine today and McDonalds was just the right thing for these kids. The kids and I had an adventure today, and praise the Lord he allowed us to do it together.

My Welcome Back Party

    I entered Guatemala without a hitch. With all my passport issues cleared up, I was ready to enjoy some time with the children from the United Arab Emirates that I serve. As soon as I arrived back on campus, my two kids were buzzing about the the previous week. We sat down with a basket of french fries I purchased at a nearby fast food joint and talked about the things we had missed out on in each others lives the previous week.
    Afterwards we unpacked my bags filled with my personal teaching supplies, a much needed math curriculum for home-school, and gifts for my two kids. The one thing I was really excited to give the 11 year-old-boy was a study bible I bought for him. He loved it, and he has been reading it every chance he gets during school. I struggle to tell him to stop reading the bible to learn about reading, writing, and mathematics, so I can't say the State Department of Education would deem me as being an outstanding Teacher.
    Just to remind you, I live in a house with 14 girls and typically teach home-school in this house. The house parents of the house needed to renew their passports, so they were in the states.The next day after my arrival to CB the reality of serving at an orphanage was flown in my face. One child stayed home from school, because she has been throwing-up all night.  While I was cleaning up the mess of her adventures of being sick during the night and home-schooling my two kids. Two more girls came home from school because they weren't feeling well.
    For the next four hours I juggled making sure the girls were hydrated, eating as much as possible, cleaning, and teaching.  By the afternoon, the three girls and the 11 year-old-boy I home-school had fevers. They weren't getting better, and it was impossible to keep the medicine from being rejected by their bodies. Luckily, I had another adult's help in the afternoon. It was nice to have someone else to worry with me (yup, that is what we did-worried) about the kids' steady decline and to have another opinion of what to do.
    Caring for the kids continues, but today the kids are on a steady climb to surviving a brutal sickness. I was welcomed back to CB the best way I could imagine. I was needed.
   

Fill My Bags for Guatemala

I brought an empty bag back with me, so I could fill it up with stuff. Here are some items we are needing. I have highlighted the things most valuable for us to get. If you rather give towards me purchasing these things, you can contribute to Eternal Church (directions to the right). I will be at Eternal on Sunday, so you could hand off the goodies that way. Please post below, so I don't have more than one person getting an item. I know I have friends that are cheerful givers but space is an issue.  Thanks for your help.

11 year old boy
Glasses case 
Jacket (Medium/8-10)
Pajamas (Medium/8-10)
belt (size 10)
Tennis Shoes (35eur or size 3)
Church shoes (35eur or size 3)
Other pants, shirts for play or church

8 year old girl
 outfits for church

Teaching Stuff
Dry Erase Markers
Markers (1 pack)
multiplication flashcards
division flashcards
printer
I Tunes gift cards

A Time for Everything

After the odd week I have had, it isn't surprising to open my bible to Ecclesiastes 3.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

² a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
³ a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

     The Lord knows what he is doing and the plans he has made for me are set. I can be sure in him and nothing else. Just to make sure you are up-to-date on my life, here is what the Lord has done for me recently. The verses above ring true. The things I did last week is very different from this week, but the lord has laid both sets of plans before me.

    Three or four weeks ago my boss pulled me into her office once again and sheepishly asked me to home-school two children that had just arrived at the orphanage. These children spoke English not Spanish, so I was a nature pick for the job. The Lord had already been gearing me up to be back in the teaching role, so I cheerfully accepted the job.

    The two children I would be teaching were on vacation in Guatemala when there mother became wrapped up in illegal activity. The mother was taken to jail and the children ages 8 and 11 were found in a hotel room. As the police continue to investigate the mothers involvement with drugs, the Lord is giving me a huge opportunity to witness to these Muslim children. 

    Since I am able to communicate with these children and most of our houseparents aren't, I have been allowed to take on the role of substitute mom, their nanny, or caretaker. This has given me a lot of time to get to know these kids, and it has created a bit of stability in their lives.  

    Last Thursday when I discovered that I needed to leave Guatemala to renew my passport, this put a huge kink in the plan I thought God had placed before me.  I know that God was in control when the immigration official marked my passport incorrectly. I believe that I am supposed to be here in SC right now even though I can't see the reason. There is a time for everything, and God controls it all.

Financial Help to Buy Clothes and School Supplies

Many of you continue to ask if I need help with anything and I do. I need help buying a few things.

1. The two kids that I am homeschooling are in need of clothes, undergarments, English bibles, and some school supplies. We have been able to find them some items at the orphanage and a lot of us missionaries have been able to purchase some items for the kids as well. I would also like to be able to buy them things as needs arise.
2. I started tutoring 7 kids on campus in the afternoons. At the moment, I have no school materials to use.
3. The dance fitness class I teach on campus has been a great success. The teenage girls are loving the class. This class has given me an opportunity to disciple the girls and build relationships with them. All of our music comes from iTunes and I spend about $15 a month on music.

If you would like to help, you can donate online to Eternal (look to the right side panel for instructions) or mail a check to the address below.

Darby Scott

147 Candlelight Drive

West Columbia, SC 29732

Thanks for your support!

Homeschool Adventures 1

It has been so wonderful homeschooling these two kids. They are here at CB for a very sad reason, but you can see on their faces that they find comfort and joy in hanging out with me for school each morning. We are continuing to learn about the life of Elijah and it has intrigued the kids to ask some amazing questions. Who is God? Who is the Devil? Is this story real?

The literature the kids are reading for class is christian in nature so the little girl, and I have been discussing prayer. On Friday, she recalled from this story that God answers prayer by saying yes, no, or wait." Wow. I am beyond excited to be a part of their lives in such an important way.
Thank you for your continued prayers.

On a personal note, the Lord continues to point me to scripture about prayer. From the previous story, you know that I have been discussing prayer with the kids during home-school. This week the bible-study we had at the baby house each morning was about prayer. When does God answer prayer? Why does it take God so long to answer prayer? Why doesn't he give you what you desire? These are all common questions we think about.

What we discussed is that when "we ask anything according to his will, he hears us (James 5:14)." Sometimes our hearts are aligned with God's desire and sometimes we try to blaze our own path in life. "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:13)."

I have been getting really frustrated not receiving some of the desires in my heart.  I love my work here but I want a family of my own. Unfortunately, lately I just haven't prayed about it. In James 4: 1 & 2 is says, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God." This verse was the kicker for me this week. I realized that I haven't taken the time to ask. I'm used to the answer, "wait" so why keep asking? I believe the Lord used the family bible-study this week to tell me to ask. God loves to spend time with us no matter the reason.

My Only For-sure Job

I had no idea that my last blog's title would become a perfect way to describe my jobs here. The title "What's in a Job?"  about sums it up. I was reminded once again that my jobs here aren't important but sharing the gospel is the point of it all.

Within 24 hours of posting my new job assignments, my boss had another conversation with me about a new new job. We had a brother and sister arrive at CB and they speak English not Spanish. The kids can't go to our Only Spanish speaking school on campus, so I am now homeschooling a 3rd grader and 7th grader. The kids are wonderful, and I'm really excited about being able to spend time with them.

They come from a background that isn't christian, so the Lord has given me a huge opportunity to tell them the good news. Cool! The Lord keeps directing us to the life of Elijah. Right now we are focusing on 1 Kings 17 "Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.' And the word of the LORD came to him. 'Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.' So he went and did according to the word of the LORD. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. "
I can only guess as to why God wants to use this passage. Please pray for the Lord to capture the kids' hearts.

What's in a Job?

The kids are napping, so I have a little time to type. I am so excited to tell you my new job assignments, since I have returned to Casa Bernabé. My boss here at CB (Casa Bernabé) and I chatted when I arrived in January about me helping her with the American teams, helping at the baby house, tutoring various kids on campus, and teaching a dance fitness class. A strange thing happens when you work at a place that isn't run like a business. You have jobs thrown your way but you never get a job description to help you understand what you should expect.

Ideally in the morning I will help the baby house in their daily routine which includes preschool for a hour a day. I plan to eat lunch with the American teams that come visit CB to answer any questions they have and to be an on-campus contact for them. In the afternoons, I  will be tutoring 4 boys ages 8-12 years old in math  and/or teaching a fitness class to the teenage girls. I am really excited about my new job assignments because I feel these are things that are truly needed.

In other news, ...and yes I have a lot to share. I told many of you that I have been really lonely here at CB and that I wasn't enjoying the cold showers. Well, the Lord has a funny way of answering prayer. I am now living in the baby house. Which means I share a room with 2 Guatemalan girls that are paid employees to help the house parents. I truly believe the Lord knew what he was doing when I was so lonely last year. When I was told that I was going to sleep on the top bunk in a room with two other girls, I was so excited.

The other issue was the cold showers. The baby house almost never has cold water because we are caring for the youngest on campus.  Since I live in the house, I shouldn't have another cold shower. Thanks for your prayers. I am really enjoying my new living arrangement.

I was able to visit our Eternal friends living in Chichi for a few days. Let me just say that I enjoyed spending time with the Tandys, Gardners, Kevin Howard, Toni, and Armondo. It was wonderful to share our different perspectives on missions and experiences in missions. The Lord has really blessed Manos de Jesus/Pray America, and I am so proud of Eternalites getting involved with the ministry. I appreciate the Tandy family hosting me.

One of the most beneficial conversions I had in Chichi was with one of the Guatemalan guys working with Pray America. He lived at CB for 8 years and then was hired at Pray America. I benefited from him sharing his experience at CB, and it gave me a better perspective of how to help these kids acclimate to life beyond the walls of CB. It is crazy to think about all the connections CB has with Pray America. The connections are a testament that we are clueless to what is happening most of the time in our lives but God orchestrates all the inner-workings of the entire world.

After my restful stay in Chichi, I returned to helping during nights with the kids and being the only adult in the house for the weekend. Praise the Lord I have 2 very mature teenage helpers with me this weekend. Time to get them up from nap.

Christmas Break

As soon as I got off of the plane, my family and I ate. I wanted to go to a country cooking restaurant, so I could order fried okra. Yum. That night I slept in my bed and had a hot shower. Then my family, and I traveled to Columbia, SC to begin celebrating Christmas. I enjoyed a week in my parents house and spending time with the family. I have an amazing family. The Lord has blessed me with much.
Now I am back at my house and just enjoyed a wonderful quiet time with the Lord. It is easy to loose the closeness to the Lord when you are being pulled in a million ways at an orphanage. Many things are always running threw my mind at Casa Bernabe: helping the kids reach the next development milestone, raising these kids in a Christ centered manner, being mindful of the culture, struggling with Spanish, wanting God to fulfill personal desires I have for my life, working on friendships with the staff, and continuing to share Christ with friends I made at language school. It was wonderful to have time with the Lord this morning while putting these thoughts aside. I feel like I just took a breathe of crisp clean air. Refreshing!