Help is Here (in the form of Katie Kuhns)

June 1, I was able to go with Leo to the Guatemala City Airport to pick up Katie Kuhns, and her sister Melissa Reinhart, both from Omaha.  Both young people I have watched with great pleasure as they have grown up to be great women of God.

Katie just graduated from Bennington High School, and felt God invited her to come down and work her in Guatemala during June and July.  This is her first trip out of the US.  Melissa, however, is an experienced “world traveler,” so she accompanied Katie down so she would not have to travel alone.

Katie will be “shadowing” me the first few weeks she is here, and then we will decide what she feels particularly called to do.  While I love the company as she helps me each day, I want to make sure she is using her God-given talents in the way He calls her to.  Katie is not exactly sure what she will be doing with the rest of her life, but knows she wants to work with children.  Boy, has she come to the right place!

Rachel, Gracie, Katie and Melissa

In addition to the kids at Hermano Pedro, and at New Life School in Santa Maria de Jesus, Katie has been able to help at a couple of wheelchair distributions at Hope Haven. 

She has also found herself to be an “instant big sister” to two young ladies (Anita’s daughters) who are living in Mari’s house.  She seems to be enjoying this new role, as she is the youngest of four in her own family.  And Gracie and Rachel absolutely adore her. 

Katie dancing with Gracie at Mari’s

And I don’t even need to mention the fact that I think at least half of Dick’s boys from Chimaltenango have a crush one her!

I have felt a little guilty at Hermano Pedro, as it seems that whenever we walk in their I get distracted by a million things needing attention and somewhat fewer people who have something to say to me (including the kids!).  I was worried Katie would feel abandoned or lost in the shuffle.  However, each time I go looking for her, she is loving on one child or another, and seems to be enjoying herself.  Though our kids can be pretty challenging, she didn’t seem to need much time to adjust to being with them, and the love having her around. 

Melissa was only able to stay with us for a couple of days.  Her second wedding anniversary was June 6, and her husband really wanted her home for that, if you can imagine.  We managed to squeeze in a coffee plantation tour, and a trip to the market, so hopefully she had some fun while she was here.  I’d love to see her and Zach come back for a longer visit when they have time.

I know you’ll be hearing more about (and hopefully directly from) Katie, and I’m excited to see what God does in and through her this summer.  It seems she will be the first of a number of “interns” I will have down here.  Please pray that I can make her time here worthwhile.  I want to be able to bless her as much as she blesses us!