On October 11 we were privileged to meet at Westside Church with about 60 of our closest friends and supporters for coffee and cookies. It may sound strange to talk about 60 close friends, but, as I looked around the room at our Open House, everyone I saw was a good friend of our mission, and has supported us through their prayers and donations. It was such an encouragement to know that they would choose to spend their Sunday afternoon with us.
One of my goals in having this open house was to answer the question often posed to me: "Why only the disabled?" First, because that is who God has called me to work with. Foremost must be obedience to where He leads. I often have to remind myself of this, when faced with overwhelming needs coming at me from every direction. It helps me stay focused, and channel our resources strategically, rather than "shot-gunning" help indiscriminately, and depleting both our funds and our energy.
From a more human perspective, I believe God has given me a passion for this people group because, among all the poor I see in Guatemala, they are the most disenfranchised, ignored and rejected. Often they suffer outright ridicule and abuse. To my heart, they are the "least of these" Jesus spoke of in the gospel.
To help this become real to those who attended, Dick Rutgers, a friend and ministry partner in Guatemala, and I shared two videos with the group. If you were not able to be with us for the Open House, you can view these videos by clicking the links below. It will take you about 20 minutes to watch them, but I promise that, if you take the time to see them, they will touch your hearts and possibly even change your lives.
- A Traves de Sus Ojos (Through Their Eyes) tells the story of three students from the school where I teach in Santa Maria de Jesús. When I first watched it, I realized how little I understood of the challenges our students face, even after working there three years. *Don't worry--there are English subtitles!
- The Culture that Crawls tells about Jessica, my Guatemalan granddaughter, who I met as she came into the malnutrition program in Antigua. Today she is home and healthy, thanks to the teamwork that brought her to Hermano Pedro.
We were also able to share how different supporters have impacted our ministry and our journey. One of these did not even know she was doing anything. . .she was too young. In 2006, Kaitlyn Reeg was a two year old who her mom, Deb, had adopted from Guatemala. Deb wanted to give back to the country which had given her a daughter, and organized a mission trip to Antigua. This was my first trip to Guatemala, and changed my life when this country captured my heart. We often think we have to DO much to make an impact, but Kaitlyn has done much by BEING who she is. And I am grateful.
If you'd like to join our team, through prayer, as an encourager, or through financial support, please email me and I'll give you more information on how you can become part of the Reason for Hope.
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