We've been home from Guatemala for a week now. It took a couple days to get back into the swing of things. I am still tired. I am still thinking constantly about the National Orphanage and Alan. I swear that I can still smell the dump. I can still feel the hands of the children at Dorie's Promise and hear their little voices.
So what have we learned?
I am not speaking for Marlee. Her learning will come out in years to come. We'll see what seed was planted and how God will grow her to change the world...which was a big part of the reason for going.
Riley and I look at our girls and know that they can change the world. But the only way they will know how is if we model that to them. It has to be part of our everyday life...and it is! (We invited the Kirby vaccuum guy to eat dinner with us!) But I think it is also important to show them a bigger picture...the world is not like our house. I heard the complaints of some of our family, I heard the words of total disagreement before I went, but we stand by our decision to take Marlee to Guatemala.
Here is what I observed and heard Marlee talking to me about every night after we prayed and before we fell asleep: Marlee felt pain that she had never imagined and was pushed to action. She touched children that are rarely touched. She prayed for strangers needs. She fed the hungry, brought water to the thirsty. Isn't that what Jesus calls us to do? And in doing so, don't we feed Him?
The question was asked, "...but isn't she too young to see all that?" And I have to ask, "...is a child to young to share Love?" I want my kids to know that the world is not perfect and there is a need for the Healing Savior. And we give our kids to God to use them. We want this world, that God loves desperatly, to be a part of their world. Is it always safe? No. We acknowledge that. But is the Gospel worth the risk? We've answered that for our family, you must answer it for yours.
What about me? What have I learned? If Jesus were walking around here today He would have been in the dump speaking with people, He would have been touching the kids at the National Orphanage, He would have been hiking down into the canyon to deliver food baskets. Jesus would have been playing tag with the children and singing songs to the babies. Jesus would be present with "those people." And that's just what we wanted to do, we wanted to be where Jesus would be.
Some have asked, "Why can't you do this in the United States?" Well, we could have. But this time, for this one week, God called us elsewhere. Like we were told that first day, "Out of all the Christians, it is you two who are here this week." We were called to Guatemala for that time. Who am I to question where God sends? And for those who ask us that question...please remember that every other day of the year we are here in the United States praying to make that impact. And I think God allows us to...and please, please join us for Thanksgiving this year if you want to jump in with us.
Finally, we pray for our children. Everyone prays differently for thier children. But for our girls, Marlee, Ella and Maya, our prayer is that they will love God more than we do. And our hope and prayer is that God will show us how to teach them how to love more and more and more.
Our girls will love Him more.
