More Than Shoes

Earlier this year I introduced you to Otto, a shoe maker working and living in La Limonada in Guatemala City.  After years of talking about the effects of shipping and bringing things like shoes from the U.S. to Guatemala and other countries and advocating for small local business owners in Guatemala, I was finally able to tell you about just one of the real people that I long to see succeed.  A couple of weeks after that post, I walked through La Limonada and into Otto's home which is also his shop.  I walked up the steep, wobbly stairs to the area where he makes his shoes.  I stood on a floor that shakes and moves with every step, praying that this wouldn't be the moment of collapse and looked over each tiny pair of shoes that he had created for children living in an orphanage in Guatemala City.  The look on his face was priceless as I told him how happy and impressed I was with his work and then I asked him if he could also make a pair of shoes for me and a friend.  Our visit was short.  He measured my foot, made sure he knew exactly what I wanted, introduced me to his paralysed son and his precious daughter and wife and I was on my way quickly, knowing that I would see him only briefly the next day when I would pick up my new pair of shoes.

Almost every day after that I slid my feet into those gray and white leather shoes knowing that they are not the result of a long assembly line or multiple machines.  They are the result of one man living in La Limonada, just trying to make a living so that he can care for his family.  I knew only of his son's story and nothing of his until recently.  Now, when I slip on what have become treasures to me, I pray for Otto and his family and thank God for the man that he has become.  His story really is one that proves beauty can come from ashes.

In October, I was able to spend a little more time with him.  It's a given now that any time I am in Guatemala, I must have a new pair or two of Otto originals, so once again I made my way up those stairs and tried not to move too much while picking out my designs and fabrics. 

This time I got to hear Otto's story and while I won't share all of the details here simply because his story is not mine to tell, I will tell you that he gives all glory to the Lord for transforming his life in unbelievable ways.  His past is one of violence and heartache and despair, but the saving grace of Christ can change even the most hardened heart and he now lives a life surrendered only to the Lord, a life of love and joy despite the hardships of living in La Limonada.

As he shared his heart that day, he talked about something he had dreamed of for a long time.  He longed to be able to help children and men from the streets.  He wanted to be able to train them and mentor them and to tell them about how Jesus saves despite your past.  As two young men worked hard on making shoes behind me, I realized that their stories, though I did not learn them that day, were probably ones like Otto's and that this man that sat before me, one that years ago I would never have considered being near because it would not have been considered "safe" was living his dream and what I believe must be one of God's calls on his life.  He hired them to train them when they had nothing to offer.  He spends his days with them, making shoes and pouring love and hope into their lives.  And he will not stop there.  From my two pairs of shoes and my friend's orders and other orders he filled the day before, he told us that he would be able to purchase more supplies, but what really brought me to a place of incredible happiness was when he told me that from the shoes he will create for the school children this month, he will be able to hire another person from the streets.  He will be able to train and mentor them the same as he does the ones that already work with him.

When we ask you to donate to supply a pair of shoes for a child in La Limonada and you generously do, you should know that it goes far beyond just one pair of shoes for one child.  That pair of shoes is made by Otto or one of his helpers.  Otto's family receives income from that.  He is able to provide for them because of it.  He is able to provide a job for someone that before knew only hopelessness.  He is able to help them understand, maybe for the first time, what Christmas really is.  And then they are able to take that message to their families and friends.  It is more than just one pair of shoes and one child.  That one pair of shoes (and imagine if we made it to the goal of 290 pairs!) makes an impact on an entire family and even on this community.  It is hard to wrap your mind around just how much of an impact comes from this and I wish everyone could just visit and see it personally.  You can't help but be transformed yourself.

If you would like to donate a pair of shoes to a child in La Limonada this Christmas which will also bring much good to many others in the community, click on the GIVE SHOES button on the side bar here.

The Difference a Child Can Make

While walking through the narrow alleys of La Limonada in Guatemala City I can feel the darkness, the evil that exists there, but unlike any other place I have ever been on this Earth, I feel light pushing it back and overcoming it.  In all the other places I have ever been, I know that He is there and I know that He is stronger than the evil one that has a grip on the lives of people all over the world and I know that He will win.  In fact, He already has.  But just like everyone else, sometimes, even though you know He is there and He is in control, you can't always feel Him in the situation.  In La Limonada, more than crippling darkness, I feel Him there.  So as I sat in church a couple of weeks ago at the beginning of a new sermon series and listened as our pastor spoke about Christ as a child and as we read in Isaiah 9, my thoughts were instantly taken to the children of La Limonada and scripture that I have read so many times was seen that morning with fresh eyes.

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.  You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.  For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.  Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.  For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forver.  The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this."  Isaiah 9:2-7 (NIV)

 

He came as a child.  Not a man.  Not as someone that appeared to have a great deal of power.  A baby.  And He was not born in that day's 5 star inn or a mansion of the times.  He was born into poverty.  There will never be another Christ, but I can't help but think of how God sent His son here in the form of a child and how often He mentions children in His Word.  Apparently, He thinks they are pretty important and that they can grow up to accomplish great things.

 

It makes me think about the children of La Limonada.  Crushing darkness covered the land in Isaiah 9:2.  It is no different in the lives of people in Guatemala.  They have two choices, as we all do.  Grow up to do what is right or what is wrong.  Grow up to be good influences and impact those around them and even the world or grow up to do what children do there when they have no other choice and darkness is all they have ever known...steal, become alcoholics and drug addicts, kill.

 

There is much darkness in La Limonada, but "the people walking in darkness" are beginning to "see a great light" and "...light has dawned."  Children are being given the chance to become adults that can change lives for the better.  They are learning about Jesus, about how much He loves them, even if no one else does.  They are beginning to understand that they have great value because they are His.  They are being given education, healthy meals and many of their other needs are being met.  Adults that once lived in darkness have seen the light and they are pouring that back into the lives of children there.  Adults that had no skills and could not provide for their families are being given training so they can.  Light has certainly dawned and it is overcoming the darkness.  Lemonade International is working hard to reach as many children in La Limonada as possible so that more children will have the chance to grow into productive, loving adults.  Children will grow up to make a difference in this world.  How they grow depends on us.  We can help them grow into the people God wants us all to be or we can stand by and allow them to fall into the trap of darkness.  They are worth fighting for. 

 

At this time of year as we celebrate the birth of our Prince of Peace, we have the opportunity to support the children and families of La Limonada through Lemonade International's Give Christmas campaign.  You can give a child shoes and school supplies which will allow them to attend school in January.  You can give to help pay a teacher's salary so that she can continue to not only teach a child math, science, etc., but so she can continue introducing the children of La Limonada to Jesus and helping them grow in Him.  Or you can give the gift of education in the form of scholarships to older children so that they can continue their educations beyond 6th grade.  Our goal is high and it may seem overwhelming, but every donation counts and makes a difference in the life of a real person in Guatemala.

 

Join us in fighting for their lives at www.lemonadeinternational.org.

 



The Result of Civil War in Guatemala

I have been familiar with the history of Guatemala for years and continue to learn.  Each time I am in Guatemala I see results of the civil war, but it wasn't until I began visiting La Limonada that it became real to me.  There, the results of the civil war are so evident, so raw.  I realized a few days ago that despite how often I have written about Guatemala, I have never written much about the history of it, especially about the war,and what it caused.  I am not an expert by any means.  I have read and researched a lot, watched every documentary I can find on this country that I love and talked to many Guatemalans that experienced it all first hand.  Much, if not most, of this is quoted directly from Reparando, a documentary by Athentikos, that most accurately depicts what I know of Guatemala and the situations I most want to bring attention to.  Without watching the film again and going through pages of notes, I cannot remember now where their exact quotes end (and there are MANY of them) and mine begin, but I do know that their words far outnumber mine here.  Thank you, Scott Moore, for allowing me to quote you and those that helped you create Reparando here.  Most of the history and much of the information about La Limonada are exact quotes from the documentary. It is good information to know and I pray that it moves you to action.  (This documentary is a MUST SEE.  There is so much more to it than what you read here.  Please visit their website to order a copy.)

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In the beginning of the 20th century, The United Fruit Company was the largest land owner and employer in Guatemala.  It produced crops that were sold in the U.S. and Europe for great profit. The company invested in shipping ports, railroads, hospitals and more, but it exaggerated the contrast between the Guatemalan wealthy and working poor.  Even then the bulk of the system relied on unskilled, underpaid workers.

In the mid 20th century, the U.S. was fighting communism around the globe and in the 1950s, that included Guatemala.  The Guatemalan democratic president promoted the Agrarian Reform Law which included redistribution of unused land from The United Fruit Company to landless Guatemalans.  Many in the U.S. government interpreted land distribution as a communist act, including the Director of the CIA that also happpend to be a board member of The United Fruit Company.  In order to fight what they believed to be communism, on June 18, 1954, the CIA flew over and dropped leaflets in Guatemala City demanding the resignation of the president.  A new president was quickly declared and reversed the land reforms forcing villagers to vacate their property.

Over the next decade, the Guatemalan government militarized as the people of Guatemala slowly mounted organized resistance in the name of democracy.

Freddy Peccerelli, the Executive Director of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation says, "People that had no option but to take up arms decided to do so against the establishment (military government).  The response of the military was killing not only insurgents, but also communities - whoever they saw as a threat.  They started trying to take control of the areas by fighting the guerrillas, but it led to widespread massacres of thousands of people in hundreds of communities."

The conflict, a civil war, lasted 36 years.  At least 200,000 people were killed.  One million people were displaced. An entire generation lost many of their family members.  Over 450 Mayan villages were destroyed.  Farmers lost homes AND their farming traditions.  They were left without a means to survive.  People fled from violence to the city.  They had no resources, no opportunity, no food, nothing. 

That is how shanty towns were formed.  "Slums".  That is how La Limonada was formed. 

When people are left with nothing and no way to care for themselves, extreme poverty sets in quickly and violence soon follows.

La Limonada literally means "The Lemonade".  It is a part of Guatemala City that brings fear to most Guatemalans.  Once a beautiful ravine, with streams and abundant wildlife, it was destroyed by what Guatemalans call "the invasion".

In the 1950s, people migrated there when the reform law was reversed and took up camp on the sides of the ravine.  Where there were once fields and crops, became contamination and plagues.  It became one of the largest urban slums in Central America.

La Limonada is one mile long and a half mile wide.  There is an estimated population of 60,000-100,000 people living there.  It is plagued with gang culture, violence, drug abuse, sexual abuse, malnutrition and a lack of health care.  The walls of the narrow alleys are scarred with shot gun blasts and bullet holes as a visible reminder of violent gang history.

It is a result of the civil war.  Effects of the conflict are immeasurable.  A lack of security and justice is a result.  In Guatemala, 75 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.  In Guatemala City alone, more than 6000 children live on the streets.  Many of them eventually join gangs or are exploited into prostitution.  The youth do not see a way out.  Joining a gang becomes their twisted sense of hope.

Guatemala is still at war.  It is a different kind of war, but it is still a war.  And that war is being fought in La Limonada every day.  Lives continue to be lost.  Many continue to feel hopeless.  Children still suffer.  Families are still torn apart.

Simply having a La Limonada address is a red flag to potential employers and often prevents even an honest worker from getting a job.  Without education, transformation and the provision of alternatives, people are left with basic survival tactics and chaos becomes the normal.  That is what happened in La Limonada.  "Gangs are looking for places with a lot of children and this is one place with a lot of children, "says Guatemalan journalist Estuardo Zapeta.  There are over seventeen murders per day in Guatemala, making it one of the most violent countries in the world. 

Many have committed horrible crimes, but we must ask ourselves...what circumstances limited their choices in the first place?

Despite what may appear to be a hopeless situation, change is coming.  In fact, it has already arrived.  Guatemalans are stepping up to help their communities.  Two of these individuals, Tita and Shorty, are pouring their lives out for the people of Guatemala, specifically La Limonada.  And some U.S. based organizations are beginning to realize that working in partnership with those local Guatemalan ministry leaders is the only way lives will be changed long term.  Lemonade International is one of those organizations and I am happy to be a part of the team.  We partner with Vidas Plenas, Tita's Guatemala based organization, and the people of La Limonada in community development.  I can't wait to share more here about Tita and her vision, how Lemonade is working to help her in many areas of ministry including building the Community of Faith with Shorty (another Guatemalan ministry leader), schools, micro-enterprise, a safe home, vocational training and scholarships for older children that want to continue their education beyond 6th grade, and my personal thoughts and reflections along the way.

As it is stated in Reparando, "Hope is rising," and we would love for you to be a part of it.  Consider joining us.

Sponsor a child.  Donate just $10 per month to end malnutrition.  Provide a scholarship.  Plan a trip to visit La Limonada.  Set up a Lemonade Stand.  Sponsor a teacher.  Pray.

Meeting Our Sponsor Child

I had never been to the Mandarina school before (one of the two schools in La Limonada that Lemonade International partners with and supports).  I was excited to see this place that I had heard has a different feel than the Limon school, where our family's sponsor child attended school.  I had no idea that the next day during our first meeting I would learn that because of horrific tragedy, our sponsor child would be moving to another part of Guatemala and the sweet boy we had loved and prayed for from afar would no longer be our sponsor child.  I did not know, but the Lord did.  I wonder if that is why after walking around exploring the Mandarina school on my own I walked back into the room where the rest of the Lemonade team was and out of all the children in that room my eyes landed on a quiet boy on the other side.  I was drawn to him instantly.

He was working hard at a table with three other boys.  They were making Christmas gifts for their sponsors and all were having a good time.  I walked across the room excited to see what he was creating and feeling almost giddy for his sponsor(s) because I knew there was something so special about this child and THEY were blessed to be his sponsor(s).  But then I saw the dreaded mark in the corner of the page beside his name and my heart sank.

The night before we sat around preparing for the day.  We wrote each child's name on their project, but beside the names of those that do not have a sponsor we put an asterisk.  The children know when they have a sponsor and they know when they do not.  When it is time to prepare things for their sponsors, the ones without sponsors also do the same thing so that they aren't left out, but also just in case they get a sponsor.  I hated making that mark.  I hated seeing their faces create things for the sponsors they do not have even more.  It would not be hard for every one of these children to be sponsored...if only more knew, if only more acted on what they already know, if only more would give and maybe those that already do give just a little more. 

So I stood next to Julio, this nine year old boy with a demeanor much like mine...quiet in the beginning and very shy...and the rest of the children in the room disappeared as I prayed, "Lord, send someone just for him." 

That still, small voice wasn't so still and small when He said, "I already have.  It's you."

I didn't argue.  I didn't go to Guatemala to add a new sponsor child to the one we already sponsor though I was convinced we would begin sponsoring a girl.  I went so I would be better educated on all that is going on so I could recruit more churches to partner with us and more people to sponsor children.  But then there was Julio and an instant connection so strong there is no way I would consider saying "no".   So plans were made to bring him on the outing with us a few days later.  Him and the child we already sponsored.  The one that I didn't know would no longer be our sponsor child after that day so he wouldn't even be on the outing with us.

My heart broke a little more the next day as I met our first sponsor child for the first time and said good-bye probably forever on the same day, but I'm thankful that He kept reminding me throughout the day of a boy at the other school that already had a hold of my heart.  With so many other children I have met in La Limonada that are in need of sponsors, there is no way we can sponsor them all alone (though I wish we could), but there was no doubt that this child was the one that we had been called to sponsor, to love, to cover in prayer, to watch grow.

We arrived to pick the kids up for the zoo.  The Lemonade staff each picked a child from the program to take with them.  There with Julio stood another, much younger child.  Marvin.  Julio's brother.  He appeared shy, too, so he didn't have much to say as I tried to make small talk.  He had come with his mother to see his big brother off for his day of fun.  I couldn't not take him.  I didn't even have to think before deciding that I would just have to split my sponsorship between the two because I learned that Marvin did not have a sponsor either.  How could I fully sponsor his older brother and leave him without a sponsor at all?  I would just do a partial sponsor for each.  Their mother was so happy when we told her we wanted to take him to the zoo, too, and quickly ran home with him to change him into something she thought more presentable. 

Still shy and quiet until close to the end of the day, it was obvious that Julio and I were the perfect match and cute Marvin would have been, too, but when he broke out of his shell soon after arriving at the zoo and started doing ninja moves I saw my friend's face light up.  She had come with me to Guatemala, just to see and learn.  I love her words from that day.  "I see a need and I can meet it." But I don't think even she realized that a need would get as close to her heart as this little four year old bundle of energy named Marvin that has her personality made over.    She decided she would fully sponsor Marvin which meant I could fully sponsor Julio instead of splitting sponsorship between them.

Now we talk about "our boys" and I get to listen to her tell others about Marvin and show off his sweet face through photos to anyone that will look and hear her plan for when she will see him again next year and I think, "If only more people knew...if only more acted on what they already know...if only more would meet the needs they see..."

Now I know what my Christmas gift from our sponsor child will be and I cannot wait for it to arrive.  It will be what I watched him create the first day I met him.  The asterisk will still be by his name.  I am the one that put it there, but even though it is still visible, the Lord removed it.  Two less children need sponsors now, but there are still so many left that do.  Will you consider child sponsorship through Lemonade International and make a difference in the life of a child in La Limonada?  You can sponsor a child for $35 or $70 per month.  Or if you are interested in sponsoring a teacher, that is also an option.  Please prayerfully consider partnering with us.

Endings and Beginnings

Good and evil. Light and dark. Filled and empty. Pure and dirty. Peace and war. Joy and sadness. Love and hate.

I have seen and felt it all in countries around the world and time and time again in Guatemala, where my heart remains no matter where I go. For years I poured myself out for one small village there, but I knew all along that the time would come when the Lord would call me to move on to another place in Guatemala and that time is now. For two years I heard about and watched the work of Lemonade International from a distance, never being involved any more than just an occasional donation and certainly never thinking that I would become part of the team that works in La Limonada in zone 5 of Guatemala City.

But that is exactly what has happened.

Earlier this year I visited La Limonada to see in person the work being done by Lemonade International and more importantly the work of Vidas Plenas, the Guatemalan organization that Lemonade partners with and supports. What I found while I was in La Limonada is partnering organizations that are as real in person as they are online, by phone, in Reparando and in the testimonies of their supporters. There are many good organizations working in Guatemala, but what I have learned over the past two years is that Lemonade International and their partner, Vidas Plenas, is the organization that I believe in more than any other, even more than my own, because they are one of the few doing what I always envisioned but could not grow in a small village that is not yet ready for it. After returning from Guatemala and accepting that it was, indeed, time to move on to another area of focus in Guatemala, it was decided that I would end the ministry of Across All Borders and join the team of Lemonade International as their Director of Strategic Partnerships.

I returned to La Limonada a few weeks ago, just nine days after returning from a twelve day trip to Mumbai, India. It was during this time in Guatemala that I realized I only thought there was conflict in other parts of the country, but there is nothing like the conflict in La Limonada. I can see it. I can feel it. I have heard stories that are so heart wrenching, just the thought of them brings me to tears and I have heard the cries of just a few of the people living lives there that I cannot even begin to explain. But what's amazing is that I know that good will win over evil. Darkness is becoming light. The empty are being filled. What is dirty can become pure. There is peace in the midst of war. Joy prevails in sadness. And while there is hate...oh how there is hate...there is intense love like I have never seen before. The presence of the Lord is so strong in this place where there is such evil, that you cannot help but believe and know that He is overcoming the darkness with His Light.

I am humbled, blessed and excited to be part of the Lemonade team and looking forward to what is ahead for the beautiful people of La Limonada.

If you or your church are interested in partnering with us in any way, please email me at terry@lemonadeinternational.org.

Adding Value to Life

Monday I will be back in Guatemala with a large team of people from several states. This trip has come together beautifully and I could not be more excited about meeting each person I will be serving with. It's a trip that is a little different than the norm. They requested to spend time working in an orphanage that one of their children lived in before being adopted from Guatemala, so of course we worked in plenty of time for that. We will also be in Pueblo Nuevo and we will enjoy a "free day" so the team can experience more of Guatemala and visit Lake Atitlan.

I wonder how many times I have spoken here about how much our good intentions sometimes hurt those we go to serve. Unfortunately, it is true more often than not and I say that only because I KNOW it. Some people do not like to hear that it does no good to do constant hand-outs of shoes, clothes, hygiene products, toys, blankets, food etc. in these countries and that certainly goes for Guatemala. In fact, as I have said probably hundreds of times by now, those hand-outs truly hurt the people they are given to often. Sometimes we are blind to that fact; sometimes we just ignore it. It hurts the local business owners and it hurts those on the receiving end by removing a little more of their dignity.

When this team mentioned wanting to provide shoes for the children at the orphanage, I held my breath as I waited for the response to my email that suggested we buy the shoes there or better yet, hire a local shoe maker to make the shoes instead of collecting shoes here and bringing them with us. I had no idea if they would go along with my suggestion to raise money here and pay someone there to make them, giving him more income to care for his family. They agreed and I was thrilled. After much help and coordination from staff at Lemonade International in La Limonada (the largest slum in Central America that is in Guatemala City and a place I will be visiting next week as we decide how we may begin working with those that are already working in the area), it was arranged. A man named Otto that lives in La Limonada agreed to make the shoes. He went to the orphanage and measured 29 children so he could make their custom shoes.

With every thing in me, I believe in helping the people of Guatemala (and the world) realize their true potential. I love when people realize that they are capable of doing more than they thought. And we all know that I will do anything to not harm the people of Guatemala with what I think are good ideas and intentions, so bringing shoes there was simply not an option because it would have hurt business owners like Otto.

Imagine the joy I felt when I received this email from Hubert at Lemonade International last night:

"Your shoes are done!!! I went to visit Otto today and they're looking amazing!!! I'm so in love with the design they picked at the orphanage. To be honest, this was a big challenge for Otto, but it was amazing to hear him say, "Now I feel capable of doing any kind of shoes. This has been one of the hardest things for me to do, but now I know I CAN." You're challenge in having him create shoes for such little people added value to his life and now he feels like he grew in his abilities and capacity to excel. Thank you! He went to find soles that are special for the kids learning to walk for the shoes he needed and he's been extra careful with those details. It's amazing to see him and Cristian, his son who is paralyzed from the waist down, work on these shoes.... The leather he used is a much higher quality than the one used for the shoes from the project we developed with him which was already great quality. This is because this leather is really soft so he could make really small shoes. It is really hard to work with leather already and it is something you understand once you see him making the shoes. Thank you for giving opportunities to those that need them the most."

JOY! Overwhelming joy! Isn't is amazing what an order of shoes can do for the one making them, the one ordering them and the ones receiving them? I had no idea that this would be such a challenge for him, but I am so excited that he now knows that he can do anything! God is so good in the way He works out the details.

"Our perspective should be less about how we are going to fix the materially poor and more about how we can walk together, asking God to fix us both."

"Development is not done TO people of FOR people, but WITH people."

"Until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do far more harm than good."

Pretty much all of my well-worn copy of "When Helping Hurts" by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert is highlighted and underlined, but those are a few of my favorite quotes.

This is just one example of what I truly believe is the best way to do missions. It cannot be about giving to "the poor". Of course we are called to serve, but we need to be careful that what we call service doesn't further harm to anyone. It's not all about shoes. Far from it. But this is one of those times that I just have to say (AGAIN!)...

The next time you plan on packing suitcases full of crocs and tennis shoes and used dress shoes (or anything to distribute, for that matter) for the mission trip you're going on, remember people like Otto. Every pair of shoes (or whatever it is) you bring to another country to give away takes away from a business like his which puts that MORE PEOPLE in a position where they cannot care for their families. If you really stop to think about it, it just makes sense. It's the ONLY thing that makes sense.

People are not projects.

Check out Otto's awesome work! I cannot wait to meet him next week and hopefully hear a little of his story. What a blessing his hands are to the feet of 29 precious children!

What I Learned in Uganda

So, some of this I already knew well before going to Uganda, but confirmation is always a good thing.  Other things were brand new to me there and it is incredible to be constantly learning more about yourself and others from around the world.  Some parts of the trip were hysterical; other parts as serious as it could be.  Here’s what I learned (or learned more about):

1.  Taking photos of the bridge that crosses the Nile River is illegal.  And even if you are taking a photo of the rapids and are not interested in the bridge whatsoever, you will still be pulled over by crooked cops if they see the flash of your camera.

2.  I am not above paying $10 to keep my camera and avoid any type of conflict with said crooked cops despite how much I protest paying bribes in other countries.

3.  Learning how to work the camera properly BEFORE arriving in Uganda would have prevented the problem.  So would listening to the driver that said taking photos of the bridge is illegal (but still, I wasn’t taking a picture of the bridge!).  Lesson learned: know your camera and even if your driver is “off”, pay attention.

4.  As afraid as I am of creepy, crawly things and most things with scales, I can sleep when there is a mini dinosaur of a lizard under my bed.

5.  Some guys are more afraid of mini dinosaur lizards than girls are.

6. Team leaders are not super humans.  In fact, they are just regular humans.  Like me.  It makes me feel better to be reminded of that.

7.  I can go MUCH longer on a LONG drive than I ever thought without stopping to use the restroom.

8. Gas stations are few and far between when riding to North Uganda.  And those that exist usually do not have toilets (the ones we found anyway). 

9.  Latrines are no big deal.  They serve their purpose.  So does the side of the road.  Because sometimes there is no latrine to be found.

10.  Lights out by 11pm.  Maybe before if the generator stops.  And I mean out.  For the whole town.  Until the next night when they come back on for a few hours.

11.  I can be in total darkness by myself for hours without having a panic attack despite being afraid of the dark.  God likes hanging out under mosquito nets in the middle of the night, too.

12.  There is a hospital in Arua.  If you’re dying, just suffer through it at home.  If you’re not, suffer through whatever it is that’s wrong.  Because if you go to the hospital, which appears to be the only medical care in the area, you probably won’t make it out alive.  The closest decent medical care is 7 hours away in Kampala or a short flight to Nairobi. 

13.  If you must be sick enough to require being flown to Nairobi, try to get sick during the day.  The tiny airport with the unlit dirt runway is not open at night.

14. People are human no matter where they live.

15.  Being the only girl on a team isn’t bad at all. 

16. Mosquitos will find the smallest hole in your hotel provided mosquito net and attack when you least expect.  And some of them obviously like the taste of deet.

17.  I can live on chips (french fries), toast and pineapple for 10 days.  And sometimes I prefer goat to chicken.

18. Being close to the (White) Nile River was as exciting as I thought it would be.

19. Having a fan in your room is pointless when the power is out.  You eventually get used to sleeping in the heat despite being used to having your thermostat set on 70 degrees or lower at home.

20. I enjoy cold showers.

21. Every country is not as full of stray dogs as Guatemala.  In fact, I only saw ONE the whole time I was there.  But just like in Guatemala, there are cows and goats and chickens that wander around all over.

22. Darkness is everywhere, but so is the Light and I know what wins in the end.

23.  Malaria really does kill a lot of children under the age of 5 simply because there are not enough mosquito nets being distributed.

24.  Even if people have access to clean water, they often do not use it for drinking just because they are not being educated on the importance of drinking clean water.  People are DYING from diseases caused by dirty water when they have access to clean water because how can they know if they are not educated?  And we all know that many still do not even have access to clean water.

25. Missionaries usually rock (the Taylors do!) and are totally human.

26.  Some people get it.  Most still do not.

27.  There are clothes and shoes and soccer balls and every thing else you might consider collecting and bringing over already in Uganda.  Buy it there.  And if you won’t take my word for it, find a missionary that “gets it” and talk to him or her.  They will tell you the same thing.  Let’s stop crippling already broken communities with our handouts.

28. After day 1 of any trip, especially this one, I do not care how much texts and calls cost and will pay anything to have access to my family and dearest peeps whenever I want. 

29.  God really does care about the seemingly small things that matter to you.

30.  Praying helps settle your stomach.

31.  Lost souls stand out more than poverty.

32. We need to rethink the way we think about short term missions and realize that we do not need to fix everything because not everything is broken despite what we think.

33.  Tukuls (hut houses) are NICE.  Really!  I WISH the poor in Guatemala could live like that, but hurricanes and earthquakes make it impossible.

34.  African tea is not bad, but my favorite wake me up drink will forever be my Guatemalan coffee.

35.  African mountain dew looks like a glowing toxic chemical and may very well be just that.

36. Coca Cola Light bottled in Kampala is better, yes BETTER, than Coca Light in Guatemala.

37.  You can fall in love with a place quickly.  And you can fall in love with the countries that border it without even going there.  I always thought that you could love a place and the people that live there without ever having visited.  Now I KNOW you can.  And that makes me pretty excited since I am still totally in love with the people of Southeast Asia (and maybe even India…we’ll see soon enough) and I have never been to that part of the world.  Yet.

38.  White people freak a lot of people out. 

39.  Muslims want to win Uganda.  It is coming across borders from all sides.

40.  I am loved.

41.  You can feel the prayers of your friends and family when you’re on the other side of the world.

42.  My husband rocks.

43.  So does our kid.

44. Flying still freaks me out.  I guess it always will.  And that’s OK since it’s never going to stop me from getting to where I have to go.

45. Being in Uganda makes you stink different than your typical “I’ve been sweating in the Louisiana heat stink” and it. is. BAD.  But it’s OK because everyone else around you smells the same way or worse.

And the biggest thing I learned….

46.  Guatemala is just a part of the story God is telling with my life, but it isn’t the biggest part or even the overall theme.  A new chapter is beginning.  I do not know what will be written.  Guatemala will definitely be in it, but so will some other parts of the world that until now I have only dreamed of.  And some country in Africa, maybe Uganda, maybe the Congo, maybe Sudan or maybe another part of Africa altogether may possibly (I will even say likely) be a part of it.  Every thing seems to be changing and because I know it’s Him turning the page and starting this new chapter, I like it.

Uganda

We got back from Uganda two weeks ago and ever since I have been waiting and waiting for the words to really talk about the trip.  I’ve been able to sum up what we did (and didn’t do) easily enough, but going beyond surface level chit chat and answering, “It was great!” when asked, “How was your trip?”  hasn’t happened.  The words still do not come no matter how much I think about what I should say or write so I thought I would just start typing and see if anything starts to flow.

In the words of a friend that came to help me out the day after I got home, I’ll give you the basic, not “big God stuff” details first.  That’s the easy part.  It’s always the “big God stuff” that is hardest for me to describe.

We had no idea really what we would be doing during our time in Uganda other than meeting up with a missionary in Arua (we LOVE the Taylor family and I would go back to any country in Africa time and time again just to work with them…check out their blog HERE), getting to know our new partner pastor in Koboko and spending some time with the Uganda Baptist Seminary president in Jinja.  We knew this wouldn’t be a “work” trip, but we thought we would at least get to do some evangelizing.  Wrong and that is totally ok.  This was an assessment trip of sorts and even though we learned things that we aren’t very happy about(ministry…it’s never easy), we found out all we needed to know and jump started some serious and necessary training/mentoring/discipling after days of tough questions.  Basically, it was what I think a typical first mission trip to a new area should be.  Get to know the local leadership a bit.  Do nothing in the town/village other than meet people.  Pray and decide where to go from there.  And that’s what we did.  That may sound like a wasted trip, but trust me, it wasn’t.  It was a necessary trip.  We did what we set out to do and returned with the information we needed to move forward.

That’s the church answer.  The basic summary.  That doesn’t answer the tough questions I’ve been asked.  They don’t sound like they would be hard to answer, but for reason they are this time.

“So, did you see God’s hand in every part of the trip?”

“Was it life changing?”

“Will you go back?”

“How was it really?”

“Was it hard to be there?”

“Aren’t you glad to be home?”

As it so often happens, I think I can answer all of the questions that are still being asked much better here.  I have had two weeks to reflect and the longer I am here (away from Uganda), the more I can see God in every detail of the trip, from years before until now.  So that church answer, the basic summary above, is what we did and did not do in Uganda.  Next comes fun details about LONG van trips and almost getting arrested (not really, but we did have a scary incident), life without power and sometimes water and being the only girl in the group.  More importantly, how God brought me to the other side of the world to answer prayers up close and personal and what He is stirring in my heart now is coming soon…

Wet Feet

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Joshua 3:6

“Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: “When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.” Joshua 3:8

That is how Mark Batterson opened a session last week.  When I opened my Bible to follow along I saw notes that I wrote in the margin long ago about “taking the first step” and was encouraged by the reminder he gave us that day.

In Joshua 3, the Lord gives Joshua the above message for the priests.  Even though the river was at flood stage, they were instructed to go and stand in the water.  I wonder if they had any idea what “amazing things” would happen next?  As soon as their feet touched the water’s edge the water from upstream stopped flowing and was piled up in a great heap and the water flowing down was completely cut off.  The people crossed over and the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan.  In chapter four, after the priests came out of the river, the waters returned to their place and ran at flood stage once again.

God knew He was about to do something amazing, but the priests had to obey Him before they would see the miracle. 

He still wants to do that kind of work in our lives and through us.

Mark talked about a recent trip he took with his son where they went paragliding.  He thought it sounded like a great idea until he got to the top of where he would be required to run off the cliff as fast as he could so he could catch the updraft.  In a split second his thoughts turned to “This is crazy!”  But he ran as fast as he could off of the cliff, caught the updraft and looked down.  What he thought was crazy became awesome.

“If you aren’t willing to have a “this is crazy moment”, you will never get to “this is awesome.”

Years ago I sent an email to a friend that said something like, “I feel like I just jumped off of a cliff and I am free falling…”  I did not know what I was doing then and will probably always be able to admit to not always knowing what to do now.  It feels like I jump off of a cliff again every time I say yes to the Lord about something else.  And the rest of the time I am just free falling.  It is scary at times (ok…most of the time), but it is an incredibly exciting life to live.  Following Jesus is never boring.

We spend so much time asking God to move.  What if He is asking us to do the same?  What if He is telling us to just take the first step?  What if He is telling us to step into the river and get our feet wet before He parts it? 

I have heard it so many times.  “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.”

It may sound crazy (what God idea doesn’t?), but stop waiting to do what you know He is calling you to do just because you don’t know how to do it.  Don’t wait until you have the resources.  Don’t base your vision on your budget.  Don’t wait until you have enough volunteers.

If we wait until we have it all figured out we will never do anything.

All He wants is for us to say yes and to keep saying yes.

Sadly, a lot of us do not have that kind of faith.  We are too dependent on what we can do and hung up on what we cannot.  We pray hoping that our prayers will be heard and answered, but preparing ourselves for a let down just in case God doesn’t come through the way we want Him to.  I’m like that sometimes.  As recently as two months ago I was praying for a way to get to Uganda while trying to figure out how to make it happen myself just in case God didn’t provide the way.  By now I should know that because this trip was His idea, He would make sure I would be on it and He used so many people to make sure it would happen.  And when that last donation came in that put me at 100% I cried tears of joy and tears of shame because how could I doubt Him again?

In the last couple of weeks several people have talked to me about things that they believe the Lord is calling them to do.  Some of these people I have known for a long time and others I have only met in the last month or so.  Some of their passions are for local outreach and others for international missions.  A few have asked for advice on getting started in the area of ministry they feel they need to be in and even though I do not have experience in all of these areas I do have advice for getting started.

It is very simple.

Stop thinking about doing something.  Keep praying, but stop praying for things to line up according to your plan before you become willing to move.

Step into the river.  Get your feet wet.  And just watch what God does.  If you expect Him to move, be willing to move yourself.  If we consecrate ourselves to Him, amazing things will happen.

The Ordinary Heart

I have to give credit where credit is due even though I said I was not going to name names from the conference last week.  I won’t name names of those that disturbed me, but most were great and I can’t help but share their words.

Christine Caine is the founder of A21, a ministry with the mission of ending human trafficking.  (If there was one reason I feel like God had me at this particular conference, I am convinced it was to hear her heart because I have silently been overwhelmed and burdened by this global injustice issue for the last year at least and have had no idea what to do about it or if I should even consider tackling something other than poverty alleviation.  It is something I have been praying about for just as long.  It’s so cool when things become crystal clear.)  But her message was not about human trafficking or slavery.  (I attended a Q&A breakout session with her later that day on that topic.)  Instead she spoke about “The Ordinary Heart”.  About her heart and my heart and yours.

She began by explaining that the only reason darkness is on the earth is because there is an absence of light.  And WE are the reason for it because we allow darkness to reign in some places when we refuse to shine the light of Jesus into those areas. 

“We have hearts that lead us to do nothing.  We do not deliberately withhold compassion, but we do not think beyond our personal worlds.”

Isn’t that the truth even though it’s hard to admit?  Most people that I know are not deliberately withholding compassion and add myself to that group.  I want to love others with all of my heart.  I do not want to judge.  I don’t want to ignore a need.  And sometimes I do not.  Sometimes I am as compassionate as one can be.  But there are more times than not when I would rather not inconvenience myself and I turn away from what could be a life changing moment.  Life changing for another person and life changing for myself.

“If I am not loving my neighbor, I am not loving God.” 

OUCH.

“When good people do nothing, injustice strives.”

Being good is just not good enough though.  It isn’t “good enough” to get to Heaven or “good enough” to impact the world. 

“It is not the unredeemed (the rapist, the murderer), nor the broken (the abused, the poor) that do not do enough, it is the ORDINARY HEART, people like you and me, that do not do enough or nothing at all because we think that the problems are too big to solve so why do anything at all?”

“The church has confused compassion with emotion.”

She spoke about how we see a video on one of the big global issues (human trafficking, extreme poverty, etc.) and it makes us sad for a moment.  We may even shed a tear or two.  We are moved, sometimes to action for a short time.  But then life goes on, we get wrapped back up in our own little worlds and we forget that there is an entire world of injustice out there.  That is not compassion.  That is emotion.  And emotion is not is what is needed to make a change.

The story of the good Samaritan is always talked about during conferences like this.  We know two passed by without caring enough to show any compassion.  They were probably in a hurry to get to the synagogue and had no time to stop to help.  Crossing the street and showing compassion to this man would have been an inconvenience.  Chris said, “Until we are willing to cross the street and be inconvenienced, nothing will ever change.”

“It is Billy Graham AND Mother Theresa.  Not either/or.”  We cannot focus on only sharing the Gospel verbally while ignoring the physical needs of others and we cannot be just humanitarians while neglecting to share the Gospel.  Jesus did both and we have to do the same.

“When we have to hold a conference like this to remind the Church to be compassionate, something is fundamentally wrong.”

Amen!  As I sat there throughout the conference I realized that it’s always the same people at these type of events.  The same pastors, the same ministry leaders, the same people from the Church that are pumped up about local and international missions.  And yet we are still having conferences to learn how to get people involved, whether within our churches or in the general public.  Something is seriously wrong.  Do we have churches full of people that are not willing to deny themselves convenience in order to show compassion to those in need?  The answer saddens me.  I have heard excuse after excuse as to why people cannot or will not become involved in local or global missions.  And that is really all it is.  Excuses.  And Christine addressed that.

“Until our hearts are engaged, we will always find an excuse as to why we cannot “cross the street.”

Why is there still so much injustice in the world?  Some blame God.  They ask why He hasn’t done something.  Why He allows it to continue.  It isn’t God’s fault.  It is ours.

“It is our silence that allows people to remain in unjust situations.”

I wonder if we will ever see an end or even a significant change in the right direction to some of the big global issues?  And I still wonder why do more people not care?  Is it because so many have not seen it first hand or because it is easy to ignore from the comfortable lives we lead?

For me, it is hard to shut off the images that race through my mind every day and I cannot possibly turn my back on those that I do not even know that are suffering injustice around the world.  The Lord created in me a heart that longs to go beyond faceless statistics and to not only know their names, but to see their lives changed both now and for eternity.  It took far too long for me to give in to the Spirit’s leading to GO.  And even now I tend to pull back and resist at every nudge to do something new or out of my comfort zone that I know will be hard and uncomfortable.  I have the God given passion, but I still have that human nature that doesn’t always want to be as compassionate as I need to be.  So I pray for myself and the rest of us, that we will remove ourselves from the equation and be willing to follow Him with every part of ourselves despite the cost.  We may be ordinary, but He created each of us to make an extraordinary impact for the Kingdom.

The Country Club Church

Last week I attended a conference at a local church.  Many of the main sessions and breakout sessions related to local outreach, but a lot of it could (and should) be applied to international ministries as well.  Just like any other conference, there was good and there was bad.  There were speakers that I like(d) and those I think must be from another planet (and no, I won’t be naming names either way here).  I had no preconceived notion about some of the speakers and that made it a little easier to really pay attention to what they had to say.  (What’s the point in blogging if you can’t be honest, right?)

So on the second day of the conference I listened as a guy talked about “The Country Club Church” and I thought,sadly, “Right on, dude!”  (Because at this point we should not be having to have conferences to tell us to have compassion and to start loving like Jesus and, well, start doing what the Bible says.)

He talked about the lepers in Luke 17 and how, as they walked away from Jesus on their way to the priests, He healed them.  He didn’t require that they make it to the synagogue and sit through a sermon in order to be healed.  He saw their need and met it, right where they were.

It’s a never-ending debate in the world of ministry, I know.  And it’s something that I struggle with. 

“Bring the people to the church.”  “Grow the Church.”  You get the picture.

I know the importance of going to church and I believe in growing the Church (I’m talking about the body of Christ here).  And I absolutely believe that we should work to bring people into the fellowship that is the local church body.  But church isn’t what’s on the inside of the building.  It isn’t the pews or carpet or big screen tvs or drums and guitars or huge gyms.  It is the people.  And if we, as the Church, do not get out of our buildings and do something that is going to appear to be ridiculously bold, we aren’t going to reach anyone for the Kingdom.  And if we aren’t doing that, we have no right to call ourselves a church.

This guy said, “We’re letting demons have free reign in the alleys, in the strip clubs, etc. while we drive by on Sunday mornings trying to get to our country club church on time just to pray for them when we get there.”

DEMONS.  You know, evil.

And pray we do.  We pray that lives will be changed and souls will be saved and that we will be used to make a difference on this side of Heaven for eternity’s sake and I think that somehow we truly mean it because surely we aren’t intentionally praying for something that we do not mean, but then something happens.

God tells us to GO.

Go INTO the world.  That includes those places that we ride by on Sunday mornings on our way to church.  It includes those places that make us uncomfortable and freak us out.  It includes places in our own backyards and on the other side of the world.  He wants us to go INTO those places gripped by darkness, shine His light and help lead the people we’ve been praying for out.

It’s time to stop praying only from our pews and occasionally on our knees and start praying as we go INTO the world to reach the lost and hurting. 

...

I’m not sure how to title this post.  I thought about:

He Did It Again or Call It What It Is or just I’m Fully Funded!

Basically, that’s what it boils down to.  The Lord did it again.  He totally blew my mind.  I am fully funded for my mission trip to Uganda.  He used some precious people to provide the way and I am so incredibly thankful.  If you were one of the anonymous donors that I can’t thank personally, please know how much I appreciate you.  I have no idea what God has in store for me (or this team) during our time in Uganda, but if I ever had a doubt in my mind that I needed to go (I didn’t, but still…), I certainly do not have any doubt now. 

Here’s the sad thing.  (I can’t believe I’m going to admit this here.)  I didn’t believe that it was going to happen.

Years ago I told a sweet friend that I had to go to Africa.  I didn’t know where exactly, but in addition to that never ending longing to get to Cambodia and working in Guatemala, I was starting to feel like the Lord was calling me to something in that part of the world.  Specifically Uganda.  I struggled for a long time with it.  Maybe I was supposed to go to Rwanda or Ghana or maybe I wasn’t supposed to go at all. Maybe we were supposed to adopt from one of these countries or maybe we were supposed to do some type of ministry there.  Maybe I was supposed to go just once in my life or maybe time and time again.  I had no idea, but it didn’t matter.   The door never opened and I really didn’t even wonder if it ever would.  The heart tug was still there, but I pushed it aside.  Until last year when our church missions guy mentioned to me (only mentioned once and didn’t bring it up again for a long time) that he felt like we needed to be working somewhere in Africa.  Just at the mention of it my heart leaped, but again I pushed the thought aside and for once didn’t ask him (the missions guy that I know I drive crazy with my many questions) any questions. 

A couple of months ago the same missions guy let me know that we (our church) would begin working with a missionary in Uganda and Mumbai.  Granted, India isn’t Cambodia, but after so many years of knowing, without a doubt, that I have something to see or do or just learn in southeast Asia, I jumped at the chance to travel to Mumbai with people that I trust later this year.  And I wanted to jump at the chance to travel to Uganda, but I couldn’t.  I had to make a choice and it wasn’t a hard decision to pick the part of the world that has been on my heart since I was a child (even though it isn’t Cambodia).  Still, I desperately wanted to go to Uganda, too.  But how would I make multiple trips to Guatemala, go to India for 10 days in the fall AND go to Uganda in the spring?  There was simply now way to swing it.

Every time the Uganda trip was mentioned, I felt sick.  Literally.  And I said over and over how much I wanted to go, but I just couldn’t.  I couldn’t work it out.  I don’t know what happened in December, but it became really clear that I had to stop saying that I could not go to Uganda.  I also could not skip more than one trip to Guatemala and there was NO WAY that I could back out of Mumbai.  I didn’t know what would happen, but I told the missions guy that I had to go with them to Uganda, but basically not to count on it because I had no idea how I was going to pay for it and if God really wanted me on the trip, He was going to have to do something big.

Let me just pause to say now that yes, sometimes I am an idiot.  And a hypocrite.  Because I walked around for a couple of weeks saying that I was going to Uganda and even though I had no idea how I would get there, God would provide the way.  It sounded good, but to be honest, I didn’t fully believe it.  Don’t get me wrong.  I know God is capable of anything and $2500 is a drop in the bucket for Him.  I’ve been on the receiving end of His mind blowing provision time and time again, but obviously had never learned from it.  Secretly I prayed for just 50% because there is no way that I would make it to 100%.  If I could just get to 50% we would figure out a way to make it happen.  Somehow.  Someway.  I set a deadline of January 31 and started a contest that ended today.  But the contest isn’t what He used to bring the funding.

No, He decided to go all out and beat my timeline by weeks.  His provision came so quickly.  In less than 2 weeks, 100% of my trip was paid for by friends, family and strangers.  And along with that I have received the most encouraging notes and emails that I have ever received.

I joke sometimes that I hope we are allowed to ask questions in heaven because after a thousand years or so of Jesus time, I would love to spend some time asking questions about all kinds of stuff.  Last week, I decided that if it’s allowed, I really want to know how many times God has shaken His head at me while saying, “I told you so.”  Because again, He said, “Go,” and then made the way despite my doubt, proving again that I cannot stop praying, “Lord, increase my faith.”

I am beyond blessed and so humbled.

So here we go.  In just over two months I will be in Uganda.  Eight weeks later, Guatemala.  Twelve weeks later, Mumbai.  And 10 days later, back to Guatemala.  And those are just the international trips.  In between are Spanish classes and Bible study, conferences and a much needed family vacation.  And always just being a wife and mom.  My life is so full and even though some think I should be becoming just slightly overwhelmed with this year’s schedule, I have never been happier and at such peace.  Life is good because He is good.  Always.

Want to win $250 while helping me get to Uganda??

It’s that time of the year.  You know…post Christmas and pre-tax refund.  The time of year when many of us are just barely making ends meets after spending too much on Christmas gifts and  getting ready to watch our mailboxes closely for that long awaited W2 (unless you usually owe, in that case, I am SO SORRY!)  The last thing you want right now is someone asking you for money for their cause.  I get it.  Really, I do. 

Too bad I’m going to ask anyway, but at least I have a little incentive (thanks to a generous supporter).

In case you haven’t heard me shouting it from the rooftops yet, I’m going to Uganda in March.  In just 12 weeks.  (Give me a moment while I recover from that statement.  As if I’m not freaked out enough by flying to Guatemala often, yes, now I’m going to get on a plane and go to east Africa….deep breaths…..).  Want to know the crazy thing?  I have NO IDEA how I’m going to get there.  I just know I will…somehow, someway.  And that’s where I hope you come in.  I need sponsors in a BAD way.  One to sponsor the whole trip or lots to sponsor small portions of it.  Either way works for me, but whatever it is, I need $2500 for this trip and I need it pronto. 

I’ve been praying and thinking and praying and thinking some more of how to raise the cash.  I’ve gone through every option that I tell people to try when raising money for Guatemala mission trips.  (I may have to rethink some of my suggestions because when it comes down to it, some of them have just been dumb and I would never even try it….sorry past AAB team members who have been on the receiving end of bad suggestions!)

A bake sale won’t work.  My cookies always come out as crispy as potato chips, my cakes always split and (not to share their secrets or anything), but most of my local friends just aren’t the baking kind.  I can’t have a yard sale because I’m yard-saled out.  If you’ve been in my house lately, you’d see that I really just don’t have anything left to sell except my really old TV and I better hold on to it because Danny needs entertainment while I’m in Uganda (not to mention it would only get me five bucks.)  I thought about doing a raffle, but I don’t have anything big enough to raffle off and really, does anyone want to see another person standing in front of Wal-Mart selling raffle tickets?  So here’s what I came up….

We’ll give away money (ok, really a Visa gift card, but if it works like cash, it’s really the same, right?).  Anyone that helps me get to Uganda by sponsoring me with a $10 donation will be entered to win.  For every $10 donated, you get another entry. $10=1 chance, $20=2 chances, $100=10 chances….you get the idea.  We will announce the winner at 5pm CST on January 15th.  If you can’t donate $10, can you sponsor me with $5, even $1?  Seriously, any amount will help.  And PLEASE PRAY.  And again, if by some chance more is raised than what is needed for the trip, all remaining donations will be turned over to AAB to be used for programs to assist families in Guatemala.  So by all means, if we make it to 100% and you still want a chance to win, keep donating.

It’s easy to donate.  You can ChipIn on the top right of the blog using your credit card, you can send it directly through PayPal to terry dot bracey at gmail dot com (be sure to say it’s a donation for Uganda, please) or you can mail me a check or money order (let me know if you need my address).

Now, you have until January 15th, but don’t wait until then to get it done.  Go ahead and do it now before you forget (like I usually do in situations like this).

In all seriousness, I really need your help.  Without sponsors, this trip will not happen.  I can’t wait to see how God is going to work this out.

OK….enough babbling…thanks in advance for helping me finally get to Uganda!

ChipIn for Uganda

This is a super weird place for me.  Usually I’m the one trying to help people come up with ways to fund their mission trips to Guatemala (or wherever).  It’s hard for me to ask for help, even when I’m asking people for money to support families in Guatemala.  It’s doubly hard for me to ask for personal help, like I’m doing right now.

So everyone knows that I know that for now we have been called to work in Guatemala and most know that I know that I also need to get to Asia (who knows if it’s really Cambodia, Thailand, India…only time will tell) and I’m going to India on a mission trip in September.  Some know that several years ago I also began feeling that familiar tug on my heart for Uganda specifically.  I tried to ignore it, but it hasn’t gone away and now I have the opportunity to possibly begin realizing what it’s all about.  I don’t think these heart tugs to these very specific areas in the world are coincidence so if God opens the door for me to get there (like with India later this year), I have to take it because obviously there is something I am supposed to see or do there.  I didn’t expect 2012 to be full of open doors, but that’s what has happened.  Now I also have the chance to travel to Uganda in March and I am trusting that even though I do not know how I am going to get there, He does and will provide the way.  Both the India and Uganda trips are with our church, with people that we know and trust, so again I do not think it is coincidental.  I am so thankful that after years of praying the doors have swung wide open to these areas of the world that have been on my heart for so long and I do not have to travel on my own or with a group that I do not know to either the first time.

Here’s the deal.  I need help to get to Uganda.  Again, I hate to ask for help, but I keep hearing in the back of my mind, “You have not because you ask not,” and I know that the Lord so often uses others to help people get to where He wants them to be.  I’ve seen it so many times with AAB team members and in the ministry itself.  So I’m asking for your help.  Would you consider donating any amount to help me get to Uganda?  Time is running short and I know it’s right after Christmas when everyone is strapped after all the usual holiday expenses, but if you can donate even the smallest amount, it will be a huge help and I will be forever grateful.  This is one of those times when literally every dollar counts.  You can donate online by clicking on the ChipIn button on the top right of the blog or by check or money order (let me know if you need my address).  Even if you cannot contribute financially, would you join me in praying for this trip…for funding and for the trip itself?

If, by chance, more than enough if raised to cover the trip, all remaining money will be donated to AAB to support families in Guatemala.

What’s In A Name?

Like so many, I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas.  Focusing on what it is truly about is important to me and I am spending time this week reading Scripture that is all too familiar, but still so fresh and new.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

I am slightly obsessed with names.  It may take me a while to remember a name, but once I get it, I rarely forget it.  And I would much rather put faces with names in ministry…like in Guatemala…or anywhere else in the world…where I believe with all that I am that people are more than statistics and projects.  Each person has a name and a story. 

Perhaps that is why I so love the many names of Jesus.  Because he is more than just someone that was born and died.  Because he has the best story and it is never ending.  As if I had never read it before, what “he will be called” has stirred my heart in a new way tonight and I can’t help but speak his name which describes so much of what he is to me.

He IS called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace and by me he is called Savior, Almighty, Healer, King of Kings, Bread of Life and Living Water, Messiah, Holy One, Emmanuel, Comforter, Redeemer.  Jesus. And this is just what I find myself saying.  A quick google search reveals hundreds of names by which he is called (whether they are accurate or inaccurate I do not know). Oh how I love to speak his name…the one name that has more power than any other…the one that I live and would die for…the one who left his throne to save sinners like me. 

With such a powerful meaning, how could I lose sight of what Christmas if really about?

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas.  May you be filled with peace, love and joy during this most beautiful season.

Think About Rethinking It

It’s time to get honest.  And real.  I don’t always “practice what I preach”.  But that ends.  Right now.

For years I’ve all but begged people to give more of themselves.  At Christmas time especially, when the materialism I despise overtakes so many of us.  Myself included.  When people ask me every year what I want for Christmas, I tell them to buy a water filter for a family, feed the hungry, something, anything, but purchase a gift for me that I do not need.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like to get gifts as much as the next girl.  I still get giddy when I’m ripping pretty paper to shreds while wondering what’s in the box.  But I like to give more than I like to receive and for some reason (must be that whole “love like Jesus” thing) I consider it a GIFT to myself to give to those in need, to share the Gospel, to love.  Only once in my life has anyone given me such a gift.  Last year, a friend gave me a Christmas gift.  It was a check made out to AAB to purchase a water filter.  Best Christmas gift.  EVER.  Seriously.  Call me crazy, but her gift to a family I love in Guatemala was an incredible gift to me.  I can’t help it.  I was made for this.  And you want to know something?  I think we all were, but somewhere along the way (you know, that whole sin and fallen world deal) we lost what it’s really all about.

So here I’ve sat every year for years complaining about how people need to give more of themselves to those that really need it instead of buying that one size too small sweater, a picture frame or a candle for the person that really doesn’t NEED anything at all.  Because let’s face it.  Some of us think we are in need.  New flash: chances are, we’re really not.  I’ve seen real need and it ain’t pretty, folks.  But every year that I’ve complained about how I want people to donate to others on my behalf, I’ve gotten myself caught up in what I so dislike and have filled my shopping cart with those same gifts that people do not need or want that half the time go unused and sold in yard sales six months later.  Never once have I done the very thing I’ve asked people to do for me.

No matter what anyone says, I do not “do enough” because I believe you never can.  There is always more that I can do because that love just never stops overflowing me.  Some say that we do not need to do this because churches and organizations around the world do this kind of stuff.  To that I say, WE ARE THE CHURCH and since we have one of those organizations, we’re pretty much that, too.  This is our job.  If everyone left it up to someone else the world would be in more chaos than it already is.  So this year I am doing what I’ve begged people to do for years.  Instead of worrying about trying to find the best gift for that person that has it all or, dare I say, enough, we’re doing Christmas the way we think it should be done this year.

I love to give gifts and remember, I like to receive them.  There is nothing wrong with exchanging gifts.  NOTHING!  So don’t blow up my email account or voice mail with “you’re a scrooge” messages.  Trust me, there will be plenty of presents under my tree this year, I will thoroughly enjoy whatever gifts I receive and the super excited 4 year old in our house is getting his much anticipated visit from Santa, but this isn’t like Christmases past.  Everyone that usually gets a gift from us is still receiving a gift.  You’ll get a small happy…maybe something special that we know you really want or could use or some of your favorite fresh baked cookies and along with that, you’ll be receiving the gift of knowing that you are feeding a starving child, giving the life saving gift of clean water, sharing the Message of Jesus (imagine that….is Christmas about anything else??) in countries around the world.

These are the organizations we will be using to give Christmas away.  If anyone wants to join us, please do.  You can find gifts to give from $5 and the maximum is unlimited.  Why don’t you consider still purchasing that gift for someone, but make it $5 less than you planned and donate a $5 Bible to someone that doesn’t have one instead or spend $10 less on that person’s gift and donate a mosquito net on his behalf?  It’s that simple and so easy and there are many options.  I am NOT saying that you shouldn’t give gifts, I’m simply asking you to consider spending a little less on the material things and give something that is really needed to people around the world.  The first, Lemonade International, is a ministry in Guatemala.  You can provide children with shoes (and a local shoe maker with an income…you know we love that!!), help pay a teacher’s salary and more.  Samaritan’s Purse and Compassion International do not need any introduction.  Across All Borders is not doing anything specific for Christmas this year and I am not even advocating specifically for our ministry, but of course if you would like to give the gift of a clean burning stove, Bibles, feed children, etc., through us, you can visit our website to make a donation.

You know (or maybe you don’t because I can’t imagine that anyone would intentionally ignore this on purpose)…Americans spend more than 450 BILLION DOLLARS a year on Christmas!  To me, that spells INSANITY.  Americans must be living in some kind of blind dream world.  Because do you realize that experts believe that just 20 BILLION dollars is all that is needed to make sure everyone on the planet has access to clean water??  Water is just one of the world’s issues, but imagine what the world would be like if just for one Christmas we gave everyone in the world clean water and used the remaining 430 BILLION DOLLARS on other issues.  Talk about alleviating poverty and imagine how many people would be reached with the Gospel!! 

Yes, I’m a little crazy.  I’ve never denied it.  But I’m not crazy in the way some people think I am.  I may be considered generous, but never will I be generous enough.  I may love the poor and oppressed, orphans and widows, but I will never love enough.  And even though I’m crazy, I am not crazy enough, because the reason behind my generosity, my love, my craziness is a Savior that gave it ALL and clearly laid out for all of us how we are to live our lives.  It’s that simple.  I take Him seriously and literally.  He takes care of our little family of three and has called us, just like He has called everyone else, to give ourselves away for the Kingdom’s cause.  How can we ask others to live this way if we do not?  So here we go.  Will you join us?

Not A Typical Thanksgiving

This year we did not celebrate Thanksgiving as usual.  Far from it.  There was no watching the Macy’s Day parade, cooking all morning and running around at the last minute getting every thing ready for family, watching football all afternoon, napping and eating again.  No, this was not our typical Thanksgiving.  Most Thanksgivings I am more concerned with getting to wherever we’re supposed to be on time or making sure the pie turns out just right.  But today…

I looked into the eyes of a 20-something Muslim woman that is paralyzed from the waist down and listened to her story.  She was eight years old when her parents were murdered in front of her eyes and when she was raped, shot and left for dead in Somalia.  As I hugged her I wanted nothing more than to take her pain away, past and present, and prayed that she will one day understand that there is hope in the One that came to save her.

I shook hands with a boy that arrived just two days ago from Sudan and I wondered what he must be thinking about his new home.

I knelt on the ground and rubbed the back of a woman from a small country that borders Nepal as I tried to understand what she was saying.  In the end, I think she was overwhelmed and eventually calmed down as she got used to all of the activity.  Later I smiled as I watched her making a necklace and taking extra plates of food back to her room…something I’m sure she was never able to do during her 20 years in the refugee camp in her home country.

I spent time with a Muslim family in their living room.  They fled Somalia not long ago.

I was on the verge of tears when during a prayer a woman we were serving walked over, grabbed my hand and bowed her head to pray with us.

I was reminded of the simplicity of the Gospel.

And tonight I am praying for each and every one that we served, those that I was fortunate to meet and those that I did not.

We spent the day with others from our church serving at a local refugee community that houses refugees from ten countries.  Some are Christians, but the majority are Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and other religions.   We played games and did crafts with the children, served lunch, distributed food and necessity bags and shared the love of Jesus in words and action.

In the end, as we prayed, I couldn’t help but look around at those that had come to serve and the Christian refugees that had joined us, hand in hand, in prayer and thought…this is what heaven must look like.  In heaven, it won’t matter what country you were born in, the language you spoke, the color of your skin.  A huge circle of brothers and sisters from literally all over the world joined hands today to give thanks to Him.  We saw just a glimpse of heaven today.

Everyone that knows me knows that my heart is in international missions, but my passion for missions started right here in this country when I was child serving wherever and however I could.  Today I got the best of both worlds.  This was the best Thanksgiving I have ever had.

2012 Trips

As I am working on the big post with details about last week’s trip (I will try to get it up sometime next week), I thought I would share trip dates that have already been scheduled for 2012.  So far we are forming teams for March 12-17, 2012 and October 15-20, 2012.  Detailed information about these trips will be posted on the website in the coming weeks.  If you are interested in traveling either of these weeks or would like to form a team of 5 or more to travel any other week of the year (excluding Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks), email me at terry at acrossallborders dot org.

Different Worlds, Same Heaven

From the time I pulled into the parking lot on this bright, beautiful day, I knew it was going to be hard for me to get through.  Leaving Guatemala is never easy for me.  When the next day is Sunday and I have no time separating church there and here, it makes it a little more difficult.  Without early arrivals and long layovers it takes only 4 hours to get to Guatemala from here.  It’s just 1601 miles away.  I often wonder how so many different worlds can exist on one planet.  Different cultures I understand, but it seems as if we live in totally different worlds.  Just 4 hours from each other.

I get out of my car and walk into the church that I love so very much.  One of the first things I see is one of our team members surrounded by people intently listening to her.  She is talking about the trip and is already on the verge of tears as she was much of last week.  What a new experience this is for me.  What a wonderful one it is.  I never get to see team members right after a trip because they usually live in other parts of the U.S.  This was the first trip our church has joined with us to take.  She is so deep in conversation that I ignore the urge to move everyone out of the way to hug her and simply pat her on the back and keep walking to my class.

I’m late, but that’s OK.  Stopping to chat with people along the way wanting to know all about the trip is exciting.  Once in my class I sit next to another team member and open my Bible to what is already being discussed.  And that’s when I begin to get a little shaky.

The size of our ABF room is almost the size of the entire church in Pueblo Nuevo.  We have carpet and padded seats and tables covered with table cloths.  There are enough chairs for everyone.  No one is dirty because we all had access to warm showers this morning.  Our clothes are clean and are not torn.  There are purses hanging from the chair backs and wallets sticking out of men’s pockets and even if someone in the room was considered “poor” by U.S. standards there would really be no comparison to that which we just came from.  Everyone has a Bible or a Bible app and we can all read and write.

We are discussing Luke 19:11-27, the parable of the ten minas.  Rarely does my focus wander during class, but today it was in and out.  Our teacher happens to a friend and the missions pastor of our church and his wife is a dear friend that had just returned from Guatemala with me.  I paid no attention to the reading or to much of the discussion because my mind was 1601 miles away, but I did hear some of the comments made by our teacher.  He’s made so many comments over the last few years that have stuck with me and yesterday was one of those days when his comments pulled my wandering mind back to the present, where it should have been.

“Where is our sense of urgency?  Why are we acting like we have plenty of time.”

“Do we walk the aisle, get baptized and that’s it?”

“Christians are rewarded for the things they do for the Kingdom so why are we not doing more good?”

We walk out of class and more people want to hear about the trip.  I speak to the pastor’s wife for a few minutes and make my way into our super comfy sanctuary.  Padded pews, carpeted floors, a big screen in front, an incredible baptismal, the perfect lighting, a top of the line sound system.  I take my normal seat in the front and wait for it to begin.  I know it’s coming.  The music starts and though I open my mouth to sing, nothing comes out.  Tears fall and my hands shake as I hear everyone singing, “You make beautiful things, beautiful things out of the dust…”  A child is baptized then we greet each other before more singing.  I walk around openly crying as I find each person that spent last week in Guatemala to check on them.  As if Revelation Song is brand new, it gets me again.  “Jesus, your name is power, breath of living water, such a marvelous mystery…”

I know that not so far away a tiny church is packed.  The pastor and his family either walked or rode what I affectionately call a chicken bus a few miles to get there.  It is raining and everyone else made their way through dirt and mud in the best clothes they have to get there.  They have no instruments other than a single guitar and no sound system.  They do not have enough room for the number of chairs they need so it was likely standing room only.  But I’ve seen the worship and it is so real and dare I say more genuine than so many of our churches here.  The words they sing do not just come out of their mouths.  It comes from deep within and is poured out as a true offering of praise.

Both pastors begin their message at close to the same time.  I am moved, as usual.  My mind and my heart is torn between two places.  I am so thankful for where I am and where I’ve been and I long to be in both places at once, knowing it will never happen.  But then I realize that I could not be more wrong.  I will never be able to be everywhere that I feel connected to while on Earth, but Heaven is a different story.

We all get the same Heaven.  I’ve said for as long as I can remember that we aren’t different than anyone else in the world.  We may have a lot of differences which usually boils down to money and what we spend it on, but we aren’t all that different.  I spent my morning learning more about and worshipping the same Lord our friends in Guatemala learned more about and worshipped.  Depending on what is at the core of our hearts, people all over the world are more the same than we are different.   

I cannot even scratch the surface of imaging what Heaven will be like, but I do know that for the first time ever I won’t feel torn and for the first time ever all those that I love in the world, no matter where they are right now, will all be in the same place at once if they have given their hearts to Jesus.  With all of my doubts and uncertainties in this thing called life, that is the one thing  I am certain about.