Recommended Books

It is so easy, I think, for organizations to get off track from their original mission and goals. It isn't always intentional, in fact I think most of the time it is unintentional as we are forced to work with what we have access to. Sadly, some become stuck in that never ending cycle of handouts and temporary fixes instead of re-evaluating and coming back to their original goal of working out long term solutions. Just during the short amount of time we have been in Guatemala I have seen how easy it could be to make multiple trips a year to poverty stricken countries and do nothing but distributions of meds, shoes, school supplies, etc. I am not saying that those things aren't needed, but what happens when things like toothpaste and antibacterial ointment run out and we aren't there to provide them with more? Does it really do any good to provide a child with pencils and notebooks for the school year when they don't have access to a pencil sharpener? And what good does that one bag of food REALLY do, other than giving them a holiday meal, filling their bellies for a week and reminding them that they are loved and not forgotten? As we work at finding long term solutions for poverty elimination in an effort to prevent children from becoming orphans in Pueblo Nuevo and beyond, we are learning how hard it is for those around us to understand why it is so important to focus on those long term solutions instead of focusing only on short term fixes that result in constant handouts that do more harm than good.

That leads me to two book recommendations...


I am currently reading The Poor Will Be Glad and recommend it to anyone that is considering beginning or partnering with a non-profit with a focus on poverty elimination. Whether you do not understand the impact that micro finance programs can have in developing countries or you want to learn more about how they work, this has some of the information you need. It has been an encouragement to me as we look at ways to establish such a program in Guatemala.


When Helping Hurts is a book I am recommending before I read it. I have been meaning to read it for a while and will start it when I am finished with The Poor Will Be Glad. It is highly recommended by others that have read it and I am anxious to get started.

This comes as I am sorting through thoughts that are leading to a blog post about the "new" UNICEF-Haiti news. We do not support UNICEF or anyone affiliated with them, but I know that I am in the miniority of adoptive parents in my thoughts on international adoption as a form of orphan care...an opinion that has changed for me over the last few years. Of course, we believe in adoption as an option for children that are truly eligble, but we also believe international adoption is not the answer to the world's growing orphan crisis. Working to eliminiate poverty and in turn preventing orphans is. More on my thoughts about UNICEF and international adoption soon...

$21 for Haiti

If you have ever read my blog, chances are you have heard about the Caswell family. The Caswell's have been an inspiration to me for the last five years, since adopting their first child from Guatemala, and continue to inspire us with their love for orphans and heart for those in need around the world. Today I learned that their two oldest children want to help the people of Haiti. These children have the biggest hearts of any children I have ever met, thanks to the example of their parents, so it is not a surprise to me that they would begin thinking of ways to help. After some discussion, it was decided that their family would hold a bake sale in their driveway this Saturday. They will be selling baked goods, coffee, cocoa and maybe some toys. 100% of the proceeds will go to Samaritan's Purse for Haiti Disaster Assistance

Gannon's goal is to raise $21 because, as he says, "That's more money than I ever had in my whole life." I am sending my $21 tomorrow. Will you match me? If you are able to donate $21 or any other amount, please send paypal donations to terry dot bracey at gmail dot com or mail checks or money orders made payable to Rebecca Caswell to: AAB, P.O. Box 14086, Baton Rouge, LA 70898 and I will send them to her all at once.

Again, ALL proceeds will go to Samaritan's Purse. This is NOT to benefit Across All Borders or projects in Guatemala in any way.

Please consider donating. Feel free to post this on Facebook, Twitter and other blogs. Also consider hosting your own bake sale this weekend as a way to support those in Haiti and increase your children's awareness to the needs there.

To read Rebecca's blog post about their bake sale, CLICK HERE.

In the News

CLICK HERE to read a short article about the students that worked to collect school supplies, OTC meds, toys and shirts that AAB distributed in October and December. Great kids, awesome teachers!

Observations

During our time in Pueblo Nuevo last year information had to be obtained, observations had to be made and basic decisions had to be finalized. In order to do more than just handouts and reach needs that we can only temporarily meet through occasional short term mission trips, we had to (and have to continue to) get into the community, learn as much as possible about the families there and start working strategically on long term solutions for poverty elimination while also meeting immediate physical needs as well as spiritual needs. Each time I was in Guatemala, I could be found walking around, carrying a notebook and a pen, taking notes, asking questions and listening to every word spoken by those that opened their doors of tin or simple wooden gates.

As with any village in Guatemala, we learned that the needs are great. If you ever travel to any part of Guatemala, you will see the same needs in varying degrees. From the jungles of north Guatemala to the southern most point and from coast to coast, there are needs that need to be met and I will dare say that EVERY village could benefit from some type of long term community development and orphan care/prevention programs.

We have big goals for 2010 and I will start sharing them a little later and as the year goes on. What we pray for this year goes far beyond our short term mission trips (though they are important and needed), but instead begins our long term focus as we have talked about from the beginning.

During our trips to Guatemala last year, I talked a lot about families in Pueblo Nuevo and shared pictures of each trip, but until I had better facts, I was hesitant to share more information here. Now that we know more about this village and the people that call it home, I want to share some of my observations with you. These are just some of my observations from three trips in 2009.

Orphans - We all know that there are an estimated 130 million to 210 million orphans in the world. That figure includes "single orphans" (a child that has lost or been abandoned by one parent) and "double orphans" (a child that has lost or been abandoned by both parents). These numbers do not include "street children". According to the definition of a single orphan, most of the children in Pueblo Nuevo are orphans, having lost or been abandoned by their fathers. There are some fathers that remain, but most of the men in the village have either died or left their wives for women in other villages.

Families - While the number is still unclear, there are an estimated 400 families living in Pueblo Nuevo. I have no way of knowing if this estimate is close to correct. I have no doubt that there are at least 300 families in Pueblo Nuevo. If there are 400, we will likely find out sometime this year. These families consist mostly of mothers and their children. The few husbands/fathers that have remained with their families generally work in the fields outside of Pueblo Nuevo, spend days away from home at a time, are alcoholics and have mistresses. I am sure that this isn't the case for every man in Pueblo Nuevo, but based on the information provided by women there, this is the case in many families. The average number of children in a family 6 to 7.

Employment - There is no employment in Pueblo Nuevo whatsoever. There are currently 5 tiendas that are consistently open, that I have seen, and none of them appear to produce a steady stream of income. There is 1 store front that sells tortillas, but it rarely makes a sale. Men that remain with their families are forced to work in the fields that are miles away from Pueblo Nuevo or not work at all. There are only a handful of women that are fortunate to have have found employment in other villages, though in order to work they must leave their small children home alone.

Health Care - There is no health care in Pueblo Nuevo. The nearest hospital is in Antigua, a 20-30 minute car ride away. Because the majority of families do not have personal transportation, they are forced to walk or, if they can afford public transportation, take a bus to Antigua. Most people in Pueblo Nuevo do not seek medical care, even when it is needed, because they cannot afford the minimal cost associated with it.

Education - There is a public, government run school in the village. It is overcrowded and typical of government run schools across Guatemala. Younger children attend school from 8 am - noon; older children attend from 1 pm through the afternoon. Obviously, some education is better than no education, but we know that 4 hours of education a day is not adequate. The government does provide the school with some necessary supplies, but the school lacks much of what is needed to properly educate. Even though the classrooms are overcrowded, the majority of children in Pueblo Nuevo do not attend school. We have been told by mothers that their children do not attend school because they do not want to, they need help from the older children to care for the younger ones and they believe that getting an education does not benefit the future.

Food Crisis - The food crisis is obvious throughout Guatemala, including in Pueblo Nuevo. Corn is the main source of food for most families. Most families eat only tortillas and beans. Some families have chickens, but those that do have them state that they only produce a couple of eggs a day...not even close to enough for a family of 7-10.


Housing - Fortunately, there are not many people living on the streets in Pueblo Nuevo. Other than a couple of men that appear to be homeless, most families do have some sort of shelter. Of all of the homes we have visited, only one of them has actual flooring (tile), walls separating rooms and a roof with no holes in it. A few homes had flooring consisting of dirt covered concrete. The majority of homes have walls made of cement blocks or tin (those with tin usually have large gaping holes where the tin is supposed to come together, no flooring (only packed dirt or concrete covered in a thick layer of dirt) and few have doors except for the main entrance of the house. Most roofs are in need of repair. Homes are often separated into sections (small separate structures) and usually contain one bedroom, a kitchen and sometimes a bathroom which may or may not contain a toilet. Some families have one bed, others do not even have that. Regardless, most children sleep on dirt floors. There is no room in most homes for additional beds. Blankets and sleeping bags are desperately needed.


Water - As with the rest of Guatemala, water in Pueblo Nuevo contains a number of contaminants that causes illness and disease. In all of Pueblo Nuevo, I have only seen two water filtration systems and one of them is not in use. Most families do have access to water and are able to use it for washing their clothes and cooking. They also drink the water. While their systems are accustomed to drinking it, it is still unhealthy and leads to an increased risk of preventable diseases. Some houses also have toilets. In one part of the village, there are few homes that have water or plumbing.


Stoves - I have seen only one onil stove in Pueblo Nuevo. In all but that home, all cooking is done over an open fire, usually in the kitchen. Walls are covered with black soot. Many women have a continuous cough. It is evident that this type of repeated exposure to smoke is causing what could be severe health problems.


Pre-Natal Care - Because there is no medical care in the area, there is no access to pre-natal care. During our October and December trips, we provided all pregnant and nursing women with pre-natal vitamins, but other than that, they have not and will not receive pre-natal care. In Guatemala, it is not uncommon for a women to die during childbirth and children die during infancy at an alarming rate.

There is so much more that I could say about Pueblo Nuevo and we still have so much to learn about this village and the families that live there.


As I said before, all of this is typical throughout Guatemala and there are different levels of need in each village. What we have seen in Pueblo Nuevo is a village of mostly women trying to care for an overwhelming number of children. Most children are at great risk of becoming double orphans. Should any mother in this community die, her children would be left to care for themselves. Every woman is at risk of disease and injury because there is no preventative measures for anything in this village.


But just as the rest of Guatemala and the rest of the world, this village is not hopeless....in fact, there is so much hope and potential there that just the thought of what it could (and I am convinced WILL) be makes me giddy.


So where do we go from here? Our ultimate goal is long term community development and sustainability...to reach short and especially long term physical and spiritual needs..basically, to do everything possible to eliminate poverty in this village while remembering that we aren't trying to turn it into something similar to a U.S. suburb. It sounds like a big dream and an unreachable goal to many, but it isn't. We have seen the need, we know that simple handouts a couple of times a year is not the answer and would, in fact, cause more harm than good in the long run. It's time to get to work....2010 is going to be a busy year!

2009 in Review

I do not make new year's resolutions because I have never been able to keep them for more than a week. When 2009 began I made no resolutions, but certainly had goals that I hoped would be reached by the end of the year. For the most part, all of them were plus some. This year brought so many changes to our lives and our family. Never would we have imagined all that has taken place this year.

For every moment of joy that we have experienced, I am thankful. For every second of pain, I praise Him. From strengthened friendships to broken ones....from confusion to total clarity....from unconditional love to learning to truly forgive....from doubting to increased faith....from making mistakes to ignoring those that spread untruths....from baking cookies to building castles....from intense fear to facing them....from renewed pain to learning to embrace the hurt....from simple to overwhelming....from laughter to tears....from JOY and more happiness than I have ever known....from empty words to actions....from the beginning of the year, through the highest of highs and some pretty low lows, until the end of 2009, He has been here. We have seen Him, we have felt His never ending presence and we know that with every step we have walked this year, He has surrounded us with Himself. We end 2009 with a greater understanding of who He is and begin 2010 knowing that there is more to learn than we will ever be able to comprehend. We end 2009 with just a glimpse of what His plan is for our lives and begin 2010 knowing that He is all that matters and whatever His plan is, it is far greater than ours ever could be.

We look forward to all that 2010 may bring.

Happy New Year!

Pueblo Nuevo Update

While we were in Guatemala, we were blessed to meet a missionary named Tonja and three daughters of other missionaries living in the area. We were introduced to each of them by Carol at Servants 4 Him. Our team was very small and we were in desperate need of help to pull off some of the distributions. Tonja and the three girls helped us with the distribution of shoes, socks and Bible story books as well as helped us at the Pueblo Nuevo Christmas party. We learned quickly that Tonja is an incredible woman and was such a voice of reason and reassurance to all of us that week.

During the Christmas party in Pueblo Nuevo, Tonja told us about a donation she had received and said that she had been praying about how it should be used. Even though she had not worked in Pueblo Nuevo before, she felt that the donation should be used to provide more food to families in the village. I was overwhelmed when she told me that she would be returning to Pueblo Nuevo with food for the families we love so much in the next couple of weeks.

The distribution happened yesterday. Ninety families received bags of food items. I am so thankful for Tonja, the three girls that returned to Pueblo Nuevo to help her and for the person that contributed financially trusting that it would be used for good.

Tonja also sent an update stating that since our last outreach, more than 20 people have joined the church, requiring Marco to have to expand the church area by pushing a wall back, leaving little room between the wall and the bathroom area. There was barely enough space before and I know that even with the expansion, the room is likely still overcrowded. This is awesome news and we are praising the Lord for the hearts He is touching there! Marco's latest prayer request is for chairs. It may sound so simple, but we all know that in Guatemala, even the simplest things are often hard to come by. At this point, they need more chairs, so that is one thing they are praying for. Now that we know about this new need, we will be providing chairs for the ministry right away.

We know what one of our main focuses needs to be in 2010 and we are praying for BIG things this year. Hopefully by the end of 2010, space and basic needs such as chairs, tables, etc. won't even be an issue for the church or the children's ministry.

Tonja - Thank you again for all you did to help us while we were in Guatemala, for following through with distributing food after we left and for having such a big heart for the people of Guatemala. Please also thank the girls for us. We are praying for you as you prepare to leave Guatemala and cannot wait to hear about how your ministry through Central and South America goes.

Christmas Eve

I put Tommy in the car on that cold, stormy day and temporarily lost the true meaning of Christmas.

I rushed through the storms that were raging both outside and inside crowded stores. There were still a few gifts to purchase, cookies to bake, stories to read, presents to wrap, a house to clean, toys to assemble, batteries to buy, dinner to cook, church to attend. Through tornado warnings we rode home to shower quickly, fluff instead of iron and make it back out the door again just in time to meet Danny at our Christmas Eve candlelight service.

Again we ran through water puddles, with Tommy refusing to be carried and splashing through them instead of hopping over them. "At least it isn't 90 degrees," I thought, as we made it to the door, received a program and heard, "It's warm inside, little guy," as a response from a sweet old woman decked out in her Christmas sweater to Tommy's chattering teeth. We grabbed our candles and made our way through the crowd to find Danny in our normal spot...back pew, closest to the center aisle....always a necessity when Tommy attends a church service with us. All day I had felt hurried for no good reason at all. Sitting down with my little family was the first moment all day that felt "normal".

But my feeling of normalcy did not last long.

The sanctuary was beautiful. Thousands of tiny white lights glistened off of garland wrapped banisters,wreaths and however many Christmas trees that decorated the front. Candles were lit. Two chairs were set up to look like some one's living room for what would be children's story time. Everyone was joyful, including me, as we waited for the service to start. Our pastor walked the aisles greeting everyone and shaking hands with those he could reach. I admire that so much about him. It seems so many pastors are separated from their congregations. So many that I have seen seem to put themselves on pedestals and build walls between themselves and everyone in the church. We love that our pastor is not like that, regardless of how large our church is. Seeing him that night, truly caring about the people that had come to celebrate the birth of Christ, is what started it all. As soon as I saw Matt (our pastor), I thought about Marco (the pastor we are working with in Pueblo Nuevo).


Sometimes I do an OK job of living two very different lives. One day I may be working in Guatemala and crying my eyes out because I know that I will never be able to do enough and the next week I may be getting a $65 haircut. Yes, I live two different lives. And it sickens me. For the most part, I try to keep it together...living the way I know is right, "practicing what I preach", giving more than I take...but there are times like Christmas Eve when that other side of me comes out. A week after returning from Guatemala, after trying all that time to push some things out of my mind to keep from breaking down, after vowing that this year Christmas would not be more...more...more, after praying for a way to just get through the holidays before really "feeling" all that happened the week before, God decided to use our Christmas Eve service to wake me up...again.


As I saw Matt in his nice slacks, warm sweater and dress shoes, I could not help but think about what Marco must be doing at that moment. He would have been dressed in his best clothes, likely a pair of slacks and a button up shirt and Leddy surely would have been wearing her best, as well, as they made their way from Parramos to church in Pueblo Nuevo that evening. They likely walked those few miles with their children. I could see him speaking to everyone they passed and when they arrived, I know that he must have spoken to most and I'm sure he shook a lot of hands, just as our pastor did. Different circumstances, same purpose...preparing to celebrate the birth of the Saviour that saved them both.


Children dressed in the cutest Christmas outfits skipped in with their parents. Shiny shoes, red ribbons and corduroy galore. What else could I possibly think of than Jesenia, Mildre and Jacquline...Maria, Yenefer and Angel...Yonni, Paola and Carolina...times 50? I know so many of them must have attended a Christmas service, but there were no shiny shoes. There is no way to care for shoes when you walk miles a day on dirt roads through the mountains. There would be no fancy Christmas dresses or dress pants. But there would be joy because they love to attend church. Different children, different parts of the world...learning about the birth of Christ...the same Saviour that is saving them.


The lights dimmed. Five people were baptized. I thought about more than 100 faces that had accepted Christ the week before. They would not be baptized. No baptismal and no body of water around. But that is OK. Same God, same acceptance...different ways of expressing...you make do with what you've got. No water to baptize in Pueblo Nuevo? That's OK...acknowledge Him, say a prayer, start the walk. Either way, I can't help but believe that angels sing and God smiles.


The music started. A prayer was said. Tommy sang and danced. I could smell the lingering scent of bubble gum bubble bath and graham crackers as he happily sang along with songs he knows...Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful...

His voice was so sweet and I am so thankful for this third Christmas with him. Along with him, I could hear the voices that have become familiar to me even though they speak another language. I could hear their prayer and hear their songs of praise.


My favorite, O Holy Night, began and I closed my eyes to keep from crying. I know how blessed I am. I do not take this life for granted. I do not like to complain and I am not trying to sound ungrateful for all that I have been given. Our lives here are comfortable...far from extravagant, but no where close to lacking anything. I, along with everyone else, enjoy the luxuries that I have. But as I looked at Danny and Tommy that night, as I looked around a large sanctuary full of people, as the tears in my eyes turned all of the tiny lights into one big glow, I wanted to be far, far away.


I wanted to be in a tin room with a dirt floor, celebrating the birth of the same Saviour, just in a different way. I wanted to shed the black heeled boots, black sweater and makeup and trade it in for a pair of jeans, a tshirt and a baseball cap...perfect attire for sitting with children in the dirt. I wanted to be watching our son play with new friends and my husband joke around with Marco. I wanted to spend more time with the families that have left such an impact on my life this year.


There are times when I try to fight these feelings...times when I simply do not want to constantly dwell on Guatemala, on missions work, on poverty around the world...Ghana, Uganda and Cambodia. But this is who I am. I cannot help but to constantly compare my life to the life of others that I know exist because I have seen them with my own eyes. I cannot ignore each time I am so overwhelmed with the thought of being there (in the middle of whatever poverty stricken country He sends us to) that tears spring to my eyes, my hands tremble and all I can do is sob because we aren't "there" yet.


In the middle of our Christmas Eve service, I was thankful for all that Christmas means and wanting nothing other than a ONE WAY ticket to Guatemala with Danny and Tommy. Deep down (and not so deep down) that is all I really ever want these days and until it happens I will probably keep dreaming out loud. I realized that night why it has been so difficult for me to even think about our last trip...why I reacted so differently the day after coming home than I had after the June and October trips...why I have been so hesitant to post anything other than photos here. Now that I have been able to wrap my mind around it all, I will post my thoughts on the trip soon.

I was still joyful as we left that night. Actually, I was more than joyful. I am learning to be content in whatever situation I am in so for now I am content with living this over abundant life that we have been blessed with. It sounds weird to hear...I know. It sounds to strange to hear that I am content with hardwood floors, heat & air conditioning, 2 working vehicles and a closet full of clothes. It isn't that I do not want this life. I would happily go on living it for the rest of mine if that is what He wanted. Knowing that this isn't what my life is to be, though, makes it a little difficult to live it. Waiting for Him to make the timing clear isn't always easy.


None of this may make sense and it's ending abruptly. I am having a hard time expressing myself lately. All I wanted to say here is that for two very different worlds, different lives, different everything....my heart is in two parts of the world, in two congregations, with more than one family, but we are all doing the same things...loving the Lord, making Him known, loving and taking care of our families and just trying to survive. We have too much. They have too little. But we all have just enough in Him.


Our Christmas was wonderful. Seeing the joy in Tommy's face that morning was another precious gift, as was time with our families and each other. We could not have asked for a better day. Now, as new toys are scattered around the house, dishes are overflowing the sink and my eyes become heavy, I can clearly see the line that seperates my two lives. Until there is only one, this will always feel strange to me. My Christmas wish for next year will remain the same unless it comes before...a one way ticket to a poverty stricken, rodent filled village that is bursting with children that love big and most of their parents that know that even with nothing, they have more than enough.