Blog Post by Cecilia Sisneros, 11 years old

Under His Wings

I used to have chickens. Really cute chickens. Chickens that I loved a lot. But when we decided to move, we had to sell them, sadly. When the new owner came with their pickup truck to take our chickens, my brothers and I held our chickens close like they were our own babies.  We told the owners stories about their daring escapes, or how this one or that one’s sister got eaten.  We also shared tips on how to make them happy.

Giving Fabuloso away was hard. I once had two other chicks that I called my own. Tragically my dog was hungry when the chickens arrived at our house.  So they died. Out of the three, Fabuloso was my favorite. She was the fluffiest, the biggest and she was the boldest.

One day the new owners told us a story about Fabuloso, now known as Fabulous.  She would not get up to eat! She sat there, waiting for her unfertilized egg to hatch.  She starved and starved. When the owners traded out a baby chick for the egg, the chick would lay under the wings of Fabulous.  Knowing that her new baby was safe and sound, she finally got up and ate.

It’s amazing to me that Fabulous wouldn’t leave her egg. She put her own life behind her chick.

Even though God won’t die and can’t put His life behind ours, He loves us so much! Even more than Fabulous loved her baby chick.

I have been seeing God in so many ways. He has done so many miracles and answered so many prayers lately. Only a few days ago, I thought this was because we were doing this for God. I thought the situation was “works”. I thought that because we were going to Guatemala for Him, He paid us back for the good things we were doing. But, when I explained this to my dad, he had a different perspective. He said that God blesses us always! Whether we become fulltime missionaries or not He will always give us what we need.

So why didn’t I notice it before?

I think once we decided to move to Guatemala, I’ve seen God so much more. Whether or not He simply blesses us or He performs a miracle before our eyes, I have realized that He is always there, covering us with His long wings, every moment of the day.

Maybe I have just been looking for Him more often, calling out His name like His own baby chick. Maybe that’s why I have seen God in so many ways.

I heard a quote once, and I’d like to share it. “Looking is different than seeing”. I definitely believe this is true. And looking for God is definitely better than seeing or noticing Him.

Plane tickets are purchased...EVERYTHNG is sold...

As I sit here, trying to think of something to blog about, my mind is racing.  We are 24 days away from landing in Guatemala City.  It seems very surreal.  I KNOW we’re going.  I KNOW our lives are about to change significantly.  But it feels more like someone else is going.

First, I want to update you on our progress.  Plane tickets are purchased and we fly out on July 12^th, sort of.  I will be flying to Los Angeles on July 11^th, yes, that’s the wrong direction.  I need to fly early that morning because our dog Moses is not allowed to fly to or from any city if the temperature is 85 degrees or higher.  And so, I will land in L.A. at 10:05 am.  It’s still a bit of a gamble but I feel pretty safe that it will not be too hot.  THEN, Moses and I have to wait until midnight to fly from L.A. to Guatemala where we will land at 6am. 

That means Vonda will fly from Denver to Houston and then after a 2 hour layover, on to Guate (that’s what the locals call Guatemla and since it sounds cooler, that’s what I’m gonna start calling it).  She and the kids will arrive at 1pm.  I’m sad that I will be missing all the excitement that the kids will experience but it’s a necessary part of getting Moses to Guate (see…that sounded cool, right?).

Our home is under contract and is due to close on July 6^th.  We are thankful for the slow and late closing since it has allowed our family to stay together until we leave.  We have sold ALMOST everything we own.  We have 3 beds (two are sold), my office desk and chair (sold) a kitchen table (no chairs) and 3 barstools (sold).  That’s pretty much it.

We have been meeting with friends and family to share the specifics of our journey and ask that they pray about supporting what God has called us to do.  It has been a humbling yet absolutely amazing part of our journey.  It is one of the blessings that God has poured down on us.  There is story after story of people who have written checks or made commitments to stand with us monthly and we are blown away every single time.  We have spoken at 3 churches and have been brought to tears every time by the love and support they have all shown us. 

I met with someone recently who asked, “Why do you have to go to Guatemala?  There are missionary opportunities right here.  There are hungry kids in THIS country?”  While that is a fair question, my answer was, “God called us to Guatemala.” 

Before I went on a short term mission trip last November, I didn’t even know where Guatemala was.  I had to Google it. I didn’t really know much about Guate until I AFTER we committed to becoming full time missionaries.  And I think that’s exactly the way God wanted it.  My wife and I have been on a need-to-know basis with God and we are absolutely o.k. with that. 

We didn’t know that Guatemala was NOT a safe place to live.  Eighty percent of the cocaine in the U.S. has come through Guatemala.  There is an average of 15 murders a day in Guatemala City.  Most homes have a 10 ft. concrete wall with “prison wire” wrapped around the top of the wall.  There are armed guards EVERYWHERE.  When I was there in November, we pulled up to a “convenience store” where there was a guard with a sawed off shotgun standing outside.  When I went to church, there were two guards with visible handguns standing outside.  Everyone knows that on any given day, a motorcycle may pull up to your car, in HEAVY traffic, and tap on your window with a hand gun demanding your phone and wallet.  Nobody wants to hurt you, they just want your stuff.  Most crimes are related to the drug trafficking done by gangs.

Why on earth would we go to a country like this?  While in Guate last November, God laid it on my heart, “YOUR hands are MY hands.  YOUR feet are MY feet.  YOUR heart is MY heart.”  We are going because God has work for us to do there. 

Matthew 25:40 The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Children I met at a feeding
center in November. Praising
God through absolute
despair and poverty.

It’s hard for me to describe the poverty of Guate.  I hope I will be able to properly convey that to you in the coming months and years.  I can tell you this; children go to bed at night without eating anything more than a tortilla, night after night.  I can tell you that there are so many fathers who abuse their family.  Children need the nourishment of a good meal and the nourishment of a father who will never forsake them.  They need to know they have a father who loves them deeply.

We not only want you there with us, we need you there with us.  We know you may not be able to quit your job and sell your home to move with us but you just might be part of God’s plan for the work to be done in Guate.  Would you pray about what that means?  Would you pray about supporting this cause with monthly support?  God may be asking you to give to other causes and so we don’t want to “convince” you of anything.  We are simply asking you to pray.  Your hands are HIS hands.

Isaiah 6:8  And then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I.  Send me!”

Please follow our blogs at www.GodCalledUs.com.  Your comments and encouragement will nourish us.

Call us anytime in Guate!  970-449-9449 will be our Magic Jack local phone number.

If you would like to support what we are doing in Guate go to www.CTEN.org/georgesisneros.

If you can visit us in Guate, JUST GET TO THE AIRPORT!  We will have a room for you and we will feed you.  And we will put you to work.  

Photo by Guatemalan missionary Ally Greene