I hope God breaks my heart every single day...

It’s hard to believe it has been 6 weeks in Guatemala.  My family is adjusting so well.  Some days I feel like my Spanish is awesome!  And some days I feel like I can barely get by. 

The kids have been in school for one full week and I am so proud of them.  It’s not easy knowing what is going through their minds but it is comforting to know they have 3 days of bible class, chapel and discipleship every week.  They also have 3 days of Spanish and I can’t wait to see how much they have learned in the coming months.

From one miraculous day to the next. 

My time in Guate has been a continuous string of amazing days.  Most of those days have included a level of heartbreak.  Not one of those miraculous days has been easy. 

Last week we visited an orphanage in San Lucas.  It was CRAZY!  Seventeen orphan babies and 3 ladies to take care of them.  It was like an understaffed day care except no one picked them up to take them home at the end of the day.  There were no mommies asking how their day was.  There were no mommies looking for their baby with wide eyed anticipation.  No one took them home.

Two of Gods miracles.

At one point there were 7 missionaries and their kids, fourteen total, all holding babies.  AND THERE WERE STILL 3 IN BABY BOUNCERS!  The crazy part was that the 3 ladies who take care of them were still running around doing laundry, cooking lunch and keeping the house clean.  I think someone was changing a diaper every 60 seconds.  No kidding. 

Most of the babies were sick.  Most had a runny nose or some sort of breathing problem.  I don’t know how it would be possible to keep them from passing a virus from one to the other. 

So here is the heartbreak.  As we were driving home, after they were all fed and settled down for a nap, it was then that we realized that on most days...

No one would hold them.  

No one would tuck them into bed to say prayers. 

No one would rock them to sleep.  

No one would make them laugh.  

And no one would be there if they woke up in the middle of the night for a hug.  

The three ladies who cared for them were simply outnumbered. 

Two of my favorite missionaries - Vonda and Gabe

That is the reality of orphans in Guatemala.  And they are the lucky ones.  This was a clean, well kept orphanage.  Everyone was fed.  Everyone had a place to sleep, out of the rain. 

It is estimated that there are over 370,000 orphans in Guatemala.  Many of these children come from families facing tremendous poverty.  Seventy percent of Guatemalans live below the poverty line.

And so, that is my daily challenge.  How will I ever get used to the poverty and despair?  I hope I never do.  

I pray that God continues to give me just enough comfort to know that I am doing the right thing but that He breaks my heart every single time as a reminder that there is more to do.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

If you would like to support what God is doing through us in Guatemala, go to www.God CalledUs.com and click on the link “Support this mission”.  

Keep an eye out for Cecilia's next blog!  See Guatemala through the eyes of an 11 year old.  

If you have questions or just want to catch up, do not hesitate to contact me directly.  You can email me at georgesisneros@gmail.com or call our Magic Jack number in Guatemala (local call for you) 970-449-9449.

Wednesday was a hard day.

As I sit here listening to the daily, pounding rain, I am reminded again, I am in Guatemala.  On Thursday it will be one month in this beautiful country. 

We spent 2 ½ weeks in Antigua learning Spanish.  I am amazed at how much is coming back to me from High School and College.  My family is AMAZING and learning Spanish “poco a poco”, little by little.  Cecilia and Vonda are DETERMINED and it shows.

 

We have taken full advantage of our time in Antigua by coming together as a family.  We had so much to do in the final 30-40 days in Colorado that we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together.  Our gracious neighbors and friends took care of our kids while we tied as many loose ends as we could before we left for Guatemala.  It has been one of Gods sweet blessings to give us this time together.  We have all been on our knees thanking God for this opportunity.  We have prayed for direction and guidance and we feel like God is holding us closely. 

After living in a ONE BEDROOM condo we finally moved into our “permanent” part time home.  We’ll be living here for a year and then hope to move out of the city to a village where there is more need and more hunger.  The closer people live to the city, the closer they live to resources.  We have been in our home for 4 full days now and I have to tell you…we love it.  It’s a small, 3 bedroom home that just feels right to us.  Our neighborhood has two “tiendas”, (small convenience stores).  They carry almost anything you need including fruit, vegetables and even dog food.  The tiendas are about 8’x10’.  

We are all experiencing culture shock in our own ways.  Samuel has missed his Grandma’s, Gabriel is already talking about moving back to go to CSU (he’s 10) but is now considering a soccer scholarship and Cecilia misses friends but doesn’t think she will ever move back to Colorado.  She’s ready for school to start and can’t wait to be the hands and feet of God.  Vonda has started preparation and orientation for teaching missionary kids which will be challenging after being a stay at home mom for 12 years.  As much as she struggles with the language her determination makes me so proud to be married to her.

On our second day here we had the opportunity to visit missionaries Brock and Kerrie Johnson and meet the children of the Buena Vista Boys Academy.  We have been following the Johnsons and their ministry for the past 6 months and we love what they are doing.  When I asked Brock what advice he would give a missionary who has been in the country for less than 48 hours, he said “Take your time to learn the language and the culture.  Spend 6 months visiting villages and praying for God’s guidance.  Slow down and spend time with God.”  It’s probably the best advice I’ve ever gotten in my life.  How many times have I slowed down and not just ASKED for God’s guidance but LISTENED for God’s guidance?  I’m sad to say, rarely.  I never realized how hurried my life was.

Watch this short video of the kids we met and the work the Johnsons are doing in Guatemala.  Please pray with us for direction and patience as God leads us.

We had dinner with Mark Orphan,  our missions pastor from our home church, tonight!  He is in town with a team from Colorado and they will be building a home in the nearby “comunidad”, Cerro Alto.  During dinner he asked, “George, what has been your greatest challenge so far?”  I wasn’t prepared for that  question since most people ask, “What do you love most?” or “What has been the best part?” or some other variation. 

I admitted that our move from Antigua to San Cristobal on Wednesday was a hard day for me.  Driving in the city is CRAZY.  Almost no one in the city speaks English, unlike Antigua, which is known for its language schools.  You do not want to get lost in the city.  There are sections of the city, “zonas” that “La Policia” will not enter.  I realized that finding a grocery store and a place to buy household items like sheets and towels would be stressful.  Being unemployed and dependent on God to provide through friends and family became very heavy.  On Wednesday it became very real for me. 

I don’t know when it happened but at some point I took the focus off me and my world and turned my focus to God.  I realized that God did not just drop ship me here and leave me to fend for myself.  “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

On Thursday we ventured out and purchased some much needed household items and thanks to our new friend Claudia, on Friday we were able to visit "El Mercado" for fruits and vegetables.  Poco a poco.  Guatemala is feeling like home more and more every day.

Do you ever feel “drop shipped”?  Do you ever feel alone or like God’s not listening?  My prayer for you tonight is that you not only spend time with God but that you spend time listening to God.  Slow down.  He loves you and cares about you.  He wants to spend time with you.  He is there.

Before I go to bed I want to take a minute to thank everyone who is praying with us and for us.  We feel your love and prayers.  TRUST ME!  I want to thank the friends and family who are supporting what we are doing, financially, every single month.  We could not be here without you.  You are here with us as we get our feet under us.  You are here with us as we feed the poor.  You are here with us as we expand our boundaries one day at a time.  You are here with us as we struggle and you are here with us as we praise almighty God for His blessings.  Thank you for standing with us.

If you would like to support what God is doing through us in Guatemala, go to www.God CalledUs.com and click on the link “Support this mission”.  

Keep an eye out for Cecilia's next blog!  See Guatemala through the eyes of an 11 year old.  

If you have questions or just want to catch up, do not hesitate to contact me directly.  You can email me at georgesisneros@gmail.com or call our Magic Jack number in Guatemala (local call for you) 970-449-9449.