Our missionary journey is not what we expected. It is so much sweeter.

I can’t believe it’s been  five months. 

Photo I took of El Fuego erupting - Antigua, Guatemala

Vonda and I landed in Guatemala on July 19^th and since then we have experienced the eruption of El Fuego, one of Guatemala’s many active Volcanoes, we have felt two earthquakes of which one registered 7.2 on the Richter scale, we have survived two hidden scorpions, and have avoided Dengue Fever transmitted by mosquitos,  (we knew many people who were very sick from it). 

As we took our first missionary baby steps all we wanted to do was run.  We wanted to build houses, install wood stoves and care for orphans, all day, every day.  But God had other plans.  Yes, we have done some of those things but not in the way we originally imagined.  God has called Vonda to not just teach at a missionary school but to be a missionary to all the people in her life.  My wife is a missionary to her family, to the students and teachers at her school and to our neighbors and friends.  She is picking up where she left off in the States and is a huge blessing to everyone who gets to know her.

I’m taking a deep breath as I begin to lay out what God is calling us to do in Guatemala.  God’s plan becomes more clear, almost daily.  And I have to tell you…it’s a little intimidating.  We will be living in San Cristobal, just outside of Guatemala City, for the next 8 months.  In August we will move to San Lucas which has a population of almost 20,000.  We’re moving to San Lucas for two reasons.  First, it is located closer to the village we have been working with so our drive will be 25 minutes shorter.  Second, it’s where our kids will attend school for the duration of our time in Guatemala.  We absolutely believe this is where God is calling us.

Our kids will be attending a Colegio which is a school for Guatemalans, not for missionary kids.  They do not teach in English.  At all.  This won’t be easy for our kids to say the least.  They are learning Spanish now but it is “poco a poco”, little by little.  Within a few months of Colegio they will be close to fluent in Spanish.  In the end, it will be worth it but there will be struggles ahead.

We feel God is calling us to the village of El Rosario

Over the next 2 years we will continue to work in the village of El Rosario.  El Rosario’s population is about 1,400.  There is a local “esquela” (public school) for K-6^th grade and a few small tiendas, not much more.  Most of the men work in the fields planting and harvesting blackberries or coffee beans.  The women stay at home to cook and take care of the kids. 

When I first visited the village my instinct was to assess their needs and do my best to raise the money to help them.  I believe God has asked me to “slow down”, to get to know the people, and to invest in long term change rather than short term support.  If you know me, you know it’s been a challenge.  As an entrepreneur in the States I had schedules and time commitments that had to be met.  I ran a tight ship and paid close attention to detail.  It’s different now.  Right now building relationships is more important than building houses. 

This is the school "kitchen" - We will begin construction of a new one in January

We don’t want to “fix” El Rosario.  We want to build relationships, encourage them, build trust, let them know we care, pray with them, learn from them and empower them.  We know we are all poor.  They happen to be materially poor but we all need God to heal our land.  It’s not about us.  It’s not about the people of El Rosario.  It’s about our Father in heaven. 

Our missionary journey is not what we expected.  It is so much sweeter.  God is working in our lives and answering prayers.  Every day is another opportunity to get to know Him better and to draw someone closer. 

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

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, 970-449-9449 (local call for you).  I would love to hear from you!

www.GodCalledUs.com

Our lives are miracles...we aren’t thankful enough to realize it.

(The following blog post is by my 12-year-old daughter Cecilia.)

Today I went to El Rosario for the first time. It was amazing. I already miss everyone I met there and want to go back as soon as possible. Let me tell you about a part of my time there. 

It started when my family and I were walking through a path of corn stalks, coffee plants and other crops. After walking for a while, we saw a corn-stalk, tin-roof home.

“Buenos dias!” my dad called. There was no answer. We walked up a little closer.

“Buenos dias!” my dad repeated. A lady walked out, holding a baby in her arms. My dad introduced us to the lady, Doña Maria. He had met her before on previous trips. She welcomed us into her home, apologizing that she didn’t have any benches for us to sit on. She began to talk to my dad. I looked around the small house. It was just a little bigger than my bedroom. Completely dirt floors.  Patches of light streaming through the cracks in the corn stalks revealed smoke crowding around the home. Two beds lay at each side. A dresser stood next to one bed, a fire pit next to the other. Two buckets of dirty water lay against the wall. My nose began to sting. 

My dad told Doña Maria that we had food for her. He told her we would set it out on her bed and then she could put it wherever she would like. Mom, Dad and I took the bags we had been carrying and set all the food out. We brought out rice-arroz, beans-frijoles, milk-leche, apples-manzanas, sugar-azucar, flour-harina, and juice for  the morning.

She thanked us for all the food. You could hear in her voice even without understanding that she was more than thankful. She then told my dad stories that had happened in the last few days. That last night, she woke up freezing. She prayed to God that He would warm her. Just then, the sun rose and she began to feel warmer. Also, she recently had a dream about a visitor bringing her gifts. It makes you realize how the things we take for granted would be miracles in someone else’s life. If you think about it, our lives are miracles...we aren’t thankful enough to realize it.

My eyes stung from the smoke so I stepped outside to see my brothers watching Doña Maria’s other child, a six year old boy, flying a kite-cometa. He flew it without wind. His magic little fingers pulled the kite up into the sky. His eyes lit up and he giggled at the kite. How could he be so happy?

“Come on inside...” my dad said, “we’re going to pray.” He motioned us to come inside. I skipped over the patch of mud at the front door. We all gathered in a circle. Doña Maria began to pray. I understood words, but not everything. She thanked my parents and brothers and me. She thanked  God and described Him in beautiful ways such as ‘King’ or ‘Adorable’. She began to cry. Dad put His hand on her shoulder. I did too.“Gracias hermano, gracias. No puedo comer...no puedo pagar…” she said that she couldn’t eat or pay, but God provided. 

Have you ever felt...have you ever KNOWN...that God is there. Right there. So close that you could go out and grasp His hand. So close that you needed to hold His hand.  Each time my heart beat, I felt even closer to God.

She ended her prayer and said good morning to us. “Buenos dias, Buenos dias!” she said. We said goodbye and left. We left knowing that in just a short period of time, God was glorified and praised.

I heard this quote once:  “Missions exist because worship does not."

A missionary’s purpose, their calling, is to create more worshipers.  Think about that. Think about what that means in YOUR life.  What is God calling you to do right now?  How might your listening to God’s calling bring glory and praise to Him?  Think about how your mission, how your listening may create more worshipers throughout the world.

-Cecilia Sisneros, Missionary in Guatemala

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

El Rosario and La Cocina

Twelve days ago I met Adelina.  Her name was given to me as the contact person when I visited the village of El Rosario.  Five ladies who were friends of Adelina had walked 2 ½ hours to talk to missionaries in the neighboring village of Cerro Alto.  “Is there a missionary who can help us?”  Adelina had not actually made the trip but when the ladies were asked for a phone number of someone to call when and if a missionary could visit, Adelina was the only person they could think of, who had a phone.  And so, the day had come and I was that missionary.  I spent the day with Adelina who had a baby slung over her back and two young children following closely.

First, we visted “la esquela”.  An esquela is a public school which generally does not provide a great education. The public schools here have helped me realize how amazing our schools are in the United States.  I know, I know, they'e not perfect.  Not nearly.  But trust me, it's not so bad.

I met Senior Rosales, the principal.  He had a table full of files about the kids and their families and described their incredible hardships.  I could tell this man cared deeply for his school.  He really cares about the children of El Rosario.  I visited classrooms of 25-35 students, pre-school through 6^th grade.  The kids were packed into classrooms, all reciting their lessons in unison.  School at El Rosario is from 8am - 12:30pm.  Too many kids.  Not enough teachers.  Not enough time at school to give these kids much of a chance. 

Senior Rosales gave me a tour of the school grounds and showed us “La cocina”, the school kitchen.  It is four, 5 ft. walls of scrap tin with a fire pit in the corner.  That’s it.  He said he has been collecting the blocks and tin for a new kitchen and they are being stored in the (already too small) classrooms until they save enough money to actually build it.  He proudly showed me the needed material.  I don’t know how long it has taken him to collect it all, but it’s my guess that he has purchased it a little at a time.  Adding to his collection like a boy collecting baseball cards.  It’s probably taken years.

So, what would it cost to build a new cocina?  An actual structure of concrete block and a tin roof?   A friend of mine from Guatemala guessed $2,000 U.S. dollars.  That would include a new sink and a new wood stove.  $2,000 is equal to 15,500 Quetzals, the currency here.  Honestly, it might as well be a 100,000 Quetzals.  That’s a HUGE number.  But Senior Rosales smiles as he proudly says “It will happen.”  One of the things I LOVE about El Rosario is that the village is made up of hard working people who aren’t looking for ‘free’ but rather ‘a little help’.

I left the school almost 2 weeks ago and I can’t seem to get El Rosario off my mind.  I can’t erase the vision of concrete blocks taking up precious space in the classrooms.  I can’t stop thinking about the smiles on the kid’s faces and the proud smile of the principal as he gave me a tour.  Please pray for this school and the students.  Please pray they accept me as a friend and a neighbor who loves them in the name of Jesus.  A new kitchen means the ability to cook in a healthy environment that will feed 175 kids every day.  Pray for God’s provision.

I’ll be visiting again next week.  I can’t wait to get to know the people of this village.  I look forward to forging a friendship with the Senior Rosales and the teachers at the school.  I can’t wait to play soccer with the kids at recess.  I’ll keep you updated.

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.  

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Today is the 5th day in Guate and I feel a little like Judy Garland in the Wizard of OZ...

Because I had to travel with our dogs during cooler weather on Wednesday and Thursday, I arrived in Guatemala a few hours before the rest of my family.  I was graciously taken care of by Paula and Fontaine Greene, missionaries, who picked me up from the airport, gave me a bed to rest and then took me back to the airport to meet up with my family.  I was so relieved and excited to see them walk out of the airport!

Living in Guatemala has its perks!  I get to practice my spanish every day!  Fruit and vegetables are SO fresh and inexpensive.  It's basically spring every single day.  The average high temp. is 85 degrees and the average low is 65 degrees.  I LOVE the colors of the homes!  Deep red, yellow, blue, green...it is amazing.  I love that. The people of Guatemala are BEAUTIFUL!

This adorable girl was selling jewelry with her mother.  It's not uncommon for women to walk 2-3 miles to sell for 10-12 hours to earn $7-$8 a day.

So absolutely beautiful!

So here's the crazy stuff I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT living in a third world country:

#5 Stray dogs.  I cannot believe how many stray dogs there are!  I now understand why airport security at the Gautemalan airport thought I was NUTS to bring our two dogs into the country!  They asked me, "How do we know you will take your dogs with you when you leave?"  It's sad and a little unnerving.  I don't know how this problem will possibly change.

#4 Motorcycles.  They are EVERYWHERE!  They are loud and the drivers are fearless!  The great thing about motorcycles/scooters is that one of my dogs thinks each one is satan himself and feels that it's necessary to bark at every one that goes by.  (Insert sarcastic shaking of the head here)

#3 The smell of smoke.  Guatemala has an interesting smell of campfire smoke.  All day.  Every day.  Right now, I like it.  I'm not so sure how I will feel about it in 6 months but for now it's a reminder that thousands of Guatemalans are preparing meals for their families.  Most homes do not have electricity and food is prepared over a fire pit.  Most do not have proper ventilation which makes Guatemala one of the most researched countries in the world for asthma.

#2 The sheer number of people.  The population of Guatemala City is about 1 million but during the day, when people migrate from the surrounding villages, it swells to 3 million!  The traffic is CRAZY!  Traffic laws are a RECOMMENDATION!

So, what could possibly lead the list of crazy stuff I did not know about living in a third world country?

#1 (drumroll please...)

Yes, you read that right.  No flushing toilet paper.  "Soooooooo, what do you DO with it???" 

"Just put it in the trash."

"Okkkkkkkkkkk."

Yea, I'm not sure I'm ever really going to get used to that.  And the kids are not too excited about it either.  We've already had to use the plunger once.  :(

For the next two weeks we will be studying Spanish in the town of Antigua.  The instructors do not speak English!  This is going to be fun.  I'll keep you updated on our progress.

That's it for now.  I will be writing another blog soon to catch you up on our day with Brock Johnson in the village of Buena Vista.  God is doing incredible things in Guatemala and we feel so blessed to be called to serve Him here.  

"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

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.