I'm Back from Guatamala!

What a wonderful trip I had to Guatamala last week. I am just getting back into the swing of things again at home, so I have not had time to post pictures. But, today is the day!

It has been very difficult for me to put my thoughts and feelings about this mission trip into words. It was such a privilege to be able to go and be a part of such an amazing journey. At times, my heart felt as if it would burst with love, compassion and joy at the opportunity to minister God's love to the orphans of Casa Bernabe. Yet, at other moments, I felt as if my heart may burst with a mixture of sadness and anger over the plight of the fatherless. I am still processing all of this, but overall I must say that my determination to obey and follow Proverbs 31:8-9 as a life verse has been totally strengthened and renewed:

Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

So, with that, I open my mouth to say how beautiful, how valuable, how extraordinary and how precious the orphans and the poor villagers of the lush land of Guatamala are. I encourage each of you to pray about what you can do to bless orphans, widows and the poor all over this globe. Our Father will show you your place in His Kingdom purpose, and He DOES have one for you!

I hope you enjoy these pictures and also allow them to touch your heart. Each one of these precious children were so unique in their little personalities, both in the orphanage and in the village. We blessed them, fed them, changed their diapers, loved on them, wrestled with them, through them up in the air, read to them -- all the things children deserve from us. In the village at the medical mission there, it was lice treatment day...and the children were excited! To sit and allow their hair to be washed, combed, etc, was a real treat for them. Wow, what perspective that gives to me!

Bless you today and thank you to all who prayed fervently for me, who lifted me up even for a minute, I thank you and appreciate you. A special thank you to my dear friend Suzanne for supporting me financially in a very generous way. You blessed not only me but all of the children and adults whom I was able to touch for God's kingdom in Guatamala! Thank you sister!


This was the bedtime routine each night in the infant house. They would gather and the house parent or a helper would say a prayer, then off to their beds.

This is Walter, a sweet, mischievous, very intelligent little boy. He scurried around the room (only 1 room for them to play in) like a little old man. It was so funny to watch and to throw him up in the air. How he loved that!

Me feeding little Carlos, 3 months old. What a sweetie.

Strong and sweet Ludwin! It broke my heart to go into the little boy room and see all the baby beds and try to choose which one to pick up first. I wanted to get them all at once out of their beds. They would just stand so patiently and get so excited when you chose them. Ah, it breaks my heart in two.

This is Isaac, born very premature and so little, but SO strong and independent! And Yamalette, who had been brought to the orphanage only 2 weeks prior to our arrival. I got to pray over her and work with her through a bit of her grieving and pain, and I saw a significant difference in her temperament as the week progressed. She began smiling and talking, interacting instead of just tantruming, being defiant, etc. What a beautiful little girl she is. My heart longed to bring her home with me!

In the infant house, we would change their diapers assembly line style, lining up 3 or 4 children at a time. Here are Timothy, Hector and Ludwin (left to right). What typical boys they were, into everything and wiggle worms!

Here I am reading to Hector and Chi-Cho. The first glimpse I got of Hector, my heart was stolen. He was carrying around two floppy, cloth books and sitting down to read them himself. He loved to read! A child after my own heart! Oh, how I fell in love with him!

This was Nicole and David, each about 1 year old. They were so precious and funny! They would sit in these little chairs to be fed.

They called this little boy Chi-Cho. When an infant, he was found in a dumpster covered with ants. He was rescued and stayed in the hospital for 6 months and was then sent to Casa Bernabe. He is now 3, such a smart and vibrant boy. I loved him!

The babies lined up in assembly line style for meals. There were 22 infants (0-3).


A curious woman in the village

Building beds

Our team built a bed to take to this woman and her children in their "house." Their house consisted of corn stalk walls and a dirt floor on the side of the hills. She was so excited about this bed made of plywood boards. The staff at the medical mission are working on this so that the people can sleep off of the dirt floor and mud, reducing illness, disease and lice.

Sweet village girls.

View of the village

The village school restrooms.

Mother and child

A woman and her baby in the village.

The village schools. Our team took school supplies and treat bags to the children. What an eye-opener to see these children. The government of Guatamala has ceased giving school lunches to the children, so they receive a drink of rice milk instead.

View of the village

Beautiful girls of the village.

A mother with her baby in the village clinic