Portsmouth Christian - Guatemala Trip - Day 4

It was a beautiful Guatemalan morning as we awoke ready to serve at Amparo again.  The kids there are not used to teams coming back the next day, as the last 2 groups that came (Bundles teams in 2009 and 2013) only visited for 1 day, so we were not sure what to expect. 

We started the day with breakfast – eggs and pancakes – and then studied the next section of Philippians (1:12-26).  We were challenged to live a life that reflected Jesus Christ in all things, and to grow in our passion to see Christ in heaven by growing in our relationship with God.

We left Thelma’s around 8 and arrived at Amparo around 9.  The kids were all excited to see us again.  The team spread out and went to work.  They helped the teachers even more today, as the teachers realized ways they could help.  From helping with glue and crayons, to playing with the kids and singing songs with them, the team served the teachers well by loving on the kids and helping with their classes.

Kelly and Michelle (the interpreter) spent the day going class to class sharing the Gospel using the story of a little boy in Africa.  Only God knows how many children actually made a profession of faith, but many of the kids asked for more information, and we gave them a tract to help them understand more.  Tomorrow we will be going over the gospel again by giving them wordless book bracelets, so we hope that this will help them better understand the gospel.

Other highlights for the day included Devon and Andrew helping Andy and Phil on the grate project, more team members were able to share their stories with the kids at the center, we were able to give the teachers some school supplies (and tomorrow we are planning to give them MUCH more).  Other than that, today was much like today with the kids playing with the kids, hugging the kids, loving on the kids, praying for the kids (as they held them while they slept), and whatever we could do to help the teachers and the students.

The kids headed home at 4, and we headed off to Thelma’s.  We had dinner early because we were going to the Wilson’s home for a youth group meeting.  And what a great time that was.  They had probably 60 people at their home (including our group) and as we arrived, there was music playing and kids all over the place.  Andy lead a “ship” game that you will have to ask the kids about, and then we all sang some worship songs.  Then Andy spoke to the kids and shared his testimony and challenged them to know the will of God by studying the scriptures.  We concluded with another song, and then they fellowshipped around a table of brownies. 

Eventually we headed back to Thelma’s, and while Linda and Jacki  went to the store to get some supplies for tomorrow, the rest of the team sat around and shared testimonies.  Andrew, Brenna, Kelsey, and Devon shared their stories.  It was wonderful to hear how God has been moving in their lives, and how they are seeking His will for the future.

Now it is ready for Bed – and the kids are wound up!  Tomorrow is our last day at Amparo, and there will be a lot of sadness.  Saying goodbye is always difficult.  I pray that God will strengthen them for the task of experiencing the grief while staying strong for the sake of the children.

Thought for the Day:  This morning we listened to Rich Mullins, and we talked about his story.  He was a man that produced some great music, but even more importantly, he left a legacy of seeking God’s face.  His last album, “the Jesus Project” was a collection of songs that were not completed or performed publically.  The depth of understanding of God in this album speaks to the passion that he had to see his Lord.

The thought comes as a connection with our passage in Philippians where Paul is wrestling with longing for heaven but living in the present.  The question we must pose is, “do I long for heaven at all?”  Do the pleasures of this life make me long for the temporary and keep me from seeking the eternal? 

Paul tells us what it looked like in the 1^st century and Rich Mullins modeled for us what it looks like in the 21^st century to live in the present but long for the eternal. 

God help us seek the things that last and lay aside anything that keeps us from pursuing the eternal.