As a city girl born and raised in Chicago, I would often think there was no way I would leave home. I would also say that I would “Serve Him when I get older.” It’s funny how His plans for me were being made perfect for this very moment.
Years went by and I did not see the big picture. The Lord gave me a beautiful husband from Guatemala, and two wonderful gifts; my daughter, Josie and my son, Joey. My husband and I were trying to live a good life but with no direction. “Hungry for something but going nowhere”.
God revealed Himself to me on a trip to my husband’s native town in December, 2010. He showed me the lie I was living, the self-centered made up world that I thought I had and thought was real.
There is no coincidence that we were called into ministry, and it all began on that simple family vacation to Guatemala. My heart was changed and everything was so different. The customs, the people, everything was surreal to me. I will not lie, I said “I can’t stay here God, I’m going to die!” This place is not livable and I was shocked to find out that we will get water every two days and the bathroom was outside. Chickens and cows were literally all over, and the cold bucket of baths I took every night on my knees made me thank God for hot showers. What a wakeup call! This trip was definitely not my typical vacation, it was God showing me humility. The people were great and loving, but they were also different and showed me that something was missing in my life.
When we returned home from Guatemala, my heart grieved. I remember talking to the Lord and saying “what a hypocrite!” I can go there and see the need but can I live like them? Can I help in anyway or am I just going to talk to others and say what poverty or say, how sad and do absolutely nothing about it? My heart was broken, unease in what I saw. Children begging to come with us, children sniffing glue to get to suppress their hunger, homelessness, drunk men in every corner wandering around with no hope and no love. This wasn’t real to me, I could not believe how people in Guatemala lived life as if nothing was wrong. Lost for words, I began to pray.
I prayed for direction, that we may follow and listen to the call. I prayed for forgiveness, because I realize how blind I was to see the need of others and do nothing. I prayed for humility and a desire to do the work that was set for me. I prayed that my family would see and be with me wherever He leads. I then remembered the verse that I would always proclaim in my home, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15) and that’s when it dawned on me, that me and my home will serve the Lord.
God gave me a vision of a home full of children in the middle of Progreso Jutiapas Guatemala and so we began to build.
So excited to see God working and revealing to us that this is for His Kingdom and we are the ones to build in it. Guatemala is undeniably a beautiful country, but is in a desperate need of a Savior, Jesus Christ. We strongly believe that we have been called for such a time as this. We don’t know what that looks like and we are still trying to figure it all out; however we do know that we are willing to be His hands and feet, go where He goes and share who He is wherever He leads us.
Our prayer is for you to take a journey of faith along with us. God said in His Word,
“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place”. (II Chronicles 7:14-15).
“Come and Walk with me, come and talk with me so that I can lead and guide you into the fullness of that which I have reserved for you sayeth the Lord. I am doing a deep and profound work in your heart, which will take you to new heights spiritually”. (Small Straws in a soft wind by Marsha Burns).
He also said “Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged”. (Deuteronomy 1;21)
We truly believe that when this happens, we will see Him move. With God’s help we are going, we are building, praying and excited to see God plans for us.