MBBC team made 40 home visits delivering over 1,500 pounds of food and medicine to the families of the Mission Bautista church in Cerro de Oro. 4 salvations were made during the week of our visit along with devotional sessions for all family members. Dresses were handmade by women of MBBC and shorts were donated and distributed to all the little boys and girls in Cerro de Oro. Tools were donated to advance the land preparation for the new church location. Some of the children received new shoes throughout the week from the team.

What an incredible two days it has been. Yesterday we got to the orphanage and started right away on tasks. We got a lot accomplished. Two washers were successfully installed in the laundry room, something that will greatly help the care takers at the orphanage. We also had a team install fluorescent lights all over the campus, mainly in the classrooms. The teachers and caretakers were so excited to see their classrooms light up!
On top of that, we finally got to teach some girls how to bake. They were so happy to learn, but surprised by how “easy” baking cakes is. The bakery was a challenge for all of us involved because we had to learn to work in an environment that we were not used to; much higher elevation, no running water, only a large commercial oven with touchy settings, different types of sugar and butter, etc. But it was a challenge we took in stride. That has been a common theme for our projects throughout the week; we have learned that we have to make the best with what we have and be thankful for it, even if it isn’t what we expected. The caretakers at the Little House of Refuge do that with so much grace, it is something we can all learn from. In the end, the cakes turned out beautifully, and many of our projects that we once thought impossible were able to be completed.

Today was an emotional rollercoaster for a few of us. We focused on tying up loose ends earlier in the day. The hot water heater was completely installed and up and running (praise the Lord!), the lights worked almost everywhere, the older girls were taught how to decorate cakes, the caretakers were taught about the medicine we brought them (nutritional protein powder, anti-inflammatory meds, Band-Aids and the like…), the rooms up by the street were completely emptied, and a ton of large rocks that needed moving were put in their new home. The computer room was also close to being done! The team was able to completely plaster the entire room top to bottom, and electrical was put in so that the room is almost ready for new computers for the children. What a huge blessing that room will be for them!

In the evening, we threw a party. We wanted to celebrate the kids, say “Adios!” and surprise Gloria, our leader who essentially runs Orphan Outreach’s Guatemala division. She just announced this week that she will be moving to France very soon to get her master’s degree! While it is an amazing answer to prayer, it is also a bittersweet goodbye; the people here see her as family, and we have grown to love her. The children were sad to say goodbye to her, and so were we.

To kick off the party, though, the caretakers and children prepared a program for us! They had a slideshow of photos, sang the orphanage anthem, and even performed a theatrical song complete with kids dressed as trees and flowers. The care takers all had words of thanks for Gloria, and unexpected words of thankfulness for us, too. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

This week, I have learned so much from the kids and the caretakers, and I know that it’s a feeling shared by many people on our team. I have learned so much about unconditional love and thankfulness, about kindness and respect, about God and faith… so many things that I am so thankful I have learned about from these people. This trip has forever changed me. I know I’m not alone in that feeling, either. So to hear the caretakers say how thankful they are for us… it felt almost backwards. I am so happy that we were able to do so much for their facility, but I will be grateful for the rest of my life for the lessons the kids and the caretakers have taught me.

We had cake and hotdogs – treats for the kids – and also gave each child a present (hair accessories for the girls and baseballs and other trinkets for the boys). Their smiles were beautiful. Saying goodbye to them, though, was much harder than I anticipated. It was a lengthy goodbye for all of us, filled with many tears, lots of laughter, and heavy hearts. Over the course of the week, we have all attached to the kids. They are so loving and full of life, it is impossible to not feel uplifted by them. When they were hugging us farewell, they gave their best, “thank you,” “goodbye,” and “I love you” in English. You could tell they had been practicing all day.

Unlike every other day on our journey, our bus ride home was silent. I can only imagine that everyone was trying to process the day’s events. Or in my case, hold back tears. There have already been jokes of starting fundraising for our next trip on Monday… while those things are said with a smile, I know that deep down, we all want to come back. Not just to Guatemala, but the Little House of Refuge. One of our team members said he thinks it took part of his heart, and now he’ll have to go back to get it. I think that is true for me. I have to go back. I learned so much about myself there, I have to return.

We already miss the kids, and are sad that we don’t have more time to finish projects. But in time, they’ll be completed. Who knows, maybe even by us! Pray for our hearts, that they would not be broken from saying goodbye, but that they would be at peace. Pray for guidance as many of us already wish to return. Pray for the children at the Little House of Refuge, that they always know they are loved by the Lord and those around them, and that they stay safe and healthy. Pray for the caretakers, that they find continued strength to pour God’s love over those kids.

We’ll be back, Guatemala, we’ll be back.

I can’t believe we have already done two days of service at the Little House of Refuge, and that we only have two days left.  The days have gone by so quickly!  Today was another productive day in Xela for our team.

We got to the orphanage and immediately started on projects; some of our team focused on continuing to clean out the room that will eventually become the computer lab.  Before we got there, it was two rooms full of trash and cobwebs.  Now, it is one large room, and it is almost a third of the way plastered so the walls will be smoother.  It is going to be beautiful when it is finished.

Another group continued to clear out some other rooms on the near the street that were also filled to the brim with garbage and old bottles of water.

Another group got to work on electrical and plumbing issues at the orphanage.  They worked tirelessly to drill a hole through a thick wall in the laundry room so that the new washing machine we were able to get will work more efficiently.  (Gloria just told us over dinner that when the caretakers found out about the new washing machine, they couldn’t believe it! It will save them hours spent washing the kid’s clothes).  Hopefully when we leave, they will have a fully functioning laundry room, a hot water heater, and water where it is needed on the orphanage campus.

We have a few men working on electrical issues; they discovered today, though, that the electrical situation at the orphanage is quite complex.  A lot of things will need to be changed, meaning we won’t be able to fully complete the tasks we originally hoped to.  However, the work our electrical team is doing will greatly help future teams to be productive.  Not matter how complete the electrical tasks are when we leave, it will be a great help to the orphanage.

We also had a team working on the bakery.  Months ago we were told that American pastries and goods sell well in the Xela area, and the older girls would like to learn to make some bakery items that they can sell.  Another team was able to set up a beautiful kitchen in a room near the street, however, the keys had been misplaced ever since the last team had been at orphanage, so it has gone unused.  It was a big goal to open up the bakery and see what we’re working with.

After cutting through two padlocks and using some elbow grease on an old rusty lock, the rolling door to the bakery kitchen opened, and we were absolutely stunned by what we saw inside; a gorgeous kitchen!  Far more than what we had hoped for.  Though it was incredibly dusty, we were so grateful for the things we found behind that door; a stainless steel sink area, a commercial oven, tons of cooking pans, utensils,  cookie cutters… far more than we expected.  We got to work cleaning and sanitizing everything – the entire kitchen was a dust pit.  However at the end of the day, we had almost all of it cleaned and ready to go.  Tomorrow, Madison will be teaching a few of the older girls how to make cakes!  We will get to eat them Friday when we have our Adios! party.  What a blessing behind that garage door!

In the afternoon, we had singing and story time again with the kids.  We continued the story about Jesus and explained how Jesus died for each and every person, even every child at the Little House of Refuge.  They are always so attentive during story time, and answered questions about the story quickly.  They are all so smart!  And it was incredible to hear them repeat the message that Jesus died for them.

Today, coloring books and bubbles were a huge hit.  We colored for the better part of two hours with the kids.  We had a great time learning color names and trying to teach the kids English color names.  Playing with the kids seems to have been the highlight for everyone this week – they are so fun and full of life.  None of us want to leave when the day is over, no matter how tired we are.

Tomorrow we continue with our projects.  We hope to have a very productive day; we’ll leave about an hour earlier for the orphanage so that we can have as much time as possible.  Our goal is to complete tasks enough that it does not cause the care takers to do any more work than they already do.  So that means getting a lot of projects completed by Friday afternoon.  We can do it!  Pray that we have strength in every minute that we have to spend working, and that we won’t let exhaustion get the best of us.

We are so excited to start wrapping up projects tomorrow, and to teach the older girls to bake!  It will be an eventful day.

Our first few days in Xela have been incredible. After arriving at our hotel, we grabbed lunch and headed to the Orphanage. We have been waiting months and months to meet these kids! When we first got to the Little House of Refuge we had a tour and got a chance to play with the kids a little and get to know them. They were all shy at first, but just minutes into attempting conversation, they had already opened up.

The kids were very confused by Matt’s tattoos and had many questions about them; is this your real skin? Does it wipe off? When do you take them off? Did it hurt? How did your skin get that way? A group of boys crowded around Matt, inspecting his tattoos and asking tons of questions. They were very curious.  It certainly broke the ice!

There was one moment early on in the day, though, that I will remember forever.  I watched Kristin meet the girl that she and her husband Doug sponsor.  Kristin and I were standing with a group of girls asking them questions as best we could in Spanish – how old are you?  What is your name? – and when one little girl said her name, Kristin drew her breath in quick and put her hand over her heart.  She looked as if she would burst into tears at any moment.  I asked her if she was alright, and she told me that the little girl is the one that she sponsors.  Kristin had our amazing translator Alex tell the girl that her and her husband sponsor her, that her photo is right next to their family picture on their piano, and that a drawing she made hangs on their refrigerator.  The little girl was overwhelmed.  “Can you tell her that we pray for her every day?” Kristin asked.  Our translator told the little girl, and she slowly looked toward the ground, overwhelmed with emotion.  Tears filled her eyes.  It was a beautiful moment.  Kristin took the little girl to meet Doug, and the three played in the play room for quite some time.  Watching the little girl draw the two of them a new picture was one of the highlights of my day.  There was so much joy… it was contagious.

After a few hours of playing, we headed home.  Anxious to get to sleep, and get back to the orphanage to work.

Today was immensely productive for us.  We started right away on some projects that the orphanage had desperately been needing help with.  The men tore down a wall in between two tiny rooms to make a room that will eventually be a computer lab for the children.  We unpacked the many boxes of aid that we brought and organized it.  We helped move almost 100 cinder blocks that are going to be used to make a wall, and cleared quite a bit of garbage out of some rooms that have gone unused.  We also were able to send small teams to get even more supplies; more wheel barrows, a hot water heater (!!!!!), some tools, etc.

After the kids were done with school, it was play time.  We sang a few songs with them and read them the story of Jesus’ birth.  We had a great time dancing around and singing with the kids.  Afterwards, we were able to fit all of the kids with brand new shoes!  We brought them each a pair of very sturdy boots that should last them a long time.  When they were told they would each get new shoes, their faces lit up, and they looked around at each other, almost as if asking, “is this true!?”  They were so happy to have their new shoes!

For the rest of the afternoon we played and talked.  We brought quite a few play ground balls, side walk chalk, yo-yos, and other toys that the kids loved.  A lot of us are picking up Spanish quickly, too!  The kids and caretakers are very curious about our families, how tall we all are, what we do for a living, and if we have any pets.  They love seeing photographs and the kids adore getting their picture taken.  The language barrier made conversation interesting, but often times made it much more entertaining.   We learned how to say, “smile!” in Spanish for taking photos, but after a while, I tried teaching a few “cheese!” instead.  Hearing a little crowd of kids say, “cheeeeeeese!” and see them all show all their teeth to the camera was adorable.  They all laughed the word “cheese,” especially when I told them it meant “queso.”

It seemed like none of us wanted to go home, though we were all exhausted from the day’s activities.  We took some time tonight to share what we have learned and see happen on the trip, and many people had great things to share.  There seems to be an overwhelming feeling that we take a lot for granted in our own lives; the kids at the orphanage are among the most joyous kids we have ever seen, and yet, they have so little.  I think we have a lot to learn from them this week, and it seems like they are already teaching us valuable lessons.

We are so excited to continue loving them this week!  I know this trip will have a lasting impact on us all.

This morning we were all treated to an incredible sunrise in Guatemala City – wish I had more time to capture a better photo of it!

As Washingtonians, we’re used to seeing mountains in our horizon, but not like this;  the peaks surround us, and the landscape is beautiful.  What an awesome creation.  The people here are amazingly friendly, and the staff at the hotel has been very patient with our patchwork Spanish.

We’re loading our buses in a few minutes – they’ll be full of supplies for the Little House of Refuge, as well as our luggage.  We’re almost on our way to Xela!!! We can’t wait to get there and get to work.

Pray that our journey to Xela is a safe one, and that the rain holds off.

We are sitting in the airport in Seattle, anxiously awaiting our flight to Dallas (can you tell we’re already a little tired, too?).  After months of planning and praying, the day has finally arrived. To many of us, it still seems quite unreal.  We are a group of 18 traveling from Arlington, Washington (45 minutes north of Seattle), and could not be more excited.  Sitting in gate A8, we’re chatting about the kids we are looking forward to meeting, the things we hope we get a chance to do, and hopelessly attempting some Spanish phrases.  We cannot wait to get to Xela and see the Lord in action!

We’re about 15 minutes from loading our airplane, and the nerves are setting in.  Can’t wait to share with you how our lives are impacted this week, and how we get to spread God’s love to these precious children.  Pray for safety in our travels, and that lack of sleep will not impact our tasks at hand.

Adios!

Brandon Bachtel led the Christmas message in Cerro de Oro and our team served cake and sandwiches to close to 400 children and adults. We also distributed gifts and had pinatas for more than 200 children.

It is Sunday morning and our team is about to begin our second day of ministry in Guatemala. Our team arrived safely Friday night with more than 30 checked bags full of humanitarian aid and Christmas gifts for the approximately 600 children we will share Christmas with over the next few days.

Our day began yesterday with a 4 hour drive through the mountains to the Lake Atitlan area of Guatemala to the community of Santiago. It took 2 coaster vans to transport our team of 29 (which includes 6 translators) and 10 life size piñatas of Santa and Frosty, plus an additional van just to carry party supplies.

We held our first party at the Good Shepherd Christian School in Santiago, where Orphan Outreach supports 30 kids who attend the school. More than 200 children and their families attended the party where they heard that the gift of Christ was they greatest gift we have been given but it is not just a gift to be received but a gift to be opened. We then broke the children into smaller groups to the piñatas (a total of 4 piñatas) for all the kids, then we served them cake and sandwiches and passed out gifts to all the children.

It was a wonderful time with all the kids, just to see the smiles on their faces.

This morning, we begin with a party in the community of Cerro de Oro. Cerro de Oro is a small village near Santiago where there is a large amount of poverty. This will be the only party these children will probably have this Christmas. Please pray they will hear and That seeds will continue to be planted in this community.

After lunch, our team will head to Xela for a party tomorrow morning. We will take a boat across the lake where we will have a team worship time and then continue our trip.

This is a wonderful team from all across the United States. We have college students, young adults and families from California, Michigan, Indiana, New York, Oklahoma, Atlanta and Dallas. The team has come together well with so many different gifts and such a willingness to serve.

Pray for the community of Cerro de Oro today as we share Christmas this morning.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sewed into his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” – Matthew 13:31-32.