After we dropped off Deb and Mark at the airport, we crashed
for a while and had a totally lazy day after a crazy, awesome week. Peter
couldn’t wait to give his mom DVD of the Sound of Music in Spanish. So we
watched that in the evening and I had to laugh…the songs were in Spanish too
and Yelsi and Peter both yelled at the same time, “NOOOOOOOOO!” Apparently,
they thought only the talking would be translated and not the singing too. I
found it to be amusing. We had visited an elderly man who has really bad arthritis
and was waiting for a walker. Peter joked that their house was made for
hobbits. We all had to duck a few times in their home to keep from hitting our
heads. That night, the one volcano erupted. Mark and Deb were both jealous that
they were already back in the States and missed it. The following day, we had
the youth kids over in the evening. We had a great time playing some games,
applying God’s love to the games. 2 guys came, sang songs, shared, and joined
in with the games. Some of the older kids were attempting to use their English,
while others were asking where zapato (Mark) and ganso (Conner) were and when
they could come back. They sure loved you guys!
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| In the middle of the mall |
The following day, Yelsi and I were going to San Lucas to
Drew and Cindy Metcalf’s home. The plan was for Yelsi to stay at home with
Carla for the weekend while the rest of us travel to Manos de Compasion
(children’s home by the lake) to work with the kids there. Well, we started
driving, hit the traffic…before it usually is bad, sat in standstill traffic
for 2.5 hours, and decided to head back home til around 4am. So we picked up
the rest of the crew…12 people in a jammed packed van, and went to the mall to
spend the evening out. We had along a child who has been living with Drew and
Cindy to heal from past trauma. He had been introduced to another guy who
worked at a different home, Emmanuel, and they hit it off! It was amazing
watching the 2 of them form a great connection and this guy’s patience with the
child was amazing! On the way back, I had received word that the woman who we
took to the hospital earlier in the week was worse and things weren’t looking
too hot for her. It’s such a helpless feeling at times when you know it would
be handled better in the States and instead, here, we’re waiting and stuck. For
one thing, if you don’t have the money ahead of time, you can’t get stuff done,
and the hospital can just boot you out if they don’t feel like dealing with
something. On the way home from the mall, we were singing and prayed for her
and her family. I was an emotional mess. After we finished the next song, Cindy
made a comment that everyone had really good vibrato…I guess it was hitting
others emotionally too.
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| Teaching moment on the roof of the van |
The next morning, bright and early, we started the trip
again to Manos. About 3 hours later, we arrived and jumped right in. Breakfast
with the kids, worship and lesson, games/activities on the pista (airstrip),
and some free time with the kids while Drew and Cindy worked with the kids at
another home there. The theme of the weekend was about strengths and abilities
that God has given us, teaching the story of Samson. While we were out on the
pista playing games, we had to move off to the side for an airplane to take
off. And then a little later, some cops showed up and while waiting for the
person they wanted to talk to, Drew convinced the one to join in on the games.
Oh my word, it was awesome! His partner videoed the whole thing. Priceless.
On Sunday morning, we all got together for home church. Honestly,
I normally get the most out of home church at Manos with Drew and Cindy leading.
And this time, it was pretty much top notch. Singing with kids who have been
through more in their short lives than most of us in the States have in our
lifetimes put together. Girls who have been raped, abused…kids who have been
beaten, neglected, kicked out to the streets. But all are loved by God, can
heal from their past hurts, and all have strengths given to them by God.
After the service, Natalie and Gabe led the home with the older
girls in the sensory Gospel. I was so blessed to be a part of it. They go
through different stations without talking. During the first station, they made
something out of playdough, representing creation. Followed by drinking lime
water for sin, finger painting with red and black paint, going to wash their
hands in dirty water which just smeared around the paint, were blind folded and
hands tied, and walked to the next station where they wait for a bit. Then,
they were walked over to the washing station, get their hands unbound and
cleaned, and blindfold removed. Next was communion, followed by gluing a piece
of clay on a broken pottery bowl, representing restoration, healing, being made
whole. The whole experience was amazing and humbling to be a part of. We could
really tell that it made a huge impact on these girls.
After lunch that day, we packed up, said our goodbyes, and
travelled home. The boy who has been staying with Drew and Cindy had a great
weekend as well and even said on the way home that his best friend was the guy
(Emmanuel) who had come along for the weekend to help with him. Emmanuel, you’re
awesome! The following day, the Metcalfs and Natalie took a break and the rest
of us spent time with the boy staying with us. He did an amazing job helping me
to cook and bake: brownies, baked french toast with homemade gluten free bread, whoopie pies, and bacon wrapped chicken. He loved making the whoopie pies and bacon wrapped chicken. We
had talked a lot about how he felt like he was doing and if there was anything
he had been struggling with recently. At first, he didn’t really open up and
would quickly change the subject. But that night, I had tucked him in bed (it
was like when I was there for my 3 months and did this with my grandson every
night!) and he just started pouring out his heart and everything he was
thinking, feeling, and his past abuse/neglect. We had a great talk and prayed
together. He’s definitely come a long way, but still has more healing up ahead.
And of course, to wrap up my time, we played apples to apples and watched ER.
The following morning, I started my very long travel back to PA. Eventful doesn’t
even seem to be the right word to sum it up. Throw in the word frustrating….ridiculously
amusing…now that I look back on it? It was opening day of our new building for
the ED that I work in…maybe my crazy travel back was reflecting how it was
going at work. Ha.
This last trip was my last short trip. I have purchased my
one way ticket to Guatemala and will be arriving Feb 24…after my trips to Haiti
and Uganda. It’s been crazy busy since I got back in June from my 3 month leave
from work. And I’m sure it’ll continue to go fast! My last night at work will be Jan. 3. Conner is working on
finishing touches to an official website and I’ll let you all know what the
link is once that is up and running. It will have a donate tab on there (and it
will lead you to the same website to donate that I have been sharing), blog
updates, pictures from teams that come down, and a video explaining what all I will
be doing down there. I just want to be clear about this (and I know quite a few
people think I’m nuts to be doing all of these trips in a row…cough, cough,
Chris, cough, cough…), but all money that is donated is going directly towards
what we are doing in Guatemala: meds, labs and tests for patients, food for
families who don’t have any, activities for kids, etc. These other trips are on
my own time and just something I couldn’t pass up. I figured it was now or
never at this point. So again, thank you for everyone who has donated, been
praying, and put so much effort and encouragement towards all of this. We couldn’t
be doing all of this without your help!! You guys are awesome! And quick update
on the woman who was really sick and went to the hospital while I was there:
she continues to be short of breath, unable to keep anything down, been
vomiting, is diaphoretic, has pain in her throat. She has had labs, x-ray, and
ultrasounds done (thanks to everyone who donated to help pay for her bills to get
that stuff done! And for Peter and his mom, Estela for helping them so much and
getting all of this done!). We are now waiting for her to see a local doctor
and go from there. A biopsy is probably in her future. We have provided her and
her family with some food as well since they don’t have any money at this time.
Keep her and her family in your prayers. Anyone who would like to donate for
the many people who need your help, here’s the link:
www.cten.org/donnadelp
Enjoy some more pictures:
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| This girl. Oh my word. Tiny with a whole lot of sass. Love her! |
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| Cindy not even missing a beat when this girl came over and wrapped around her neck while playing |
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| Can't take photo credit for this at all. Fuego erupting |
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| Walking out to the pista |
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| Playing games on the pista |
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| I of course was loving holding him for all of the games. All was well while playing with the parachute until we went under it...not a fan of that! |
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| She's even cuter in person! Healing well after cleft lip and palate surgery |
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| More from the sensory Gospel |
5--that's how many shifts of work I have left. So hard to believe. I don't think it's truly hit...but I think I am starting to get there. I am at the point where I am saying goodbye to amazing friends and coworkers who I will no longer be working side by side with every night like I have for the past 7 years. So weird to think about. I am ridiculously excited for what's to come, that's for sure! But saying goodbye and knowing that I will no longer be working there every night just seems so final. Any other time, even on my 3 month leave of absence, I knew I was returning. And of course, I will come back for visits and stay in touch thanks to WhatsApp and Facebook. But it will definitely be different. I just want to take a timeout to say thank you, thank you, thank you to my coworkers...and honestly, that doesn't seem adequate at all for how grateful I am of you guys! You guys are truly amazing. Not only because of what we deal with and experience every day and night, but for the friendships that have occurred from there, whether it was from something that happened at work that just shook us to our cores, something that we can only shake our heads at, or something in our personal lives. We've definitely experienced and endured a lot, but have come so close because of it. I am truly grateful for all of you and can say I have worked with some of the best teammates, friends, and family ever. Thank you especially for all of those nights where you helped with my crazy trainwrecks, got me to laugh when I was about ready to lose my crap, and stuck by my side through my toughest year of my life, even if it was just to push a piece of chocolate my way, give me a hug, make me laugh, or let me talk, vent, cry, or step away for a hot second. You guys are just absolutely amazing! Thank you for the encouragement for all these years when I would go to Guatemala "yet again," for pushing me to take the leave of absence that I desperately needed and didn't realize how bad of shape I was in until I got there, and for being so supportive of my move to Guatemala even though I know a ton of you are either dreading this or in denial. I will definitely miss working with you all, doing the challenging IVs, getting that trainwreck of a hot mess patient, and the many laughs we have together despite a difficult night. (So you all need to stay in touch often...and come visit often! Not even kidding!!) But I know that this move is the right call at this point in my life. The details are falling into place way better than I could have planned it. Clearly, God is all over this!
