July 3, 2008 from Guatemala... Hermano Pedro

More snap shots of JEsus for you to see.

Jesus has a way of appearing quite unexpectedly. When our eyes are open He meets us in those around us as they serve Him. As our mission team serves in Guatemala this summer Jesus came to me in many faces. One face I will never forget came through a man that serves sacrificially. Dick Rutgers is our missionary with a passion for the children of Guatemala. As he prepared us for our tour of Hermano Pedro Orphanage, he told us of the children and their stories. He named them by name and their suffering they know. As I stared at the wrinkles surrounding his eyes, I realized each of the indentions shined joy and compassion, as I have never seen. My breath caught because I felt I looked at Jesus as He said, Let the little children come to me as He called each of them by name. He then showed us his favorite people. Each of us walked the halls with the echoes of a sweet devotional Robbie gave focusing on the truth that GOD created each of them in the womb and it was very good. We met a young man that wrote with his toes. His toe writing is better than most doctors. Can you imagine the determination and perseverance it would take to learn how to write with your toes? Would you have that kind of determination? This young man does. Humility washed over me as I realized how easily I give up on tasks that honestly I should stick with.



A young child name Moises with an incredible mind locked in a body that cannot perform demonstrated that a great mind is not determined by the shape of ones body. We met Jesus as a teacher named Ninette. Daily she teaches skills sacrificially to people that most would not even give a second glance, much less believe they can learn. Yet, she teaches faithfully important skills to provide liberty that sets captives free! We spent the day playing and singing. We even took 9 of the children to Pollo Campero for chicken at lunch. Molly, Mikayla, Tiffany, and Carley brought laughter to the house. I watched Jesus play ball with a child that could not throw a ball. Jesus also ran crazy all around the courtyard through our beloved missionary Chris. As I watched the young man laugh when the ball touched his hand I was reminded of the wonder of the gift of simplicity. How often do we rob ourselves of the joy right at the tip of our fingers? This time it was through Molly, Mikayla, and Carley that I saw Jesus playing, he blew bubbles as squeals rang out through out the courtyard. At one point when the children needed changing the courtyard was empty of all but the team, the quiet seemed eerie. How many days and how many hours does this courtyard stay this quiet? How many days and nights do these little ones wait to have someone come to sing and play? Suddenly, it occurred to me that Jesus waits! Jesus waits with expectation for love, laughter and touch. Did He not say, what you do to the least of these so also you do to me?