Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Beautiful in His Sight



Relationship is the biggest way God reaches the hearts of people. And just as Jesus did, we in LIFT, through Students International and the amazing staff we work under, are making it our number one priority in our daily routines. One of the amazing opportunities some of the ministry teams have gotten to take part in to build relationships is when we visit people in their homes. I am in the Women’s Social Work mission working under the beautiful and selfless social worker, Shenny, and getting to visit the homes of the women we are working with every day so closely with her is an unreal experience.


These women and these families are more beautiful, more humble, and more resilient than anything I have ever seen. Some days it’s hard—the days when we have to sit in a room of nothing but sagging mattresses and a little gas stove. Wet clothes covering the window and door and streams of dirty water running across the dirt floor. Listening to a desperate mother explain how her husband can’t find work and her kids don’t have uniforms for school and she has an illness she can’t cure. But some days it’s so good—the days when we hold tiny kids in our laps and play games on the floor and learn new Spanish words through giggling toothless grins, and hear from a mother of six how Jesus has saved her from the despair of the loss of a husband to alcoholism. And at the end of every day, good or bad, easy or hard, God is always the center and He is slowly and radically working in the lives of all these families here in the villages of Magdalena and San Miguel. We get to pray together and sing together and share our testimonies, and lay hands on the sick and broken and share the gospel in the most unlikely circumstances. The Holy Spirit is moving and working in ways we can’t imagine or describe, and we all come back full of stories of His goodness and mystery every day.


Today our outreach group is throwing a baby shower for a woman in the town of San Miguel named Ruth, and I expect it to be a time of great joy and peace and blessing. This is a very special opportunity for us and a beautiful reminder to me of how much life is in a place of so little and of how God can do something so big with something so small.  Please keep sending your prayers this way for both us and the beautiful people of Guatemala!


Blessings.


Elizabeth Flannery

 

2 comments:

  1. Hey sis,
    I am overwhelmed with joy hearing of all the amazing adventures you are having. The Lord is doing crazy things through you and I know you are touching all of the women's lives you meet there. He's got a big plan for you and I can't wait to see what He does for you next. Miss you more than you know! I love you so incredibly much and am always bragging about you to everyone who asks about you (mainly JP since I'm in his office 24/7) see you soon!
    Xoxo
    Abbs

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  2. I'm so grateful to get this glimpse of what you are up to down there! It is beautiful--even though it got a little blurry a couple times while reading! May God's presence continue to fill your days with his goodness and love.

    I love you!
    D

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