Thursday, November 8, 2018

Behind a Smile


The days are winding down for us here in Guatemala but even so there is so much that we can still do and learn. Every day God speaks to us through the missionary staff sharing a message, personal quiet time, and through our ministry sites. We are also shown amazing love through our host families. Mom (Veronica) and Dad (Juan) always greet us with a smile and don’t stop telling us how much of a blessing Amit, Gabe and I are to be in their home. It was odd to me at first. All we did was sleep in their home and eat the food they made for us. But as we got to know them and became more comfortable with them, their love for Christ and others was so apparent that they have become a high point to all of our days.

I’ve been given the privilege to work with such a fun group with sports: Alyssa, Elias, Jasmine, and our awesome leaders Danny and Joseph. The sports group goes to different locations every day to play soccer and hang out with kids from Magdalena and neighboring towns. It’s been wild seeing the relationships between our leaders and the kids that have been built week after week of getting together. You may think all we do is play soccer. Nope! Bible study is a major focus and our leaders make sure to point everything back to God. Since we’ve been here the focus for Bible study has been on the future, goals and putting our trust in God. We have been sharing that no matter what we do or are worried about. We can put our full reliance on the God who created the universe and who only has the best of intentions for us, so we don’t have to be worried about our futures because he is always working for us and with us.

I’ve played soccer since I was little, so I know what is needed to play . . . at least I thought I did. After the first couple days I was very convicted about my first thoughts on the locations we played at. A soccer field has grass, lines, poles and nets. I mean, that’s what I had growing up. But the kids don’t see the same things that I did. They don’t see the hard ground with more rocks, holes, divots and trash than grass. They don’t see the bulls, horses and dogs that walk through the field and poop everywhere. They don’t see the goals that have no nets or a field that kicks up more dust than an exploding vacuum. What they see is a place where they can come and play a game they love with friends that share that same feeling. They see adults that love them and want to spend time with them, that show they care for them beyond just the game.

There was one day in particular where we only played soccer for about 30 minutes. It seemed like not all of the kids were motivated to play. So, Danny brought us all to a small hill right next to the field, and carried a large sack of corn that one of the kids had brought. They made a fire and cooked the corn on it. We sat in the shade of a tree, playing and laughing with the kids, just hanging out with them. All the while they are jumping all over us, asking for piggy back rides. That quickly turned into us swinging them around, pretending to throw them off the hill, and literally throwing a 5 year old boy named Dylan back and forth. For some reason they loved it and continued to ask us to do it. We were able to make these connections in such a short amount of time. Alyssa and Elias speak Spanish but Jasmine and I definitely don’t. But that didn’t matter, because when Dylan, Minor, Arturo and all the other kids smiled, I could see the absolute joy in them and it shattered all preconceived notions that may have existed in my mind about it. When someone whiffs a shot, trips and falls, or when I get a ball kicked between my legs multiple times, we are all able to laugh and cheer each other on. I had way better facilities growing up, but these kids have far more joy than I ever did. Creating these relationships and sharing God’s truth and love has been so inspiring to me and I pray that I become more intentional with building relationships as I move forward.

I ask for continued prayer for these last few days that we do not become complacent or ready to leave. The enemy hates that we are here and tries to thwart us in any way that he can. We have heard of a few of the Lifters’ struggles and I’ve had some of my own. There were a couple of days where I felt extremely low and focused on a the negative things rather than on all the good that had been done. I hid behind a smile for a while until I no longer could. Thankfully I find my solace in the unchanging, ever loving Creator of the universe, and am part of a family that encourages, loves and prays for one another so much that I was brought out of my rut. I saw that the enemy was trying to poison my experiences with things that I wanted, but I was helped into seeing the things I needed, God being my primary focus. I could not ask for a better group to be a part of and once again I ask for continued prayer for us, our leaders, and or ministry sites. I want my smiles to not hide pain or struggles, but to show the everlasting love and joy of Christ.

A big part of my story is overcoming depression.  By writing my thoughts out and seeing them helps me to better articulate what I want to say. When I am led, I write poetry to express how I feel, as in this moment…


Behind a Smile

A child’s eyes will always know                                                                                                                   
A wonder yours could also show                                                                                                                   
A child’s laugh will also bring                                                                                                                       
 A warmth that’s like the days of Spring

A child’s eyes could sing a verse                                                                                                                  
Of the God who made the universe                                                                                                               
So just like them, mouths stretched for miles                                                                                         
 Show only God behind a smile


Jacob Gerry

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