11/5/17
I’ve heard many sayings about how
our faith is not linked to what we have or where we are – that our faith is not
dependent on our circumstances. Living here with exactly what we need we’re
caught in awe of how there are people with less than what they need but are
FULLY reliant of God to meet their needs. Their joy, their trust, and their
worship call us into deeper worship of our great King.
The joy exuding from the people is
endless. Our early morning walks to the Students International Community Center
is filled with echoes of “Buenas Dias”, “Buenas”, and smiles. Coming into the
Community Center the joy and enthusiasm continues. Each of the SI staff greet
us and invite us into their lives for these two weeks. The felt presence of
Jesus is in the SI staff – their excitement at having our hodgepodge team of
34. They’ve welcomed us with open arms, smiling faces, and inexpressible joy and how Christ is moving in the people of Magdalena and how Christ has, is, and
will be moving in us.
It is here in Guatemala that
they’ve committed to sharing the source of their joy. Each of the missionaries
of SI uses their skills, their training and their jobs to share the Gospel. SI operates through occupational missions – it is through a job or meeting a need
in the community that the missionaries start relationships. Once relationships
of trust and friendship have been cemented, Christ can be revealed. Sharing the
Gospel with the people looks like a conversation over a meal, walking together
to the market, or while sewing bags together. It’s relational, it’s sharing the
joy that has transformed their life in order to transform other’s lives. Jesus
Christ, the source of all joy, is transforming lives. Their focus is on the
spiritual growth of the people they interact with. It’s a people-focused,
relational sharing of the love of Christ.
In the Special Education site,
we’ve gotten another glimpse of the joy of Christ in each of these students and
their families. When we arrive at our small house turned into a school in the
mornings, we are greeted with hugs and kisses on the cheeks and laughter. Even
the parents, who’ve only met us days before, are greeting us with a kiss, huge
smiles, and words of thanks. I fully believe that their children, these
students, reflect the face of Christ. I fully believe these students are living
and breathing the most genuine joy and love that flows from Christ.
One student in particular, Danny,
has an exuding joy that’s caught me and brought me back into the presence of
God. He has cerebal palsy and is unable to speak, walk, or feed himself. He
communicates only with his eyes. The second morning Danny came to class, his
excitement at seeing us was uncontainable. He threw his head back with the
biggest smile I’ve ever seen and threw his arms and legs in the air in joy. We
could do nothing but smile and laugh with him and welcome him in. His joy at
playing “futbol” with his class is more than tangible to everyone around him. When
we play, I have the honor of playing with him, of pushing his wheelchair around
the courtyard and helping him hold the ball. His laughter invites us to laugh
with him.
He’s asked me (by signaling with
his eyes – looking up means yes and looking away means no) to eat snack with
him each day. Feeding him by hand calls me deeper into the awareness of our
dependence on Christ for all sustenance; for all we need. Danny fully trusts me to meet his physical
need of food. His vulnerability rests in my acceptance of his dignity as a
human being, and child of God, just like me. What an honor to have Danny draw
me and the other students and SI staff at our site back to Christ.
The people of Guatemala are
transforming me, and I cannot wait to see what our next week and a half will
bring. It’s all from Christ and an honor to glorify Christ!
Emily Caren
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