Month: February 2018

Devotion

by perseveranceonamission
de·vo·tion: dəˈvōSH(ə)n/
noun: love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.
Since February began, I’ve taken the task upon myself to lead devotionals weekly in two of the houses, the younger girls’ house and the younger boys’ house. All throughout January, I was planning. Watching videos again and again until I could quote most of them. Taking advantage of every opportunity I was given to go to the grocery store, dollar city, or a market. I’ve been looking through books of coloring sheets and making memory verse slips to cut and paste into their devotional books. The month of January was a lot of work.
Since February came, I realized the difference the month of planning made. I am usually given a half hour to fill just before they head to bed. That gives me enough time to play a 10 minute video, give questions on what the main point of the video was or what our verse is for the week, and a few minutes to make their memory verse a piece of art stuck inside their new journals I purchased to be used for devotions. And, I usually have an activity planned or a coloring page to go along with the lesson, if time allows!
I think I’ve gotten more out of it than they have. The joy they show when they can answer one of my questions brings joy to me as well. When some of them look over at me while the verse is said during the video brings a smile to my face, knowing they’re trying their very hardest to be able to answer my “What’s the verse for the week?” question. The preciseness each hand takes to fill in each letter of the verse amazes me each and every night I get to share with them.
Devotion: love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.
These devotions I provide each week aren’t made for fun, although we usually do end up having lots of fun. They are made to increase their knowledge about the Bible, Jesus Christ, and their roles as Christian, teaching new lessons each week with an enjoyable cartoon television series (most may know the names Bob and Larry if you’ve ever had any experience in or with kid’s ministry!)
I am devoted not only to providing these evenings with the kids, but devoted to the kids. Devoted to watch them play, learn, and grow. Devoted to loving them, caring for them, and treating them like they are my own. Devoted to providing them with the things I’ve been given, material and knowledge, to help them prosper and achieve a true relationship with the King of Kings.
Love. I hope and pray that they know that this isn’t work or a task just to check off my checklist, but a way I show and spread my love to them. Loyalty. I am committed to providing this to the two houses as often as I can, allowing them to know there is someone/something always (physically) present in their lives, despite what their past may have held. Enthusiasm. We all have enthusiasm when we are gathered to learn about the Lord together. It may be me asking them a few questions, or the kids shooting their hands up as fast as they can after the video is over so they can be the first to tell me what they learned.
Person: Each one of the kids I get the opportunity to minister to, whether they started out on the first night I led devotions, or joined us a few weeks after. Activity: devotions, including a video, Q&A, coloring, and whatever other activity there may be time in the night for. Cause: Changing the hearts and lives of a few of the kids in Guatemala for the kingdom.

Being Present

by perseveranceonamission

One of the greatest parts of living at an orphanage filled with about 90 kids is that there is always something to be doing, kids to play with, friends to make, relationships to be built, stories to listen to, and loved ones to care for. I’m slowly learning that if I am unable to offer anything of material or wisdom, I can at least provide them with my presence.

Often times, as I am walking to grab a chair with my plate in my hand, I have several girls shouting my name, pointing to the empty 5 inches beside them allowing me to sit alongside them for a 15 minute meal. I’ll enter the cafeteria to hear a boy say, “Sit with me today,” as he knows many others also seek my company with their rice and beans. But that does come with its downsides. I’ll have the girls disappointed that I promised the boys at lunch that I’d join them for dinner, or being sad that I have to share my presence with a different group of girls today.

Sometimes, that presence could even be a listening ear to another volunteer, a staff member, a short term missionary, or an intern who wants to share their thoughts and experiences throughout their activity in the orphanage. I had a long chat with a house mother a few weeks back. She was sharing with me much of her experience over the several years she’s been working here, giving me advice as to the best techniques to sharing love with the kids, and also providing inside information as to how the kids think, act, and respond to our actions and words. It was not only helpful for me to get an insider’s scoop of the personalities in the house a bit better, but it also helped me with my Spanish vocabulary, picking up new words and translating them to the American missionaries who were conversing with us.

Presence also includes noticing the little moments I can make a difference and choosing to do so. For instance, I was walking down to head into the office at the start of a work day. As I was about halfway there, I was filled with joy when I saw one of the younger boys skip his way over to hang his wet towel in the sun. He jumped over the start of the cobblestone road, missed the landing, and ended up crying on the ground with two skinned knees. I sped walked 50 feet down the hill to meet him there. In his tears, he lifted up the legs of his pants to show me a spot of blood. I put my arm around his back and suggested that we’d walk back to his house together. But, he was on a mission. He stepped up onto the brick wall, almost 2 feet high, to throw his towel over the railing. I stood by his side to help lift him up and help him back down. I walked him back to his house with my arm around his back, talking to him and wiping his tears to help him calm down a bit and take a deep breath. He entered his house and got cared for by his house parents without saying a word to me or recognizing my presence while I was with him for the last couple of minutes. Although it wasn’t acknowledged, I still felt like I made the right choice showing up a few minutes after the work day began.

A few hours later, I went to grab my lunch from the dining hall. I was facing the kitchen counter when I felt a tight squeeze around my thighs and heard a single word: Gracias. I immediately knew who it was, even before I looked back to see the wide smile gazing back up at me. I asked if he was ok, if he was taken care of, and if he felt better after his fall earlier today. The single smile, the pair of dimples, and the nodding of the head truly made me notice the difference of being present in a moment of need. This is why I do what I do and why I love doing it.

To quote one of the Guatemalan house parents, “It’s not about the workers. It’s about the kids. It’s not being focused on all the love and care that you can give to them, it’s about the love and care they give to us.” Loving and caring for them is the easy part. It’s when they are able to show that love and care for you, despite their past experiences, that makes all the difference. It is a true blessing to see and be a part in trust being rebuilt, whether its with me, a house parent, a friend, a horse five times their size, or themselves.