It was a beautiful 12 days. It was humbling, inspiring and encouraging. It was more than I could have imagined or prayed for. We came to serve and be a blessing and we left with our hearts full and overwhelmed with the goodness of God.
Three years ago when JP and I attended the Global Health Missions Conference, we heard about Impact Ministries. It interested us because JP had gone on several medical missions to Guatemala and it had left a special spot in his heart. We were re-acquainted with Impact again this last year when we attended the same conference and we were impressed again at the warmness and the well rounded ministry it seemed to have. We felt called to go and see for ourselves. When the invitation to go with a medical team came, we accepted. It was especially exciting because we were invited to take our whole family. Exposing our kids to the reality of how most of the world lives day to day and the potential for God to use them and experience His work in other parts of the world is something we have been praying for ever since they were born. This little window we were able to go and experience was such a gift.
We were stretched and challenged but ultimately so blessed to work alongside those that are doing the work full time. While JP and I were working at the medical clinic serving all different ages for various problems, we were able to help a little and pray for and encourage all the patients that came to us. Life is hard in Tactic. The people are working hard each day just to get a meal for their families. They are tired, but so full of thanksgiving.
While we were working at the medical clinic, the kids were with the other half of the team doing home visits and a kids club similar to a Vacation Bible School in the afternoons. The home visits were to deliver food (rice, beans and corn, and powdered milk) and gifts to the sponsor kids and also to families that the church had identified as ones with greatest need. Each visit was special and had a time of visiting and encouragement and then they had the opportunity to pray for the families. The recipients of the gifts were so thankful and blessed, the ones that were given the job of delivering were even more blessed as they were invited into these humble homes of wood with metal roofs and dirt floors. It was humbling. They have so little, from the perspective of the world we come from, and yet, those who know Jesus were so full of faith and wisdom, they were a blessing to us.
Our kids were all affected by what they experienced and saw in the time we were in Guatemala. I know they will continue to share thoughts and lessons they learned and were challenged by. It was a special thing to experience as a family and we are still lingering on what we saw and felt there and pray that the changes God wants to make is us will be firm and complete. We can't wait to return and are praying for the next time we can go and take a team.
Heidi