Monthly Archives: March 2015

Determined Success

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Teachers spend many hours with their students and get caught up in their personal lives, as well as the academic. This happened to me many times and these intense situations needed a lot of extra attention. One instance happened when the principal of Christian Academy of Guatemala came to me with a concern for a young Korean girl who had been held back a grade because she didn’t understand much English. He brought her standard test scores, and they showed that she excelled in everything except English. I could empathize with her, knowing how I felt in a Spanish environment, with a limited ability to comprehend what I heard around me.

The Lord is faithful and after talking with the principal and Sue’s* parents, we decided that Sue would begin sixth grade with my class. The parents would continue to have tutors help her with each subject area. On the first day of class, this timid student sat quietly in her desk with eyes full of expectation, while all of the other students were bouncing off the walls with excitement. Sue took her education plan seriously. She knew she had to learn an array of subjects and lacked the ability to comprehend all that I taught to the class. My heart burst with admiration, and I saw her as a role model for me when I faced obstacles in my life.

Sue had attended CAG for two years so had some comprehension of English, but she understood Spanish better because her family ministered in the Spanish community. She knew many words in English, but didn’t know how to use them or understand them when someone spoke to her. I knew I had my work cut out for me. I talked to her teacher, from the year before, and she assured me of this child’s intelligence and deep desire to learn. “Could I make a difference in her education when I couldn’t speak Spanish or Korean?” Lord, I need some wisdom and insight as to what your plan is for this child.

I offered to work extra time with her during my prep, as part of the plan. In the beginning, I could hardly hear her respond when she answered a question or had a comment. Out of her shyness, she would look and whisper to the floor. I met with her privately, on a daily basis, and as the days of tutoring passed by, Sue became bolder and showed a confidence I hadn’t seen before. She demonstrated her intelligence, many times, in the fast rate it took her to grab a concept or learn how to use English words. Within a few weeks, she sat up straight and tall in her desk, with a grand smile on her lips, and made eye contact with whomever she was speaking to.

Later, in the school year, Sue became sick. It became stressful for all of us, to see someone we had grown to love start fading away. We prayed every day for her, and then the day came when we heard that she had gone back to Korea. My heart hurt deeply for her when I looked back over the positive changes that had taken place since the first day of my class. With a determination to succeed, she held some of the highest grades in the whole class. She joined in with laughter and jokes, adding to the personality of the class. I had trust and faith that God had a plan for her life and out of His faithfulness, He would guide and direct her.

We continued to fast and pray for Sue, believing that her body would be touched with the healing hand of the Lord. About three months into the next school year, Sue surprised us and came to school in full health. My heart leaped as I saw this beautiful girl with clear, bright eyes and a full smile. Our prayers had been answered, and Sue said she wanted to come back to “this” school. We all rejoiced because we saw the faithful Lord’s hand working in her life.

I think of how important it is to give all we have and then some when we face our personal obstacles. Many times our fears keep us from taking the bold stand that I saw Sue take. Yet, the Bible says that when we have done all we can to stand, we just need to stand firm and the Lord will move in with help. That’s what Sue did when she determined success in her life.

*Name has been changed.

Being Servants for the Lord

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The annual Servants Day at CAG (Christian Academy of Guatemala) became the main topic of discussion with my sixth grade students. “Ms. Bishop we’ve already done a lot for the foster family. Could we look into some other areas of need?” I agreed. New missions project renew the hearts of young missionaries and give them some additional experiences.

Another student, whose family worked with Mission Venture, said, “We are involved in a feeding center that needs lots of help. It’s in a huge settlement on the side of a hill.”

The students voted yes to this place, which was a school that accommodated a feeding center for 250 children. We planned to clean the area, paint the kitchen, another room, and the tables used by the children. We were warned that it would require lots of work. My students anxiously wanted to take on the challenge.

On Servants Day, we headed over to the school loaded with paint, cleaning supplies, brushes, cleaner, and tracts. It didn’t take long for me to see that the area lived up to its reputation for being the most deprived place in Guatemala City. This huge settlement clung to the hill and had row upon row of little metal and wood shacks. The only windows were the cracks in the walls. The stench of garbage and sewer reached our nostrils before we entered the walled-in area. Nothing could have prepared us for all of the filth. It would take a major use of muscle to clean out the trash.

Those amazing sixth-graders pitched in wherever needed without one word of complaint. We put seven gallons of paint on the walls and tables. They swept and cleaned with vigor, and the place took on a different and clean look.

When the younger children who attended this school were dismissed from class, some of our students lined them up for a special surprise. One of our budding evangelists shared with them how much the Lord Jesus Christ loved them. Her sincere message claimed the attention of everyone. Afterwards, my students gave each of the little kids a tract, wrapped around a Tootsie Roll, which explained more of this important message.

At various times, some of my students could be seen talking or praying with youngsters. I love it when God uses the least likely to show that He is God, and that He can work through anybody. Danny* attended CAG, but he didn’t have missionary ties like the majority of the students. His Korean father owned a factory and a business in Guatemala City. Danny sat down with two young brothers, whose names we later learned were Oscar and Pluto. With full compassion, Danny listened as Oscar tearfully said some older boys had been hitting him. Danny told his story, that in his younger days the same things happened to him. Then he explained how much Jesus loved them. A classmate of Danny’s joined him and helped give more details about the story of Christ’s coming to earth. He explained that all people could have eternal life, if they chose to follow that path. Danny read Scripture explaining that God had a plan for their lives. Through his sensitive nature and pain from the past, these little guys were ministered to by a young fellow who three days earlier had said he didn’t know what a mission venture meant. The Lord used Danny’s willing heart to bring hope and love into these two young lives.

Later, the director of the food program took us on a hike of the immediate area of the settlement. She shared about her biggest concern—the lack of funds to keep the food center operating. She feared she would have to tell the 250 children that she no longer had resources to feed them. She showed us a ten-by-eight metal building, which had been put up by missionaries, to replace a shack destroyed by Hurricane Mitch. Six people lived in it with one bed and a tiny stove. One step from the front door flowed black and rank sewer water, which coursed its way in front of all the wall-to-wall homes built upon this steep hill. Poverty made its appearance everywhere.

When we returned to CAG to reflect on all that had happened that day, I again expressed to the students of how proud I felt for all that they had done at the settlement. I saw the love of the Lord in action.The day was called “servants day” and they were servants in every sense of the word. Many of the comments from the children matched the ones after the La Rosa project. The kids wanted to do more in ministry, to help people in their suffering and need. More ideas poured forth for the La Rosa family. We then developed a plan to give them a simple wood burning stove and provide the wood they would need to operate it.

Many people want to make a difference in lives, just as these sixth graders did. I believe that no matter where a person lives, there is opportunity all around. Do you have a story share? Perhaps your story could be the fuel for a new missions project.

*Name has been changed.

Collaboration Makes the Difference

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In the last post, I told about my concern for the squatters who lived in dilapidated shacks and lacked the ability to keep warm during the cold nights. I knew I needed others to join me in a collaborated effort to help these people. I contacted my mother and explained the situation to her. She immediately sent me two hundred dollars to buy blankets. A few other people responded, and I went shopping for blankets at the local market, where they were cheaper than in the US. I pushed back the thought that I lacked the resources to help every squatter family in San Cristobal, or every family in my neighborhood, for that matter. The story of the starfish came to my mind: A boy walked along the beach throwing starfish into the ocean. Someone told the boy that he couldn’t make a difference in the lives of the hundreds of starfish lying on the beach. The boy responded that it did for this one and he threw one into the surf (The Starfish Story by Loren Eisley). That sure put a strong emphasis on the idea to get out there and do what could be done.

I asked a Spanish-speaking missionary friend if she would join me on this missions project. We prayed over the blankets before we set out. “Lord, when each one wraps himself in this blanket, may he feel Your love. May each of these blankets provide warmth for each man, woman, or child.” We soon found ourselves going up and down the streets in my neighborhood, praying for the Lord to reveal where we needed to stop for these deliveries.

The first corrugated-metal shed housed two families, but only one family was present at this time. The mother’s name, Norma was my mother’s name. That made me chuckle since Mom invested the most in this venture. Norma had six children, and her husband needed employment. The kids shyly lined up for introductions, and the smiles broke out when we passed out the blankets. My friend shared about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who gave His life for us that we may have eternal life. Norma listened intently and encouraged the conversation with questions. As we departed, we assured her we would be back for more visits.

A grandmother, a girl and her brother lived In the next place. The grandmother acted standoffish at first, but when my friend started talking about the Lord Jesus, she warmed right up to us.

Only a block away stood another shack where a young brother and sister lived with their grandfather. The grandfather, confined to a wheel chair, kept shaking our hands in gratitude. I wondered how he functioned in his chair with hill-side terrain, bumps, and holes. On later days, when I walked past them, the grandfather would smile and wave his hand in greeting, just as best friends do.

Days later, resting in the apartment, I heard a knock on the door. Since we never received unannounced visitors, I peeked through the hole in the door and saw Norma’s oldest boy, Angel, holding a red rose and a plastic bag. He gave me the customary greeting—a slight hug and kiss on the cheek—as he said, “Señora, my mother wanted to give you this rose and these vegetables.” Humbled beyond words, I noticed his mother waiting by the gate with her daughter, Normita. I lacked the ability to speak the language, but I could communicate in other ways, so I motioned for her to come in. God truly blessed me that day as I looked at the squash, oranges, lemons, and a package of store-bought cupcakes. These were gifts, to show how much they appreciated the gift of blankets. I saw them as sacrifices to say thank you.

Over the years, I have seen what collaboration can do in missions projects. It could be as large as building a duplex in an orphanage, paying for the operation of a child or as small as donating a box of diapers. It’s amazing to see the number of people, who step forward and say they want to help. Being involved in helping others is a big part of God’s plan and purpose for us. How would you feel, to look out your door and see Angel bearing gifts just for you?

Squatters Needs

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100_2390I lived in a city, San Cristobal, above a valley where Guatemala City sat. The two cities were divided by a huge canyon called a barranco in Spanish. The beauty of this place, full of trees and flowers, stirred my heart. I wanted to walk the area and enjoy the breezy air. However, I had been warned about walking alone and knew there were areas considered taboo. I lived in a safer area; whatever that meant. How did anybody know it was safer? The idea of robbery, rape, or kidnapping were not far from my thoughts as I clutched the pepper spray tube in my hand. Through prayer, a calmness took over, and off I went to explore this beautiful land, staying within a short distance of the apartment.

My first time out gave me a good view of the clash of two different cultures. Large fancy homes sat next to shacks that could blow over in a windstorm. (The attached photo is an example.) As I walked past these shacks, I looked for the squatters who lived in them. I looked especially for the children. Dirty from head to toe and carrying lice in their shaggy hair, they smiled at me from ear to ear. Seeing me, a white-skinned, blonde-haired woman, caused fear and curiosity. I had invaded their territory. Other missionaries told me that the indigenous were told stories about “gringos” who stole Guatemalan children to sell for adoption. I needed to be cautious and not overstep my bounds. As these children saw me on a regular basis during my walks, they became more confident that I wasn’t going to cause them harm. We greeted each other with a word or a wave; however, the conversation ended there, because I did not know enough Spanish to initiate anything more. I learned their names when someone who spoke Spanish walked with me.

As the season changed, the wind blew harder through this area called a wind tunnel. I figured that if I, a Montana girl, felt cold, these children had to be freezing with the lack of socks, sometimes shoes, and warm coats. I had opportunity to peek in some of the shacks and saw primitive living conditions. Campfires were used for cooking and old and cracked plastic containers held their water. The stark reality was that most of them slept on the ground huddled together with only few holey blankets to cover them.

Lord what can I do? I don’t have any money, and I want to do something to help these people. My mind started processing possibilities, and I knew I could do something, if I found people to partner with me. I learned that it is not about what I can do but, but what God can do through me. In the next post, I will share the action taken to help the people who were my neighbors.

There are many stories, from all over the world, of people collaborating together to help others during their hardships. I know it makes Jesus smile. I’m sure many of you have a testimony of ministering in God’s love. In the “comment” area on the post, describe this and may it be an encouragement and reminder to all of us, to keep our eyes open for more of these opportunities.