The effects of Hurricane Wilma hit the northeastern coast of Guatemala in 2005. The storm pounded the coast, causing flooding and landslides and devastating villages. Many people were left homeless from this category-five hurricane. Various churches in our area campaigned to get items to take to the victims of the destruction. This topic of conversation moved our girls from being “receivers-in-life” to “givers.” Knowing what it felt like to be in need, these compassionate girls surprised me by their actions.

These girls came to the orphanage with only the clothes on their backs, and their utmost thoughts were to help the needy survivors. They took their possessions and piled them on their bed, deciding what they wanted to give. The items they owned were from a birthday, Christmas, or from a visiting team. I never heard words like, “I don’t have anything to give. There’s nothing I can do. I would if I could.” Instead of any negativism, these girls let the creative juices flow and thought of possibilities. I watched them pack a huge cardboard box with their treasures.

Myra* gave her precious typical guipil (blouse) and corte (skirt). These items are expensive to buy in the market and not part of the clothing distribution we gave the girls. None of that mattered to her. She said, “These are the clothes they are used to wearing, so I will give them some of mine.”

We had a tienda (store) where the girls could buy various items with points they earned. They could earn forty to forty-five points a week. Josselin*, who had saved three hundred points, made an announcement. “I want to buy six dolls to give to the children who lost their toys.”

The mother in me wanted to remind them that they didn’t have to give everything to those who endured the storm. I saw most of their possessions go into the box! However, I also said to myself that I saw real giving in action.  Lord, I think these girls are teaching me another lesson.

Giving hearts showed forth another time when a couple of the girls came home from school wanting to talk to Joanne about “something very important.” In the meeting, they shared their concerns about one of their classmates. They told how Mario* wouldn’t smile and said he hated himself. Kids made fun of him at church and school, calling him wolf because his teeth horribly crooked. These girls wanted to do something to help Mario get orthodontic help. One of our girls had a sponsor who paid for her orthodontic work because of the damage in her mouth. I knew the girls wanted us to find a sponsor for him, but a better idea came out of the meeting. The girls could make items to sell to teams and visitors. They went to work immediately, making Guatemala-style pens by weaving different colored threads around an ink pen. They even wrote words and names in the weaving. Team members from the States taught them to make typical jewelry. In time, they had enough money for Mario to start his treatment. (Orthodontic treatment in Guatemala is much less than in the States.) His mother thanked the girls with tears in her eyes and said, “Mario no longer hates to go to church, and now he smiles.”

We desired to make a difference in the lives of the girls living in Shadow of His Wings and here they made a difference in the life of this boy. The girls unknowingly taught me more about this important lesson of sacrificial giving, because I saw in their hearts that they weren’t expecting anything in return. Not only did they give out of their need, but they learned to finds ways to make it happen. I wanted to learn more about giving out of my need, and I saw a perfect example in front of me.

*Names have been changed.