Ten years ago the rain came down as 600 people huddled under the tent and on the porch as we continued in the dedication of Shadow of His Wings Orphanage in Monjas, Guatemala. It didn’t stop the girls who all had their parts in the ceremony. The celebration and dedication were for them, and they proudly started everything with their praise and worship dance. They ended it with individual prayers for all of the guests.
We laugh about the deluge that we endured in 2006 but, it happened again when we celebrated the Shadow’s 10th anniversary two weeks ago. This time, we stayed dry under the roof of the multipurpose building and welcomed the much-needed rain. Guests included former house parents, workers, and girls who left the home.
Bryon Applegate, COO of James Project of Latin America shared the following:
During the last ten years:
*Over 200 children have been served through Shadow.
*The central kitchen has served 700,000 meals.
*Thirty missionaries have served at Shadow.
*Fifteen sets of house parents have worked at Shadow.
*Sixty teens have graduated.
*One God provided for all of this.
Bryon went on to state:
*The same God who led two million Israelites out of Egypt led two women to Monjas, Guatemala.
*The same God who fed the 5,000 feeds the children of the Project everyday.
*The same God who called the twelve disciples called the staff and missionaries to serve here.
*And the same God who claimed Mt. Sinai as holy ground claims this property as holy ground as well.
*It was not that the actual ground on which Moses stood was holy; rather, it was the presence of the holy God that made it holy. God’s presence is here as well.
“In another ten years when it’s time to celebrate 20 years on this property, most of you will not be here. But as you look back, whether you were here as a child, missionary, as part of the staff, or as a team member, hopefully, you will remember what God did for you and to you during your time here.”
Bryon concluded with a declaration, “This is His project and His property, and we are His servants and children.”
My heart did flip-flops through the program, and when some of the girls, who are now adults, did a praise and worship dance, I couldn’t hold it back. Tears filled my eyes and memories of times past flooded my mind. Bryon said it well. This is God’s project and everything we saw, and all the accomplishments go to His glory. I felt blessed to serve with our Lord.
In November we will celebrate 15 years from the time James Project Latin America/Shadow of His Wings became an official non-profit association. I look forward to another memory packed time as we celebrate Shadow’s Anniversary.
Stephani* needed to tell me what gripped her mind. She refused to communicate with others and looked like a scared refugee when she sat in class with the other girls. Lord, what caused these emotional issues? I probed and finally turned to Colossians 2:15 in my Bible and read to her how Jesus triumphed over Satan and disarmed all demonic powers and authorities at His crucifixion and resurrection.
I knew some of the pain Stephani felt because she lived with me. She didn’t know I had been seeking the Lord for ways I could help her. The time had come for serious sessions of counsel. Finding the cause isn’t the tricky part. It’s untangling all of the thoughts and feelings, besides working through the pain to see healing. I only had a few counseling courses, and would be considered an amateur, but I knew the Lord could heal her despite what I lacked. He would be my guide, and His promise to give me wisdom when I needed it brought me comfort.