A God Orchestrated Meeting...

  (Alicia, Teresa, Linda, and me at the food court)
 

After returning from a visit in the states on July 31st of this year, I moved to a different apartment on the boys' side of the property here at Casa de Aleluya.  My friend, Teresa, was visiting with me that week and helped me get everything cleaned up, put away, etc. in my new place.  We even began repainting the walls.  We decided to take a break from our busy activities and go fabric shopping at my favorite store in Chilmaltenango.  Since we had not eaten lunch, we stopped, at the food court in the mall to grab a bite.  While standing in line at Pollo Campero, the famous chicken place here, a lady by the name of Linda Coghlin, came up and introduced herself to me.  She had spotted the sewing machine on the back of my tee shirt and wanted to know if I taught sewing.  I invited she and her friends, a Guatemalan couple (Alicia and Sergio), to eat with us so that we could talk.  I later discovered, from our conversation, that Alicia and Sergio were Linda's directors for the ministry in Guatemala because Linda travels back and forth from Canada with mission teams.  What Linda didn't know was that the Lord had shown me that I would began an outreach sewing ministry when I returned from the states.  I was looking for the Lord to open an door for this opportunity but wasn't sure exactly when it would happen.   Linda told me as we sat down to talk that their ministry (Loving Arms) had just purchased a restaurant building to become their new training center.  At the center, named 'Center of Hope', women and men in the villages near Parramos could learn a trade or skill in order to make a living for their families.  They had a room almost ready for sewing classes but were in need of a sewing instructor.  I started crying because I was seeing the handiwork of the Father in this meeting and the door for outreach ministry was being opened by Him.  Alicia was crying as she realized what was taking place and Linda said, 'I think I will cry too'.  Teresa was just hysterically laughing for joy because it was an incredible moment of God.  Linda and Alicia had been looking for an instructor but the people they had talked too wanted between $250 and $300 a month for teaching.  With the purchase of their new building, this wasn't feasible for their ministry.  She then asked me what I charged.  Since I did not know anything about them, I said, 'Let me first tell you what I do'.  'I do not charge anything to teach sewing but I have to share the Gospel of Christ when I teach.  This is what the Lord has shown me to do'.  Linda and Alicia were overjoyed as they are Christians!  I can not describe the excitement of that moment as words fail me.  The presence of the Holy Spirit was so strong in that meeting and we decided to have dinner that night and continue talking about how this was going to take place.  They met Teresa and I for dinner in San Lucas which is about 5 minutes from Casa.  We decided that I would teach on my off day, Thursday and that we would start with two classes.  One in the morning and one in the afternoon.  There would be 5 women in each class and the classes would be for two hours and then we would have coffee and sweet bread while I shared the Gospel with the ladies for the remaining hour.  The Gospel presentation I use is on Power Point and it is called, 'Christianity Explained'.  The Gospel is explained in 6 one hour lessons.  At the final lesson, we would give the women an opportunity to receive Christ.  Our first class was on Thursday, August 14th.  I met the first 5 women in the morning class and after a two hour lunch break, I met the other 5 women.  They are all from the same village - Chitaburuy (Chee-tah-ba-roo-ee).  Two of our university girls from Casa went with me to help with the teaching and translation and sometimes Vilma went with us as well.  We had a wonderful time.  At the end of our 6th class, when we finished our presentation, I shared my personal testimony with them.    I wanted the ladies to know, not necessarily what I had been through, but that having the Lord in my life, is what has sustained me and brought me through the hard times.  I told them that they only had to pray the prayer one time and if they wanted the Lord in their life, they could pray to receive Him.  7 out of the 10 women prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior that day.  What rejoicing there was in Heaven as those women bowed their heads and prayed to become my sisters in Christ. 


Our morning class
 

Our afternoon class

 











The girls and I decided to use our bible time to get the ladies into the Word and we began discipleship classes.  It has been a blessing to see the ladies grow in their personal time reading the Bible and having prayer.  It is also a joy to see how the Lord has used our girls from Casa to minister to these women.  Sometimes, on our long lunch break, the girls and I go to different villages nearby and distribute clothes.
    In October, a team of 10 women from my home church, The Church at Brook Hills, came to Guatemala.  They helped to distribute clothes and toys to women and children in a nearby village.  The ladies also helped with the sewing classes at the Center of Hope, and a few of them taught a group of women from another village how to crochet a bag that they will be able to sell in the market. 
     Since the beginning of the sewing classes, the women have made a pin cushion, two lined bags, and they are currently working on a chef style apron for the ladies in the cooking class at the training center.  We will have a small graduation ceremony in a couple of weeks as we finish the first phase of the classes.  We plan to partner with Loving Arms over the next year as the ladies learn more about sewing and how to make things that they can sell in the market.   At graduation, each lady in the class will be presented with their own personal bible.  These are beautiful pink bibles in Spanish and they will be engraved with their names.
    What incredible opportunities the Lord has opened up from this meeting that He orchestrated.  It is not a meeting that we could have brought together as it is ONLY a meeting of divine intervention.  From the shirt I wore that day, to the place where we ate, to the place where Linda, Alicia, and Sergio were at the EXACT same time...  What an AWESOME God we serve!  From the beginning of time, He knew that on a beautiful day in September in the year 2013, at a training center in Parramos, 7 women would pray to receive Him as their personal Savior.  I look forward to what He has for us as we continue this partnership with Loving Arms to help the people of Guatemala have a better life through trainable skills in order to come out of poverty.   
Blessings,   Sharron

Serving Christ...

In this blog, I am sharing the innermost parts of my heart with you, my readers.  Some of this has only been shared with a couple of close friends. Most of what I have written here has been shared with no one up to this point.  My prayer is that it is first and foremost for the Glory of God but that it also blesses your life and inspires you to be ALL you can be in serving Jesus Christ our Lord.    

I arrived in Guatemala on April 3^rd of this year.  Within two weeks of arriving, Mike and Walter asked me if I would help out in the Angelitos dorm.  They had a Guatemalan worker who was getting married and leaving Casa Aleluya on April 30^th.  Working on the weekends would give Irene, our coordinator, time off to be with her family and go to church.  I told them I had come here to serve and if they needed me to do that, I would be happy to help them.  After I said that, I felt very good.  After all, it sounded very self-righteous at the time and it was also the right thing to do.  However, within two weeks I was thinking entirely differently.  I wanted to be anywhere but Angelitos because it was very hard.  Within one week, many changes took place, because of my recommendation to the director, and the mood here was not good.  The children were great and the light of my life – the problem was with the workers.  Considering I am the only American in charge over here, it made for a strained relationship to say the least.  I cried out to the Lord and told Him I wanted the girls to like me and I wanted a relationship with them.  Also, at some point in the future we were hopefully going to do ministry together.  However, with these decisions, that just wasn’t happening.  The Lord very kindly said to me, “I will be the ONE who makes relationships with you and the children and then I will receive the Glory and not you.”  Ouch!  So, I told the Lord I would continue to work here.  Some weekends, I must confess, my attitude was anything but good.  Then, at a staff meeting, I learned that we had another missionary coming in June and she was going to live in Angelitos.  I was elated as I thought she would take over and I would be freed of this responsibility.  However, Casa had different plans for her and wanted me to stay in Angelitos on the weekends.  To say that I was disappointed…is an understatement.

     I cried out to the Lord again and asked Him to please give this dorm to someone else and He lovingly said, ‘No’.   On one particularly difficult weekend, I was so very tired, overwhelmed and weary.  We had a lice outbreak in the nursery and everything had to be washed:  blankets, bedding, cribs, etc.  Then we had to shampoo 10 children’s’ heads and leave the shampoo on for 10 minutes.  Let me tell you that entertaining babies and 2 year olds for 10 minutes is difficult to say the least.   I have never seen so many blankets and sheets in one place in my entire life.  I thought we would never get through washing all of them.  Glenda does the washing for the entire dorm on the weekend so I offered to help her with this because of the large amount of things that needed to be washed.  Early Sunday morning I arose, read my Bible and prayed to be released from this duty again, even cried some (actually a lot), and drudgingly walked to the laundry room to get the last of the blankets we had washed the night before.  Upon entering the nursery, I laid the load of blankets on the counter.  I began folding them when one little boy grabs my left leg and another grabs my right leg and says, “My mommy”, “no, my mommy” and a tug of war ensued.  I looked up and in my heart said, “Lord, Is this the answer to my prayer?”  I knew that it was and that this was the place I was to serve. 

      The situation has gotten better but it is like riding on a roller coaster at the County Fair.  It has its ups and downs.  Recently, I had to take charge of yet another difficult situation and the mood here was tense.  I did what I had to do and what was right but the response from some of the workers was not pleasant.  The children here have been so hurt in their young life, that when anyone of us on staff has to correct them, sometimes they won’t speak to you for a long time.  That attitude kind of permeates throughout the entire dorm to the other workers as well. You might say, ‘It is a united front’.  I prayed constantly and asked God to show me how to bridge this gap and show these girls how very much I love them.  On the following weekend, the Lord said to me, “Serve them”.  Two very simple words were my answer from the Lord.  My first thought was - that’s easy; serving is one of my spiritual gifts and I like working with the children.  So on Saturday, I took my sewing machine to Angelitos so that I could keep an eye on everything and altered clothes all day long.  The boys had received new dress slacks and they needed to be taken up and hemmed.  For the clothes to be ready for church the next day, I worked until late at night and then retired to my apartment.  I got up early Sunday morning and went back to Angelitos.  I greeted the girls in the kitchen and helped with setting the tables for breakfast.  Then after breakfast, I went to the nursery to help bathe all the children while the girls dressed them.  After finishing with the bathing, I played for a while in the floor with the babies and toddlers.  Then I went to help one of the girls in the kitchen (the other one had asked to go to church).  I asked her what I could do to help, and she gave me the job of chopping vegetables for the sauce they were making.  Since they cook for approximately 50 people each meal, it was a HUGE basket of tomatoes.  I asked her how she wanted them chopped and she showed me.  Let me mention here that she wanted them cut into ¼” pieces.   I told myself I could do this… however, only part of the way into it; I told the Lord that this wasn’t my idea of having fun.  The task seemed like a never ending job.  While chopping tomato after tomato, the Lord, like the gentle loving Father He is, began to remind me that He came to serve.  He brought to my mind all the stories of the New Testament and how He, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, humbled Himself, left the splendor of Heaven, was born in a manger and served mankind.  He even served those who rejected Him, spit on Him, and beat Him.  He died for those same individuals as well as for you and me.  By the time, I was finished with those tomatoes; I had a blister on my hand from the knife I was using and a new attitude in my heart.  ‘Who am I Lord to question serving you with these menial tasks when you showed me the perfect way to serve by giving Your life for others?’   

Philippians Chapter 2, verses 1-9 says,

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests but also for the interests of others.  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  For this reason also, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name…

 
    I spent the rest of that Sunday talking with the girls (workers) about their school work, their life, and telling them how good they were doing.  I have worked in this dorm every weekend since the first of May and for the very first time, I began to feel, a sense of camaraderie between me and them.  In a cry of desperation, the Father showed me how to reach them and bridge the gap of our differences.  Being desperate is exactly where the Father wants each of us, then we depend solely on Him because we can do NOTHING ourselves.  In a devotional book from Beth Moore, she says, “Victory always begins with a cry for help.  When we come to the end of ourselves and cry out for help, amazing things happen.” I began to realize something this week.  Being in Angelitos has stretched me in ways both physically and spiritually that could not have been attained by doing only sewing classes.  My Father, who knows everything about me, knew this and that is why He so lovingly said ‘No’ to my request time and time again.  I wouldn’t trade being here for anything because I have fallen totally in love with these children.  I enjoy my time here, and hope to be here a long time and see these boys and girls grow up into fine men and women of God.  I am sure that I will have more roller coaster rides here and that is fine because my Father is molding and refining me in His own sweet, gentle way.  I want to be refined, as painful as that is, to be as pure silver (Psalm 66) with no impurities and then He alone receives all the glory and honor forever.   Amen.

My Life in Angelitos

    Some of you may be wondering what I do in the Angelitos dorm on the weekends.   I thought I would give you a glimpse into my weekends so that you will have an idea.  First, let me tell you about Angelitos and the people who live there.  Angelitos is where our youngest children stay at Casa Aleluya.  It is located directly to the left as you enter the front gate. 

 

Angelitos is divided into 3 sections with girls, boys, and babies/toddlers.  In the girl’s dorm, we have a total of 13 children ages 3 to 8; in our boy’s dorm, there are a total of 15 with an age range of 4 to 9; and in our nursery, we have 9 children ages 13 months to 2 years old.  Currently, Angelitos also houses our children who are in need of dialysis every day.  There are 2 boys and 1 girl who live in two different rooms along with the 3 people who care for them.  We also have several apartments/living quarters for various people such as:  our coordinator, one of our American missionaries, and some of our full time workers in Angelitos.  We also have a commercial kitchen and dining room.  All of our children in Angelitos eat in this dorm along with the workers.  Our larger cafeteria/dining room, known as the blue building, are where all other children at Casa eat.  We also have a bodega (storage unit) where all donations of clothing, shoes, and baby supplies are located along with a room used for counseling sessions with our children.   There is also a laundry room with a large commercial washer and dryer.  As you can see, it is a very large dorm which serves many functions.  There are two groups of workers and two coordinators for the Angelitos dorm.  One group works Monday through Friday and then we have a separate group that works on the weekends.  This gives our full time workers through the week some time off.  They usually have classes on Saturday and Sunday at the University.  The weekend workers are all university students with the exception of three workers who are seniors graduating this year.
     Irene is Guatemalan, a nurse, and our coordinator through the week.  Yours truly is the coordinator on the weekends.  When I work on the weekend, it gives Irene an opportunity to go home and be with her family, worship in her church, and do outside ministry.  Irene lives at Casa from Monday morning at 8:00am to 4:00pm on Friday afternoon.

      On the weekends, we have 3 workers in the nursery during the day with 1 worker who stays with the babies and toddlers at night.  We have 1 worker for each of the girls and boys dorm.   All of our workers sleep in the room with the children in case the children are sick or in need of someone at night.  We also have two girls who cook and prepare all meals for the children and workers.   They are wonderful cooks and keep our kitchen/dining room area spotless.   We also have one person who does all the laundry for the entire dorm.  Let me note here that we use large garbage cans on wheels for hampers and we have one for each section of Angelitos.  The hampers are always full to overflowing each morning.  Our washing machine and dryer get a good work out every day.

      A typical weekend looks something like this:  On Friday afternoon when I enter the dorm area, I am usually greeted by multiple children shouting my name and running up to me for hugs and kisses.  The younger ones who have trouble with my name usually say – 'Share lone', while some call me Mami.  Sometimes our children call the femal visitors Mami because they really don’t know who their mother is.  I then check in with Irene to get the report on the children.  She informs me of the ones who are sick, the medications they are taking, and the ones who will be going to court on Monday so that I can see that they are ready on time.  We document everything from cuts, and bruises, to medications.  These records are very important when we go to court so that we can explain why they have a bruise, etc.
   

 

   Irene leaves around 4:00pm and then I try to speak to each one and then more hugs and kisses are given and received.  At 4:30pm, the dinner bell rings and all of our larger kids scurry to their dorm to wash their hands, say the blessing, and line up to go to the dining room.  All of our toddlers go to the dining room while someone in the nursery stays behind and feeds the 3 smaller ones who sit in a high chair. 

 

 

 

 After dinner, it is time for showers and pajamas.  The older boys and girls usually get to watch a movie before going to sleep.  We don’t allow them to watch a lot of television and try to monitor what they do watch. We like for them to see family films and programs suitable for young children.  We also have a rule that only Christian music can be played at Casa.

     It is incredibly quiet in Angelitos at bed time.  Around 8:00pm, I check all the areas of Angelitos to make sure everything is in order -  say ‘Good Night’ to all and then retire to my apartment for the evening.  On Saturdays, I am up at 4:30am, and return to Angelitos by 5:30am or 6:00am.  The breakfast bell rings promptly at 6:30am. 

   In the nursery area, the night time person leaves at 6:30am and the day time workers arrive.  The children are dressed, lined up and headed to the dining room where we usually have pancakes or cereal along with milk and fruit.  After breakfast, it is bath time for the children in the nursery.

 

  They are usually bathed in the sink and then dressed for the day.  The older children brush their teeth and help clean the dorms.  They clean the bathrooms, make the beds, and mop the floors. 








When this is finished, it is time to go have some fun on our play ground outside.  We also put the babies  in the stroller and take them along with the toddlers outside for some sunshine.  If it is raining, we have a large covered area in the center of Angelitos where the children can play.  This keeps the children from being cooped up in a dorm room when the weather is bad.  The children all have snack time mid-morning which consists of some type of fruit and then they play outside until time for lunch at 11:30am. 

     Lunch is our biggest meal of the day and we usually have chicken or meat along with pasta or rice and vegetables.  The children then return to their dorms for the quietest time of the day – nap time.    Sometimes, I take a nap at the same time just to be energized for the afternoon. J

     After nap time, the babies/toddlers have juice and cookies and the older children go back outside to play until dinner time.  The dinner bell rings at 4:30pm and we usually have some type of sandwich and milk.  Our sandwiches are usually refried beans, ham, egg, or jelly.  The children love the refried bean sandwiches.  After dinner, it is time for the older children to have showers and get dressed for bed.  The routine is pretty much the same for Sunday with the exception of Children’s church at 7:30am.  Can you imagine getting 30 children dressed and ready for breakfast by 6:30am and then church at 7:30am?  I use to think that getting 3 children ready for church was a task until I witnessed the routine in Angelitos.

    There is really no physical work that I have to do in Angelitos as it is my job to oversee the workers and make sure that everyone is in the right place doing their job and that the children are always safe.    However, sometimes I take the children out to the playground and let the workers clean.  One Saturday while on the playground, I experienced what I like to refer to as a ‘God’ moment.  One of our young boys age 9 was talking to me when I was sitting watching the children play.   I told him that he was tall and he must take after his daddy.  He said, “I have no father”.  I told him that he did have a father because in the Bible in the book of Psalms, God tells us that He is a father to the fatherless.  (Psalm 68:5)  He looked and me and said, “God is my Father?”  I said, “Yes, He is and He is my Father too”.  He seemed to take all of that in and smiled the biggest smile and said, “Dios es mi Papa”(God is my Father).  So many of our children don’t get to experience a ‘daddy’ because either their father died, or he abandoned them. 

    I could literally go on and on about each of the children in Angelitos because I have so enjoyed getting to know them over the past few months.  They are very close to my heart.  Jesus told the disciples in the Bible, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”.  I have enjoyed experiencing daily life here while also serving our youngest residents in Casa Aleluya.  On days when I am drained, feeling overwhelmed, or a bit homesick, the children make me laugh.  Through their energy and exuberance for life, I have a renewed vision of ministry every weekend.

    It is not something I would have chosen to do, but through serving here in Angelitos, the Father has taught me so much.  He is continuing to work in and through me for these little one's here in Casa Aleluya. 

“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’   Matthew 25:40

 

The Love of a Father

Last Sunday was visitation day here at Casa Aleluya. Once a month, usually on the last Sunday of the month, we allow parents who have permission from the court, to visit their children for two hours. It is the goal of Casa Aleluya to reunite families whenever possible.

This was my first time to experience visitation day as the hefe (boss) for Angelitos dorm as I was away for the day last month. It was an experience I shall not soon forget as I saw some of the children’s parents for the very first time. Most of them were very poor and resembled so many of the families I have seen in my previous mission trips to Guatemala. Their families had brought food to share with their children as they visited. You could tell that they had probably taken most of the money they had to purchase the food and drink they brought.

All the children, over the entire property, here at Casa have to stay in their dorms during visitation and only the children who receive visits can come out of the room. The dorm parents or hefe is told who has a visitor, they go to their room, get the child and bring them to their parents or relatives. Unless it is their first visit with their child or children, they can go anywhere outside on the property to visit. It was my job as hefe in Angelitos to get the children as their visitor(s) arrived. It is very hard for the children who do not receive a visit from their family. However, it is just as difficult for those who do get a visit because they have to say good-bye after only two hours. We, as a staff, try to plan special activities, for the children who are left in the dorm.Sadly, no activity takes the place of your parents or grandparents coming to see you. Since we have lots of mission teams here right now, Mike asked them to go to the dorms and visit the children who had to stay in their room. After getting several of the children and reuniting them with their families for the two hour visit, I decided to stand at the gate in case any more parents came.

While standing at the gate, one visit that caught my attention was a father who came to visit his two boys who live in Angelitos. The oldest boy, Elfrein, is 4 years old and the youngest, Angel is 2 years old. Since there is another boy by the name Angel in Angelitos, he is known by his nickname‘Pollo’ which means little. He is one of the boys in the nursery who call me ‘Mommi’. Their father, who arrived very early, was grinning from ear to ear as I brought out first Elfrein and then Pollo. He also had several bags with him. He took the boys to a shady place under one of the large Avocado trees near Angelitos and sat them down. Then he lovingly tied a faded bandana around each boy’s neck so they wouldn't soil their clothes as they ate. He brought out fruit for them to eat as well as a citrus punch drink. He so enjoyed watching his boys eat and talked to them the entire time. It was a beautiful sight to behold. I learned later that the boys’ mother had died, the father could not take care of them and so they came to Casa to live. Unfortunately, this story is all too familiar in Guatemala. This father lives four hours away from Casa de Aleluya and walks most of the way here and rides the bus only part of the way. This is probably due to a lack of money. When it was time for the visit to be over, Pollo cried as he was taken back to Angelitos and I found myself crying along with him. The father came up to me and was trying to tell me something. I found out through a translator that he wanted to leave the bags he had brought with him for the boys. I told him I would make sure they got the things in the bags. I then went to the sala (living area) of my dorm, sat at the table and carefully opened the bags. Inside the bag was all kinds of fruit, two packages of cookies, and a few candies as well as what was left of the citrus drink. I thought of the sacrifice he had made, not only to purchase these things for his children but also the time and money it had cost him for the trip here. The love this father has for his children overwhelmed me. I bowed my head at the table and quietly prayed that God, our Heavenly Father, would give this daddy a godly woman to love him and help him take care of his children so that they would never have to be limited to a two hour visit again.

This reminded me of the love our Father has for us, His children. Because of the love He has for you and me, He gave the ultimate sacrifice. He gave His one and only Son, who paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world, on the cross of Calvary for you and me.

“For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, will not perish but have eternal life”. John 3:16

He gave His life so that all who accept Him as their Savior and Lord will live for an eternity with Him in Heaven. We, who have received this gift of eternal life in Christ, will never have to say good-bye to our friends and family, who have also accepted this free gift. The good-byes we say here on Earth are only temporary. When we are called ‘home’, we will live together with Christ and our loved ones in Heaven for an eternity.

Just some of my thoughts this week…

Happy Mother's Day

May 18, 2012

       May 10^th is Feliz dia de Madres (Mother’s Day) in Guatemala.  It is celebrated the same day every year.  I was missing my own children and grandchildren very much, and really did not know what to expect on this day here in Guatemala.

      The day started out with Alma coming to my door very early in the morning and asking me if I was a mother.  I said, “Yes, I am”.  She gave me a big hug and told me ‘Happy Mother’s Day’.  She then told me her birthday was that day and that she was 14.  I told her my oldest granddaughter is 14.  I got another hug and kiss and then she said, “Miss Sharron, I love you so much”.  Alma had started coming to my class room a few weeks ago to talk to me and she wants to learn to sew.  She is not in the 4^th or 5^th grade so she can’t come right now.  She helped me make the decorations for my classroom and we have had some good times visiting and getting to know one another while we worked together. 

I need to mention here that the walls had just been painted by a group of girls from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa!  Roll Tide!

      At my cross-stitch class that afternoon, the girls decorated the marker board and wrote in English, “Happy Day Mom”.

      Later in the evening a group of girls, from the Esperanza dorm, were passing out roses to the entire group of mother’s at Casa.  They came to my door and gave me a beautiful pink rose and they all hugged me and told me, “Happy Mother’s Day”.  I was so overwhelmed with these showers of love that it made my heart rejoice.  It is true that I was not at home this Mother’s Day and may not be on many other special holidays.  However, we serve a Father who knows these things and looks down and reaches out to us through others.  He shows us that not only has He not forgotten us but He is giving us love through them.  In my heart, I said, “Thank you Lord for making this day so special to me”.

      Then I heard another knock at the door.  It was Lillian, the young woman, who is a university student and teaches sewing in the mornings here at Casa because she has classes in the afternoon.  She hugged me and told me, “Happy Mother’s Day Sharron”.  I almost cried when she came because her own mother, who would have been close to my age, died when she was very young.  Another knock on the door came shortly after that and when I opened the door, I saw my three friends at the door with dinner in their hands.  They had made Lasagna and brought plates and forks as well as my favorite drink here (Mango).  It is a type of Kool-Aid they sell here with tropical fruit flavors.  They also made me two cards; one was in Spanish and one in English.  The art work on the cards was done by Susi, the youngest of the sisters.  The sisters, Marlin, Mirna and Susi come by almost every evening to help me practice my Spanish.  If they have a lot of homework and can’t stay, they always stop by and tell me ‘good night’ and hug me.  On one of those evenings, they asked me to tell them about my life.  I enjoyed sharing with them the hand of the Father in my life so that they would see the goodness of God.  On the next evening, they shared with me.  These girls have become very special to me. 

       One of the hefe’s in the Esperanza dorm has asked to call me, ‘Mama Sharron’.  A hefe is an older girl who is in charge of the younger ones and they help the dorm parents.  I told her she could call me anything but ‘gringa’.  I don’t personally like the word but it is what I get called when they do not know my name.  Gringa means ‘white woman’.

      I love the girls here and so many have already become very special to me in different ways.  I go on line to Casa’s web-site to read their stories so that I can be familiar with them.  If you want to read some of these stories, go to:   www.casaontherock.org    I’m sure as time goes on, I will get to know many more.  When I look at these children, I thank the Father that He has brought them here where they have a nice place to sleep, three meals a day, clothes to wear, and an education.  They also hear about Christ and how to become a Christian and live according to the Bible.  While these children are safe, there are many, many more in this country who are not.  I pray for them as well as all the children here.  Many have experienced unspeakable things in their life, and it is very hard to overcome them.  I am confident that as they put their trust in Christ, He will help them to go above and beyond what they have experienced.  Scripture says:

   “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten —
the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm
my great army that I sent among you.  Joel 2:25

 Just some of my thoughts while living here in Guatemala…

Need your assistance, please...

If any of my readers are going to Guatemala some time this year, could you please notify me via email at: schafersharron@yahoo.com.  If you come to Guatemala but do not have plans to come to Casa, I can meet you at the airport to pick up the suitcases.

We have numerous suitcases filled with sewing supplies and fabric that needs to be sent to Casa de Aleluya as soon as possible.  We will soon expand the sewing program to include more students and our sewing supplies are low here.  Lillian and I teach together in the mornings and I will begin new classes soon in the afternoon so that more students have an opportunity to learn the art of sewing.  We will begin jewelry making classes soon as well.  I appreciate any and all help for the precious children here and look forward to hearing from some of you very soon.

Two generous people gave us money to ship the clothes donated to the children along with 9 sewing machines.  They should arrive here mid May.  The Lord has blessed us with many donations for supplies and additional clothes for the children.

Thank you so much for your help and I look forward to hearing from you.

God bless you for helping the children here at Casa Aleluya!

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Arrived safely and ready to serve

   I need to catch everyone up to speed on what has been happening the past few weeks.  The two months prior to leaving for Guatemala were packed with very busy days finalizing everything I needed to do.  I arrived in Guatemala safe and sound on April 3rd. The ride from Atlanta to Guatemala was a little 'bumpy' but we landed safely. I did get a man to help me with my bags since there were three large heavy ones. He did not know one word of English so I got to practice my Spanish and surprisingly he understood me. It gave me confidence that maybe I can learn this language - especially since I am now surrounded by Spanish speaking people.  We were greeted by two young men from Casa de Aleluya that held up a sign 'SHARRON SCHAFER' so I would know they were my ride here. When we drove up on the property here, several girls greeted me and wanted to help take my suitcases into the apartment. What a sweet welcoming committee! They asked all kinds of questions and told me their names. They wanted to come in and stay awhile but since I only got 1.5 hours of sleep the night before, I told them we would hang out another time since Ms. Sharron needed to take a nap.   However, after I lay down, I was so excited to be here that I couldn't sleep!  The apartment they have for me is very nice.

    The staff here at Casa has been so nice and they have all offered to take me shopping any time I need to go.  So far, I have been to the local grocery store, furniture shopping, the market, and Wal-Mart.  The most interesting place was the market, especially the one in Chimaltenango.  You could buy anything from live chickens to sunglasses and everything in between.  The only thing I bought that day was fabric.  The most interesting fabric store I have ever been in.

    Easter Sunday was a relatively quiet day beginning with worship at 8:30am.  It is a beautiful sight to see hundreds of children worshiping and praising the King of Kings who defeated death, hell and the grave.  There were a lot of children who were not here that week because they had gone home to be with their parents.  School was out because of Semanta Santa (Holy Week).  This is a big holiday here in Guatemala.  However, there are no Easter baskets, dyed eggs or candy as the people here in Guatemala focus on the true meaning of Easter – the risen Savior.

I love the people here in Guatemala.  The Lord Jesus gave me a deep love for these beautiful people and it is a love that could have only come from Him. 

  I Cor. 8:6 says, “For me, there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom I live, and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”

  I know that He is able to do more than I could ever ask or think in this beautiful country. I want to forsake ALL.  ALL comforts, ALL the things I have ever known to step into a totally different culture with people who are different from me, who speak a language I barely know, and who see me as a gringa (white woman).  I awaken every morning to the sound of children playing outside my apartment.  They are shouting to their friends, laughing and running around and it is a beautiful sound!  It reminds me daily why I am here.  I pray the Lord uses me to make a difference here in the lives of these beautiful children and the people of Guatemala.  Not for my benefit but for His Glory and HIS alone.  Thank you Father for sending me to this country that is so close to your heart and mine.  I look forward with anticipation to the days ahead...

Be courageous...

    Have you ever thought about what it takes to be courageous?  What are the characteristics of a courageous person?  The Bible tells of us of many courageous people, but I doubt that they would have described themselves that way.  The one that comes to my mind is Moses.  He was called by God through a burning bush but he did not instantly say, “Yes, Lord, I will go”.  He had excuses – lots of them.  He also had a speech impediment – he stuttered.  He wanted the Lord to pick someone else, and then he asked the Lord to allow him to take his brother to speak for him.  However, through leading the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the desert, he learned to totally rely on the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. 

   The other man who comes to my mind is Joseph, Mary’s husband.  Perhaps it is because we have just celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He took Mary to be his wife, after she had told him she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  He cared for her and protected her.  Being warned in a dream of the dangers to the Christ child, he takes her and the baby to Egypt.  Can you imagine packing up and leaving in a hurry in the middle of the night?  There wasn’t time to take a lot of ‘things’.

    So, what does it take to be courageous?  After looking at the lives of these two men, I would say trust, confidence, and totally relying on the Father.  In Ephesians 3:20, we read, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

    The people I work with have told me that I am brave.  Brave for leaving all my family, friends, and everything I have known here to go to another country.  Those who really know me (my sisters come to mind) can tell you that courage is definitely not one of my character traits.  They could tell you stories of me as a girl growing up on the farm being terrified of any and all animals.  In particular, I was scared of cows.  My older brother Steve and my sister Rhonda delighted in talking me into climbing into the hay loft of the barn when there were no cows or bulls around.  Their timing here is very strategic as it was near the time of the evening when the cows were milked.  After climbing into the hay loft with them, the whole herd it seemed came to the barn including Buford our Black Angus bull.   Looking into the barn from the hay loft, all I could see was this massive black bull and there was no way I was coming down. I stayed up there for what seemed like hours and no amount of coaxing from them convinced me to come down.  They still love to tell these stories and laugh hysterically.  Though brave and courageous is not a way I would describe myself, it is a characteristic of my Father.  Scripture tells us in John 15: 5, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”  Therefore, if I am in Christ, I have His characteristics.  I am doing this afraid knowing that My Father goes before me and is with me.  Therefore I can totally trust Him and totally rely upon Him wherever He leads me.

    My favorite verse since I was a young girl has been Deuteronomy 31:8.  “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.”  I know that as I go to Guatemala, prepare for ministry, and adjust to another culture, I do not go alone.  My Father is with me, he is holding my hand, He will never fail me or leave me.  I have no reason to be afraid or discouraged.

Just a few of my thoughts this week…

Preparing to go...

     As I prepare to go to Guatemala, I have many thoughts.  I am excited, and terrified, but also think about how much I will miss all of my family and friends.  I'm looking forward to what the Father has for me in Guatemala at Casa de Aleluya and this next chapter of my life.  I read Mike's journal daily as I get it in my email and I feel as if I'm already there.  The way he describes the activities such as graduation, and Christmas preparations makes me want to be there so much.  I already feel a part of the orphanage and am anxious to get to know the children.
     Mike and Dottie, the founders of Casa de Aleluya, have so much on them right now and need your prayers daily.  Just being in charge of almost 500 children is tiring in and of itself but there are other things recently that have taken their toll on them as well.  One of the little girls, a dialysis patient, died a few weeks ago.  The other dialysis patients are scared and Mike and Dottie need wisdom in how to talk to them and help them not to be afraid.
    Please be in prayer for me as I continue to raise funds, looking for churches and Sunday School classes to speak too,   Pray for the Father's perfect timing and my patience in waiting for it.  I so want to be there now but I want what the Father wants for my life more.

Blessings to you all...

God's Provision

     While packing up to leave my apartment, I was diligently searching for an efficiency apartment.  All I had found at this point was very expensive and one place was somewhat reasonable.  However, I continued to look in hopes to find something I could afford without a strain on my budget.  A few months ago, I was out and about one Friday night and ran into some people I had not seen in about 25 years.  Early in our marriage, we lived next door to a young couple with a baby.  Over the next few years we became good friends and we spent a lot of time with her mom and dad as well.  I could not believe I had ran into her and her Mom on this particular night.  Her Mom (Faye) and I began meeting at the Olive Garden on Wednesday night to have coffee and just 'catch up' on all that had happened over the years.  We were both single now since Faye had been widowed earlier this year after 55 years of marriage.  One night while sitting in the restaurant, Faye said, "why do you want an efficiency apartment"?  I explained that I just needed a bed, shower, and a small place to fix something to eat until I left for the mission field.  She then asked me to come and stay with her.  I hesitated because I did not really know what to say.  Faye suggested that we both pray about it and just see where the Lord leads us.  After much prayer, I decided to move in with Faye.  The Father gave me a great peace once I made the decision and I knew that was what He wanted me to do.  I have to tell you that the first morning after I moved in, this precious woman got up at 5:30am to fix me coffee.  These early morning chats with coffee have become very special times for me over the past two weeks.  She is there to welcome me home after a day's work, kisses me goodnight and tells me she loves me.  My own Mom has been with the Lord for a little over 11 years now and I have to say that it has been wonderful to be 'mothered' again and dotted on a little. The Lord knew exactly what I needed at this particular time in my life.  
     I lay in bed that first night at Faye's and prayed thanking the Father once again for His provision for me.  He has taken care of my every need time and time again - especially since I have been on my own the past few years.  I began to reflect over some of the times the Lord provided for His people in the Bible.  There was God's provision for Elijah during a famine when the widow and her son took care of him (I Kings 17)..Hagar and her unborn son were taken care of by God in Genesis 16...Rahab and her family were take care of and protected by God in Joshua 6...and on and on.  Throughout God's word, He provides for His people.  Why do we in our human fraility always doubt the power and provision of God?  We become so consumed (myself in particular) with our circumstances we lose sight of the One who created everything and hung the stars and the moon in place.  Psalm 19:1 says,
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
Tonight when you lay down in bed, remember to thank the Creator of the Universe for everything you have because the Word says in Colossians 3:17:  " Do everything you say or do in the name of the Lord Jesus. Always give thanks to God the Father through Christ"
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...just a few of my thoughts this week

What is stuff?

    As I prepare to move out of my apartment, and pack to move to Guatemala, I have a new appreciation for the meaning of 'stuff' in our lives.  Webster's dictionary says the meaning of stuff is:  "property, as personal belongings or equipment; things".
    It is amazing how many of these 'things' we amass in our lifetime.  Thinking that we either want them or just have to have them.  Rarely do we think about the fact that we truly need them.  Even though every time I have moved over the past 8 years, I have cleaned out and gotten rid of many things, I was amazed at how much more I had.  We put so much value in these things.  But really, how much value do they truly have?  For instance, I collected dolls from Ashton-Drake for many years for my one and only daughter.  First, because I love dolls and second, because I wanted her to have them one day when she left home.  I purchased several sets of these dolls in a numbered, limited series - thinking that they would be 'worth' something one day.  Sadly, I discovered that these dolls were really not even worth the original price I paid for them years ago.  Keep in mind that these dolls are no longer in circulation.  However, with others having the same thought in a bad economy and in need of money, the market is saturated with them on Ebay.  Alas, I finally decided that whatever I got for them on Ebay would be more than the value of the dust they were collecting on the shelf in the closet.  Coupled with the fact that I could not take them to Guatemala and my daughter no longer wanted them.  On to the rest of the 'stuff' I own.  As I was going through boxes of beautiful things that I had (because I had no way to display them in the apartment), I discovered two figurines from the Avon collectible series purchased in the early 1980's.  Aha, here is something I know will be of value and fetch a great price on Ebay.  I quickly got on Ebay to see if any of these priceless jewels were for sale, or had sold and what price they had brought.  I started laughing hysterically as I discovered that there were 16 of these priceless jewels for sale and the price they were going for was a whoping $5.99 with free shipping of course!  That is probably about a fifth of what I paid for one of the figurines but my memory is a little rusty on the actual price.
   All of this to say, what is truly valuable in this world?  Jesus Christ says in his word, the holy bible, that people are of value.  They are worth so much to Him, that He sent His one only son to die for the people of the world.  John 3:16  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
    What is our responsibility to this? "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
This is what is truly important.  Simple, yet profoundly true.  However, it seems that we, as Americans in particular, have a hard time doing this.  We are truly self-centered, amassing more and more things, while the world is starving, in poor health, living in adject poverty, and in great need.  Their greatest need is hearing the Good News of the Gospel of Christ.
    So...let's reflect on all of our possessions, maybe even get rid of some or all of it, and give to the people of the world.  Instead of shopping til you drop this weekend, go to http://www.worldvision.com and see how your gift of a few dollars can give someone in poverty a goat, chicken, or pond filled with fish in order to feed their family.  Or...you can go to http://www.casaontherock.org" and sponsor an orphan for only $35.00 a month.  This would be the gift that keeps on giving.  Much better than giving your family member, who has everything, that fruit of the month club subscription for Christmas.  Instead wrap up the picture of an orphan that you have sponsored.  Give it to your family member - with a smile on your face - and say, "I knew this would make you happy because it made me happy just giving it to you"!

Some of my meditations this week...

Guatemala: July 2011

My life's mission is to glorify Christ through teaching life skills. My greatest desire is that the Lord would use my one life to eliminate physical and spiritual poverty in the lives of many others. The Lord has given me the vision to be a part of His work to eradicate physical poverty by teaching handcrafting skills such as sewing, jewelry making, and basket weaving to women in impoverished communities and by His grace to be a tool in His hand to eliminate spiritual poverty through teaching God’s Word and how each woman I am blessed to know can apply it in her life.

      On this trip to Guatemala, I had the opportunity to minister with Casa Aleluya (www.casaontherock.org), an orphanage just outside of Guatemala City. This orphanage currently takes care of approximately 450 children, ages ranging from infants to young adults in college. The goal at Casa Aleluya is to help change Guatemala for the next generation. Casa takes in children who have been abandoned and live on the streets as well as many who have been abused. Over 4,000 children have come through the gates since the ministry began in 1989.

Casa has a sewing program where young girls can learn everything from basic to advanced sewing skills; however, they do not currently have a full time instructor. During our stay, we took the opportunity to teach the girls in the program how to read a commercial pattern and how to use the patterns to make garments. 

The directors, Mike and Dottie Clark, shared with us some stories of how children at Casa Aleluya are changing Guatemala for the future. The following is one of the many stories about the children rescued and living in this amazing place: 

The father of one family killed some men in a bar room brawl and was sentenced to life in prison without ANY possibility of parole. The mother turned to prostitution to support the family and a short time later abandoned the children. The children were brought to Casa Aleluya to live, but the oldest girl hated her father. Shortly after coming to Casa, she accepted Christ as her Savior and asked Mr. Clark if he would take her to see her father in prison. She said, “Please, it is important.” Mr. Clark took her to visit him, and she told her father that she forgave him. 

She then talked to her father about Jesus, how He had changed her heart toward him, and God gave her the privilege of leading her father to Christ. His behavior at the prison drastically changed; in fact, he changed so much that the president of Guatemala at that time gave the father a full pardon and released him from prison.  That father is now a minister and preaching at a church in Guatemala.

In Exodus 34 the LORD God himself proclaims to Moses that He is merciful and gracious, one who abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness, one who is just and forgives. Moses later writes in Deuteronomy 10 that this same LORD God executes justice for the fatherless and the widow. When the God who executes justice for the fatherless and the widow became flesh to display His justice and forgiveness, He fed the hungry, loved the unloveable, and like healing the man in John 9, met needs that man could not meet for himself. I praise God because He has given me a tool to care for orphans and widows in their affliction (James 1:27), to bring relief to their physical hunger and to show them the only place where there are wells of living water that can bring life to their souls. I would like to thank everyone who has selflessly supported in word and deed the mission the Lord has given me, for being used by God to partner with me, enabling the rescue of women, children, and families from a life of poverty to an everlasting life of joy and peace with the Father.