Devotional
The devotional we read today was called “You Get What You Glorify”. It challenged us to think hard what we glorify in our kids. Glorify is interchangeable with “praise”. What you praise in your kids is what they’ll pursue for themselves as they grow up. He challenges us to praise our kid’s kindness, when they pray, read the Bible, talk about Jesus or give money to charities. His ultimate point is, “Remember, you’re always leading. The question is to where.”
Emma’s Family
Our first stop was to the house of Emma. I’m not sure exactly what her condition is, but we are ultimately going to have her evaluated to provide guidance for her mom Balbina. Ben thinks it is partially due to autism. I’m not positive. It seems she may have multiple conditions. Balbina and her 15-year old daughter Emma live with her grandfather Damian.
Balbina’s husband left her many years ago to go to the USA. Balbina and her dad “Damian” have been raising Emma together. Balbina is a very strong mom. Damian got hurt several years ago and is unable to work outside the home. He does get water once a day at a local stream. He has not been able to contribute financially in a long time. Balbina has to take care of her elderly dad, disabled daughter and provide for them financially. The challenge for Balbina is that she must take Emma with her when she works. As Emma is growing up she is becoming more easily frustrated and harder to manage. Balbina is afraid that she will run into the streets in Guatemala and get hurt. It’s a lot of weight. Often times it seems more than she can handle. They stopped going to church when Damian got hurt. Balbina is struggling. She seems to have questions that keep her from pursuing God. It’s an incredible amount of stress. This is such a tragic cycle. Men starting families, then abandoning them for something or someone else. Women like Balbina do the very best they can. We are going to cover the cost of her evaluation and possibly the medicine she needs to help control Emma’s condition. My heart truly goes out to single moms.
Dexter the Dog
We stopped for a quick lunch at an outdoor community area. One of the saddest dogs I’ve ever met was there. It is extremely malnourished and its back legs are bowed. Everyone fed the dog so it turned out to be a great day. I called my daughter after we got back from the day. We decided Dexter the Dog would be a nice name.
Corn and Bricks
Our next stop was to Carmen’s house. She is 86-years old and lives with her 70-year old son Francisco. I truly loved this family. Carmen was sitting there patiently stripping the corn off of the cob. We later discovered she has bad arthritis in both knees which makes it difficult to move. Carmen and her late husband had 15 children. The first five passed away in infancy. She still has 10 children living, one being Francisco. Francisco helps on their land, but also makes adobe bricks. They had the pit where he would walk in his boots and mash the materials together to cut into adobe bricks. They own their own land which allows them to raise their own corn and beans. This family was so strong. Ben asked Francisco who God was to him. He answered “Creator and Provider”. Ben then asked him who Jesus was to him. He answered “Savior”. Ben pressed in more to determine the depth of their knowledge and faith. He asked Francisco why he needed to be saved. He said because of his sin and that he can’t do it on his own. Ben asked where he got this knowledge. He said from his mom. Francisco said that his mom would teach all the kids “doctrine” and “educate” the children all the time. It obviously worked. They love hearing the birds sing their praises in the morning, and the crickets sing praise at night. This family was so amazing. We do hope to cover the cost of her medicine for a while. She needs two pills every day.
Women deserve more
Family after family is being led by a single mom, or with a husband that is not in the picture. So much weight and responsibility! Yet, family after family choose to stop educating their daughters around the 2nd grade. It’s a bad situation which creates a cycle of poverty that’s hard to break without education. Several of the kids we have met need education sponsorship to give them a chance. It’s $34 a month up to 6th grade and you will literally be changing a life and destiny of a woman. Please reach out to me if you’re in the position to help.
