In one week I will board a plane with a team of three other bloggers and travel to Guatemala with Compassion International. I want you to come with me. I want to paint a picture of the child development programs we visit that is vivid enough for you to feel the sun on your back and hear the giggles of kids trying to figure out the foreigners who don’t understand anything beyond “yes” and “no.”
I want to lay down words sturdy enough for you to walk across and meet another country and take bits of it back in your heart. Because I am convinced that what we all have in common far outweighs any of our differences.
1. Kids are kids are kids
What they wear, where they live, or what accents they have – these are incidental to who they are. When you see the photographs that start to come out of our trip I hope you see your own children in the images. I hope you see more than poverty. I hope you see joy and laughter and a twinkle in a mischievous eye. I hope you see your boys building forts and bear caves and your daughters planning tea parties and bossing around their brothers. I hope your heart feels more love and delight at these beautiful, perfect reflections of God’s image than burdened by the distance between you and them.
2. Your family is not so different as you think
The Father of Lies would like nothing more than to convince us we have nothing in common with our brothers and sisters who live in a poverty we can’t relate to. He’d like to cripple us with a guilt that tells us we can’t make a difference so what’s the point in even trying. Well that’s just plain ridiculous. I have met families that lived in the garbage dumps of Egypt who cared just as much about making their one room apartment one level above the dumps as hospitable as my cousins who live on a sprawling estate in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Every family wants their children to go on to live better lives than their parents. Fathers the world over get up and go to work to provide food and moms cook and clean and complain that no one helps them clear the dishes. Families tell stories about that crazy great-aunt and kids always want to stay up later than they are allowed.
Some families are trapped in squatter camps and a poverty that tries to strangle them while others are overwhelmed by the need to keep up with their neighbors and buy the minivan, the Wii or the wardrobe they can’t afford.
We all wrestle against the forces that try to destroy the heart of a home.
3. You don’t have to be wealthy to make a world of difference
I come from a country that has one of the highest HIV rates in the world. The numbers of orphaned children is skyrocketing by terrifying numbers and most days it is daunting to think about how to make a difference. So mostly my family doesn’t. Instead we focus on the people right in front of us – one individual at a time.
And that’s how my little adopted brother Karabo snuck into our hearts. And he brought with him siblings and a personal connection to a community. One community out of an entire country. Because that’s the community God laid on my parents’ hearts. So that is where they serve. But if you asked them they wouldn’t think of it as service, they’d just tell you it’s youth camp and birthday parties and buying new school uniforms before the semester begins.
It’s through the messy, down-to-earth relationships that we make the most difference. On a 1:1 ratio.
That’s what I hope you discover in this trip. That the stories we carry back to you are your stories too. That the people we meet remind you of your own family. And that the difference you can make doesn’t require a grandiose commitment, rather simply making a new friend.
Just one child at a time. That’s how Compassion is changing the world.
Won’t you be a part of this wonderful, messy, completely ordinary opportunity to make a new friend with me?
And in the hopes that your answer is “yes” I’ll have this button up on my blog from now through the remainder of my trip. With one click you can connect with one child.
And maybe change both your lives.
Beautifully said. Looking forward to meeting in person, seeing the twinkle in your eye when you laugh and the tears when you are moved. One week.
LJ, this is wonderful! Gloriously wonderful. Do we have any idea what power we have with our God behind us? Wess spoke at church last week that the root of poverty is the thought that a person doesn’t matter. When we adopt one of these precious young’uns into our lives and speak truth to him-that the God of the universe knows his name and loves him madly-it changes his life. That child in turn changes its family’s life. That family changes the church’s life. That church changes the community’s life. From mustard seed to mighty tree…each of us can make an impact.
I’m holding you and the others so tightly in prayer these next few weeks. I can’t wait to see your experiences through your words. Love you sweet girl!
I would LOVE to come with you! I am already a supporter of Compassion, but my heart and soul long to do something else – something more tangile. At this juncture in my life, however, I’m not able to do much besides write a check, but at least that’s a start, right? So I assume you won’t mind if I live vicariously through you on your Guatemalan trip? I hope it’s really special for you.
I love Kristen’s words.
Lisa Jo, thx for encouraging me that we ARE making a difference, one life at a time, touching the ones God has connected us to in personal relationships.
I think Comapassion is a great ministry and I’m excited that you get to be involved with them. Guatemala was my very first 3rd world mission experience SO many years ago (um, 1987?) and holds a special place in my heart. God used that trip to put missions indelibly in my heart. You’re going to love the people and the wild beauty of the country. I’m looking forward to sharing this experience with you!
Blessings and love, S xx
p.s. I don’t know how to do links and I don’t have a blog, but on the (in)courage entry I would comment to them if they had a place that your blog is one of my favorites and encourages me so much!
Love you lots,
S
Wonderful post, Lisa Jo! Thank you for this perspective! I look forward to your posts from Guatemala. Kelly
I am so excited to be going back to Guatemala {virtually} with you!!!
the child on the far right looks like a young man in Santa Clara that we visited – his name was Pedro. We all loved him…. gosh your post and that picture bring back memories.
I will be praying for you so please post to your community how we can be praying! eeee!
Oh, Lisa-Jo, I’m SO excited that you get to go! I can hardly wait to read your posts. I followed the Compassion blogging team to Kenya in March and they were life-changing. You’ll be in my heart, thoughts, and prayers!
I was really impressed with today´s blog. I live in Guatemala. I really would like to be involved with you helping kids here. If there is anything I can be of help, please let me know.
And thanks a lot to you and Compassion who lovingly care for this kids and their families, who, as you said, live in extreme poverty; something people from most places in the world cannot even imagine.
Blessings to all of you.
Yay for coming to Guatemala :)
Do you know where you will be yet?
Go, go, go! I love it. :o) You have invited us to share in your journey, for that I am truely grateful. And what a great group of gals. Yeah!
Good luck with your trip. I adopted a little boy for Colombia, South America and my time in-country was a very eye opening experience. All children deserve love and laughter. I will be thinking about you guys.
Have a wonderful trip–your High Calling community will love traveling vicariously as you reach out and hug those kids!
So very excited and happy to read about your adventures and make them a little bit mine. That’s what the Church is called to do, no? Make others’ stories a little bit their own.
Lisa-Jo? I’m in a puddle over today’s post…
And I’m counting down days to all that God has for us in Guatemala — for all He has to teach me through you. You’ve taught me much in these words and my heart is about ready to burst.
I love you, sister…
All’s grace,
Ann
I can’t wait to follow along on this journey. What an opportunity to show what God is doing…and can do. Praying for you!
I have a sponsored girl in guatemala…..i wanna come with!
Hi,
It is a blessing to read about your work, thank you on behalf of all those little wonderful lives you have touched.
I would love to go help, especially in Guatemala, I have read about Sister Edna Morales.
Have you met her? I would love to meet her and hug her and thank her personally for all the lives she has touched and saved. Would love to hear from you and would love to board a plane to Guatemala and help, help, help.
With the love of Jesus in my heart,
Lidia
661-342-0973 cell
661-588-2822 home