Heading out

It's been a bit of a roller coaster this past week. We've been preparing our hearts and lives to serve the precious orphans at the Casa Bernabe orphanage in Guatemala since last fall. All the funding came in, the passports arrived in plenty of time, and we were all set to start the packing when the country was hit by not 1 but 2 natural disasters in a matter of a couple of days! The Pacaya volcano (about 20 miles from Casa Bernabe) erupted and spit lava causing the area to be covered in ash. Then just a couple of days later, there was tropical storm Agatha, which was responsible for well over a hundred deaths in Guatemala. The storm also caused the black ash to harden into a concrete-like substance.

At first we were pretty sure we weren't going to be able to make it, then we were, then not so sure. Now, it looks like the airport will reopen, and it will be safe for us to travel into Guatemala on Thursday.

So I'm thinking about these disasters and the people who have lost their homes and/or their families. It reminded me of Job and how God allowed Satan to take everything away from Job. God knew Job would continue to remain faithful to God. Job lost his land, his living, his children, and his health. If I was in Guatemala with my family, and they were taken from me in an instant, I think I'd be devastated. If He also took my way of living, my home, and my health, would I want to go on living? Would I remain faithful to God? I hope I would, but I don't know. Thankfully, I've never had to suffer that kind of loss, so I really don't know. I hope I would remember that Job stayed faithful, and God rewarded him with more blessings for the rest of his life than he ever had before. But I don't know. What about you?