Wrecked Still...

Well, we're back from our missions trip to Guatemala and trying to get back into the swing of "regular" life. The trip was way too short for us to emotionally grapple with everything we needed to while there. So now, we all keep revisiting different issues and emotions and processing and praying through things together. The word we keep coming back to is "wrecked." People have asked us to share about the trip, but to be honest we don't really know how to put the experience into words. Let me start with the praises...

Our travels were safe and without complication. One couple on the team missed their flight and had to arrive by way of LA, but finally made it the next morning. No one was injured or sick while there. We all received the food and nutrition we needed and had warm beds to sleep in at night. God was able to use the resources and talents we brought with us to accomplish several things including a mini-makeover in the baby house, new paint in one of the teen boys' houses, new meds in the clinic, new shoes on some feet, craft and story time with the toddlers, doing nails and hair with toddlers and older girls, and helping feed and care for the babies. We experienced a beautiful church service with freedom in their worship like I've never seen before and sat in on youth group and a school music class.

Even with all God allowed us to accomplish, we felt very inadequate when compared to the vast needs at the orphanage and the country as a whole. We saw some of the destruction from the recent natural disasters and the extreme poverty the country deals with every day. In one view, we could see the poverty in the valley, and the great wealth in the mountains above. The staff at the orphanage are doing an amazing job with the resources they have, but they need so much more. The delays in the development of the children are very evident, and there are nutrition deficits. But the saddest thing for me was looking into their eyes and seeing a detachment there that is indescribable. If you can engage them, their whole face lights up. But many times there is just a stare with...uncertainty or fear, I'm not sure which. It's as if strangers come and go so much that they don't want to attach themselves emotionally to anyone.

God allowed us to get "close" to a few of the children, including a 2 yr old little girl who we'll call Y. We would love to bring her home one day, if at all possible. As well as a 3 yr old little boy we'll call J. We also were able to form relationships with a couple of the house parents and plan to continue to keep in touch and support and pray for them. They asked us to pray for loneliness and acceptance among the other staff, more male house parents to give the children a father-figure, health concerns, and of course the children.

We still are shedding tears off and on as our hearts ache for the little ones we left. We're grateful for all He's given us here in the States, but we would love to be able to share it with them.

The pictures tell the story probably as well as, if not better than, we do. If you would like to take a look at the pictures, we'll have them up on our Facebook page in the next day or two (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Higher-Ground/62792533430?ref=ts). Thank you so much for your prayers.