Huehue 2011 - Day 6

August 19, 2011

Well, today was a day to which we had not been looking forward. We have all made so many incredible friends at Fundacion Salvacion, and the thought of leaving the children brings much sadness to our hearts. However, we know that we serve a loving, powerful God, and that He will take care of our friends here in Huehue and give each of them what they stand in need of. He is the Almighty Provider, Comforter, and Prince of Peace; He lives, He reigns, and He will care for us, always.

The day began with all nine of us grouting, and finishing the tiling project. After a few hours of hard work, we were able to stand back and be proud of what we had accomplished and what we were able to give the orphanage. Throughout the morning we had many visitors who provided “oooh’s and ahhh’s” in excitement for the new space. It was very rewarding to complete this project for the children and staff.

In the afternoon we had our last day of VBS. Today we sang our songs while standing in a circle outside in the midst of a beautiful day. It was extremely fulfilling to look around the circle at each face we had come to love. It is incredible how attached we have become to these children, God’s beautiful children.

Each night throughout the week the team worked on designing Panda Mania shirts for the final craft for VBS. Several members of our team spent hours making cute pandas, writing fun “Panda Mania” sayings on the t-shirts, and just using the gifts of creativity that they’d been given to make awesome t-shirts for the children. The children had a great time picking out their shirts, and then using many colored Sharpie markers, they decorated them. They were super excited to have all of us sign our names on their new favorite tees! Our final snack was a good one: doughnuts! The children loved the doughnuts and many of them wore the chocolate frosting on their faces for quite awhile after. J

We were then treated to a program put on by those at the orphanage. It was a time of celebration of Guatemalan culture. The children danced and performed for us. Children of all ages participated in the entertainment and it was a beautiful display of their heritage. We also had time of thanks. The staff at the orphanage gave each of us a gift, and we did the same for them. It was such a nice way to wrap up a beautiful afternoon of giving thanks for all we have been given.

We prepared and served this evening’s dinner. We grilled over 190 hotdogs (all of which were individually wrapped and took many hands to unwrap) that evening for dinner, and enjoyed our final meal with our friends. While our dinner was wrapping up and ice-cream-pops were served, Manuel and Antonio began the fireworks display! It was quite exciting! Some of the younger children were not fans of the booms and loud crackling, so that gave us an excuse to hold them extra close and love them even more, especially knowing that this would be the final embraces of the trip.

The time came to say goodbye. For many of us, perhaps all of us, it was everything that we anticipated. It was very difficult to look into those eyes and say good bye. Many tears were shed. Many hugs were given. More tears were shed. It was very sobering to get into our van and leave for the final time, knowing that hearts were breaking, and that our time with these children had come to an end for this time.

I do not think any of our hearts will be the same ever again. I know mine will not. I know that Lane’s will not. I do not think anyone’s will. All we can do now is pray that we will one day be reunited, and that God will protect and provide for us all in the mean time. We know He will. We believe in that God, our God that is so loving and so giving. The Protector of the weak; He will provide.

Thank you for reading this entry. We covet your prayers, your thoughts, and your love as we look to safely reuniting with our families and loved one in Michigan. Until then, we bid you adios.

Lane and Anna

Huehue 2011 - Day 5

August 18, 2011

Whew! What a day! Up at 4:30, to the orphanage by 5:00 A.M., and we just settled down for the evening... long, tiring, fantastic day!

We served the children breakfast this morning which consisted of cereal/milk, and fresh fruit (kiwi, strawberries, and grapes!), and it was a new experience for us, one that we enjoyed very much. Seeing the children's faces so early in the morning was delightful - their joy and thoughtfulness shined through even at such an early time of day. God is good.

After breakfast we resumed our tiling project. Ally, Laura, Holly, and Kristi grouted the tile we laid yesterday while Chase, Lane, John, Merrie Beth, and Anna prepped the dining area and began to mix concrete and lay the tile in the room. We all worked together as a team, and as of 3:00pm the tiling was finished! We look forward to grouting the dining area tomorrow, and will most definitely be working as a team - all nine of us is needed to finish this task! The green tile with grey grout looks great!

Day 4 of VBS was another great experience. The theme of the day was "God Loves Us No Matter What." The story was of Jesus' death and resurrection. For the second day in a row now, many children have asked to sing more songs after VBS is official over and a time of socialization is underway. It is a joy to see them sing and dance in praise of God.

During our evening devotions we were reminded of the awesome power of prayer.

Following devotions and dinner at the hotel we returned to Fundacion Salvacion to help celebrate Jorge's quincinera. I was fun to see the children one more time for the day, and to talk with them (as best we could), play with them, take more photos with them, laugh and smile with them and love them. The goodbyes are becoming harder for us all. The children seem to have become more attached to us as we spend more time together, and each of us our hearts are heavy as we feel the weight of tomorrow upon us.

Hopefully today's entry makes sense. Tired eyes, exhausted bodies, and sleepy minds do not make for the best writing! If time allows, perhaps tomorrow will allow a re-read and offer a chance to clarify and edit if necessary.

Thank you for taking the time to read these posts, and thank you for your prayers.

Lane and Anna

Huehue 2011 - Day 4

August 17, 2011

Buenos Dias!

What a great day we've had in Huehue! God's blessings are abundant and He has answered many prayers this week. One of our main prayers was answered this morning when the tile and cement was delivered EARLY so we were able to get to work immediately. We accomplished much today, getting the tile laid in the second kitchen. We are looking forward to grouting that tomorrow, as well as laying the tile in the eating area in that kitchen. It is a big task but we've learned that, with God, the nine of us are capable of quite a lot!

After lunch out in the city, we returned to the hotel for showers and a short break. We then headed back to the orphanage for Day 3 of VBS. Today we read the story of Jonah and the Whale, and our reminder for the day was that God can find us even in the darkest of places. God does indeed watch over us always, and we are extremely thankful for His love and protection. Our craft was making panda masks, going along with our Panda Mania theme for the week. The younger groups made the masks and it was so precious to see all the little panda faces running around roaring at each other. This is something none of us will forget! The other children made scratch fish, and made pictures with stickers. Their creations were beautiful, and again, they were very proud of their work. It's exciting to see them find confidence in their abilities. During snack time, John had his computer playing a slideshow of the pictures he took of the children yesterday. They really enjoyed seeing the photos!

We returned to the hotel for dinner and devotions this evening, but then went back to the orphanage for a bonfire and time of reflection on the past few days. During this time, Antonio translated for those who wanted to talk to the group. We shared how these experiences have impacted us, how thankful we are to have the opportunity to be here with the children and staff at Fundacion Salvacion, and ultimately how amazing it is that we serve such a loving, powerful, and merciful God who always listens to us, and watches over us. A few staff member also spoke to us, expressing their love for us, and gratitude for the love we show them and the children. It was an emotional experience that just reminds us how good God truly is. After the reflection time, we roasted marshmallows and sausages over the fire. The youngest children fell asleep in our arms during the sharing time and were put to bed, but all of the other children were thrilled to spend this fun evening with us; the feelings were mutual.

And so we end this evening giving thanks to a loving, and great God. We thank you for reading and for your support and prayers during this time. Please continue to lift us up and think of us often. We ought to head to bed now as we will be up and to the orphanage by 5am to serve the children breakfast before they leave for school. We will update tomorrow, God willing.

Buenos Noches,

Lane and Anna

Huehue 2011 - Day 3

August 16, 2011

Hola family and friends!

Today we had breakfast, group devotions and traveled to the orphanage. Once again we were greeted by the younger children and staff at Fundacion Salvacion. A few of us escorted eight or so children to their school around the corner, while others of us played with the younger children for a brief time before getting to work. The men completed more prep work for the tiling that will take place this week. We are praying that the tile will be delivered EARLY tomorrow morning so we can begin work in earnest on the project. Several of the ladies worked on mounting and protecting the pencil portraits using contact paper (similiar to lamination) so that these too can be hung for all to see. A local school/class visited the orphanage today, so we had roughly thirty more students watching and asking questions as we worked. They were very kind and seemed quite interested in the Americans that were there!

After the local school children left, and the Fundacion Salvacion children returned from their classes, we enjoyed providing and serivng lunch for the entire orphanage. Forty pizzas were consumed this afternoon along with close to ten - 3 liters bottles of pop! The children obviously enjoyed the meal, and I am sure the cooks enjoyed the break from preparing food.

2nd Day of VBS

We began again by singing songs. It is always moving to see the children sing praises to God. Holly, Ally, Manuel, and Antonio performed a short skit introducing the day's theme: God Listens To You. Today's story was God Confronts the Prophets of Baal. In crafts we made Panda Mania bracelets or cross bead necklaces. The children really enjoy the craft time and were very proud of what they make. Once again we ended VBS with a big game of futbol... I have a feeling this will be the end to each day:) Thankfully the rain held off until roughly five minutes before we were scheduled to leave.

We are thankful for and appreciate your prayers for health, safety, and that God will continue to use us in big and small ways in each situation we encounter.

Goodnight,

Lane and Anna

HueHue 2011 - Day 2

August 15, 2011

Greetings from Huehuetenango!

We've been blessed with a beautiful day in HueHue! God's goodness and faithfulness shines through even the cloudiest days here in Guatemala. We pray that as you read this you are filled with the love of Christ.

Our morning began with breakfast here at the Hotel Premier. We ate an assortment of fresh fruit, french toast sticks, eggs, and plantains. While drinking glasses of cantaloupe juice and coffee we chatted about how the Lord had blessed us with restful, rejuvinating sleep! After breakfast we met for group devotions, and headed out to Fundacion Salvacion.

When we arrived at the orphanage we were met by fewer children due to school being in session, but the hugs were great, and the "buenos dias"es were plenty. We immediately made a lists of supplies that we needed and sent a few members of our team with Antonio to purchase the supplies. Chase worked on grinding/sanding the cement floor in the second kitchen, the one that we will be tiling this week. While he worked hard in the kitchen, the rest of us organized and hung the portraits of the children at the orphanage that had been painted by high school students in the West Michigan area. For those readers who might not know, last year the mission team took a picture of each child here at Fundacion Salvacion. The pictures were then given to several schools' art classes to paint or draw. The results were beautiful; full of color and details of each child's face. It is amazing to see how the art students in Michigan captured the personality of the HueHue children in their work. We prepped and hung many of the art pieces, and wow, the children were SO excited to see their pictures hanging on the wall! There were shouts of exitement and loud rounds of laughter and clapping each time a new group of children entered the room. It was music to all of our ears! What an amazing gift these children were given - a reminder of how special, and how loved they truly are!

After our morning work session was over, we left for lunch. For this meal we chose McDonalds. We ate our food and then headed back to the orphanage after a quick stop at the hotel for our VBS supplies.

Day 1 of VBS

Today we started by singing our songs with the children. It is great to see them get so excited to sing and dance for the Lord. Holly, Ally, Antonio, and Manuel performed a skit to introduce our VBS theme: Panda Mania! Today's theme was "God Made You" and focused on how each of us is a wonderfully complex creation made in the image of God. We were able to spend more time with the children in craft time, snack time, and game time. After VBS some of us played futbol while others visited and spent time with the children.

After dinner at the hotel, we returned to Fundacion Salvacion for a movie. We were once again greeted with smiles and hugs. Popcorn and punch was served and we watched the movie together. Goodbyes were said once again for the day. As I look ahead in my mind to our final goodbyes of our trip (at the end of the week), I anticipate them being a difficult experience for me. For now though, I am thankful for four more tomorrows with the children, and the opportunity to be cheerfully greeted by them, and the chance to say hello once again.

Sleep Peacefully,
Lane and Anna