James 1:27 is off and running...Feb 2017

The team gathered at the airport early Saturday morning (or late depending on if you went to sleep or not) for a 5am departure for Guatemala. The departure was bittersweet for me. I had anticipated a week of service with my sister and was excited to show her around and introduce her to the friends I have made here. But due a significant knee injury, she was not able join us on the trip. She still wanted to drop me at the airport and after a weepy good-bye (for both of us) she drove home and I found the rest of the team getting ready to check-in. The travel day was a blur of airports, cat naps, and traffic from Guatemala City to Sumpango where we would be staying for the week. We arrived safe and sound, most of us feeling like zombies, and organized our supplies and activities for the week. Betty and the pastors came to share a meal with us at the retreat center and introduce us to the ministries we will be working with all week. After dinner most of us went to bed, or at least tried with the assistance of ear plugs to drown out the mountainous, highway curve the retreat center sits on where the cars and trucks brake and honk throughout the day and night.

Sunday morning we had the privilege of hosting a carnival for the families that have received bunk beds in the past. There were games, a photo booth, and ice cream where families could enjoy having fun and spending time with one another. It was great to see all the smiles and laughter at the 3-legged race where I was stationed. During one race 2 moms had their legs tied together and their babies tied to their backs. They were laughing so hard they could hardly move. 

Our teaching for the new bunk bed group began shortly after the carnival. Typically classes are an hour long (a Guatemalan hour) but for Sunday morning we asked a local organization to come do the training on sexual abuse, which turned out to be about 2 hours. We separated the adults and kids so I tackled teaching on sexual abuse with the kiddos for 2 hours instead of the one we typically do.It was cool to see God’s hand at work during the training because I was certainly out of my comfort zone and at the end of myself. I had a wonderful team supporting and praying for me while I taught as well as providing hands on assistance for the crafts and activities we both planned and improvised for the 2 hours we shared together. The following night we taught about alcoholism and how it impacts the family dynamic. Randy shared his testimony with the adults followed by representatives from the local AA. They shared their stories and provided resources for anyone struggling with alcoholism. I wasn’t able to hear what was shared because I was in with the kids, but those who were there reported the stories were all very impactful and the audience was engaged with the stories. Deb and Rachel provided teaching for the kids and did a wonderful job making it age appropriate, relatable, and hopeful for the kids whose parents may be struggling with alcoholism. They also planned some great activities for the kids to experience what it feels like to be drunk without actually consuming alcohol. Our interpreter for the kids class also shared about her experience as the daughter of an alcoholic which really connected with the kids. 

Monday morning dawned bright and early with a 6am breakfast call before heading to the orphanage to teach classes about careers. It was a bit of organized chaos, maybe more chaos than organized but everyone survived and I think the kids learned a few things. We were able to adapt things today and it went a bit more smoothly. We taught about 90 kids each day through 4 interpreters and many conversations with Spanglish and charades. In future posts, I’ll share more about the orphanage and our experiences with the kids there but we are heading to dinner soon so I’ll have to wrap it up for the day.

Thank you for you continued prayers and support. Please pray for the families receiving bunk beds this year, that the beds bless their lives but also that the teaching and the gospel that will be presented tonight will transform their lives. Please pray for stamina and endurance for the last few days of the trip. Please pray for the pastors and missionaries here, that the retreat would bless them and encourage them. 

Hasta luego!

Ready, set...

The James 1:27 team will be departing for Guatemala in 1 week! I’m experiencing a nervous excitement for our visit as we prepare lesson plans, gather supplies, and begin to organize the packing list. I’m excited to see old friends and make new friends while exploring the beautiful country that awaits. We will be doing a lot of work while we are there but I’m hopeful to stay in the moment and allow God to work through us and not try to take control of each situation. I ask for your prayers, that God would break the cycles of darkness and bless each part of the work we will be doing.

The Orphanage:

We will spend our days at the school on the campus of an orphanage for kids who are HIV+. We will be teaching classes for kids birth to 6th grade about career exploration and how what they are learning now can be used in the future. There will be about 80 kids at the school, 14 gringos, and a couple interpreters. While we manage the school, each teacher, nun, and adult that is in regular contact with the kids living at the orphanage will go through a 3-day intensive training about becoming a trauma competent caregiver. The training is run by a Guatemalan organization that will equip each caregiver to provide the emotional support a child who has been through trauma needs to grow into a healthy adult.

Prayer Requests:

1.) The kids would begin to dream about their future and see life beyond the orphanage

2.) The training would bring healing not only for the kids, but also for those attending the training as many of them have likely experienced trauma as a child that has never been addressed

3.) The team would be patient and graceful to ourselves and the kids as we teach and interact with the kids

The Bunk Bed Project:

Sunday will kick off with a carnival and reunion for all the families that have participated in the bunk bed project on previous trips as well as the families selected to receive bunk beds during the week. For those of you unfamiliar with the bunk bed project, families who are at risk or known to be abusive are identified by the church and invited to attend 4 classes on how to build healthy families. Those 4 classes include topics of the origin of sin and brokenness, alcoholism, domestic or sexual abuse, and nutrition. The first 3 classes are broken into kids and adults so that age-appropriate content can be presented to each audience. The nutrition class is taught with families working together to learn about making healthy food choices. At the end of the 4 classes, each family is given a set of bunk beds to take home with them. Many families come from homes that are either one room or one bed homes. When a family shares a bed, there is increased opportunity for abuse to occur. The bunk beds provide a physical separation and the classes offer hope and tools to resist opportunities for abuse, encouraging safe sleep environments for children.

Prayer requests:

1.) Families would find freedom in Christ to break the cycles of abuse

2.) Families would be restored and find hope and healing through Christ and the local Church

3. ) The team would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and teach in a way that is pleasing and glorifying to God

The Retreat:

We partner with an amazing team of pastors and missionaries on the ground in Guatemala. They work tirelessly to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, host numerous teams from the United States, and graciously serve their local communities. On our last day, we will host a retreat to allow them time and space to rest, find restoration, and encourage one another. The retreat will include group devotions, worship, one-on-one counseling, couples counseling, and free time.

Prayer Requests:

1.) Our partners would find rest and be ready for a busy season of hosting teams and serving

2.) Our partners would find freedom and grace to speak of the troubles and hardships they experience in ministry and allow God to encourage them in broken places

3.) That we as a team would be supportive and vulnerable in our own struggles and brokenness

Thank you so much for your prayer support as we travel. Stay tuned to our blog for fun pictures, videos, and stories of our time in Guatemala!

San Lucas Toliman

Hola!
We successfully made it to San Lucas Toliman Sunday afternoon with the rest of the team:)
Monday and Tuesday morning we met with the teachers at the school for children with special needs.  The 2 teachers that are there don't have any training for working with kids with special needs, and were really excited to have us there. We were greeted by lots of hugs from the kids too:)
  We have a couple teachers, two Occupational Therapists, a speech therapist, and a physical therapist all on the team, so we started with some one on one evaluations with the kids. We were able to give the teachers a lot of suggestions for working with the kids and exercises to help them. It was cool to see how receptive and eager to
Some of us also went in to observe the classroom and see what the kids were working on and come up with ways to enhance their learning.

Tuesday we got to play soccer with the kids and do some hands on activities with the kids in the classroom. Emily led an activity where the kids got to use letter beads to work on recognizing and spelling their names. Definitely one of the highlights was seeing how engaged and excited the kids were about learning things in a new way.

Another highlight for today was getting to ride in the back off a pickup Guatemala style (aka: seeing how many people you can fit standing in the back!) due to a rainstorm flooding the streets today!

Tonight we are working on some projects (play dough, weighted sensory blankets, photo exercises) for the kids and we are excited to try them out tomorrow with the kids:)

Week 1 Recap

Hola!
So Thursday we started off the morning with a workshop with the teachers at the orphanage. Lorelei and Joyce watched a movie with the kids and hung out with them while Amy and I talked with the teachers. Amy talked about the basic things that kids need to be able to learn and how coming from difficult situations affects how they learn. I talked about the different learning styles kids have and how to use that to help the kids be more engaged in what they are learning.

In the afternoon we went to the church and led a women's workshop where Joyce talked about spiritual gifts with the ladies.
Then in the evening Amy talked about sexual abuse at the healthy families class.

Friday was fairly similar to Thursday, except in the morning Lorelei, Amy, and I did more home visits in some of the more remote areas of Sumpango. We got to hear some of their stories and pray with the families. Some of the people we visited with were those who had received bunkbeds in the past through the healthy families classes. It was cool to see how God is using the bunkbeds in these families lives to protect their kids and help give them a better future.
We did another women's workshop in the afternoon, and it was really awesome to see how many women came!
That night we did the final class at the church and Amy and I talked about health and nutrition. Then the bunkbeds went home with their rightful owners. The kids were so excited to sleep in their new beds!
It's been wonderful to see how God has worked everything together for these families to get the bunkbeds. They are definitely a gift from Him to these precious families.

On a side note, today was our break day, before another week of ministry in San Lucas Toliman. So Joyce headed off to take some Spanish classes, and the rest of us climbed Pacaya, a volcano! It was good to take a break,  and we're feeling re-energized and ready to pick up the rest of  the team tomorrow in Guatemala City!

Thanks for praying and following along! We're excited to see what God will do in this new week of ministry:)

Hello Everyone!

We arrived safely in Guatemala on Tuesday around noon.  We hit the grouund running after getting picked up by our driver and Joyce, who came down a week early to take some Spanish classes.  After getting some groceries for the week, we headed to the church in Sumpango to start the first Healthy Families Class.  Lorelei talked about having freedom in Christ, and Joyce and I had the kids during this time for a similar talk, and some fun songs and games!
We were all very grateful to get a good nights sleep, that night, after being up since 2:15am! :)

Yesterday we started off with home visits in the colonies where we were able to pray with and encourage several families.
In the afternoon, we went to the orphanage and Joyce shared a devotional with the nuns about taking care of  yourself through prayer and reading God's word.  We also got to play a lively game of basketball with the nuns- this was something they had been excited about since the planning trip!  It was great to have fun and build relationship with them at the same time.
After that, we headed for the church for the 2nd. healthy families class on Alcoholism.  Lorelei and Amy tackled this topic with the adults, and I (Rachel) talked with the kids about it.  I wasn't sure how this topic would go with a variety of ages of kids, but they stayed really engaged and we had a great conversation about it and how to deal with our problems in other ways.  As one girl piped in "We can pray about them!"  And that's the truth.


Lorelei talking about Freedom in Christ

Wed. night craft with the kiddos.

I'm running out of time, so that's all for now!

Hasta luego!

Kickball tournament and Cookie Bake-off

We are on our way back to Guatemala in August and it's time to raise some funds for the trip. What better way than a kickball tournament and cookie bake-off! Grab some friends, neighbors or random strangers you meet at the coffee shop and get your team together!

Why: To raise money for kids and families in Guatemala. Wooddale Church is sending a team of volunteers to teach classes, love on kids at an orphanage living with HIV, and provide therapy services to kids with special needs at their school. The funds raised at this event will go to provide bunk beds for families that go through our Building Healthy Family classes. Classes include topics such as Alcoholism, Domestic Abuse, Nutrition, and Identity in Christ. At the end of the classes, each family will earn a certificate of completion and a set of bunk beds so kids can have their own bed and not have to share with their parents.

Details:

Kickball Tournament:

Teams should designate a captain who will be in charge of communicating between the event organizers and team members. Each team should be comprised of 8-12 members. Costumes or uniforms for team unity are highly encouraged. Best team theme will be decided by those attending the event. The process for that decision is outlined in the voting section below. Each team is responsible for raising $50 for a team entry fee. 

Want to play but don’t have a team? Depending on numbers, there may be an opportunity for a team to be assembled as strangers but leave as friends or even champions! Individuals not connected to a team, but wanting to play have an entry fee of $5.

We ask that all kickball team members be in elementary school or older. Younger children, however, are welcome to serve as team mascots or cheerleaders. There is no age limit to participation.

Team captains, please email your team name to engberm@gmail.com as well as how many people you have on your team and if you are willing to take more team members. If you are an individual and want to be connected to a team or are willing to captain the team of strangers, also email engbergm@gmail.com. 

Cookie Bake-off:

Not into kickball but still want to get your competitive juices flowing? In the building, you will be given the chance to display your cookie baking talents. There will be prizes for best tasting cookies and best looking cookies as decided by those attending the day of the event. The process for voting is outlined below. If you are interested in entering your cookies into the bake-off email engbergm@gmail.com.

Voting: Because this is a fundraiser, $1=1vote. Each team for kickball and each cookie will have a box associated with it where “votes” can be cast for your favorite. We will be encouraging you all to vote early and vote often.

Those attending the event can enjoy our Taco Bar for $5. If you are playing on a team, the bar is included in your entry fee.

Not really competitive but still want to join in the festivities by volunteering? Contact Michelle at engbergm@gmail.com. 

Hasta Luego

Hello Everyone!

This is my last post, as Lorelei, Lindy, Mackenzie and I all made it safely back to MSP last night around midnight.  Joyce, Linda, Amy, and Connie dropped us off at the airport and then went on with Bridge Builders for another week of service in a different part of Guatemala.  Please pray for energy and safety for them!

Our last day was a free day in Antigua to debrief as a team, have some time to process things, and have a little fun wandering the city.  We had to say goodbye to the ministry team after breakfast, as they had to get back to Sumpango.  While we were sad to say goodbye to them, the day was full of good conversations, amazing Guatemalan food, and lots of laughs! It was a blessing to have a day to relax after a very busy, but awesome week!

At supper on Friday night, we shared what some of our favorite moments from the week were, and I thought it would be fun to share them with you as well!

Lindy: The home visits, hanging out with the kids during the Healthy Families classes, and the foot washing

Mackenzie: The VBS in the woods and home visits

Lorelei: Having the opportunity to wash the feet of the ministry team and the home visits.

Linda: How loving the people were, VBS in the woods and seeing how the nuns gave up everything to care for the kids at the orphanage.

Amy: the VBS in the woods, and lunch with the teachers.

Rachel: The lunch with the teachers, spending time with the kids at church, and building relationships with those in the community.

Joyce:  Seeing God work out the connections for the speaker at the retreat, and the kids hugs.

Connie: The foot washing, and holding the baby at the orphanage.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, and please continue to keep the ministry team in your prayers as they continue to serve in Sumpango.

Adios!