A Different Christmas

In 5 days we will be flying back to Guatemala with my sister Selena and her family, and a very special friend of the family, Kara.  Our mission... to be available for however God chooses to use us!  The fact that we are even going is still amazing to me.  God is so good...PERIOD!  For several years now, in the back of my head, I have always thought it would be so awesome to take all the money we would normally spend on Christmas and spend it helping others.  I mean really helping people, making a lasting impression, and leaving marks of Jesus' perfect love on people.  Being that I have 3 children, I never really expressed this desire to my family because after all, in our culture we can say Christmas is not about the gifts, but we continue to make it about gifts.  Our kids have never gone a single Christmas without having an abundance of gifts each Christmas morning.  I never thought they would really understand if we didn't "do Christmas" as normal.  I have completely underestimated my children's ability to understand.   Actually, I have underestimated God's ability to show my kids what Christmas, and life,  is really about.  Because my two oldest kids were with us on our summer mission trip, they were able to see firsthand the hurt, pain, and need that is out there.  Their hearts were moved and changed forever.

River with a few special little boys

Ambria with baby "Angie"

As we made our way through the Thanksgiving season, we were all reminded of how thankful we are to be so blessed in all the we have.   Selena, along with her husband Troy, their two beautiful girls Brooke (age 19) and Brenna (age 16) and family friend Kara (age 20) brought back so many thoughts and pictures to mind of the great need that is out there!  This has only increased the passion we all have to return this Christmas and serve.

Kara and her new found friend enjoying
his meal at the dump

Brenna feeding one of the hospital babies

Brooke with precious boys
waiting to be fed at the dump

The opportunity to give up the only form of Christmas we have ever known seemed easy and right to those of us who had seen the depths of poverty in Guatemala.  We are thrilled at the chance to spend  Christmas serving the people there.  My kids both expressed that it would be the best Christmas present they could ever have, if they could have another chance to go back!  My youngest, who is 8, however has no experience with mission trips and I am so anxious to see how he responds to this opportunity.  Although he has never done anything like this, he still seems excited and seems to be trusting that this will be better than any gift he would have normally received. 

My youngest, Cortlan, excited to have
his passport!

 I know there are people who don't understand why we are doing this.  There are those that have expressed that we are being unfair to our children by taking away their Christmas.  I can completely see how people may not understand the why.  I don't even fully know why God is leading us in this direction.  But what I do know is that this Christmas, my kids will receive a gift beyond anything money could ever buy them.  Giving them an opportunity to watch how God wants to work in and through them will be an everlasting gift, not an unfair treatment.  We hear it, we say it, and this year I want my actions to show it..."Christmas is not about the gifts, but about the ONE true gift of Jesus."

The night before we left Guatemala in June, we made one last trip to the orphanage where goodbyes were sad.  Below is an image that sums up our heart for this place.  It is how we left Hope of Life and a picture of the sweet peace we can't wait to feel once we are back.  The people there seem to soak up love like I've never seen.  I pray we will be prepared for what is ahead and leave them once again with only an image of what a piece of heaven's love may feel like.

My sister, Selena, with one of the
sweetest little orphans