Working?

I officially am employed by Young Life in Eastern DuPage...meaning what? you might ask. Great question. I am one of three new interns in the area and we daily ask ourselves the same question--are we doing what we're supposed to be doing? What are we supposed to be doing? A big priority for the past few days has been getting and meeting with leaders for my upcoming camp trip. Next Friday I am heading up a camp trip to Timber Wolf Lake in MI...88 middle school kids, 15 high school leaders, and 4 other adult type leaders. Talk about jumping in head first, right?

I was really challenged by the sermon Pastor Bill gave last week at 1st CRC in GR. He preached on the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18, and I've been using that passage and a few points from his sermon as the basis for leader training. A few things that stand out to me...whose fault is it that the sheep is lost? The sheep wanders off. How many sheep stay on the path? 99...yet the shepherd pursues the one relentlessly and brings him home. No questions. No judgment. And, he takes great joy in bringing that sheep home.

As I head into YL staff my prayer is that God will give me the strength and persistence to pursue kids in the way he pursues each one of us...and that he will use me to enable other leaders to do the same.

Update 1

It has been too long...I've neglected my blog in the craziness of leaving Guatemala, assimilating back into the US, YL trips, Chicago tours, and finally relaxing with my family. I have many updates to give, but I'll start by finishing the update on my YL service trip. The trip was a HUGE success. Kids really saw a different side of the world, saw how we're all connected, and saw that they can make a difference. I'm proud of how hard our YL kids worked and how well they served people. I was blessed to share that experience with that group of students and leaders.

During our time there YL had its first club in one of the neighborhoods. Our students did a skit which was pretty funny; Brady and Fito led singing. A lot of the work was shoveling rocks and sand and mixing concrete. We really developed our mixing muscles during the week :)

This group, along with two others, put new roofs on houses. This involved taking down frames and rebuilding supports before even attacking the roof itself. Kevin, the boy on the left, is a Young Life kid that Brady and the other leaders have been working with.

There were always plenty of children to play with if the work was slow or if we were waiting for supplies. The children had joyful eyes when they were playing with us, but when I looked into eyes that weren't directed at me I saw pain and hurt and hunger that reflected the lives they lead on a daily basis. We may bring joy into their lives for a day or two, but it's not permanent. The only joy that can truly change these eyes is the joy of the Lord. Thank God for people like the YL staff who are in this neighborhood every day!This is the picture of the Guatemalan City dump that backs up to the neighborhoods that YL works in. The trash stretches on and piles up more than I could describe or imagine. Many people make their living and lose their lives working in this dump.

This picture gives a pretty good view of the houses in which we worked. The big bags are bags of trash that were filtered from the dump and now will be sold for a VERY meager living.

The story of these two young girls broke my heart. Both are teenage moms with a second on the way. When we talked to them, neither had eaten in over two days. Malnourished and pregnant, not the ideal combo. We took them to a grocery store and one of the girls almost passed out in the store. We got her some yogurt and crackers to eat there which stabilized her. I was able to buy them groceries, and with rice and beans as a staple in the diet I bought about a months worth of groceries for less than many people here spend for a week. But what happens after the month is up?

As you can see, we got a lot accomplished during the week and learned a lot. But the more we learned and the more projects we finished, the more I realized that our work is futile against the overwhelming poverty of these dump communities. I guess I have to have confidence that small scale redemption will make a large impact in someone's life--even if it's just the four year old girl who was fed for the first time in two days. This area truly represents the yearning and groaning of a creation awaiting the redemption of Jesus Christ.

Work!

My YL team safely arrived around 9:00 on Saturday night and the trip officially started with a hike up a volcano on Sunday. It was fun sharing the Pacaya experience with my friends from home. The pyromaniac in a few boys came out and that was a little scary, but we all survived.

Monday morning our work started. We are divided up into five teams that are in two neighboring communities in zone 3. Zone three is built around the city dump and many people make their living sorting through the stuff in the dump. Groups are mixing and laying concrete floors for families living on dirt, rebuilding houses, putting roofs on, and more. It's hard work, which is good for our group!!!!

I don't have time for a full update, so I want to share one highlight: one of my students who I worked with all semester was adopted out of a terrible life in the neighborhoods that we are working in. She has never shared her story with more than 2 or 3 people, and only close friends. When I told her about our group, she said, "Miss Witte, I want to share my story with them. I think I can help or impact at least one person." So on Monday, Felicita shared her story...and she impacted us all. I'm so proud of how God's working in her life...for a 17 year old girl to say that she's angry at God about the crap she went through, BUT knows he was in control is a powerful experience.

More to come, but Brady, the YL staff person here has more consistent internet and started a blog specifically for our group: www.vjguatemala.blogspot.com

and so it begins...

When you work with Young Life, the phrase "why not?" becomes a large part of your vocabulary. It reflects the flexibility that is inherent to the ministry...and so it begins. All but three of the group of 30 coming down actually missed their flight to Guatemala and are hanging out in Houston for the day. Why not? Hopefully they're having some good bonding stateside while I wait patiently for them to come here!!!!

A Dutch Bingo update for all who appreciate the game: Last weekend I went ziplining in Panajachel. In our group was a group of about 9 Canadians who were all studying Spanish in Pana. One girl did not have a crazy accent, so I got suspicious and curious. Here's the conversation we had:

Me: Wow, those earings are great. Did you get them here?
Girl: No, I got them at a free trade store in Canada.
Me: Oh, you're from Canada! Where?
Girl: Toronto. Where are you from?
Me: Michigan
Girl: I was born there!
Me: Really? Where?
Girl: Grand Rapids
Me: No way, that's where I'm from.
Girl: I thought you looked Dutch and CRC...I can spot em from miles away! My parents met at Calvin!
Me: Wow, small world.
Girl: What are you doing here?
Me: Teaching at a missionary school in the city (actually gave a longer explanation)
Girl: My sister knows some people doing that...the Wirrels?
Me: Huh, they teach at my school!

You get the gist...I'm sure I made my family proud on that connection!

An Update and a Disclaimer

Update: I've been busier than I thought with school wrap up over the past few weeks, but I've also had some time to relax and reflect on my time in Guatemala. My friend Emily Baker came down for a whirlwind visit to Guatemala last week. We did as much as we could--and she got the true Guatemalan experience as she suffered from the common traveler's illness: fever, chills, and other unpleasantries. Mom, Emily wants to commiserate with you. She feels your pain!!! We still had a great time...which she remembers now that she's healthy again! I have some curriculum work to do before 30 Hinsdale Young Life people come down here for a work trip. I am so excited to share my life here with people from home! Which leads to the disclaimer :)

Disclaimer: I offered my blog as a place where people on the trip can reflect on the experiences, post pictures, etc. I don't know how many opportunities there will be to post, but there will be 30 people who have reign to reflect and process their time in Guatemala, so you'll be getting more perspective (and different perspective) than just me. Take that into account with posts from the next week!

Blessings and enjoy the beginning of summer weather...we haven't seen the sun in about a week as the tropical storms in other areas are pulling LOADS of rain here!