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| Aleksandra & Kenya: Same age |
Kenya and Aleksandra found each other today. I had hoped that they might become friends, but I didn't want to force it. Towards the end of the day today, I walked up on these two holding hands and nearly dropped my phone in the aquaponics project as I fumbled to take a photo.
I have stared at this picture for over an hour. I am sitting on the patio at Mimi's House as the sky flashes and rumbles over my head. A storm is rushing in and the pounding rain on the awning now rules the night.
I am blessed to be a part of this incredible picture. A girl from an orphanage in Moscow who speaks English is holding hands with a girl from a village in Guatemala who speaks Spanish. One was an orphan and the other had no home. Now they stand side by side... Aleksandra has a family and Kenya has her own bedroom. I bear witness to the power of God's love and incredible provision that causes miracles to happen.
I learned today that the girls are nearly the same age, both will be 9 in September. How incredible that their stories have merged through this adventure that God has led.
We said goodbye today to Kenya, her mother, and her two brothers along with the family we worked with this week on the aquaponics farm.
Meet Luis, his wife Thelma and their son Andy Luis Antonio. Andy is the same age as our daughter Sterling. Maria Elvidia also lives on the property with her son Es Bin. They worked hand in hand beside us as we installed an incredibly simple and ingenious system that uses the waste of tilapia to fertilize vegetables, and the vegetable bed to filter the water for the tilapia.
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| Edgar adding the fish to the tank |
Today was an incredible day of handing the keys over to two families and seeing them walk into their new homes, as well as seeing the water flow with the promise of sustainable food. Today also stands out to our family because we realize that the next time we complete a project in Guatemala... we will only need a car ride to get home. In 10 short months, we will be living here. We begin counting down 300 days now.
Our kids now have made many new friends. We have connected with six separate missionary families with whom we will serve. We have identified a house to rent, and have a solid possibility on a car. We will need to find $6,000 between now and May to pay for it.
We have a clear picture of what our ministry will look like. We step forward on faith that all the necessary pieces of the puzzle will fall in line. Even if the picture doesn't look exactly like we think... we move forward knowing that God will paint it. The house we plan to rent is large enough that we will have room for a small staff of nannies who will provide around the clock care for 6 orphaned baby girls.
We will be able to volunteer at the Christian Academy of Guatemala where our kids will attend. We will be a part of Journey Church Guatemala where we will worship and do life together with believers. I will also be able to work with short term mission trips to continue to build sustainable communities in the mountains of Cerro Alto.
We are so grateful to be part of Catalyst Resources International. We appreciate muy mucho those who are already contributing partners. It is incredible what God is doing here in this place, and also with so many back in the U.S.
Our day has been filled with tears of happiness, thankfulness, and the power of true belief. I have many stories to tell... but at the end of the day, it is a retelling of the only story I know.
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| God can do a great deal with just a few fishes. He can also do a lot with you and me. |
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