Christmas Greetings from Guatemala

December in Carcha is variable as the sun shines brightly one day, but the next day the rain sends chills through our bodies. The other day the temperatures dropped to the upper 50’s. With no heat in our house, we put on multiple layers to keep us warm. However we noticed our neighbor’s children walking the cold rainy streets barefooted and with only a light sweater. They had no umbrella to shield from the rain.

Orphans Needing Love

Later in the week the three little orphaned neighbor children came to our door and told us that their little brother was sick. Phyllis listened to his lungs and confirmed that he had pneumonia. Fortunately she had some medicine on hand for him and walked with them to tell their aunt how to give the medicine. These three little ones, who live in a tin shack up the hill from our house with their aunt and her common law husband and their two children, often touch our hearts with their sweet smiles in spite of their dirty faces and tattered clothes. These children often stop at our house to receive a little love.

Life is especially hard for an orphan as they don’t get treated with love as a mother would give to her own child. A pastor told us how he felt being raised an orphan. He said, “I felt like I’d never be able to achieve in anything. My aunt and uncle’s own children had more proper help. Later when I received Christ into my life, I found meaning and purpose in life.” This pastor now travels to many different communities to help develop youth programs in the churches. God has blessed his life abundantly.

Our family at Christmas

At Christmas time especially, we all think of family. We enjoyed special time with our immediate family through the middle of this year, but will not be with them for Christmas. However we will not be without family. We already have people asking us what we will be doing for Christmas and inviting us to spend it with them. We will join one church family for their Christmas Eve church service which lasts until midnight after which delicious tamales are served. This year we will also be celebrating Christmas with a Youth Evangelism Team of five young people from the US who just arrived to spend eight months of service in Guatemala. Our table will be full with others who will be missing their families too.

Traditionally Phyllis makes Christmas cookies with the neighbor children to share with our neighbors and in exchange our neighbors share their tamales with us on Christmas day.

Thank you all for your love, prayers and support throughout the year 2008. God has blessed us abundantly in many different ways. We look forward to continue serving Him through the year 2009.