Forever Changed

I learned many things while in Guatemala. This trip sobered me into remembering how difficult medical missions can be. One of my personal biggest hurdles is the language barrier. I took a total of 4 years of Spanish in high school and I was able to make small talk just fine with the young kids when playing at Dori's promise, but I did not learn ANY medical Spanish in high school. During my trip to Brazil we had multiple interpreters as nurses so I did not feel as much of the language barrier when it came to nursing and assessment. In Guatemala I felt like I could do very little for my assessment before I had to send them to my Spanish speaking friend who was a nurse. I am extremely grateful for Elaine who was able to combine her nursing skills and fluent Spanish to make a tremendous impact on the kids we saw. So I walked away from this aspect of the trip with a clearer idea of how to pray for my future....

I am now praying for God to lay a specific country or language on my heart for where He would have me serve. I realize that if I am going to take medical missions seriously that I need to strongly consider learning another language or go to a place that speaks English or that I will have access to medical interpreters. With that said, learning another language really honestly terrifies me. Learning another language was a weak point in my past academics so I can already hear satan whispering lies that say to give up now because it will be too hard. Satan convinces me that I should avoid my weaknesses because there is no way to overcome my weaknesses. But I know in my head that God promises the exact opposite: in my weakness God shows His strength. I'll just put out a disclaimer right here, right now: if in the next few years I learn another language it is not on my own ability or strength so God be given the glory! Literally, learning another language really scares me. I will be praying a lot over the next year and few months for direction in this area of my life.

Another lesson that God laid on my heart over this past week was related to working with orphans. I actually thought that I already had a heart for orphans before this trip. I have felt a strong desire to adopt and I support orphans financially through different organizations. I had heard women in my church talk about trips that they had been on where they worked with orphans and they were broken by these children's reality. To be honest, I struggled to understand how another lady at my church could go to Dori's Promise and meet a child, for the first time, and feel an instant and undeniable desire to parent one of the orphans. She felt the same love for that orphan as her own flesh and blood and she hardly even met this little orphan. How could this be?... After this week I understood. I realized that this week was the first time that I have physically spent time with orphans in another country who where placed in an orphanage indefinitely. Although I do not have my own biological child I felt a spiritual love for 2 of the little boys that I can honestly say I have never felt before and it is hard to describe in words. I sincerely did not expect some spiritual movement by working with the orphans but I now understand what it means to experience the love of the Holy Spirit moving in and through me. In a new way I felt confirmation for adopting in the future and I feel confidence that God will lead me to love and care for orphans in the future. 

I was also very encouraged to see the work that is being done in Guatemala. Everywhere that we went there was a light in the darkness. Cori is working to change her community through education and skill advancement. The pastor by the dump is feeding the children meals that they would very likely not receive without her help. Light in Paradise is working to break social norms in order to provide a future for the children there. Safe Passage is working to teach entrepreneurship, promoting education and hygiene, and encouraging spiritual restoration. All of these people and women who are pushing for change in their communities encourage me! It inspires me to support them and to be open to the same kind of dramatic change and light in such darkness.

EXPERIENCING church

Who doesn't enjoy sitting through a nicely organized, smooth, church service: nice sounding band, lots of nice programs, a good sermon? But I experienced church this morning, not because of those aspects of a Sunday morning, but because of relationships.
~This morning church was talking to 3 teen guys who went to pray with and serve the people of inner city Philadelphia. Their faces lit up when I asked them: "Did you tell those Philadelphians about Jesus?" (Yes I know, Philadelphians is not a real term). These 3 young men see what it looks like to be bold and share what they believe. One of the 3 boys was in toddlers with 2 little boys on his lap reading to them when I talked to him...talk about melt my heart! I pray for these 3 young men to keep the fire that I can see on their faces for sharing and showing Jesus. We need men who are willing to live on mission, feed the hungry, hold children, and pray with the broken.
~Church was hugging a beautiful and sweet friend of mine that I have been incredibly blessed to watch grow in her faith in leaps and bounds over the past 9 months. She went on her first cross-cultural missions trip this weekend and as she said, "I'm ready to go!" Not only has she been convicted to go and tell people about Jesus, but she also understands how it will affect her children. This understanding has become more of a motivation than a restraint....she gets it!!! I love looking at her little girls' faces as their mom tells us about her trip. They are soaking in how their mom is loving people in other places in the name of Jesus. Seriously, what else is there to teach our children? I have known her pretty much all of my life but I am beyond encouraged to have a meaningful and deep friendship with her as we now grow and serve together.
~Church was hearing the news of an adoption within our church family, hugging the adopting mom, and crying as I heard about how God has orchestrated this glorifying adoption. These 2 little girls have been through more than my heart can imagine, but God is painting them a beautiful picture of what it means to be loved and adopted by our heavenly Father. His hand has been evident in the entire process, even before we knew that these little girls would be orphaned. And to know that a family is responding to the call of Christ to love the orphaned as God loves us is what being the church is all about! Now we as a body of believers need to come behind them and support them and pray for them. I can bet that their family will be under attack because the last thing Satan wants is for Jesus to be glorified.
This morning I was lifted up by people spreading the Gospel and sharing God's love in impactful ways. I am feeling so blessed after EXPERIENCING church this morning. God is so gracious to allow me to see His hand in others' lives.

Guatemala

    The opportunity to take part in another adventure has come to my door. Although I've known about Kelly Shank’s plan to go to Guatemala for months I have swept it aside due to school and work and figuring that I probably wouldn't be able to get off for it anyway. But here I am: off work for that week, I’ll be finished school, and nothing standing in my way of going to Guatemala. I have never been to Guatemala so I am excited about the unknown and all that I have to learn before this trip. I took 4 years of Spanish so I’m going to brush up on my very very rough Spanish. Unlike my last trip to Brazil where I struggled to even read Portuguese out of my translation book, I am slightly familiar with Spanish. Because medical missions is something heavy on my heart, I have ideas swirling around as to how I can incorporate 1^st aid and medical education into this trip. I also can’t wait to explore all of the tools and resources out there to spread the Gospel in Spanish. There are tracks, bracelets, and books that are only a purchase away from going with me and being in the hands of the Guatemalans. We will be partnering with Forever Changed International and while there we will work in workshops for local woman, a preschool, a feeding center, and Dorie’s Promise.

     One thing that also strikes me as being especially exciting about this trip is that it is my first international missions trip with my home church. Recently I have been learning a lot about what it means to be a part of a local church and what community looks like. I have learned that we often do not live life together on a day-to-day bases and we only meet together to learn once or twice a week, but we do not serve our broader community together very often. I believe that this is where true community will come alive! Although meeting and talking about biblical truths is important, I feel closest to people when I serve with them for the cause of Christ. When I think about the women that are going on this trip I am so pumped! I have known many of these women for many years. Two of these women I baby sit for and I LOVE their kids, 2 ladies I have met with and grown with through encouragement and discipleship, and others I have recently gotten to know much better through book studies and serving locally together. I cannot wait to serve with these women and then come back home with a deeper spiritual bond as a body of believers with the same mission locally and globally: spreading the Word of God.

    If you’re interested in supporting me for this trip, Valley Grace Brethren Church is where my funds will be collected. Gifts are tax-deductible. You can send any financial support to 17310 Gay Street Hagerstown, MD 21740 with checks made out to Valley Grace Brethren Church and a memo of Elizabeth Draper-Guatemala. It will cost approximately $2000 for the entire trip (airline tickets haven’t been purchased yet). Plus I plan on buying things to use including first aid supplies, salvation story bracelets, tracks, and maybe books.
I am so excited! Please join me in prayer in preparation for this trip!