A Kiss to Remember

Some days the kids greet you with a smile and other days they hardly look you in the eye, full of shame. To my great surprise, as I saw Javier on Saturday, he came up to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I was elated and will always cherish that kiss. Later, Javier came over to us with his backpack and pulled out two photo albums to show us pics of his friends and former teachers. This backpack is small and stuffed full of all Javier treasures in this life. He leaves it with a friend he trusts so it won't get lost or stolen on the street. Javier was very excited to share this with us and made sure we all saw each and every picture. This time of sharing was precious, a rare peek into Javier's life and what he holds close to his heart. Tonight I think about that kiss as I picture Javier sleeping on the street. If I could, I would go give him a kiss right now but rather say a prayer for Javier's safety and ask the Lord to be close to him and shower him with his love. Definitely a kiss to remember for the rest of my life.

Star Player

We hit the soccer field again last night. Seven of our new friends joined us -- we took a 20 minute crowded bus ride to the field during which Samaya was sure to greet every person who was on the bus. As the game started, there was one player who stood above the rest -- Samaya. She won the hearts of all the kids as they encouraged her to kick the ball and she responded with a big smile and heartfelt laugh. A good time was had by all and yes, we had pizza again (the kids favorite). As we got off the bus, we all gave each other handshakes and told the kids to take care of themselves...that is no small task for a kid who lives on the streets. We came home to a warm shower and bed, a huge luxury in comparison to the floor or park bench.

Open Doors

On Sunday we visited Emmanuel Presbyterian Church. We were overwhelmed by their hospitality as they welcomed us and invited us to come back every week while we are here. Towards the end of the service, Pastor Moseis Colop asked Julio to stand and tell a bit about us. After sharing about InnerCHANGE and the vision to reach out to the street kids in Xela, the pastor invited us to be a part of the service our last Sunday in Xela so that the church might join us in our passion for the marginalized. What a great opportunity! We are humbled by such an invitation and thank the Lord for opening doors to share his heart and mission.

Soccer Time

Thursday night we went to the park and gathered some of the street kids to play soccer. There were enough people to form two teams --- let the game begin!! The game went on and on; with a final score of 21-20. It was refreshing to see smiles and laughter on the kids faces as goals were scored. Javier did a champion run each time he scored -- and Domingo at 8 years old can put any goalie to shame with his goal keeping talent.

But perhaps the most memorable and heartfelt moment came when it was time to pray for the pizza dinner. Each and every kid bowed their head as German led a prayer of thankgiving. And we joined in the prayer, grateful to no longer refer to these kids as "the shoe shine boys" but to be able to call each one by their name....Domingo, Javier, Jose, Rene (aka Bin Laden), Juan, Miguel. What a special group of boys!

An Invitation - Come to the table

On Tuesday, we met at German and Karla's house to pray. The invitation was sent out to the kids we are getting to know on the street. "Come and join us for lunch". We started to get ready...we bought chicken, rice, tomatoes, onion, potatoes and garlic at the market. On our walk back to the house we ran into a woman walking her pig to the market to sell....too bad we already bought chicken!! All of us did our part as Karla directed us and we anxiously awaited the arrival of the kids. At last, after 3 hours of anticipation, one of the kids, Rene, arrived. We had hoped for a group of 6 or 8 but joyfully welcomed the one who came to dine at the table with us.

We don't know why the rest did not arrive - perhaps it was the need to work and make enough money for the day; perhaps it was the lack of money for the bus fare; perhaps it was because some decided to get high instead; perhaps......BUT we rejoice and give thanks for Rene and the opportunity to begin to get to know him.

Ya Llegamos!!

We finally arrived in Xela on Saturday after 13 hours in airports and on the plane and another 5 hours in a van --- we don't want to see the inside of a plane or car for a long time!! Although the ride was long, we were amazed by the beautiful volcanoes, mountains, blue skies and fluffy clouds. Guatemala is a beautiful country, both its landscape and people.

On Sunday we attended mass at the cathedral in the center of town. It was encouraging and impacting to see the cathedral packed with standing room only in the back. God is drawing many people to himself as he moves and transforms hearts and lives. Our prayer is that as we walk the streets and interact with people that we will see God at work and join what he is doing.

This week is all about orientation and visiting various ministries in Xela. Today we started with an orientation to Xela as a city as well as some safety and cultural tips as we dive into life in a new place. We visited an old folks home (see slide show), each one of us touched by the men we met. Upon entering the courtyard, we were greeted by Don Pedro. He is 101 years old and has gone blind due to catarats. As we greeted him, Pedro grabbed ahold of our arms, gently caressing each one. One by one, the men shared part of their stories eager to have visitors. Although each of them have been abandoned by family members, they are together in this house caring for one another and experiencing the love of God in the small things.

Ready, Orient, Go!

We've been in San Francisco this week for SummerXchange orientation. There are 6 teams going out this summer to South Africa, Guatemala, New Orleans, Denver, San Francisco and a travelling team up the west coast. We are getting to know each other, pray for each other and do some team building. Good stuff!!

Julio and I will be leading a team of 3 women -- Kelly from Colorado, Michelle from Los Angeles and Amelia from Laguna Beach, CA (check out the pic). We will be joining InnerCHANGE staff in Xela - German and Karla Avila (Julio's brother and sister in law) who will be leading alongside us.