March 2nd Post

At the school – El Colegio Avivando el Fuego – every morning starts of with devotion time “devocional”. This 30 minutes brings the whole school into the gym to sing (worship) and pray. After devotional time, all the kids eat soup (yes soup at 8am). In the gym, there is a picture of all of the families who sponsor a child at the school. EVERY morning, the school prays for these families and thanks God for these families. Today, the whole devotion time was spent praying for these families. 1 or 2 children from each class came to the front to pray for the families and give thanks for them. Many of the prayers included thanking God for provided paper, pencils, and soup for the school. It was so touching to hear child after child sincerely thank God for the families that financially support the school.

During this time, I thought about the World Vision sponsor children that we've sponsored over the years. We don't even notice the $30 or $40 a month that we sent to them. I'm sad to admit that I don't even really think about my sponsor child, except when I get letters from him. Today, listening to the gratefulness of the children who are sponsored through Global Shore, I realized how far our money really goes. We easily spend $40 on dinner at a restaurant. Most months I spend $40 on take-out coffee. Yet $40 a month here let's 1 child have all the school materials they need for school. It also gives them a bowl of soup every morning, a qualified teacher and therefore, and most importantly, a real education, Laslly, this money provides a unique educational experience in which the principals and teachers lovingly treat them as their own children. Ultimately it can give them the chance at breaking familial cycles of poverty and/or illiteracy.

When we leave Guatemala, I am so comforted to know that 180 children will be praying for my family daily. The kingdom of God really does belong to children such as these.

If you are interested in sponsoring a Global Shore child who attends the school here in Guatemala, here is the link http://www.globalshore.org/. The cost is about $450 a year. Our last day at the school is March 18^th and we'd be glad to get you a picture or video of your sponsor child before we leave. We know all the' children now....they all know Heath as “the guy that always gets the ball when it gets stuck up high” or “the guy walking around with the baby” and they know me as the reading teacher.

Here are a few pics of the kids...