Our Girl in Guatemala

Hi, Guys...

This is an update from Lindsey Zwerneman. Please continue to pray as God changes lives in Guatemala...including hers.

-Tim

Hey Tim! I´ve been in Guatemala for almost 2 wks and I have been able to serve and worship God like never before! This is such a beautiful country, and it is safe to say that I have seen almost all of it. Sunday, June 1st we left the Buckner office and traveled 6 hours away to Huehuetenango. Driving in Guatemala is like a constant roller coaster! At one point we were driving on the left side of a dirt road, at 120 kph, around a mountain. I literally had to hold on to my chair in order not to fall over sometimes. In Huehuetenango we served at an orphanage called Fundacion Salvacion. At the orphange there are around 95 children ages 0-17. During the mornings last week, while the older kids were at school, we helped out by doing odd jobs such as packaging wheat and painting doors. During the afternoons we led vacation bible school for the children. We were really touched by the children of this orphanage and since we were there for 6 hours a day for 6 days we got pretty close to some of them. I got really close to one very very precious girl named Zulma, who is 7 years old. Before I left I gave her one of my bracelets -¨para recordarme¨- in order that she remember me. And not even expecting it, later she gave me one of her baby dolls! It is the most precious and memorable gift I have ever received in my life. I love her and I am glad that I have this doll because I always want to remember to pray for this sweet girl. There was also another child at the orphanage named Sablo who had a donated wheelchair that was in bad condition (it was a least 15 yrs old!), and the orphanage had not been able to save enough money to buy him a new one. His wheelchair had no place on it for him to rest his feet and he was no longer able to push himself. So, God laid it on the guys and the translators (who, by the way are in a really famous christian band in Guatemala. Mosquito Farm- check it out) in our group that we should buy this child a wheelchair. And, I don´t know about the other girls in our group, but I was a little skeptical. I didn´t want to just give the orhpanage money and not know how it was spent. So we went out shopping in rural Huehuetenango for a wheelchair. There were 3 possible locations we could possibly find a wheelchair. The first store was closed. And I prayed to myself ¨please Lord please Lord please Lord¨. Then we went to the second possible option, and there was no such luck. Finally at our third location, because God seems to like the number 3, we found a store that had ONE wheel chair left! It was the best answer to prayer I have witnessed! We each contributed 200 Quetzales, or $27, and bought the wheelchair. That evening we went to the orphanage for the last time and gave him the wheel chair. He was SO happy! It was a very great moment that can´t be expressed in words. We ended our time there with the kids doing a show of traditional Mayan dances for us. I am so blessed to be able to serve God here! Your prayer means soooo much to me! I see the fruit of the prayer of the people of the Vista everyday while I am here!

-Lindsey Zwerneman