At CAG (Christian Academy of Guatemala), every class had the responsibility for a missions project. The family in La Rosa was fresh in my mind when the subject came up in my class. After I explained the situation, the students unanimously decided that they wanted to “adopt” this family. With contagious excitement, the ideas flew around the room. “We need a fundraiser,” shouted one of the girls. “Hey, let’s have a rummage sale here at the school.” “I can make snow cones and sell them at the rummage sale.” A couple of the boys proposed that they could make some beds, shelves, and tables during shop class. Another boy said they could learn to mix cement and put blocks together for the wall of a house. By this time, I felt chocked up inside. These MKs (missionary kids) showed their giving hearts.

Several of the students got into a conversation about how we could have fundraisers and use the money to buy land for the foster family. The ideas mounted without any encouragement from me. At this point, I had all the kids take out their journals and write down their ideas. When I read the journals later, I cried. One fellow wrote that he would give them everything he had. This provided proof of the Lord’s love flowing through the MKs’ hearts toward others.

With permission of the administration, we set the plans in motion. Of course, some of the students’ ideas were not realistic, but they discovered that themselves. I contacted the parents and turned the kids loose. The students’ spirits were in high gear and ready to go. We held a rummage sale at the school, cookies and snow cones were sold during recess time, and donations were put in the donation jar designated for this family. The smell of fresh paint hung heavy in the shop, with the sounds of the hammers and saws.

Finally, the big day arrived. Jose, the man who works with this family, agreed to translate for us and met us in front of the foster family home. The aunts recognized me and welcomed me with hugs and kisses. Suddenly, Christmas Day appeared for all inside that compound. The MKs brought in clothes, blankets, fruit, vegetables, cleaning products, canned goods, beans, rice, toys and of course, candy. The shop-made dressers came in, and a student showed the little girls how to put clothes in them. When we gathered at the gate to leave, I saw the oldest girl take off her new jacket, fold it, and put it in a drawer. She had just enjoyed an experience for the first time: having a place to put her clothes!

Before we left, we prayed with the family and then received words of thanks from the aunts and hugs from the children. Afterward, Jose shared some important information with me. He knew that we would continue to help this family, and warned us that everything needed to be low-keyed. If people in the area heard that we gave items and money to the ladies and children, they could be robbed and lose everything. We needed to hear this great advice.

In the next post, I will share the comments from the students’ journals about this life-changing missions project. Perhaps you too have had similar experiences during a short-term mission trip. I’d enjoy hearing about it.