Haley Ray has been helping with the feeding center for the last several weeks.  She is constantly loving on the people of Guatemala as she serves them.  She has been a huge blessing to our family, Lazaro and Glendy, and the families of the feeding center.  I have asked her to write a few thoughts about her experience in Guatemala for the past several weeks.

 

I began my summer not really knowing what to expect, but God has completely exceeded my expectations. I never knew I could feel so much love for strangers. I mostly work with the 40 kids in the feeding center and I can’t express to you how much joy these kids bring to my life. I love the relationships that I have built with these kids, and I honestly don’t know how I am ever going to leave them to go back home. The first thing the kids do when they get to the feeding center is drop their bags and run and hug me, Lizzi, Sydney, Deidra, Soy, or really just anybody who they can get their hands on. No matter how many times they see us there, or how normal it is for us to be there now, I still get a hug from every single child, every single day. That is something that will never get old to me. These kids may be super poor and super needy, but they have joy like nothing that I have ever seen. They have Jesus and that is all that they need. They’re thankful for every meal, every gift, every crayon, every piece of paper, every vitamin and you never ever see them without a smile on their face.  I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to watch some of these kids meet their sponsors for the first time and I have watched them receive new clothes and toys. (These kids have probably never been able to afford new clothes or new toys.) These little simple gifts cost us almost nothing in the states, but it means the world to these kids. Also, it isn’t only the children who are super thankful for our time and money and willingness to give, the parents of these kids will come up to us with tears in their eyes just thanking us for helping them. Seeing them be so grateful makes me a lot more grateful for the things that I have at home too. I always come to Guatemala with the intentions of teaching these kids and showing them love, but I always leave Guatemala realizing how much they have taught me and how they are actually the ones showing me love and teaching me how to love!