Olivia

God continues to allow us to build churches. Today we were blessed to finish another church. I do not mention it often but we can build a church for $5,000 and now we need to build a pastor a home for him and his large family. They live on dirt & have adobe walls. We can build his home for less than $4,000.

Sindy 2 was hospitalized because her catheter quit working.

The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 1:18 that he rejoices in suffering. I am surely not there in my Christian life.  Why is there suffering in the world? James tells us in James 1:2-4 that suffering helps you grow up and into Christian maturity. He tells us to consider suffering as pure joy. It is true that when we are hurting we can be much more open to the needs of others. If it is all about us we are not very effective as a child of God.

Working with children here in Guatemala over the years has stressed me to the bone but I never give up on a child. I was never abandoned nor was I abused but things were not always rosy either. When I see the teenagers here I realize that they did not have a chance and now God has given them to me so that I will never abandon them or give up on them.

I believe that the more I suffer over the plight of one of my children the more understanding, compassionate and patient I will be. When I lose a child I lose an opportunity. As long as I have the child there is a chance of redemption, repentance and an opportunity at a future. When I lose a child I lose a part of myself.