A few years ago Juan Jose’ left Casa and early this morning he was shot through the heart & killed a few miles from here in Chimaltenango. He is the brother of Gerson.

The groups helped us by providing  a “Carnival” for the younger children then games for the older children while a group helped me with our Christmas bodega & Larry with the maintenance.

Why do we suffer when we love someone? We suffer because God uses that suffering to give us wisdom in helping others. If you never suffer you cannot help others in their misery. The world we live in tries to avoid suffering by losing itself in possessions, drugs, alcohol, work or play.

But it is a matter of life that we will suffer. And the more we love the more we will suffer. Had I not come to Guatemala I would have felt the suffering of the death of our first 3 natural children and then continued with my life somewhere in the USA. But by coming to Guatemala Dottie & I have now suffered the death of 25 more children each of whom we loved.

The pain does not lessen. In fact, it seems the last few deaths have affected us even more deeply than the first 3. Suffering is part of loving!

If I never learn how to bear my pains how can I ever help someone else through their suffering? Paul wrote the greatest chapter on love we can find in literature (I Corinthians 13) and he also wrote that he suffered more than anyone else.