August 17, 2010
Dear WOC
Good news! Our Women of Compassion team just returned from Guatemala where they served tirelessly at the Malnutrition Center and toured some of the 12 homes that have been constructed to date with WOC funds. I thought you’d want to read the blog from that day!
WOC Third Post from Guatemala Posted: 09 Aug 2010 05:45 PM PDT
The Heart of the Matter – Today we delved into the heart of our mission trip.
First we visited a group of homes outside Antigua that had been financed by FBCH’s Women of Compassion and built by FBCH volunteers. Made of corrugated metal with cement floors, they definitely wouldn’t make it onto a Tour of Homes back in the US. Nevertheless, these simple yet sturdy structures have changed the lives of their owners.
One owner is a remarkable 80+ year old widow with a smile that reflects God’s love and other personal touches that mark it as her own. It’s what we girls do when something means a lot to us.
From there, we proceeded to the malnutrition center. Watching the children run to greet Ron and clean diapers. A father brought in his two-day-old son whose mother had died in childbirth. Without the center, the baby most likely would have died. It’s a hard reality to face.
Only on Day 3 of this mission trip, already many of our team members are looking beyond the end of this trip. How will what we see this week make a difference to us next month? Next year? In ten years? We are here only for a week, but certainly the children will never leave our hearts. The image of the 80+ year old granding proudly outside her new home will always be imprinted on our minds.
It’s not just how God is using what we are doing on this trip that matters; it’s also how we will let Him use what this trip is doing within us. Minds are being opened; hearts are being changed. Dreams are being planted. This mission trip may end on Friday, but I am becoming more and more convinced that God’s plans for the members of this team are only just beginning.
I am already “dreaming” with you about what we will do next year! I hope you received your “save the date” card! It’s going to be an exciting Women of Compassion 2011! There are many needs here in Florida and internationally. Pray for us as we begin preparing the ballot for your consideration. Together we are making a difference!
Alongside…jb
Julie Boyd
Vice President for Development
(863) 687-8811 office
(863) 682-3157 fax
www.FBCHomes.org