The Joy Of The Lord

So Mama Carmen greeted us warmly and asked if we were ready to go. 

We piled in the suburban...the missionary we were spending our day with, the translator, our friends Jason & Lacey, their oldest son, The King, Princess & I and Mama Carmen.  

Some of her older kids asked if they could go with us.  We were all mentally tallying how many were already cramming in the suburban and thinking there would be no way they could fit.  

I think someone said something about no room.

Mama Carmen quickly went around to the back of the suburban, opened the back doors and said something in Spanish that most likely translated to "you crazy gringos, there is a quarter of this vehicle that is empty".  

So 3 teenagers piled in the cargo area of the suburban.

While we all sunk down in our seats.

And we were off to Mama Carmen's coffee farm.

Sidebar:  Several years ago, a Guatemalan doctor gifted Mama Carmen his coffee farm in the mountains.  The hope was that it would fund her ministry.  The problem is, Mama Carmen lives in the city.  That is where her kids are.  She isn't leaving. Right now, the coffee farm makes enough money for an emergency fund.  Barely. She uses it for medical issues that might come up and things like that.  Trust me, it isn't making much.  

The missionary with whom we were spending the day is temporarily in Guatemala to help improve her coffee production. He is very experienced in the coffee industry and uses that knowledge for God's kingdom.  Cool, huh?

(Is this making any sense?)

(I don't feel as if this is making any sense.)

(But I'm gonna keep going.)

We embarked on the very curvy journey to the mountain village.  I completely lost track of how long the drive was. I was bouncing all over the back seat and praying for my life to be spared because we were on a one lane road (half lane road?) with scary buses and no traffic laws.  

It was dusk at this point.  Which totally made the half lane road scarier.

And the sweet orphans in the back of the suburban started spraying some perfume. 

Which almost caused me to spew.  

Because, really?  Curvy, bouncy, death roads and strong smells of gardenia DO NOT MIX.

BUT.

Those kids in the back of the suburban laughed the entire trip. 

They talked and talked and talked to each other.  They laughed.  A lot.  

(And sprayed gardenia.  A lot.)

We were asking Mama Carmen questions through the translator as we drove up the mountain.

I asked her if the kids who stay with her while their parents worked paid anything to be there.

She said no.  She said that if the parents paid for their children to be with her then they might not be able to eat.

I felt small.

Then we asked her about feeding all of the 88 kids under her roof.  

She said that she didn't know where her food would come from next week, but she knew that it would come.

Wow.

I mean....WOW.

And get this.  On Mondays and Fridays?  She feeds the people at the dump.  

Imagine that faith.  If I was unsure of my family's food situation, would I take my excess to feed an entire community of people?

Loaves and fishes, y'all.  Loaves and fishes.  

So then Lacey asked her if she'd share her most pressing need.  

She hesitated to share at first.  But then said that she'd like to build another story on to her home so that she could house more kids.  

We asked what that would cost and it was about $25,000.  

I absolutely love that she knows she serves a big God who can accomplish big things. 

We asked her about the kids.  She said that each one is hers.  She is their mother. 

We were climbing the mountain.

I was trying to take a picture but was struggling. 

One of the kids in the back looked at me and pointed to herself and then out the window.

I handed her my phone and she took a few pictures.

 

We passed through several villages.

We were passing what I'm assuming were small houses and came upon a lady standing by the road.

She held a tray of chocolate donuts.  

Her tray was full.  

You'll recall it's dusk.  

And her tray was full.

This is not a busy road.

We pulled over.  And bought 10 donuts.

(That is the back of Mama Carmen's head.)

(Why would I have thought to take a picture of the front of Mama Carmen's head?)

Do you know that the 10 donuts that we bought could pay for her family's groceries for a week?

Would I have stayed out there with my full tray until dusk?  

I'm afraid I know the answer and it shames me.

Lacey and I were immediately sending out the word to our families to NOT EAT THE DONUTS.

We handed them to the precious kids in the back.

Well.  We did.  

Their stomachs are used to it.

Ours?  Not so much.

Of course, one of us ate a donut.

Wanna take a guess?

Yeah.  It was the one who possibly had a brain parasite from eating in a third world country.

(I love you, King.  So thankful you have a life to risk.)

(But, really?)

Anyway.  

The translator overheard the conversation between Mama Carmen and her kids and told us quietly that none of them had eaten since 6 that morning.  

Y'all.

They had not eaten all day.

And were laughing.  And smiling.  And NOT complaining.

Our kids were sulking because they were late for dinner.

Lacey and I immediately started quietly threatening our kids...."you will start laughing like the hungry orphan children!"

It really was interesting to observe.

The absolute JOY that flowed from Mama Carmen and her kids was palpable.  

They are happier than we are.  

And we are happy people.

But they are filled with the JOY OF THE LORD.

And it is different than ours.

I've never seen anything quite like it.

This is long.  I'll write more later.

Thanks for reading.

Comments

[Melanie (Timber)]

I just realized I'm sitting on the edge of my chair...soooo loving this vicarious experience! Thank you for giving us so much food for thought and such a wonderful glimpse into God's graceFUL work.

[Dawn W]

Wow! What else to say after that?

So, so enjoying your trip stories!

Be blessed!

[jennifer]

What an amazing journey! I love hearing about it! I feel ashamed of who I am. Those are the great people of the world.

[Kelly]

thanks for sharing. so interesting. so, is it even possibly for us to get that joy?

[Lacey]

Ummmm at this point after reading it and re-living it.....did WE stink? I mean we had been holding children with "wet" clothes, hiked through the cemetary, stood in awe of the city dump....which reminds me we did have vultures circling us??? Annnnddddd we were all scrunched in a suburban fit for 8 but had nearly a 100. Did someone forgot deo?
Just reminds me of my trip to Honduras when I hadn't had a shower for four days. The guy that picked us up rode all the way back with the windows down, and I didn't figure it out til I started literally pealing the clothes off for the first shower in days....bout like the city dump smell:/

[LoriB]

I sooo love the joy of the Lord...and want more of it. All I can say is, "Wow, God."

[Sue Barnes]

Can't wait for more.... what a blessing to behold....