"Have your way in me."

Hola Friends,

Thank you so much for the support you have given me on my past mission trips to Guatemala. The more time I spend there, the more I fall in love with the people. And the more I fall in love with the people, the harder it becomes to leave…

As I was saying my goodbyes in August, I knew that it would not be long until God brought me back to my second home. It’s hard to explain, but I feel most myself there. I feel like it is where I belong.

I am at the point in my life where my next step is completely unknown. I am off the path where everything is planned out for you. I am graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Biology in less than eight months. And then what? Grad school? A job? Med school? Mission work? The possibilities are endless.

So where do I go from here? I have a desire and a vision to help my friends, the people of Puerto Barrios. I have seen their needs, I have seen the trials they experience everyday. I cannot go on with my life, forgetting that these people, my friends, exist and are struggling. But the world tells me, you need to grow up, get a job, and become stable. But, I can’t say I’ve ever really been a big fan of this world. I much more concerned with someone else’s opinion, the Creator of the universe.

Which leads me to the next step in my next journey.  This December, I am heading back to Guatemala over my winter break for what I am going to call a “vision trip.” During the three weeks I am there, I will be working with my contacts to assess the needs in more depth, to see what the immediate needs are and to see what projects can be initiated to help the people long term.

I want to make sure the things we are doing will benefit the people in the long run, not hurt them. I am aware that good intentions are not enough. Know that I am making every decision with much prayer and guidance.

I can’t solve poverty. I can’t feed everyone. I can’t heal them. The problems in this city oftentimes overwhelm me. But then I remember my job isn’t to fix all the issues. My job is to show them God’s love. Because in the end, no amount of food or clothes can compare to a relationship with Christ and an eternity with Him. 

If you are interested in helping with future projects, please contact me!  I have been blessed with a good job that enables me to pay for this trip, but if you would like to help with the ministry projects (ex water at the dump (about $25 for 2 weeks) or for Christmas packages for the children at the dump) let me know! Without your support, this would not be possible!

I want to end with the lyrics that describe exactly how I have been feeling: 

"You brought me this far, so why would I question you now. You have provided, so why would I start to doubt. I've never been stranded, abandoned or left here to fight alone. So I'm giving you control. I lift my life, lift my life up. I give it all in surrender. I lift my heart, lift my heart up. You can have it forever, all my dreams, all my plans. Lord I leave it in your hands. I lift my life, lift my life up. Have your way in me."

-Unspoken, Lift my Life Up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UveOPq_iao

In Christ with Joy,

Kathy

A Blessing Filled Two Weeks

It’s hard for me to even begin to write this blog, because it’s hard to sum up all the things that have happened. The past two weeks have truly been a blessing for all, and I know that God was at the center of it. It is a wonderful feeling to know that you are where God wants you to be, doing what He wants you to be doing, with the people He wants you to be with.

Most importantly, the past two weeks brought us all closer to Christ. With long days and little sleep, we had to rely on Him for our strength. With a language barrier, we had to rely on Him to give us the words to speak.  With sickness all around, we had to rely on Him for our protection. He showed up every single time we needed Him. Blessing number 1.

 The past two weeks have also brought many reunions. Oh what a blessing it has been to see everyone again. I went on this trip expecting that most people would not remember me. It had been almost two years since I was there, and there have been several teams in Puerto Barrios since I left. But to my surprise, so many people remembered. People that I didn’t even remember! Just goes to show you what an impact you can have on people. Blessing number 2.

This trip also brought new relationships. It was a joy to see my friends and family falling in love with the country that took by heart two years ago. They loved everyone they came across, and they were blessed with so much love being returned to them. It was evident how much love they had poured out to the people of Guatemala. They gave them their hearts, and as a result, it hurt to leave. But this is only the beginning of these relationships. The people of Guatemala will always remember the love my team poured out on them, because the love was real. Blessing number 3.

We got a lot done on this trip! We visited the nursing home twice, the children’s hospital twice, the garbage dump four times, the garbage dump school twice, the special needs school four times, the orphanage three times, the park once, and went to around ten church services. And because of the financial support we had been blessed with, we were able to bless these ministries even more. Blessing number 4.

At the nursing home, we bought shoes for all the residents and bought them a supply of milk, which they were desperately craving but didn’t have enough money to buy.

At the children’s hospital, we prayed with the parents and handed out coloring books to the children. We also bought some toys, teethers, and hygiene kits for the babies who were in the new addition of the hospital that works with malnourished babies.

At the dump, we handed out cloth diapers to the moms of the babies (15 babies!). I am in the process of working with our contacts in Guatemala to set up a feeding program for formula and nutrient packets for the babies at the dump. If you have any interest in helping, please let me know!

We also bought and installed a Rotaplas which stores enough clean water for all the workers at the dump to have access to clean drinking water. One of the local water companies agreed to refill up the tank every week for FREE! What a blessing.

So much is going on at the garbage dump that it is hard to put into words. But it has changed so much since I was last there. There is joy. There is healing. And although it may be slow, change is happening at the dump. I can see God’s hand working in so many ways at the dump.

At the special needs school, we helped build a new addition of five classrooms. They were so grateful for our help and were impressed by how fast we learned and worked! We were also able to buy two truckloads full of stones that were needed to finish up the addition.

And finally, at the orphanage, we bought shoes for all the kids, school supplies, and some toys. The kids were SO excited when they got their new shoes. It was so cool to see. But more importantly, we showed them love.

This was, by far, the best two weeks of my life. It was filled with blessings from our Heavenly Father. I didn’t want to leave. But as one of the pastors reminded us before we left, we need to be the light wherever we go. We need to shine for Jesus. 

God's provision

I have been in awe of how God is working through every little detail. The little things that we oftentimes don’t even realize are occurring, God is working through. His provision amazes me every day.

Thursday we gave cloth diapers to the moms at the dump to use for their babies. We had prepared bags with several covers and inserts. When we got to the dump, I had the exact amount of bags I needed. No more, no less. God provided.

 

Friday we went to the orphanage with a suitcase full of shoes. I had shoe sizes for about a third of the kids but I had no idea if I would have enough shoes for all the kids. To my amazement, we had the right amount of shoes and the right sizes. Not only were they the right sizes, but every pair of shoe seemed to fit that specific child’s personality perfectly. I was yet again in awe of God’s provision.

Today we helped with the construction of the special needs school again. The two men working on the school have been so appreciative of our help the past several days. They were so appreciative that they offered to install the new roof of our ministry contacts house, which we were able to buy with the funds we raised. I went to the store today with Paul and Hilda to buy all the sheets and supplies, and it will arrive on Monday. That was a great need for them, and I am so glad we could help. They said they have been praying for months that God would provide for them. Again, I am in awe of God’s provision.

We were also able to buy building supplies for the special needs school. When Hilda called and told the director we were able to buy the remaining supplies, she was so happy. The teachers have been cooking and selling food to raise the money to buy the supplies. It was a big weight lifted off these teachers shoulders.

There are so many stories. So many ways God is working in this community. Along with the roof, today I bought a Rotoplas for the garbage dump, which will provide access to clean water to everyone at the dump. We will be installing it on Tuesday. So many projects, so many ideas, so little time. But I have peace knowing that, although this trip is almost over, I will be back again. My contact Paul asked me last night, so are you coming back in October or December? J God is so good, and I am so grateful that He allowed me to come back to my “home away from home.”

Dios es bueno. Todo el tiempo.

Being back in Guatemala has been so wonderful. It feels like home. I have experienced so much in the week that I have been here, and I am so grateful that God allowed me to come back. The love that I have for this country and its people grows more and more every day. I wish I didn’t have to leave in a week!

Today I went to the market with Annie, Hilda, and Pastor Rony to buy some shoes for the kids at the dump and the orphanage. Then the group went to the garbage dump for the first time today. We already knew the kids because we visited their school twice this week, but it was the first time my team saw the conditions in which these children live. Casa Verde has started a feeding program there where every Thursday they bring food for 150+ people that live and/or work at the dump. After lunch we played and colored with the kids. These kids have so much love to give, it’s amazing. Hilda and I got all the mothers of the infants together and explained to them how to use cloth diapers and then we handed them out. Most of the babies didn’t have any diapers on at all, and were all excited to use the ones we had given them.

 

We spent the afternoon playing with the kids. I was invited into the house of one of the families that live at the dump. What I saw broke my heart. For a family with six kids, they had one bed and one hammock in one “room.”  

God is stirring passions, desires, and ideas in my heart and in my head, and it will take time to process everything that He is showing me but I know that my time here in Guatemala is far from over.

Stay tuned to hear more ways that you can help bring hope to these communities. ;)

Dios es bueno. Todo el tiempo.

 

His plan > My plan

Anyone who knows me knows I am a planner. I love being organized and having a schedule. I like to know what is going on all the time. I rarely leave my house without my planner.

God knows that.

And that is why He has called me to let all of that go. All of the planning, schedules and organizing- down the drain.

Why?

So He can show up. So HIS plan can be accomplished.

I know it may sound crazy that I am taking a team to Guatemala (in one week) and yet don’t really know what we are going to be doing while we are there.

But the even crazier thing to me is that God has taken me, the girl who has a color coded schedule, and has given me PEACE about not planning. He has given me peace that I can’t quite comprehend. I don’t know what is going to happen ten out of the fourteen days we are there, and I don’t know what I am going to do with all of the money that has been collected for this trip. But I what I do know is that God has called me and my ten team members to Guatemala for a reason.  And He has told me to not plan because He has something planned. I know what He has told me, what He has commanded me to do, and I know that He is never going to fail me.

So as we head out on Saturday, I ask that you pray. Pray for safety; pray that God would make His plan known and that we would not get in the way. Pray that we will be able to share the love of Jesus to the people of Puerto Barrios.

God’s got a plan for this trip. I am so excited for Him to reveal it to me and to see His glory shine! God, I praise you for your ultimate, wonderful, and divine plan.

 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20

Help us help them.

I first want to say thank you to all who have donated already. You are such a blessing, thank you!!! Our trip is quickly approaching, and I can't believe I will be back on Guatemala soil in a little over a month! I am so grateful that God gave me this opportunity. He has already blessed me with a great team and a wonderful group of supporters. Please keep us in your prayers as we finish up the preparations and head out August 3. 

We are raising support for three different funds to use when we get to Guatemala. The first fund is the infant fund which will go towards buying formula, diapers, and other supplies that babies need in their first year of life to keep them healthy. The next fund is the shoe fund which will go towards buying shoes for those in need. Finally, the last fund is the general ministry fund which will go towards buying any supplies that we need once we get there and see the need in the community. This video explains the three different funds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqQF7nT0tEg

If you would like to help, you can make a check out to either myself, Kathy Jacobs, or to the First Baptist Church. If you would like it to be tax deductible, make it out to the church, but please do not put anything on the memo line of the check. However, do include a piece of paper explaining what the check is for. The addresses are below:

Kathy Jacobs
8 Cardinal Drive
Milton PA 17847

First Baptist Church
316 Golf Course Road
Milton PA 17847 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call me at 570-205-1057 or email me at kathyjoyjacobs@gmail.com.

Muchas gracias!

Kathy

Preparing for Another Adventure!

Buenos dias!

As most of you know, I spent the fall semester of 2011 in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala on a mission trip. This trip challenged me, strengthened me, and grew me more than I could have ever imagined. God used this trip to shape my life. After seeing poverty first hand and observing the lack of medical care, I had and still do have so much motivation to do what I can to help. I want to be God’s hands and feet, and I am so excited to see where He takes me!

About halfway through my trip, I prayed that I would fall so much in love with Guatemala and the people that it would hurt to leave.  God sure answered that one! But I am so glad He did, because now I am committed to helping His people there. I have kept in contact with many of the people I met there, and I try to help when I can, but there are some things that I cannot do unless I am there in person. I have prayed and prayed that God would send me back, but He kept telling me to wait, until a couple of months ago, when He said— go for it, Kathy!

I prayed that God would just give me one person to go with, but I knew that even if He didn’t, I would go. My parents might not have been too happy about that, but I knew that I was in good hands! God, however, has blessed me with a team of 11 people, and I am so excited to share this adventure with them!

We will be leaving August 3 and will be returning August 16. During these two weeks, we will be working with the local ministry, Shofar Ministry. We will be working at the children’s hospital, city garbage dump, special needs school, and elderly home, among other things. In addition, it is my hope that we will be able to aide in the specific needs of several families in the community. I told Pastor Rony (the pastor that we worked with everyday in Guatemala) that he is my eyes and ears since I am not there and asked him to keep a look out for any families who we can help.

God has blessed me immensely already not only with a team, but also with funding for my trip. Everything is falling into place. There is just one more thing that I need, and that is the main purpose for this letter. Before I leave, my goal is to create a ministry fund, so that while we are there, we will be able to buy the supplies necessary for our projects. One hundred percent of the money you give will go directly towards helping fund the projects we are doing in Guatemala. I cannot say exactly what the money will be used for, but I can promise you that we will surround every decision in prayer.

Thanks to my supporters on my last trip, I had a fund for ministry. This money was used to feed the people at the dump, for coloring books and toys for the children at the children’s hospital, for supplies at the orphanage, for food and games at the elderly home, and for building supplies, among other things. If you are not able to give financially at this time, I ask that you pray, pray, pray for us! There is so much power in prayer, and we oftentimes forget that. If you are able to give financially, you can make the check out to Kathy Jacobs or to First Baptist Church of Milton (if you want it to be tax deductible). Either way, you can send them to my home address, 8 Cardinal Drive, Milton PA 17847. If you do make it out to the church, please do not write my name on the memo part of the check. Thank you in advance for whatever support- financially or prayerfully- that you can give. I am extremely blessed to have a wonderful group of supporters—thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

With Joy,

Kathy

"With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine."

-Ephesians 3:20