A Call to Love

 The needs are great. It is estimated that over 700 million people don’t have enough food everyday. Over one billion people have inadequate access to water. Worldwide, 2.2 million children die every year because they are not immunized, and 1.4 million die each year from lack of adequate sanitation and access to safe drinking water. Malaria is responsible for killing one million people each year. Forty million people are living with HIV/AIDS, and 15 million children are orphaned due to this disease.¹

These statistics are enough to make us angry, they are enough to make us upset, but are they enough to make us act? Oftentimes, that answer is no. But why?

For many of us, we are overwhelmed by the problems. We know that we cannot even begin to fix or solve the problems relating to poverty. We can’t feed 700 million people every day, and we can’t adopt 15 million children. We make ourselves think that we cannot do anything to solve these problems.

But the reality is that if you think that way, the Devil has you exactly where he wants you.

Let’s look at the life of Jesus. Jesus healed hundreds, if not thousands, of people when he was on earth, but they eventually died. Jesus fed the 5,000, but they were hungry the next day. And yet, He still did it. Why? Because His mission was to show His children His love for them.

I can’t feed all the hungry people in Puerto Barrios, not to mention all of Guatemala, or the entire world. Even if I do feed them one meal, they are going to be hungry again soon. In the past, I, at times, found myself feeling defeated and questioning why I even try. But then it hit me. My mission is not to solve all their problems, but point them in the direction of the One that can. My mission is to show them His love.

Jesus healed and fed people in order to show them His love. Of course it hurts Him to see His children in pain and hungry, but what hurts Him even more is knowing that they will spend eternity apart from Him.

God doesn’t call us to solve world poverty, but He does call us to love. That may lead to cooking a meal for a family that you know who is in need, that may lead you to call a friend who you know is having a difficult time, or that may lead you to donating to a non-profit organization.  Whatever it is, don’t be defeated or overwhelmed by the problem, but choose instead to love.

¹http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

Another goodbye

Oh the past two and a half weeks in Guatemala... They definitely were faith stretching, patience testing weeks, but filled with moments of joy. 

The trip had an eventful beginning with us nearly missing our connecting flight and then a 6 hour bus rise turned into a 10 hour bus ride once we got to Guatemala because of flooded roads. 

Then to make things even more eventful, I woke up with terrible pain on day 5 of the trip. After several hours of no relief, Jen took me to the ER. After the doctor took an ultrasound, he admitted me because my kidney was severely swollen. After the X-Ray, the specialist was called in because a kidney stone was causing an 100% blockage and surgery needed to be performed to remove the stone. 

After my hospital stay, I wasn't allowed to do anything for 5 days. The specialist left the night of my surgery for Guatemala City so knowing that no one would be available to fix me if I screwed something up kept me from doing much.  Plus for the first several days I needed to use the bathroom every 20 minutes which prevented me from going out of the house often. Stents are not fun!!!

Then after those 5 days, the doctor said I should "take it easy" and not run or lift things for 10 more days. 

But even though all these things happened and I was frustrated and hurting at times, there was no place that I would have rather been than Guatemala. And although this trip surely was not what I was expecting, many positive things did come out of it. 

For one, this time allowed me to strengthen the relationships with the kids and moms at the dump. The more time I spend with them, the more I understand their problems and how deeply they are rooted. The more I know about them, the better I am able to help and pray for them. Because in reality, some of these problems are so deep that there is absolutely nothing I can do to help. But God in all His wonder has the power to change things.

This trip was also filled with little blessings that I pray were encouragements to people. After praying, I came up with a list of 5 families that I knew were struggling. Bekah and I went to the grocery store and bought 2 carts full of food. We divided it and delivered them to the families. Seeing the look on their faces was such a blessing. They of course weren't expecting anything, but after looking into their eyes, you could tell the food was much needed. 

We went to the orphanage and spent time with the kids, reminding them that we have not forgotten about them and that we were praying for them often. 

One of my favorite days was when we went to the nursing home. We bought cake and yogurt and got all the residents together and just spent time talking. I also had some photos from the last trip that I handed out and the photos brought them so much joy. They thanked us so much for the visit.  You could tell it truly meant a lot to them. 

Although time and health issues prevented me from doing everything I wanted to do, I was able to prepare a lot of things for future teams such as coloring books and packs of crayons for the children's hospital. 

Good came out of this trip. There was no doubt frustrations and pain but even when I was laying in my hospital bed, God showed me the good and gave me peace.

Till next time, hasta luego Guat :) 

Building Relationships

It's hard for me to even begin writing a blog for this trip. I've had all the time in the world to write one, because I was supposed to rest for 5 days after my surgery, but every time I try to sit down and write one, I don't know what to write about.

My goal for this trip was to build and strengthen the relationships I have here. Now I never would have thought that a kidney stone and a stay at a hospital would be how I would accomplish that goal, but I can see how it did. I was blessed by lots of visits both inside and outside of the hospital and by prayers from people I don't even know, and for that I am very grateful.

It  has been really hard being here and not being able to do anything. I traveled all this way, and now I am forced to sit around in this house all day. It's hard, it's frustrating. But then I think of all the blessings I have had on this trip, and this trip really has accomplished my original goal for this trip: to build relationships.

Here's my Guatemala family!

Although I wasn't able to spend Christmas with them because of the surgery, I was still able to spend time with my hermanas (sisters).

My hermano (brother) also checked up on me often, what a good big brother does! :)

My Guatemala Family: Pastor Roni, Lubia, Abi, and Josue

Jen and Christian (and Gerson): the staff of Casa Verde and my best friends here!

And of course all the kids and families at the dump!

Although this trip wasn't what I was expecting, it definitely has strengthened my relationships with my Guatemala family and for that I am very grateful! 

One more week left :(

The Bliss of Brokenness

Overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by all the little problems that keep arising, yet overwhelmed by the amount of support I have been receiving. Overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to get done before I leave (…while doing well on my finals…), yet overwhelmed by God’s goodness.

Although this overwhelming feeling makes me want to break down into either tears of joy or tears of sadness almost all the time, I am learning that this is the perfect place to be.

I have noticed that on every trip I’ve gone on, I have had a point of brokenness, a point where I simply could not handle everything. But these points are the times where I had to be completely dependent on God. All too often we are able to do it all on our own. We are completely independent, and look to God for guidance when we feel we need it.

Being completely dependent on God looks messy. For me, being completely dependent on God means crying out to Him every morning for strength and wisdom and praying earnestly to Him every hour of every day. Being completely dependent on God means that reading my Bible everyday is a necessity. And being completely dependent of God often means crying when my head hits the pillow at night.

Being completely dependent on God makes you feel vulnerable. But, you see, God desires us to be at this point, in this point of brokenness, because this point is where His glory can truly shine. This is the point where He can do more than we could ever ask or imagine. For at this point, although we feel weak, we are truly strong.

As I leave for Guatemala on Monday, I leave feeling a tad broken and a little frazzled. But if I had it all together, I know I wouldn’t be completely dependent on God. So although it is messy, there is no place I’d rather be. Please pray that Bekah and I would be safe in our travels, and that God will show us where and how we need to spend the time we have there. Thank you so much for your continued love and support!

What I really want for Christmas

 As Christmas approaches, I have been asked frequently, “What do you want for Christmas?” My response this year has been nothing. I don’t want or need anything. But as I think more about this question, there are some things that I actually do really want.

I want the kids at the dump to not have hunger pains. I want the babies at the dump to have enough nutrition in their diet to grow and thrive. I want the orphans to know that they are loved. I want the elderly at the nursing home to know they have not been forgotten. These are thing that my heart longs for. And these longings cannot be filled by presents underneath my Christmas tree.

We in America have grown up thinking that Christmas is presents underneath the Christmas tree. Christmas is Black Friday. Christmas is singing, it’s food, and it’s busyness. But that is not what Christmas is.

Christmas is the birth of our Heavenly Father, the Savior of the world, who spent His life giving to others. He poured Himself into others every day—He fed the hungry, He healed the sick, and He loved abundantly.

So this Christmas, I want to encourage you to spend less time focusing on the Americanized Christmas, and instead focus on what you can do to be a little more like your Heavenly Father. Whether you do that through me in Guatemala, through another organization, or through something in your own community, what matters is that you are doing it because that is what your Savior has asked you to do.

As I spend my first Christmas in Guatemala, I ask that you gather around me and support me-- that you pray that God’s love will pour out of me to the people of Guatemala, that I would see the people who are so hungry and in need of God and be able to help them, and that I would be able to help with their physical needs.

It’s hard for us to understand that what these kids really want for Christmas are full stomachs, not toys. They are hungry. They are hungry. I say it again because it’s hard for us to grasp this reality. I know you can’t see this hunger, but I praise God that I have supporters, so that when I see this hunger, I can do something about it. Although you may not be there, you are truly making a difference.

Ways to give- 

You can make general donation and I will use it wherever I see the need is the greatest, or you can check out below how you can give in honor of someone for a Christmas present! Perfect for those people whom you never know what to get for or never want anything!

  I will make and send cards to you to give to the person if you are interested in doing this!

Feed the babies at the dump for a week

A box of formula (20 bags) for the babies at the dump/ half box (10 bags)

$50/ $25

Provide clean water to the people working and/or living at the dump

2 weeks of clean water

$20

Food for a family at the dump

$20

Provide a special treat for the elderly at the nursing home!

They can’t afford to buy milk and they miss it so much!

$25

School/building supplies for the local schools
(Special needs school & school for kids whose parents work at the dump)

$10-$100

Needs at the orphanage

$10-$100

Coloring books and crayons for the kids at the Children's Hospital

$20

Upkeep and repairs at Casa Verde, the missionary house

Bless the ministry that makes all this possible

$10-$100

Please make checks out to Kathy Jacobs and give them to me in person or send to 8 Cardinal Drive, Milton PA 17847. If you want a card, please include a return address and which gift you'd like the card for.
Questions? email kathyjoyjacobs@gmail.com

Thank you!!

"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