Monks: Please continue to pray for Phil and Patti for God to clear the way for the Adoptions to be completed and to give as you are able.
I would have fainted, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Psalm 27:13,14
Dear friends,
We have been in lockdown for over 100 days. A break is impossible right now. If self-care was hard before this, it is completely nonexistent now, except for our daily family walk to the field, and for our showers. Life while caring for kids from hard places is hard during "normal" life, but in the midst of the current world situation, it has seemed like a completely unsurmountable task at times.
But God... He keeps working and giving us hope!
A few weeks into the lockdown, one of our teens opened his life to the Lord. He came to us privately and shared that he had decided to be a Christian. What a beautiful surprise, though we knew God was calling him. We had a beautiful conversation about Christ and what it means to follow Him, and what the Lord desires of us and for us. We shared how joyful we are knowing this is the most important decision in life. We are incredibly blessed for our children to be walking in the truth.
Then, just a couple of weeks later, we made it over a big hurdle in the life of one of the younger boys. He had been extremely difficult, was driving us to the end of our rope, but then out of nowhere came a fountain of fears and concerns due to what he had heard about COVID-19 and all the sudden changes that were beginning to happen here in Guatemala. This opened the door for us all to talk through our fears and to remember to trust God with all of our cares. This precious little boy's heart has been steady and his behavior so much better since then. It’s amazing how our thoughts and fears influence our behavior. Just another reminder of how important it is to keep our focus on the Lord, knowing He will set our heart straight.
Several weeks after this, another child who was always very stiff began soften up. He came to me and melted into a real hug and climbed up beside me in bed in the middle of the night. This little guy has struggled with uncertainty not knowing if he will stay with us or not. It has been hard for him to trust and to love, even though he desperately wanted to. It was a huge breakthrough for him to relax and allow himself to love, and be loved. Something we all have to remember with our Heavenly Father, to trust Him who loves us more than we know.
And then again, a few more weeks passed and yet another child who had been quietly angry for months asked us what it means for a parent to love a child. This little girl guards her heart with a solid wall. We realized in that one question that her wall has kept her from even knowing what love is even though she has lived surrounded by love for many years. Her fears had walled her own heart in, not letting love even come close to her. What a beautiful beginning to breaking that wall down, brick by brick so that she can know and feel not only our love for her, but more importantly the love of her Heavenly Father, the One who can truly set her free from the bondage of fear and hurt that she carries from her past.
God works in the middle of our storms. He moves hearts in the middle of the turmoil and desperation. Hang on my friends who are fighting for the lives of desperate ones. God is moving. Pray for each other and patiently wait as the Holy Spirit does the work in each heart. Be available to do what God calls you to do and celebrate the victories for Jesus along the way.
Thank you for helping us make new life possible.
Patti and Phil
www.SafeHavenVillage.org
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Psalm 27:13,14
Dear friends,
We have been in lockdown for over 100 days. A break is impossible right now. If self-care was hard before this, it is completely nonexistent now, except for our daily family walk to the field, and for our showers. Life while caring for kids from hard places is hard during "normal" life, but in the midst of the current world situation, it has seemed like a completely unsurmountable task at times.
But God... He keeps working and giving us hope!
A few weeks into the lockdown, one of our teens opened his life to the Lord. He came to us privately and shared that he had decided to be a Christian. What a beautiful surprise, though we knew God was calling him. We had a beautiful conversation about Christ and what it means to follow Him, and what the Lord desires of us and for us. We shared how joyful we are knowing this is the most important decision in life. We are incredibly blessed for our children to be walking in the truth.
Then, just a couple of weeks later, we made it over a big hurdle in the life of one of the younger boys. He had been extremely difficult, was driving us to the end of our rope, but then out of nowhere came a fountain of fears and concerns due to what he had heard about COVID-19 and all the sudden changes that were beginning to happen here in Guatemala. This opened the door for us all to talk through our fears and to remember to trust God with all of our cares. This precious little boy's heart has been steady and his behavior so much better since then. It’s amazing how our thoughts and fears influence our behavior. Just another reminder of how important it is to keep our focus on the Lord, knowing He will set our heart straight.
Several weeks after this, another child who was always very stiff began soften up. He came to me and melted into a real hug and climbed up beside me in bed in the middle of the night. This little guy has struggled with uncertainty not knowing if he will stay with us or not. It has been hard for him to trust and to love, even though he desperately wanted to. It was a huge breakthrough for him to relax and allow himself to love, and be loved. Something we all have to remember with our Heavenly Father, to trust Him who loves us more than we know.
And then again, a few more weeks passed and yet another child who had been quietly angry for months asked us what it means for a parent to love a child. This little girl guards her heart with a solid wall. We realized in that one question that her wall has kept her from even knowing what love is even though she has lived surrounded by love for many years. Her fears had walled her own heart in, not letting love even come close to her. What a beautiful beginning to breaking that wall down, brick by brick so that she can know and feel not only our love for her, but more importantly the love of her Heavenly Father, the One who can truly set her free from the bondage of fear and hurt that she carries from her past.
God works in the middle of our storms. He moves hearts in the middle of the turmoil and desperation. Hang on my friends who are fighting for the lives of desperate ones. God is moving. Pray for each other and patiently wait as the Holy Spirit does the work in each heart. Be available to do what God calls you to do and celebrate the victories for Jesus along the way.
Thank you for helping us make new life possible.
Patti and Phil
www.SafeHavenVillage.org