Way way far away in Huehuetenango

Aqui estamos. We were all so overwhelmed to move on from Antigua and all of the chaos that we got to be a part of there, but I can't tell you how excited I am to be here in Huehue. Last week was an amazing week and I can't believe we are already through our first week and a half, but this week is already so amazing. This week we are working with a variety of people from FBC Conroe. Instead of traveling every two hours and going to different people groups at different times of the day and not ever really connecting with people because we didn't think we were going to spend so much time with them. Okay, so first day we got to go to Jocotenango and Manchen, then second day we went to Joco and Manchen again, then third day we went to Alotenango which had the same kids as Joco only 300 more and then the girls at Manchen set up a revolt to get out so we didn't get to go there in the afternoon, so we went back to Alotenango thinking it would be our last time. The fourth day we climbed the volcano (I already talked about that) and then in the afternoon we planned on going to Manchen again, but there were still police blockades so we ended up going back to Alo (yep, third time after we had told them goodbye forever 2 times) and one little girl came up to me and said "I thought you were already leaving, but here you are!" I didn't know how to explain to here the craziness that we had experienced, so I decided to just say, well we weren't ready to say goodbye yet so we came back to visit! The blessing of getting to come back was that we got to give all of the people on this incredibly poor mountain food, everyday living supplies, and love. I am so grateful for getting to come to Alo so many times because the people there were always grateful for anything we could give them and just for our time. People like these: who would give up everything they had for the day just to make sure their neighbor lives.

Ok, so anyway, Friday was our last day in Antigua and we got up at the regular time and headed to the market to see what we could buy. I came away with way more than I was expecting, but nothing that I regret yet, then we patiently awaited to see if we could go back one more time to the beloved Manchen girls' home. Our answer was again, no. There was too much risk in going to the home again because girls had been trying to get out again and it was just crazy. So we decided to go pray over the orphanage one last time before heading to Jocotenango for the afternoon. As we lined the streets of the orphanage with the ENTIRE youth group who had returned from Guatemala City and all of us, we heard joyous screams from inside having no idea what was to come we heard the locks on the doors coming undone and we were amazingly allowed to come inside!!! None of us could believe it as we sat there for a few seconds with our jaws dropped, pinching ourselves to see if it was really true. It was! The director had decided that we were allowed 30 minutes with the girls to give them one last goodbye. I entered the orphanage a little reluctant to tell those girls that I had clung to so much in the first few days goodbye. As I looked around the massive amount of people I could not seem to find the girls. I asked and no one had seen the few that I had so dearly become friends with. Then someone broke the news to me. 23 girls were locked inside one of the inner rooms so that they would not break out again. My girls. The girls I had loved on so much those first two days had been locked away because they were the few who had been trying to escape. I couldn't believe it, so with my head hung low I walked back to the van, preparing myself for the children at Jocotenango. We have now been told that we will be given the opportunity to return to Manchen in the coming weeks. Hopefully my girls will be available for me to talk to and love on again.

Saturday we got to sleep in and then traveled on to Huehuetenango, which is where we are now located. Sunday (yesterday) we got to go spend the entire day just getting to know the kids with no real agenda, just meet and greet. It was incredible. Oh, and we got to visit the local fair. Not too different from the American fairs, except for a height difference. This is me on the one "roller coaster" at the fair where I in all of my 5'11" greatness got to duck under a portion of it because it was built for Mayans, but how can you turn down an 8 year old Guatemalan beautiful boy asking you to ride with him? That's right, you can't. So we got to know the boys all day yesterday and then returned today to do actual vacation bible school activities with them. I seem to attach easily to the younger Guatemalan boys, so here I am again taking hundreds and hundreds of pictures of these perfect little children who God is working with SO much. The kids in this orphanage are so blessed to be where they are and so much less likely to run away. They all love being where they are and I haven't heard any of them complain about anything yet. I have to let you know that I did shed my first tear last night when I stepped into the 4-11 year old boys' room to give them their dinner and they were all seated in a circle patiently awaiting their dinner because they were all given so little. I cried when they told me thank you as I could barely see there faces under the single light bulb that was supposed to shed light on the entire room. I cried as they each looked at me and smiled and asked me if I was coming back tomorrow. How could I not come back tomorrow? How could I not bring each and every one of them back to the United States with me to live in my room that's bigger than anything they will ever experience? Yeah, I don't have an answer to that. This morning I got to help the electrician that is here with us put new light fixtures in the rooms and while doing so also bonded with the most beautiful children you will ever see in your life. Two little boys, Vincente and Oswaldo, are brothers and they are in the baby room at Huehuetenango and Julianne and I definitely were arguing over who got to take them home with us because there is no reason that any mother should even consider giving them up to an orphanage. I mean I understand that she may not be able to take care of them, really, I do, I just wish more than anything that they could just all come home or that we could provide every need that they have and they would never have to worry about anything, but that's not happening either, so I guess I should just continue to pray for them and know that God's plan for them is greater than any that I could make for them and that the women who help run this orphanage will be mothers to them like they never have had. I ask you to pray for them, too. Here are some faces for you to pray for.This is Emerson.
Left is Huicho (Aka trouble) and right is Dino.Henry, ugh, doesn't he just make your heart melt? He sure does mine.

And Anderson. Who can turn them down?
That's all I have for today. I have a feeling these posts are going to get longer and longer as the month goes on. Please keep praying that our group would stay healthy and that we can show Christ to these people. Not just the children, but also to their caretakers and the everyday people we come in contact with. They are amazing.
Thank you.