Merry Christmas

This Christmas was a little different for the Cherry family. We didn't have many decorations, but we love our very little Christmas tree that we do have.

We didn't bake Christmas cookies with my family and the cousins, but some new good friends invited us over to make cookies.

We didn't go to the candle light service on Christmas Eve and then enjoy dinner with our family, but some friends invited us to their Christmas Eve celebration and we all had a great time.

It didn't snow Christmas Eve, but we saw the most AMAZING firework show we had ever seen. Words can not even explain how amazing it was.

We didn't wake up Christmas morning and open presents with the whole family watching, but we were incredibly blessed to have Sean's Mom , Aunt and Uncle join us here for Christmas and share in the joy of the kids opening their gifts.

We didn't get dressed up and join the entire family for a Christmas meal and games today, but we had some good friends that we shared a Christmas lunch with and celebrated a common interest of the new baby home getting ready to open.

Though many things were different this year one thing remains CHRISTmas is a celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! So in a different country, with different traditions, we celebrate Him!

 

 
The Season of Giving has always been a happy time of year for me! I love giving gifts to people, gifts that have meaning and bring a smile to their face. As a child it always felt better to receive the gift than to give it. Not for my nephews, I am so proud of them!

My oldest nephews Cody and Austin have led their church two times in collecting items for “the least of these” in Guatemala.  The first time they collected shoes for kids in a village and the second time they collected baby supplies for the new baby home. Both times it was their idea and they took the initiative to get their church involved.

Then there are my youngest nephews, Jacob and Andrew. They were saving up their money to buy a new video game. When the opportunity came for them to give a little money to help the baby home get started, they came to their parents, with their little piggy banks and they decided to give ALL their money to the baby home!

During this Season of Giving I am asking you to consider giving a small gift to help get supplies we need for the baby home. We need cribs, window coverings, high chairs, changing tables, diapers, formula, and rocking chairs to just name a few things. This is all stuff that we are required to have to open up the baby home. We can’t do this on our own.

I have a goal to raise $5000 by Christmas! If 1000 people gave $5, that is all it would take! I know there are needs everywhere, including right where you are. That is why I am asking everyone to play a small part and maybe ask 5 of your friends to do the same? In 5 minutes, you can make a donation online or stick it in the mail and help bring the abandoned babies of Guatemala home! Please know that 100% of your donation will go directly to the baby home. Gifts for the baby home are not used to support our family.

For your 5 min donation go to https://www.justgive.org/basket?acton=donate&ein=26-3624540 and put baby home in the “designate donation” box. Or you can mail it to:

Catalyst Resources International (Baby Home on memo line)

PO Box 967

% David Greene

West Chester, OH 45071

IF you decide to participate in this tax deductible donation and get other people to do the same, please share your stories with us as it is such an encouragement to us! You can email us at cherryfamily@photasministries.com

Here are 5 reasons I ask you to give…….......................................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 If we all give a little, together we can help a lot.

 

Not just holding babies

Well, we got the baby home and are moving forward! A couple weeks ago we stepped foot into the future baby home for the first time. Since then we have been busy! With help of our Guatemalan friends, we have been cleaning and painting and cleaning and cutting down trees and cleaning and slowly purchasing things we need in the house, and working to get hot water (still don't have) and cleaning some more.

It has been a busy couple weeks but I have seen a transformation in this home and in only a couple weeks! It's amazing! I am amazed at how hard these people work and how many countless hours they have willingly put in. What a difference they have made.

One of the projects we did with a few of our friends that were here visiting us was to help carry blocks to the area where our new team house is being built. Just so you know, these block are heavy. These men that work here carry these around like it's no big deal. Me on the other hand, I thought I might die! I was sweating and hurting and had blisters all over my hands.

We had a good process going. Two of them would carry the blocks from the pile in the parking area to the edge of the yard then the rest of us would carry them from the edge of the yard to where they are building. This worked well for a while but then I started realizing that from where I was working, there was no end in sight! I couldn't see the pile of blocks so I had no idea how much progress we were making and when (if ever) we would be done. I needed to know so I offered to switch with someone on the other side. Surely this would be easier for me to know. As soon as I got to the other side, I was so discouraged. The pile we had left was SO big! :(

Isn't that how we are? We always want to see what's on the other side. We want to know the results or when it will end. I think sometimes God allows us to not see because that is what is better for us. I can think of many things that I wouldn't have done if I knew how hard it would be but then in the end, I was glad I did it.
   
So as we move forward with getting the baby home ready, 2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we live by believing and not by seeing.". We trust His word, His plan and His way.

For those of you that think all we do is hold babies everyday, you now know that is not true. :)
I did manage to get some baby time in and met a sweet little baby boy that is a year old. He was recently taken to an orphanage because his mom tried to sell him to a man and the police found out about it. This sweet little boy stole my heart. His beautiful eye, with long lashes were full of tears and fear. They had taken him to a Dr and said he had worms and was malnourished. I know he will be ok because the lady that runs the orphanage is amazing and she will make sure he is cared for.
But I just don't get it and it continues to break my heart. 2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we live by believing and not by seeing.".

How quickly we forget

This morning Sean and I went to chapel at the kids school. Every Wednesday they have chapel and then split up by class and gender for discipleship after chapel. Sean leads 9^th grade boys and I help lead 7^th grade girls. Today the speaker in chapel talked about the bible story where Jesus and his disciples were on a boat and a big storm came up. While the disciples were freaking out Jesus was sleeping. They woke him up in a panic. Jesus calmed the storm and said “Why are you so afraid, where is your faith?”  

The speakers message was about how we go through storms in our life, and sometimes it might feel like God is sleeping but His promise is to never leave us and we have to trust Him.

After chapel and discipleship class my friend Jenn and I decided to go have lunch. While we were sitting in the restaurant eating we noticed that we were having an earthquake. Now this happens often in Guatemala, we have felt 4 in the short time we have been here. We looked around the restaurant and noticed other people looking around too. The earth quake kept going and started to get progressively worse. As we looked around, we started to notice fear on everyone’s faces. As it continued to get worse and we heard dishes breaking on the floor, a panic filled the room. People started diving under tables and running out of the restaurant. My friend grabbed my hand and we ran out as fast as we could while the ground was still shaking.

I wish that I could tell you I felt complete peace and completely trusted God in this moment. But that is not true. As soon as the earth quake finished, I was so scared. I was scared to go back in the restaurant, I was shaking terribly and couldn’t even eat my lunch. I sat in the chair worrying about whether or not it would happen again, and what if it was worse this time? Was my family ok? Were they scared?

Just 1 hour before this 7.5 earthquake, we had just heard a message, that when everything was ok, made me feel safe and strong, like I could conquer the world with Jesus by my side. Why is it that when we are in the storm, it is so easy to lose sight of that?

Today everyone woke up after another presidential election. Some people are very happy with the results and others are feeling discouraged and maybe even fearful. For some people, this could feel like a storm. If we can stay focused on the big picture and remember that we serve a God that is a rock for us and will never leave or forsake us,  that should bring us peace and comfort.

 

Tonight I pray that when I am in the storm, I will stand strong and trust His word. I pray that all the people affected by this particular storm and all the storms in the world right now, will find peace in Him.

 

Please pray for this little girl

Today we have heavy eyes, but even heavier hearts. Last night a little girl, 2 1/2 years old was dropped off at Mimi's House. Not for a couple hours, for the rest of her life. Her Mom did not want to care for her anymore. Within a matter of 30 minutes this little girls world was turned upside down.

As we all tried hard to distract her, nothing worked. She continued to cry for "Mama" and point in the direction where she knew she had last seen her Mom. Words can not even describe this moment. The fear in her eyes was indescribable. Eventually she gave up the fight, buried herself in my chest and fell asleep.

As I layed in bed with her, I could not fall asleep. I was so sad for this little precious girl. I tried to come up with every reason in my mind why this happens. Nothing made sense to me. As I began to pray for her and her mother, I started to think about the message we had just heard at Church an hour before she arrived here. We had been going through a series called "When God?" by Andy Stanley for the last three weeks. He tells the story of Lazaras, a man Jesus said was the greatest who ever lived. And yet, even this man struggled with God's inattentiveness.  But the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead offers a picture of hope in the midst of a hopeless situation. If we continue to trust God through our pain or lack of understanding, he will eventually show His glory.

Today, I have seen His glory! As I played a small part in helping this sweet little girl adjust last night, I knew that my role moving forward would be different. As much as I would LOVE to be the person to fill the void in this lovable girls life, I know that I can not commit to being here with her the rest of her life.  But God has given me a front row seat to see an awesome ministry with BEAUTIFUL people who have stepped up for this girl in such a short time with short notice.
 They took her to the Doctor today and determined she was pretty sick with an ear infection, throat infection a fever and a bad cough. She started her medicine and is a different girl this afternoon! They have played with her, hugged her and made her smile.

She was not safe where she was but by the Glory of God, She is safe and with her forever family at Mimi's House!!

Back on track

I haven’t written a blog post for a couple weeks because I wasn’t sure what to say. I didn’t want everyone to know that I was having second thoughts. Second thoughts about why we sold everything and why we moved our family here. I was having second thoughts about helping start this baby home. I kept asking myself “what was I thinking? Who am I to think we could get enough money to help start a baby home? We are not good at fundraising, or asking for money. Why in the world did I think this was a good idea? Surely this all wasn’t from God, right?" This is what the last couple of weeks has consisted of for me.

Then Mimi’s House gets a call, a call from some friends that go to church  here with us.  They know someone, who knows someone, who has a baby boy that is 1 ½ months and his very young mother with a very sad story cannot care for him and there is nowhere to take him, can he come to Mimi’s House?

Baby Sam!

 It all stopped for a moment and became clear to me again……….. I am here for a reason, it was God that gave us the strength to sell everything and leave everyone and everything we know to come here. We could not have done that on our own.  I was right, we can’t do this baby home, without Him but he didn’t ask us to do it alone! He will bring the babies, funding and all the supplies we need. We just have to listen to Him and allow Him to use us.

I got so caught up in the circumstances around me the past two weeks. Aubryella, (our 5 year old) has been crying at school almost every day and struggling with some anxiety and fear.  I allowed my insecurities/fears about asking people to support the baby home financially overcome me. I got scared and I lost focus.

I choose today to get back on the path that God intended me to be on. I know that God is with Aubryella through everything she is going through right now. I know He is growing her through all of this and she will be stronger because of it. I also know that I am not asking for financial support for me, I am asking for support for Samuel and all the other babies like him that God will bring to Mimi’s House. I know that God does not always send the equipped; He equips the one He sends. Today I will find peace in that!

Please pray that we can stay focused here and continue to move in His will!

Please also pray about being a sponsor for the baby home. We need your help!

Our hearts have been touched

Living at the current Mimi's House has given us the opportunity to get to know and grow to love the girls that call Mimi's House their home.

Here they are! All with different stories, different personalities, different gifts and one thing in common...... They are all given a chance here at Mimi's House! A chance to go to school, a chance to become who they want to be! A chance to learn about the

unconditional love of our Heavenly Father.

When asked, the girls will tell you how much they love living at Mimi's House!  I asked what they like best about living here......................................

 Lesly said " the Greene Family because they are very kind & loving."

Deanna said "I like that they help me go to school"

Paola said, "they send me to school and provide me food and everything I need to survive".

Cesia said, "I like to live here because there is a lot of room to play basketball or soccer and Paula and Fontaine are very kind"

Cynthia said, "they help me go to school"

These beautiful girls have dreams of what they want to do when they are done with school!

Lupe wants to go to college in the US and become a teacher

Jullisa has been going to art school and has been encouraged to continue to keep painting.

 

Evelia wants to be a lawyer

The reality is without Mimi's House and without their sponsors these dreams would most likely remain a dream but now they have hope!

 I love that we serve a God that loves all of these girls SO much, that He used this family to help write their story. I love that this family saw a need and stepped out in obedience. I love that each of these girls has a sponsor in the states that is also allowing God to use them through their sponsorship donations.