Home

Hello everyone, for one last time!!

We are home now. Today was a very LONG day of traveling, but we were able to make all of our flights and get to spend some time with Bill and Diana Upchurch in Miami. We were thrilled to be able to see them one last time. 

As I lay in my nice soft bed, can now drink water and brush my teeth straight out of the sink, have reliable air conditioning, and so much more, my mind can't help but wander back to that quaint little hotel room I just left this morning, the orphanages, the street men and women, the animals... everything that we saw there. I miss it so much already; I would go back right now in a heartbeat. While all of the luxuries I have here are so nice, they are easily tradeable for something that gives my life so much more meaning. I was, once again, forever changed this week by absolutely everything that I experienced and viewed. Asking God to break my heart for what broke His proved to be more powerful than ever before in my 5 years of going to Guyana. He has shown me what hurts Him, and if it hurts the Creator, it should certainly hurt me. The monstrosity of the poverty, pain, hurt, etc. seems to be so great in Guyana, but I know my God is greater, and He has each and every single one of those precious children in His hands tonight. I can rest in that, and know that God-willing, I will return next year for such an incredible experience again. 

Thank you, to each and every one of you, for praying for us throughout this journey from take-off Saturday to landing today. You have blessed our team more than you can ever imagine, and for that I am truly grateful. I will leave you with a picture, taken by Miles, that I think truly sums up Guyana as a whole and our trip.

Until next time!

Lauren

"Beauty for brokenness, hope for despair..."

Day 6- Goodbyes are always the hard part

Hey everyone!

Today was yet another wonderful day unfortunately filled with so many goodbyes. We started out the morning by getting a wonderful breakfast at Oasis Cafe. It is a wonderful cafe filled with amazing food, pastries, and coffee. So, so good! We left Oasis and headed to Red Cross orphanage which is a home for babies and toddlers. It is always a very heart wrenching experience to see the very small children who are orphanaged. We were able to play with them and visit with the caregivers. The caregivers here are so amazing; they could be doing anything else yet they choose to take care of these children every single day. 

We left Red Cross and headed to the market to shop for a bit and had a nice lunch out. After a quick rest at the hotel, we went back to Joshua House for our last afternoon there. We brought them all of the clothes and medicine we had collected and also had small toys for them to play with. They were so excited!! Also, we had some time to song with them. Tony joyfully (and maybe painfully) taught them "I Just Want to Be a Sheep" which they loved, and then they sung some songs for us! We then also played basketball and soccer with them. Leaving was so terribly hard. They followed us all the way out to the van, some of them trying to get in or sticking their little hands through the window and asking when we would be back. I just wanted to cry looking at those little faces. 

We enjoyed a nice dinner at a Brazillian restaurant and are back at the hotel packing and preparing to go to sleep for a long day of traveling tomorrow. Please pray for a good night's rest for us tonight and successful and safe travels tomorrow   Also, pray for the ones that we leave behind who will be missed so much. We have made some amazing connections this week which are so great, but they make leaving that much harder. 

Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for praying us through this journey. You have truly made this trip so successful for us, and without you, we couldn't have made it through!

More later from the States, and I will get pictures up then! The WiFi here is having a hard time tonight :)

Lauren 

Day 5- Last Day at Home, Ruimveldt

Hey everyone!

Each day seems to increase with amazing things happening, and today was no different! We went back out to Hope Home this morning for our last day there. We got right to work on finishing the playground. We had a lot to do when we first got there, but God took our skills and talents and multiplied them. Thank you all for praying because I am thrilled to say the entire playground was finished when we left there, and Katy was able to finish the mural. The kids now have two towers complete with slides, swings, a bridge, a rock climbing wall, ladders, and picnic tables... in 5 days out of some pretty interesting lumber y'all! I honestly didn't think it was possible but was reassured that with God nothing is impossible. 

When the playground was up, we allowed all of the kids try it out. It was the most amazing surreal experience. The children were laughing and screaming and just being kids. These children have had most of their normal childhood stripped from them and to watch them play this afternoon brought tears to my eyes and many of the team's eyes. While videoing the children playing, I saw Pastor Tim and Tony come into my camera frame. Turns out they were carrying Carl, a handicapped little boy with the most beautiful but painful history, on to the playground so he could slide and swing like everyone else. When he went down the slide, he was laughing and smiling louder and bigger than anyone I have ever seen. He was beyond happy, and I thought my heart literally might come out of chest. Tony and I were pushing him on the swing and the same thing was happening. He was being a kid, and I am positive it was an experience he has probably never had before. With teary eyes and a changed hearts, we all left Hope to go back to the hotel. 

We took showers and headed to Ruimveldt Home, an orphanage for children diagnosed with HIV or AIDs. We weren't able to stay long but just in the time there, the same experience of so much love and generosity was present. The head caregiver, Sister Jenny, was so excited to see us, and I was thrilled to see her again. We had Quiznos for dinner and are now back at the hotel (maybe attempting to stream the NC State game!) GO PACK!

We are anxiously but sadly awaiting our last day on the ground tomorrow. We are planning to shop, go to the baby orphanage and to Joshua House for a last visit. Continue to pray for our time here as it is coming to a close and for everyone here and at home-- goodbyes are never easy for anyone. Thank you so much for praying for us through this journey! 

Lauren 

Miles and I taking a break!

GO PACK!!

Finishing the last platform! 

Miles, Elizabeth and I 

Team picture after the playground was done!

Katy, E, and Miles hanging the bridge railings 

Team picture with the kids who were SO excited to have a new playground!

Finished project! Thanks be to God for this awesome playground we were able to build and the ability to finish right in the knick of time!

Day 4 - Another Day of Hope!

Hey everyone!

What an amazing day it has been! It has been filled with hard work, love, hope, and promise. We got up on normal schedule and headed to Hope Home for our fourth day there. We got right to work on the playground and were able to get the roof and tarp cover on one stand and the other swingset ready to go! Tony also worked to pressure wash the orphanage walls. Katy continued her mural, and it is looking great! Elizabeth and I were also able to do crafts with some of the younger ones. Today's story was John the Baptist baptizing Jesus!

We had to leave around 1 pm to get back to the hotel in time to make it to Stanleyville for dinner and a church service. What a blessing that whole experience was! We were served an amazing dinner of barbeque chicken, chow mein, curry chicken, sour sop juice,     rice, and roti. It was so great and the chicken tasted a bit like being back home! We then got to play with the most adorable puppy and headed to the church for the service. Elizabeth and Pat gave their awesome testimonies, and Pastor Tim preached an incredible sermon. The entire service was so moving. I stood in awe at the way God works in every country all around the world. The singing was loud and fun and a beautiful noise to The Lord. We even had to watch out for swarms of stray beetles some of which found their way down Miles's shirt and up Tim's pant leg during the sermon. He also got hit in the back with a "bird" (aka a cicada) during his time playing the keyboard, and it brought an awesome laugh to the team. 

We are back at the hotel now preparing for bed and another great day tomorrow at Hope and Ruimveldt. We definitely appreciate the prayers for the weather! We had our first overcast day since being here, and it was such a blessing. Our prayer request for tomorrow is that we will be able to finish the playground before we have to leave Hope! We appreciate all of your many thoughts and prayers!

Lauren 

Pictures to come! I have to get the team ones off another camera tonight, but here are some of mine for now!

My adorable new friend, Trouble 

Craft and story time with the little ones!

Guyana sunset :)

Gotta have a little fun!

Day 3- Hope Home again!

Hello again!

        What a day we have had! It has been yet another long, hot day but a very successful day at that. We left the hotel around 8 this morning and continued to work on the playground. We are making great progress especially with the materials we have been given! Everyone on the team was able to help with it which makes it a great bonding experience. Katy and Caitlin continued to work on the mural in the boy's dorm. Word is getting out to the boys, and they are SO excited about it. Tim and Tony had the grueling job of sanding the floor in the boy's dorm, priming it, and then painting it a nice red color. (Red for NC State, right Tim and Tony?!)
       I was able to answer some more questions for the teachers about behavioral problems with the kids, and then Elizabeth and I taught a self confidence forum for the older girls. Many of them are about to age out of the orphanage so having that kind of information is extremely crucial for them. It was nice to be able to talk to them and think back to my teenage years haha. They seemed pretty receptive to what we had to say!

     While there are so many amazing parts of this trip, there are also moments that break your heart. I always pray before I leave that God will break my heart for what breaks His. It's a powerful prayer, and this year I have felt his response for then ever. I catch myself noticing things I haven't noticed before in five years of travelling here, and also having conversations with some of the children that normally will not open up. This makes me think about a song with the lyrics "Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted; watch them come alive." I asked a boy I have known for many years to help me turn on water downstairs; he decided instead to sit with me while I was watching paint out and talk to me. He explained that his mother died of a drug overdose when he was very young, and his dad allowed him to be adopted by another woman. His adoptive mother decided that her travelling was more important and gave him back, promising to pay for private school (which she does). However, his dad decided that him and his three other siblings were too much to handle, and 11 years ago, he and his brothers became residents of Hope Children's Home. Not only did his lose his mother, but he was rejected by his father and his adoptive mother. He now has had run ins with the law and told me that he has so much anger in his heart. He has begun journaling, but he doesn't feel it's enough. the sheer enormity of his loss hit me. and at first, I didn't know what to say. I prayed a quick "God, tell me what to say" and did my best to explain that his fulfillment could come from Christ and that the anger he was feeling and the dreams he wanted to accomplish could all be accomplished through a relationship with Christ. He told me he had been trying, and I made sure he knew that each day was a new day, and he was loved more than he could ever imagine. Having this opportunity wasn't easy, but listening to him open up for the first time ever was worth it, and I am so thankful God had me emptying paint cans behind an orphanage at exactly the right time.


We went back upstairs to finish cleaning up, packed up, and headed to the vans to return to the hotel. We wanted to go visit monkeys that live across the street, but the monkeys were not there anymore :( A quick walk on the sea wall was awesome, though! Dinner was at a local burger place, and then we headed to get ice cream afterwards. A perfect treat for a very long day! We are back now at the hotel hanging out and hoping to get to bed early because we have another long day ahead of us. Tomorrow, we will go back to Hope for half of the day to continue working and then head to dinner and a local community center where Pastor Tim will be preaching and our very own Elizabeth and Pat will be giving their testimonies.

As always, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We need them! Continue to pray specifically for our team stamina in these hot conditions! Pictures to follow from day 3!

Working on the playground!

Miles hard at work!

The team lifting SUCH a heavy swing set post!

Finally got to see Naresh today too!

Having a little fun while we work!

Caitlin helping build! 

Miles is quite the brainiac... How he figured out swing set angles. 

Pastor Tim, Tony, and Nazar

Pat and Pastor Tim hard at work!

Miles, E, and I go NC State!

Day 2- Hope Home!

Hey everyone!

        Today has been so much fun... a very, long hot day but filled with adventure and excitement! We began bright and early with a devotion from Tony and a wonderful breakfast prepared by the staff of the hotel. We then headed to Hope Children's Home to begin the exciting task of buiding a new playground for all of the kids there! We got right to work and have been able to get much done today. Everyone was able to participate, and we all got a huge kick watching Pastor Tim learn how to saw boards for the different platforms. Caitlin and Katy worked on a mural all day, and it is looking amazing! They have already gotten many compliments, and it is not even finished yet. I will post pictures below. I was able to teach a class to the teachers and caregivers about how to handle behavioral issues with orphans and ways to praise positive behavior instead of focusing on negative behavior. I was extremely excited with how receptive the staff was and will be going back to teach more tomorrow and a self esteem building class for the older girls.
        Elizabeth, Pat, and I also got the opportunity to watch the children so that the staff could have a meeting. It was quite the challenge, but I would say it was a job well done! It was very heartbreaking to look around the room and see just how much attention the children truly wanted. They would go so  far as to physically hurt each other just to get one of us to look at each other. God has such a sense of humor because I was truly put to the test-- could I actually implement the techniques that I had just taught the caregivers to deal with the behavior? It was a challenge but overall, it went well!! Another moment today that broke my heart was watching a crippled little boy fall asleep on the floor because he was so tired from moving himself around. Looking at his shoes, the soles were shredded, and my heart felt about the same way. I was reminded just how blessed I am today.
      We left Hope around 3:30, completely exhausted but blessed from an awesome day. We were able to take quick naps and then head to Maurice and B's house for a welcoming party for their new beautiful home. Pastor Tim was able to bless the home, and we were served an awesome Guyanese meal of curry beef, chow mein, rice, and roti. We also got banana ice cream!
      We had such a great day and are ready for another adventure at Hope Home tomorrow! Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. They are much appreciated! 

Lauren  

P.S. The pictures are a bit out of order but the only way they would all post! Enjoy!! 
 

Elizabeth spending time with some kids!

Miles working hard!

Melissa and Tim attempting to catch a cow!

Tim was determined...

Meet Reshma. I have known this girl for over 5 years, and she is such a blessing to me. 

Tony, Elizabeth, me, and Pastor Tim at the house warming party!

Proof that Pastor Tim indeed used a saw today...

Working on the playground!

Caitlin painting the mural!

Angel, Isaiah, and I!

Clement, Tony, and I having a little fun!

Group picture with B and Maurice at their house warming!

More playground pictures!

Jeff lost a sole today...

Elizabeth working hard!

Me teaching the class today!

Ariel shot of the beginning of the playground process! 

All of the children love Auntie Pat!

More playground...

Tony hard at work!

Miles and I!

Day 1! What a glorious Sunday!

Hey everyone!

Today has been such a wonderful, busy day full of lots of excitement. We were up very early this morning to head to an authentic breakfast that our missionary friend, Clement's, church provided and enjoyed the service at his church as well. We will be heading back there on Wednesday for Pastor Tim to speak!

After church we headed to the homeless shelter to hand out toiletry items, snacks, and crosses. It was awesome to watch the assembly line work; our team has worked together so well, and it is only day 1! From Tony handing out bags to Pastor Tim blessing people and giving them crosses and everyone in between it was just an awesome experience all together. We were well received by the residents of the night shelter and thankful to bless them!

We were thankful to be able to have a wonderful lunch and nap afterwards to catch up on some much needed sleep. After this, we were back up and at it again! We were able to take a walk on the sea wall and even down to the beach. While most of us are from the beach, the scene here is a bit different. Many team members commented on all of the trash and how dirty the water was which is unfortunately a harsh reality that these people face everyday. After this, everyone headed to do the homeless street feeding, and Katy and I went to Joshua House orphanage to teach the older girls how to make paper beads which we will buy from them and sell in the States. We are hoping to give them a sustainable craft that can generate much needed funds for the orphanage. The street feeding went really well today! All of the newcomers were so moved by the experience to drive down the streets of Guyana and feed those most in need. We were able to feed over 300 homeless men and women which is so awesome!

We are all back at the hotel now anxiously awaiting some awesome pizza and looking forward to spending some downtime with each other.

Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers. They mean so much to our team!

At the homeless shelter!

We got in a nice beach walk!

Miles and I!

Pat and a precious little one!

Pastor Tim, Miles, and I at Joshua House