Skipping Write A-blog

Get it? Skipping right along...skipping write a blog? Sorry...when you are not a writer & you have very little creative energy flowing you gotta run with anything that comes to mind. LOL

So far all blog entries have been my writings. Jo Anna has offered to write the article for yesterday's meeting with Petronila, our sponsored child. Please stay tuned for what I am sure will be an amazing article. I did want to say two things here as I formally wrap up this week's activities.

First of all, I would like to express my/our appreciation for Compassion Int'l & their staff (both domestic & int'l), WBFJ-radio, & our Savior & Lord Jesus Christ for everything that I/we have had the honor & pleasure of experiencing this past week.

Secondly, what can I say about my/our new friends! It has been such a blessing to observe & serve alongside brothers & sister dedicated to living out Proverbs 31:8,9...speaking up for & defending the poor. How awesome! 20+ individuals from so many backgrounds & walks-of-life. It is just astounding how the body of Christ came together for this work. What a treat!

One last thing...I want to specifically mention our Compassion International Sponsor Tour Leaders, Sean & Claudia (U.S. & GU respectively). They were unbelievable! They worked so very hard to make this trip what it was. May God continue to bless them & their part in His ministry.

Keep checking back (or choose to follow) on this blog as I plan to add a few more entries regarding this trip. Also, I have been asked to write for the CI corporate blog, so you may see something about this trip there. Lastly, I will be editing posts by adding pictures as well as a link to the CI blog site.

Thank you for joining Jo Anna & I during this trip! Adios, amigos y amigas!
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Take Me To Your Leader(s), Por Favor

There is always so very much to write...& always so little energy left at the end of a day for me to do so.

Yesterday we flew back from Flores, Peten Department (state) to Guatemala City. We traveled a ways to GU-881 to meet w/some of the emerging leaders out of the Leadership Development Program (LDP). We heard from Harrison the project director & got to see some of the case files & financial documents of the children that came through the program. In addition to ministering to the younger children they have an incredibly successful LDP there & are very blessed to be a part of it.

We heard from Sindy who is a current student at a local university through the support of a CI sponsor in the States. We also got to hear from her mentor & graduate of the LDP, Leticia. I knew of this program & totally believe in providing opportunities such as this. However, it is so very much more meaningful when you connect the home visit & student center experiences with it. We got to hear their hopes, dreams & testimonies of how God has changed their lives. I am really at a loss for words to fully describe what it is like to shake the hands of one of these LDP students/graduates...knowing that the love of Christ through Compassion has brought at least one of their dreams to life. In addition, they made it a point to say that they plan to reinvest in the same project where they were released from poverty. Do they need to? No. Do they want to? Yes. Is it all an act? Absolutely not. You can see it in their eyes that they are serious.

I can't help but to think of "Lu" that we met the first day in her one room house. Someone just like you, the reader could choose to drink one less latte a week & pack a lunch 2 days a week yet release a child like her from poverty. She could be the next Leticia or Sindy. She could come full circle to reinvest in the same ministry where you made a difference in her life in Jesus name.

The pastor of project, Ottoneil Samayoa wanted me to share with all Compassion International sponsors how much God has blessed his center & how the children have been changed through their efforts. He gave God all the glory & asked me to tell Guatemalan sponsors especially.

***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Tools & Tikal

Yesterday we visited a student center & church partner just a few minutes away in Flores. I don't have the project name handy as I am currently cruising at 60,000 ft. I am trying to add a picture this time for the more visual reader. This visit was unusual as it was our only visit without an interaction with children or families.

We worked half the day on different projects from painting to sanding to framing a wall. What stood out to me was the young pastor of the church & student center staff. It is obvious in North American society today that young men & women who walk the walk & put their faith into action are the exception rather than the rule. You could tell that these people had vision & purpose. They care about the lives of these impoverished young people...they are not self-absorbed & insensitive as many of my generation are. Sorry, thirty-somethings church-goers, but it's true. You could see in their eyes their heart for the next generation.

We were closing in on the end of the work when a team member & I noticed the need for more tools. We asked a couple translators to join us in walking down the street to a local hardware store. We did not hesitate to buy some tools & lightbulbs for the center. However, it was obvious that they could use so...much...more. AND it is all within a stone's throw away. These workers give so much of themselves & there are little resources to walk a few feet away & get it. This tore me up inside. I prayed "Dear God, please bless this staff & help this center along (more or less)." I wonder now, nearly 24 later...will I continue that prayer? Couldn't I help them more? It would & did take so very little to assist them in God's work in their (His) ministry to these children. However, I thank the Lord for Compassion Int'l being there in the first place. Where would it be without them/us?

The other major event was a brief but fascinating trip to Tikal, the center of the ancient Mayan civilization. The ruins were absolutely amazing. Wait till I have time to post pictures! We hiked back to through the dense jungle, back in time over 1000 years. We saw monkeys, wild turkeys & other creatures along the way. There were so many buildings, stone reliefs, walls, plazas & the famous pyramids. The best & most magnificent experience was the climb up near the top of the tallest pyramid, 212 ft! It was quite a trek, but well worth it. The view, though scary as it is for a person like me who is afraid of heights, was unbelievable! All you see is jungle for miles...& the other 5 structures that the Mayans built. Simply. Amazing.
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Proverbs 31:8,9

Day 2 in shall I say, "rural" Guatemala. We drove about 90 minutes away to the CI student center in Poptun. The Spanish name of project escapes me, but the English name is "Drops of Love"...and boy, does the name ever fit.
We met with the gracious staff of our church partner and the adjoining student center. Shortly after that we broke up into groups and visited families. We spent about and hour with the Fernandez's. The mother (Anna) lives there with her husband, 3 children, the grandmother & her brother...in 1 house. There are no words to appropriately describe the depravity we witnessed today (or yesterday for that matter). Though they had more animals & feral pets than Lu's family, they still were barely getting by. These people have almost no material possessions, yet the gratitude they expressed for the work that CI is doing was astonishing. Anna's 3 children & Mauricio (her brother) are all sponsored...and all Christians. It was evident that their lives are filled with the love of Jesus Christ despite their circumstances...this was no orchestrated event. They asked us to pray for them going forward, and told us that they pray God's blessing on us for our presence. Compassion International and their sponsors heard the voice of this family (and so many others) through our church partner and put their faith into action to register/sponsor them. "...I will show you my faith by what I do." James 2:18b
The title of this blog entry is Proverbs 31:8,9. Many Christians know this chapter of the Word is famous for the description of a woman of great faith & noble character. What many do not give much credence to is the earlier section dealing with the "sayings of King Lemuel" which "his mother taught him". I will not go into great detail, but suffice it to say that a wise ruler listened to his mother and had this wisdom noted in what would be recorded in this book. "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up & judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Wes Stafford, the Grand Pubah (LOL) of CI mentioned this verse in a tweet today and it struck me in the gut. We are called to do this...wise counsel from an elder. CI is doing this & we as sponsors, workers, advocates, Mr. Stafford, etc. is doing this. What a blessing to know firsthand that we are making a difference...if nothing else but at least attempting to instill hope. It was especially evident as we ministered to the nearly 180 students that came to the CI project center today. The voices of these kids won't be heard without someone listening for them...
Sorry for the disjointed segments, but I am exhausted by the time I write these. Tomorrow we serve by painting a room in the student center while engaging the staff/kids & then on to the Mayan Ruins.
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Rubber Meets the Dirt Road

Have you ever taken a step back from the comfortable, air-conditioned/heated, wall-to-wall carpeted, hot-&-cold running water shelters that we call home & into an extremely impoverished shanty in a third world country? I speak both rhetorically as well as from first hand experience. There is no excuse for what I saw today. At this point you say, "How ignorant & oblivious is this fool?" Well, let me explain before you jump to conclusions...
We arose very early this morning to take a quick flight to Flores, Guatemala. I'll move ahead and tell you that we left there, got organized (somewhat...come on, this is Guatemala...time is relative) & drove into the countryside to our project in San Andreas (GU-858). We met the incredible staff of the student center before lunch then broke up into groups & visited families with registered or sponsored children. "Lu" (her full name is neither something I can properly pronounce nor want to spell) & her family enthusiastically welcomed us with open arms. 7 people live in a house smaller than my master bedroom back in the States. The father has a prostate problem (Salvador...please pray for him) & can not work, which is chopping wood for mere dollars a day. The mother (Anna, if I recall) makes tortillas & sells 100 for $1.25. They have almost nothing...except hope. Let me get back to that.
No excuse, right? How could I say that? Because...we Americans, specifically we Christians, sit back & do very little to make a difference...when it would take so little to do so. I bet u thought I was going to put the blame on them, their country or otherwise. Nope. Individuals such as you the reader can make a difference. How? Read on...
Let's go back to why these people have hope. First & foremost those people (& many others in these projects) have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our eternal Hope in glory. Secondly, there will someday be a family to sponsor Lu. Those resources can not only release her from the chains of poverty, but they help with supporting the ministry coordinators, feed the children at the center as well as give hope to Lu & her family that she will grow up educated & holistically healthy. The plan is & always has been for children like her to prepare her for God's plan in her life through the spiritual & physical healing brought through the work of Compassion International.
There is so much more I would love to write. I will tell you that, if it were not our church partners that identify the need for CI to take action in their community, it would not work as well as it has. God has blessed them with nationals who are also passionate about releasing kids from poverty. Also, there are many people like you who are willing to stand up and make a difference by child sponsorship. Very little can do so very much. Are you willing to act on this? See compassion.com for more.

Please pray for this ministry as they are serving the less fortunate. Pray for Salvador & his family as well as Lu...that she can grow up to make a change as CI will hopefully do for her..
Tomorrow it's more VBS activity & interaction with CI project families. I will also share about my friend...mi amigo Alberto. Buenos noches!
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Cafe Condesa

Sorry, but I cannot help to mention the cheesecake that we had today that was out of this world. A friend of ours, Lisa Holbrook (founder of the adoption/orphan care ministry Caroline's Promise) adopted their child Caroline (hence the name for those cerebral readers) from Guatemala. She posted a comment on my/our Facebook account that said we should find the coffee place (Cafe Condesa) near the indoor market for some excellent cheesecake.

I paid 19.50 Quetzales (about $2) for a huge slice that would have cost at least $7 in the States. It was so good that Jo Anna who is supposed to be losing weight (what's up with that???) on the trip ate a third of the slice. So much for 1 bite! Ha!
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Driving Me Plaintains

Today we had more plantains than in our 36 years on earth combined. These people know how to eat...especially starch-filled banana relatives!

It really has been a whirlwind today. As I write this I still have to post pictures & try to get some sleep before we leave the hotel at 4:30am tomorrow to catch a flight to the Peten (rain forest) region. We started off with a Guatemalan breakfast (which, incidentally, included plantains) & got to know Wendell & Dave some more. Incredible people doing God's work here. More to come about the those guys another time. Later in the morning we worshiped with a church partner in the area, ate lunch at a local restaraunt (which, oddly enough included us eating plantains) with a mariachi band and then spent most of the day driving to and from as well as shopping in the old Spanish colonial town of Antigua. What an amazing morning of fellowship with vibrant Christians as well as sightseeing (didn't shop except 2 purses for the girls) in the 500 year old town. We drove closer to a volcano in the area of which I took and will post pictures. Would love to expound, especially on the church partner involvement but gotta catch a few winks before sunrise...minus 3 hrs.

Tomorrow's activities are outlined in the 1st post of the series. Talk to you more soon!
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

And so it begins...

Our journey...His journey for us has begun. I cannot begin to describe all that I am thinking & feeling about. We have a tremendous opportunity for personal growth. Jo Anna & I are in Guatemala to "observe & serve" as I like to call it. How will our heavenly Father minister in us His children...& through us to the (His) children during this time? That remains to be seen. I also ponder how He worked out the trip so that we would meet our Petronita. How will this one day encounter make a difference? What change will come of this? I have so many more questions than answers at this juncture.

We have half the team we expected to this point as many have had to rearrange their plans or cancel altogether. Jo Anna and I have already briefly met a couple from Colorado Springs that work at CI HQ (Justin & Andrea), a woman from Washington state (who incidentally lost her luggage to the Black Hole of Airline Flight) named Melodye, a commodity trader from KS (Dave) & trip leaders (Sean Dana & Robyn Spencer). We look forward to getting to know them more and watching God use them this week. We are brothers & sisters in Christ serving together...the brothers, sisters & families in poverty in one of the poorest countries in this hemisphere. To God be the glory in all that is said & done.

Tomorrow we worship with our CI church partners...Guatemala-style.
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Snow & Ice and Everything Nice

It was a dangerous trip down from Clemmons to Charlotte. It was snowing rather strongly & we saw many accidents. We were fortunate to have made it down in one piece. Some Compassion Tour friends are still looking for alternative plans due to cancelled flights and such. Who would have guessed that we would have had to battle more snow and ice as we drove south?

Well, as I type this we are safely in the air (thank you, Lord). We had significant delays dealing with check-in due to our baggage being routed to Miami (should have been direct to Guatemala City). My patience as well as Jo Anna's was tried. However, we knew others were even worse off. Our hearts and prayers go out to them. Nonetheless, we made it on the plane and still had our coffee beforehand! Woo hoo!

One last thing...we had unexpected in-flight entertainment. A woman sitting in front of Jo Anna was obviously very exhausted and kept nodding off. She kept leaning into the aisle then -- in bobble-head fashion -- popping back up woozy. Poor thing would have been injured by the drink cart had it continued :-)
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Compassion International Sponsor Trip Intro

Greetings, WBFJ family and other friends! Just a quick introduction via our itinerary. Sorry, but my work schedule has me booked until we leave Friday evening to stay with friends in Charlotte for our Saturday flight. The list below is by way of Sean Dana, our CI Sponsor Trip Leader:

Saturday, February 13 Our adventure begins! Today, as you know, is a travel day. Our TACA flight departs Miami International Airport at 3:10 p.m. Once we are settled into the hotel we will meet together to get to know each other and for some orientation topics. We are staying at the Hotel Princess Reforma tonight which is just a short distance from the airport.


Sunday, February 14 What better way to experience this new country and culture than to join them in Sunday morning worship We will join with our brothers and sisters in Christ at GU-879, one of our church partners in Guatemala City as we begin to anticipate all the Lord want to do in us and through us this week. Later we will travel to the beautiful old city of Antigua for some site-seeing. Once back at the hotel the team will organize supplies and ideas for our ministry opportunities this week.

Monday, February 15 This morning we fly to Santa Elena, in the region of Petén. Once we have checked into our hotel and have had breakfast we will visit the San Andres Student Center, (GU-858) our first visit to a Compassion child development center. After a wonderful program presented by the children, you will have an opportunity to see how a student center functions, learn now student center staff track the progress of each child and how they account for sponsorship-provided resources. Then, we will visit the families of several children from this center to learn about their lives and connect with the complexity and reality of living life amidst tremendous poverty. After lunch we will work together to minister to the children of this student center through the vacation bible school activities we have planned.

Tuesday, February 16 After a good night sleep and some breakfast we will head out to experience a day in the life of a sponsored child. We will travel a short distance to GU-954. Our day will begin by dividing into five groups and walking a short distance. We will spend the morning with a Compassion family and live life as they do every day. You can help with daily chores, participate in the family business and visit with the family. We’ll help serve the children their lunch. Then, in the afternoon we will work together in our ministry teams to engage the children in the VBS activities we have planned.

Wednesday, February 17 We start our day at GU-912 where we will work together to paint the student center kitchen as well as the tables used for the children. After a half day of service we will take the afternoon off to explore the exciting attractions that this area of Guatemala is known for, the Mayan Ruins of Tikal and Ixpanpajul (an echo-tourism park). This will be a fantastic day in Guatemala!

Thursday, February 18 We check-out of our hotel this morning and make our way to the airport to fly back to Guatemala City. Once back, we will make the trek to our last Compassion child development center visit. Today is unique because our hosts for this visit will be several emerging young leaders who were once children in this student center but are now nearing completion of the Leadership Development Program. We will have lunch with them as well to hear their testimony and see the potential that await the children we sponsor and will meet tomorrow. The afternoon will find us at a brief stop at the country office and then some time to shop at a fun, authentic handicraft market.

Friday, February 19 It has been a great week and today is our last full day in Guatemala. Today, we meet the children we sponsor and spend the day making memories together as we interact together at a local amusement park. This is always the highlight of the week. Tonight we will celebrate all that we have learned and experienced in Guatemala this week.

Saturday, February 20 Once relative strangers, today 25 new friends go their separate ways as we return to Miami on TACA flight to catch domestic flights home. We are now prepared to take our new knowledge and zeal for the Lord and His work through the ministry of Compassion back to our families, friends, places of work and churches.

// Please do pray for traveling mercies on this trip as well as most importantly, for God to receive the glory in all that is said and done!