The first 2 weekends of December Dylan and I had the opportunity to do what has become something of a tradition for the kids in our church.  Every year after the school year has ended we do a sleep over for all the kids from the church who have passed their year of school.  We also do a sleepover around Easter and in between these 2 sleepovers the kids ask us almost every week “when is the next sleepover?”

It is a great time for them and for us.  They have the opportunity to come to our house and spend a whole night doing fun things that they don’t normally get to do.  We share devotional time, have a camp fire with s’mores, we play games and give away prizes that have been brought to us by the short term teams that come to serve with us, we paint nails and play video games, we watch movies until the wee hours of the morning, and we have a bunch of snacks and drinks of which the kids

are free to have as much of as they’d like (although we do have to eventually tell them to stop eating and take it home so they don’t get sick…hahaha).

The kids always tell us they love coming to our house and I’ve always figured it was because we are like the “fun, big kids” who play and have fun with them all night.  But something else I realized this past time was that it’s also like a vacation for them.  A lot of life in Guatemala is focused on daily survival and the majority of these kids live in homes where they don’t always know how their needs are going to be met.  This time some of the girls who were never able to come before came to the sleepover and they asked me “do we each get our own bed?”  When I told them they do they squealed with delight.  This is something that truly touched my heart because it’s not something most people would think is a big deal, but when you stop and realize that the majority of these kids live in very small houses and share beds with multiple siblings you realize what a joy having your own bed for one night can be.

I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with a home where we have enough space to have the children come and spend time with us and that he has allowed us to have the bunkbeds that short term teams use in our house so that the kids can have a place to sleep when they come for sleepovers.  I also am thankful to all of you who make it possible for us to be here and continue to build relationships with and minister to these children.  You are a part of how the Lord is using all of us to make a difference here in Guatemala even if that difference is something as small as having their own bed to sleep in for one night so that they know the Lord does care about the little things in their lives and “smallest” desires of their hearts.

Above are some pictures of the sleepover fun for you all to enjoy!  Thank you again for all you do to Unite 2 Serve with us in Guatemala!

 

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