Serving While We Wait

My heart aches for the for the families living in Guatemala. I would love nothing more than to pick up our lives and move there today to begin serving the communities near the Antigua area, but I know I must be patient.

We have a game plan. Each day we are working toward making our dream of moving to Guatemala a reality, but while we are living in this gap, this time between deciding to move to Guatemala and physically making the move, we have serving opportunities in our own backyard.

Every community in the world as people who are poor and in need of assistance. Some need help paying their bills, others need clothes, and a many need a simply meal. Guatemala is not the only place where we can serve, so while we wait, we will serve our neighbors right where we are.

We have given money to churches, missions, and families in need for many years, but we wanted a chance to meet people face to face. We wanted to provide a service for those in need along with offering a warm smile and a "good morning!", or "how are you today?".

The Samaritan Center in our community turned out to be just what we were looking for, and to my absolute delight, my 9 year old son could serve right along with me!

We talked with the volunteer coordinator, and committed to coming in 1 day each week to serve breakfast. I was told Tuesday mornings had the greatest need for volunteers, so I said, "Sign us up!".

With just two weeks under our belt, my only complaint is that we didn't begin volunteering at the Samaritan Center sooner. It has been as much of a blessing to me and my son as it is to the folks that come in to eat a hot meal.. The center is welcoming to anyone looking for a meal. They do not require anyone to prove they are unable to provide for themselves...everyone looking for a hot meal is welcome. In the midst of poverty, it is a beautiful place to be.

A book I recently read, The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne, focuses on serving the poor in your local community. We all have the ability to write a check, but we also all have the ability to provide services to those less financially fortunate than ourselves. He talks often about finding beauty in the most unlikely places....specifically places of poverty. 

Hopefully this is just the beginning for us. My eyes are open, and I'm looking to serve wherever God chooses to place us.