Face Value

I am not a theologian. I don’t own a Greek or Hebrew Lexicon. There are many people I know that are gifted in teaching and research. My study of the Bible is pretty simple. I just read what the Bible says at “face value”. I try to listen to the Holy Spirit and then try to live out what the Bible says.

Simply put, I desperately want to read God’s word and not add anything to it.

Here are a few examples… maybe we can all relate to these.

The Bible says, numerous times, “Love one another”. The Bible doesn’t say- Love one another only when you are loved back.

Jesus says in John 14:15, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my words.” It doesn’t say- If anyone loves me, he can keep my words when it is convenient to his circumstances.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.” It doesn’t say- Do not worry about your life, well except when you lose your job or when money is tight.

Reading the Bible at “face value” is enough to keep me going for a lifetime. I sin, fail, pray and keep getting back up trusting what His word says. I believe His word but it is hard to live out. His word also says in Luke 11:28, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” It says that I will be blessed if I hear the word and obey it.

So, if I believe what God’s word says at “face value” then another verse to live out is James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Some may say that’s not literal. He’s just using that as examples. He could be using it as examples of what religion should “look like” but what if we actually lived out the specific examples mentioned in the verses. I am certain you would agree that it may actually help someone else and even ourselves... that’s my thinking anyways.

This “face value” kind of faith journey our family is attempting to live out is what took us to Guatemala. By the way, we will be going back sooner than later.

The trip to Guatemala allowed us to see more of Jesus & His glory! It allowed us to bring Him glory even in our failed attempts. That’s amazing! God did just what His Word says. If we obey His word… He will bless us! That’s what we experienced as we took care of orphans in their distress.

I want to encourage you to simply read God’s Word at “face value” if you aren’t already doing so.

Our Visit with Zuly & her family

After our visit with Zuly Elizabeth & her family today I tried to think of the words to describe it.

Blessed...that's what came to mind. We have sponsored her for about 4 years now and only seen a few pictures, drawings and letters. The experience today made it so incredibly real and tangible.

When we arrived we introduced ourselves even though she had received letters and pictures from us today. It was hard to believe we were meeting her. Zuly didn't know this but for us it felt like we were meeting someone famous.

We shared with Zuly, her mother and sisters how we pray for them almost daily as a family. Seeing them live and in person was truly amazing!

It was obvious they were nervous or unsure. Mike broke the ice by pulling out a Frisbee we brought for Zuly. They had never seen a Frisbee before so we started showing them how to use it. Zuly got out there and was having fun giving it a try.

It is so obvious that the mother loves her six girls very much. She was a joy as well as the rest of the family. It was a little overwhelming to see the conditions they live in and the structures they call their home and kitchen. I know God is in control and I truly pray they know that as well in their hearts. It was just hard to believe that all of them live in such a small area.

I think of the lyrics from a Brooke Fraser song. It is about her visit to Rwanda and a girl she meets- Albertine. It speaks to me now about Guatemala and our visit with Zuly.

Here's the chorus to the song Albertine:

Now that I have seen, I am responsible

Faith without works is dead

Now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane across a distant sea

But I carry you in me

and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet

There are so many other things to share but I am still processing it all. We will share more words and pictures soon.

We were blessed beyond words by the whole experience.

Mitzi

Mealtime at the Malnutrition Center

Here are two of my favorite pictures.

This is little Elena.

The top one is during here meal.

The bottom one is after her meal.

She did wake up after much prompting.

After Elena woke up she started finishing off her meal with her eyes closed.

Most all of the children would eat every last morsel on their plate. They wouldn't receive their leche(milk) until they ate everything on their plate. Food is a precious commodity for these children.

Thursday, January 12th

Today was our final day at the Malnutrition Center. It was filled with joy and emotion. The “Ducks and Squirrels” enjoyed puzzle time and taking a walk outside. They covered the pavilion in sidewalk chalk. Several of the children wanted us to outline them on the ground. They were covered in chalk as they walked back inside. It was precious to see little Victoria join the Squirrels over the last couple of days. Her face lit up when she went down the slide for the first time.

Right before lunch most of the children had the opportunity to help unload supplies for the center. We couldn’t believe how excited the children were to carry a container of wipes & diapers. They ran back and forth to the van without any whining or complaining. It was a joyful experience.

In the afternoon, the staff provided a wonderful snack for us as a send off… Authentic Guatemalan food. They had fun taking pictures and we had a chance to see more of their personalities come out despite the language barrier. A smile and laughter are universal.

As we prepared to say good-bye, the kids were given packages of Oreos. We loved seeing them with chocolate outlining their mouths and faces. They enjoyed every morsel and I think they left some clean up for the workers at the center too.

This day was no different than the previous three days in regard to the way we would leave each afternoon. The children and staff would all come out and wave good-bye until we were out of sight. What was different about today was the fact that we wouldn't physically be back tomorrow. Our team may not be at the center tomorrow but a part of our hearts will always be there. What a joy and a blessing the Lord gave us this week!

We (the Fountain family) will be in Guatemala until Tuesday, the 17th. The Baggotts and Parkisions will be leaving us Saturday. On Monday, we will go visit our World Vision child, Zuly Elizabeth. We are very excited to see her and her family. Starting tomorrow we plan on visiting some sights in and around Antigua. It is a beautiful city. We have taken lots of pictures of the center and Antigua that we plan to share soon.

Tuesday, January 10th 2nd post of pictures