"Once our eyes are opened..."

Last night I had the privilege of meeting an amazing young couple that I had wanted to meet for awhile. Meet Rob and Lori.Lori is the aunt of Will's best bud, and I had been hearing about her adoption from Guatemala. Recently I found out that Rob and Lori, along with their two beautiful children, would be moving to Guatemala to serve as missionaries to impoverished people in that country.

It all started with their beautiful son, Cohen. While waiting to adopt him, they were able to spend several months in Guatemala, where they saw first hand the needs of the country, especially the children. They met Christian workers in the area, and began to make connections that God would later use to His purposes. Lori shared with us that their theme verse has become Proverbs 24:12 -

" ...Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."

Anyway, last night they came to talk to our youth group about their plans. They hope to move to Guatemala early next year, where they will join an organization called Catalyst Resources International. They will be working on a variety of projects, including construction, agribusiness, feeding programs, and hosting short-term missionaries.

But, of course, the one that grabbed my attention was their work with kids. They plan to be living and working at a place called Mimi's House. In Guatemala, only 10% of kids typically go past the 6th grade. Mimi's House is a place where girls aged 10-12 live and are able to continue their educations, going on to high school and breaking the cycle of poverty.

Would you join me in praying for Rob and Lori and their family as they embark on this exciting adventure. We pray for their safety, wisdom, and their faithfulness to what God has called them to do. You and/or your church might also prayerfully consider supporting their work financially. (They attend a non-denominational church, which means that they must raise their own financial support for the work that they will be doing in Guatemala.) You can sponsor a child, or a project. Also, don't forget to follow them on their journey at Compassion for Guatemala. Rob and Lori, thanks so much for allowing God to break your hearts for the things that break His, and for stepping out in faith and doing hard things.

Are you uncomfortable yet?

As if my previous post wasn't long enough, I woke up this morning and remembered two things that I forgot.

First is care of widows. This one is not that hard, but we overlook it every single day. Again, we don't want to be uncomfortable. We don't want to make time in our schedules to serve. During this holiday season I challenge you (and me) to make time to reach out to a widow. If you don't know who to reach out to, ask your pastor for ideas. There are lonely people in your communities, and this time of year can be even more lonely for them.

Ideas to get you started:

• Visit a nursing home
• Support Meals on Wheels
• Rake leaves for a widow
• Participate in Senior ministry in your church (or start one if you don't already have one)

Second, I forgot to tell you one of the more amazing stories I have discovered since I began blogging. This is one of those blogs that I read occasionally, but not too often because it is so hard to read. It makes me want to do something, and that makes me uncomfortable. It is written by a young woman named Katie. Her ministry is called Amazima. Katie left her Tennessee home after high school to do volunteer work for a year in Uganda. And she never came home. She literally takes care of the least of these, every single day. She cares for 14 children in her home, in addition to her work in her community.

One day I was reading her blog (I don't remember which entry, or I would link it directly) and she was talking about what a loving family she has, and how blessed she is. Then she said the hard part. She said that because much has been given to her, much is expected of her (Luke 12:48). Because she has been given so much love, she is expected to give that love away in ways that make me uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable, because I have been similarly blessed. I have been given one of the most loving families imaginable, and how am I giving that love away? Much is expected of me, but am I doing much?