Where He Leads
Hello
everyone!
I hope this
update finds all of you safe and healthy. These last few months have been,
needless to say, unpredictable! But there have been lots of blessings and
beauty amidst it all. Here’s what I’ve been up to over the last few months…
My biggest
news is that three months ago, I accepted a new OT position! Several months prior,
the Lord started working in my heart, in the way he normally does, to prepare
me for big changes in my life. I could see that the Lord was calling me onward
from the previous organization I was working with, that he was preparing for me
a new place to serve, and over time he made it very clear to me where that
place was. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over and over during the last year
and a half, it’s the Lord’s faithfulness. At the end of February, I was offered
and accepted a position serving with an organization called Guatemala
Occupational Therapy Ministries, and it has been such a joy and honor
coming alongside them to serve the Guatemalans. This ministry is based in an
indigenous community (98% Mayan) at the base of the inactive volcano Agua and provides
occupational and speech therapy services in partnership with New Life School, a
school designated for children with special needs, which is rare here. The
school serves kids from kindergarten through sixth grade, and of the 78
children in the school, about 30 are on my caseload, with an additional 10-12
children receiving therapy services in the community through early intervention
and outpatient services.
Click here
to see a beautiful video about this organization and the work they do in the
town of Santa Maria de Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvheT3RT87w&t=5s
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From
the Hill of the Cross, looking over Antigua, towards Volcan de Agua. The arrow
shows the location of the town of Santa Maria de Jesus
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My last couple weeks with Hope for Home Ministries were emotional, as the children and Guatemalans there have become another family to me—it was so hard to say goodbye to them—but it’s of course not a “goodbye,” only a “see you soon.” My birthday fell during my last week there, and it was such a joy to be surrounded by the love of all the staff. They have invested so much into me over the last year, and I am incredibly grateful for the relationships I have built there that continue on even amidst not seeing each other every day (or pretty much at all during quarantine!). A piece of my heart will forever be with them.
The weekend
before and after my birthday were filled with adventures with some of my best
friends here. We made trips to an amusement park, a drive-through safari, and
the beach! I’m craving more of these adventures when quarantine is over!
Day to day
life has looked a lot different since this pandemic began, as I’m sure is the
case for most of you. The week I started with Guatemala Occupational Therapy
Ministries back in March, we had our first confirmed case of coronavirus here
in Guatemala, and the president was quick to take action. I was able to enjoy one
week in the school, getting to know the staff and children, before all the
schools were shut down. My role has looked a lot different than I expected
during this time, as I have not been able to provide direct therapy services,
but it has continued to be a huge blessing. Each week I make and send out
therapy guides for the parents to implement with their children at home. I have
the opportunity to talk with the parents on the phone (a huge challenge to do
in Spanish, but something I’m getting better at and more comfortable with) to
check in on the family, ask about their needs, encourage them, and pray with
them.
We also have
multiple online staff meetings every week, discussing ways to continue serving
the students during this time, vision planning, participating in trainings from
other professionals to increase our own knowledge and skills to help increase
the success of our students, evaluating our own strengths and weaknesses as
individuals and as a team, and so on. Some of my favorite meetings are the ones
where we just set the agenda aside and pray together—pray over our own
struggles and needs, over the children in the school and their families, over
this country, over this pandemic—with moments of silence, just listening to the
words the Lord is laying on our hearts, and moments of sharing scripture, full
of hope and expectation and trust and faithfulness. Because those are the
things we need to get through this pandemic and this time of uncertainty.
Beyond
working with Guatemala Occupational Therapy Ministries, I continue taking
Spanish classes and tutoring my friend’s daughter in English. Six weeks ago, I also
began providing therapy to a 30-year old woman in my town who had surgery in
February to remove a brain tumor and has had many complications since. It has
been such a blessing being able to invest my energy into working with this woman
and her family. They are so incredibly dedicated to her care and are eager to
soak in every bit of information I have to offer. One of my favorite parts of
being a therapist has always been building relationships with the families,
providing encouragement and hope during times in their lives that can often
feel terrifying, hopeless, and uncertain—and I’ve had the honor to be able to
do that for this family.
The Lord has
been teaching me so many things during these last two months of quarantine;
there has been a lesson every step of the way.
The first
was teaching me how to rest—how to be content not working, and doing
practically nothing at all, enjoying the break, allowing it to be a time of
rejuvenation, learning how to rest in him. It’s funny how I crave having rest
time but as soon as I’m given it, I become bored and want to be busy again.
Learning how to rest has been a huge lesson.
“Be
still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
He’s
teaching me that my purpose is more than the work that I do. At times
it’s discouraging not to be able to do what I came here for and what I love—directly
providing occupational therapy services—but I’m learning that my identity and
purpose go far beyond that. My purpose is also in the relationships I’m
building with those around me and my presence in the community. How am I being
a light to those around me? I’ve been able to use this time to pour into myself—to
journal more, reflect more, read more, pray more—so that I can more effectively
pour into others.
“Let
your light shine before others.” Matthew 5: 16
He’s
teaching me how to find peace amidst the uncertainty, amidst the worry,
amidst the anxiety, and amidst the fear. He is here with us in it all, asking
us to lean on him, to offer up our difficulties to him, to trust him.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians
4:7
The Lord
continues to teach me about giving up control and trusting in his plans
– a lesson I don’t know that I’ll ever master, but I’m certainly trying. I’m
such a planner, and it’s hard to let go of that quality and fully trust what
lies ahead, especially right now, when our restrictions can change in an instant,
and every Sunday we await new updates. I want to know what next week looks
like, next month, six months from now. I want to know when I’ll be back in
Ohio, when I’ll see my family again. But I know the Lord is working in all of
this, that his plans are far better than my own, and that he sees and
understands things beyond our own comprehension. So I will work to let go of
these anxieties, trust him, and find peace in him.
“And we know that in all things God works for the
good of those who love him, who have been called according
to his purpose” Romans 8:28
While our
cases of COVID-19 are rising in Guatemala, our numbers are still relatively low—2265
as of May 20th. Guatemala is about the size of Ohio, with a
population of roughly 17 million. Only essential businesses are operating right
now, all public transportation is closed (the method of transport for the
majority of the population), schools are closed, travel is restricted between
departments (think counties), and our borders are closed. We currently have a
curfew from 5pm to 5am daily, and this weekend we’ll have a 24hr curfew. This
is an especially hard time for the Guatemalans, as many are out of work or do
not have the transport available to them to be able to work. In a country where
dinner is provided with the wages earned that same day, the people as a whole
are struggling. Malnutrition rates are rising on the daily. The government has
been quick to implement relief programs, but many times it’s not enough to make
ends meet. Please keep the people of Guatemala in your prayers!
And as you
all know, I love pictures, so here are some joyful memories from the last
couple of months!
Thank you
all for your love, encouragement, prayers and support, as always!
Much love,
Lindsey
Lindsey
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In
mid-February I was able to do a home assessment of Jarred. This sweetheart
fills my heart with such joy. He has been thriving since transitioning out of
the children’s home.
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Hiking with friends to the waterfalls in a nearby town.
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