By: Lauren Caudill
I still cannot believe that it has been more than 2 years since I moved to Guatemala. It is strange to feel more at home here than back in Virginia. My heart will forever be in two places at once. The children and families here at the Village of Transformation have become my family, and I love knowing my family back in Virginia is praying for them each day.
My church in Virginia, Thomas Road, has always been involved in local mission work, in addition to international mission work. My pastor, Jonathan Falwell, always challenged us to look in our backyard and ask God to show us the needs right there in Lynchburg. This weekend, I realized that my backyard missions are right here in Guatemala now.
I was driving in a village in Chiquimula that I have been to several times with friends and family. The village is a fairly average town with houses, churches, restaurants and more. Little did I know that if you drive just a little further down the road, a small village exists that is the exact opposite. While it is small, at least 10-15 families live there in poverty, with materials such as metal and wood thrown together to resemble homes. What a convicting moment it was for me to realize how close I had been to this village multiple times, and I never even known. I praise God, because I know that it was no accident finding this village, and I do not plan on forgetting what I saw. Each day Hope of Life is helping more and more people and villages here in Guatemala, and there is still so much work to be done!
Please join me in praying for this village, and for wisdom to be able to help the children and families.