Journey With Bonnie

Traveling Buddies

2009-07-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

This is the end of the journey with the boys that have ran around with us all day. It is sad to say good bye, especially to Jorge. Before we do, I must introduce you to my traveling buddies for the day Giles Blankenship, who is a wonderful worship leader and songwriter who travelled with his adorable wife Kelly to Guatemala, fellow North Carolinians and Jorge. Jorge is the product of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, or should I say he is a yong man changed because he was rescued and transformed by Jesus. He was rescued years ago, off the streets of Guatemala and placed in Eliza Martinez. He is now in a Buckner Home that will equip him with all he needs to make it in this world. What he most wants to do is give back. I am so thankful God has a plan and a purpose for Jorge!!!

(picture is coming)

Homeward Bound aka Vista Real Bound

2009-07-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

I left San Gabriel a little distraught. I was shaken to the core. I could not help but to think of my own son. How blessed he was. These boys, I don't know how to explain it but that they need HOPE, they need JESUS!!!!! Thank you for being willing to give shoes to the Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls Shoe Drive. It is because of you, that I went to be Jesus hands and feet to these young men. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!!!

San Gabriel 11-18 year old boys

2009-07-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

It had been a rough rocky road but we had made it. What is the first thing we see but a cow, malnourished none the less but a cow. It is a locked facility. They have to open the door for us to pull in to the compound. There are boys everywhere. They look at us, some out in the courtyard, some behind barred windows. Once in we found out that San Gabriel used to be a prison. It still had that feel to it. These boys, some jovial, some despondent and some simply not caring. It was a very sad place to me. I can't imagine the day to day existence of these boys. No matter what it looked like to me it was far better than the alternative. Living on the street with no one to call a family. At least here, for all intended purposes they were family.
For this moment in time we would be their family.
_

No matter how old they were, they enjoyed the lesson, the crafts and the shoes. I didn't get any pictures of the shoes because I was on the lesson team this stop. We were there to share Jesus love and that is just what I did. The feeling in the pit of my stomach was of much distress. I just felt something in this orphanage unlike the other. There was despair here, the only thing that I have come close to comparing it to was one Saturday several weeks back, going in to the jail here to minister. That same hopelessness. That same despair. Jesus came to set the captive free. I pray that these young men will find Jesus and become free!!!!!!!!!

Off to San Gabriel

2009-07-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

We were well fed and ready for our next visit. We were off to San Gabriel. One of the things that we were learning very quickly is that we all were out of our comfort zones. Here we were totally submitted to the process. New country, not knowing anyone and then there is the driver. I stopped very quickly checking out the speedometer. I just did not want to know how fast we were going!!

Coffee Time

2009-07-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Lunch was very good. We had not been able to get our currency changed over and everyone was in need of taking care of that small little detail. There were several banks around. They handle things at the bank a little differently than ours. There is a armed guard that lets you in and then back out, locking the door after each entrance and exit. You go in and take a sit until they are already for you. Looking at the little waiting area it could be some time before they got to us. We decided to go get coffee instead. Coffee, it was the best.

We were very blessed to have Lolly from San Marcos, TX with us. She was our interpretor to order coffee and that proved to be very helpful.

Lunch Anyone?

2009-07-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our visit to Eliza Martinez was incredible!!! I think it was so much more than I could have imagined but it was just the beginning of our Shoes for Orphan Souls Missions Trip.
We left Eliza Martinez for lunch. Everyone speculated on what it would be. We were going to Pradera Concepcion. I looked that up when I received our itinerary and found that it was a mall. A mall that resembles ours in many ways. They have a Sears, many stores and of course a Food Court. What would a mall be without a Food Court. I am not the Queen of fast food so I determined to make the most of it. The great thing is that they have fast food that is there's alone(although I hear that they are now in Texas) Pollo Camprero. I was glad that our choice for lunch was Pollo Camprero, Subway or Domino's. You see, for me a part of going other places is experiencing the food that you can only get there. Why would I want to eat at a Subway or Domino's when I could have Pollo Camprero. It is a fast food chicken restaurant with a little different preparation and flavoring. Everyone that ate there thought it was good.

The guys in the picture were the young men that had once been in the Eliza Martinez Orphanage. All the others were those who had travelled from all over the US to go on the Shoes for Orphan Souls Mission Trip

Giving of Shoes at Eliza Martinez

2009-07-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

The time had finally arrived. Our first opportunity to put shoes on the boys feet at Eliza Martinez. It is one of those things that unless you experience it for yourself you may not be able to fully comprehend the magnitude of it. Let's just say it was one of many of the highlights of our trip. After taking part in Shoes for Orphan Souls Shoe Drives for two years and now being able to see it full circle, now that is exciting. We took turns in going out in our groups to put shoes and socks on the feet of the orphans.

When they began to get the shoes out, I saw these camouflage tennis shoes that I just fell in love with. I so wanted to put those shoes on one of the guys feet. I went on about my duties and when it came my turn, the Lord so worked it out that the camouflage shoes were the very pair that I was able to place on the feet of one of the orphans.

God is so good!!!!!!

Day 1 Sept. 29, 2008 Our First Visit to the Orphanages

2009-06-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

At approximately 9AM we loaded into a bus and a van for our journey in to one of the Guatemala Orphanages. Our first visit that morning was in just outside of the city of Guatemala. We took in many sights along the way. The city was bustling just as ours does. It was the same and yet quite different. When is the last time you followed a pineapple truck down the street? Traffic everywhere, bumper to bumper. We are on our way.

We arrived at the Eliza Martinez Orphanage for boys. Before I take you in, what you must know is that part of our orientation was not just meeting one another but also meeting some very special young men that had once lived in the Eliza Martinez Orphanage. They were thriving young men who are being equipped to give back, to make a difference in this life. What a wonderful way to begin. We were able to see that, yes, it actually makes a difference. God is making a difference through Buckner to change the lives of these forgotten orphans. Orphans, young boys, young men who will have a chance because of a pair of shoes and the love of Jesus was given not just once but daily. We just had the privilege of the one day making a difference because of His great love for us, we could love those boys. I will now give you a glimpse of Eliza Martinez and the boys that have been given HOPE!

Eliza Martinez

Everyone was glad to see everyone!!!!

John led our group in Guatemala. He was no

stranger to these orphans.

We met young men named Miquel, Oscar, so many other and then there was Norman. He is the little guy standing between Berta(Shoes for Orphan Souls) and one of the caregivers. We all thought he was so young to be in this particular home. Most of the guys were older. You know you go in knowing that this moment is all you have. Make the most of it. Give, love all that you can. You never think that you will be seeing any of these guys again but you never know what the day holds and the plans of our Lord.

Here you see Charles, my new friend, doing what he does best. He brought his camera and printer so that in every orphanage that we visited, we were able to leave them with a picture. You could say that Charles was the most popular guy there. Young or old, male or female, it didn't matter, they wanted their picture made and that was just what Charles did.

One of the things that we did at each Orphanage was to lead VBS. Each group had their own responsibities but the end result was to let these boys know just how special each one is to God, how special they are because He made them and that He loved them. We all enjoyed sharing the love of God with these boys at Eliza Martinez.

We all were looking forward to our next assignment. We were going to put shoes on these precious boys feet!!!!

Day 1, Sept. 29, 2009 Yum! Yum! Breakfast

2009-06-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

After our morning stroll Charles and I went back to the hotel to a scrumptious breakfast. I know what you may be thinking, I am not so sure about that, knowing what a food snob I am, but it was absolutely scrumptious.Fresly made omelot, black beans (a staple at every meal), roasted potatoes, roasted mixed veggies, fresh fruit and I could never forget the coffee. The meal was not only delicious but the company that I had made it all the more enjoyable. Charles introduced me to a couple of his friends that came with the Texas group.
Pictured here is Charles, Pat and Lolly

After breakfast we prepared for the day by doing an in-country orientation and pack our bags for VBS. Everyone got acquainted with one another and our missions trip was officially under way.

Day 1 Sept 29, 2008

2008-11-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

The first day of our trip, I rose early. Just like I would back home. I was up and out by 5:30am. It was a little strange. Being in a foreign country, knowing no one, your only alternative is to take a deep breathe and trust the Lord. I began doing a little investigating of this beautiful place in which I had just spent the night. It was beautiful. While I was out investigating I met my new early morning buddy, Charles. Charles had arrived from San Marcos, TX earlier on Sunday than I had so I had not had the opportunity to meet him and the rest of his group. He had his camera out just like me. I took a chance and asked him if he were with Buckner, phew, he was. We became fast friends and had a great time that morning discovering the beauty of this great place.

We went out to get pictures of the volcano across the street from the Vista Real Hotel. It was beautiful. Sometimes it is too cloudy or foggy to see the top. That morning the Lord so orchestrated it that Charles and I got to see the beauty of it all. We made it to the median and then the floodgates of traffic were opened. There we were taking pictures and wondering how in the world will we get back across the street. Traffic on either side flying by us. Something began to resound in my head. This is universal. Traffic back home is hectic. People going to work, getting children to school. Children catching the school bus, universal. It happens throughout the world, life.

Took us a little longer than we thought it would but we finally made it back across to our hotel. I can hardly wait for breakfast.

Leaving the United States

2008-10-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

As I said the Dallas Airport was a treat. This is where I first met some of the others going to Guatemala on the Buckner SOS trip. It was a group comprised of Buckner people, Geoff Moore and those traveling with him and Ben. Ben was along for documentation purposes for Buckner. He was the passenger sitting directly in front of me. A quiet, unassuming kind of guy. The passengers that sat beside of me were a brother and sister traveling back to Guatemala. You remember the test? The not talking to anyone test? Well, Hugar and Mary were my flight buddies until Guatemala. The very interesting little fact was that Hugar and Mary spoke little English, and me, even less Spanish. They wanted to talk the entire trip to Guatemala. I had thought the language would be a barrier. Well, it was but it did not deter Hugar and Mary from wanting to have conversation, lots of conversation. Hugar showed me pictures on his camera that he had just taken on his trip to a friends in Washington State. They were delightful.

I did have a little reprieve by being able to watch Bucket List.

The great thing about watching a movie like that is on the flight they take all the bad language out of it. How enjoyable!!! (I still wonder why they can do that there but not at the theater. I know maybe they could show it with a bad language-free showing and one with bad language in it. The industry just might be surprised at how much we would like the movie. Such was the case with Bucket List.) It was wonderful and left me in my seat crying a little uncontrollably, for many different reasons. If you can watch it without the bad language I endorse it fully, not so much if it is full of the unnecessary bad language!!!!!!!! Sweet Hugar, empathized with me about the tears. He had already seen it. He was the sweetest man. I thank God for Hugar and Mary, just a taste of what was to come and the Guatemalan people.

What did I learn from this leg of the flight. God can take away any language barrier. He can work all things to our good!!! Now I mentioned Ben earlier because at the end of the flight, He admitted I gave him much entertainment trying to converse with Hugar and Mary. I even had the Buckner trip manual out trying to find the words to use when Hugar asked me what my profession was. I guess you would have just had to been there.

Arrival: Guatemala Mission: Shoes For Orphan Souls-Buckner International

Guatemala Shoes For Orphan Souls, Buckner International Shoe Trip - Departure 9/28/08

2008-10-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

I want to share about my Shoes for Orphan Souls Shoe Trip. I thought the best place to start was from the beginning. I have to admit that from the time I accepted the opportunity to go on the SOS trip until the day I left, I fought demons of doubt and fear. The closer I got to departure though the more that the Lord convinced me that I was to go on this trip. He used many of our listeners, unbeknowest to them to confirm that this was something I was suppossed to do. I did not want to leave my children and even wondered if that was the right thing to do to them.

Addy told me on the Saturday before I left with tears in her eyes, "Mommy I already miss you." I had to reassure them and myself that God is God and we can trust Him no matter what. My husband on the other hand felt very sure that this was the trip for me to take. I continued to prepare.

The Sunday morning I left for Guatemala, I could not eat. A little nervous but convinced I was supposed to go, my family and I headed to the Greensboro Airport. It was great to have my sister, Phyllis and brother-in-law, Mike to go along with Ron, Aaron and Addy. It is always great to have a good support system. I was flying out alone and had not done that since I was 19yrs of age. My sister reminded me that Brianna, my niece, does this all the time. It's funny how things change as we get older. I don't have the carefree attitude about certain things that I once did. You learn that life is unpredictable and things happen. I am so thankful I did not allow the enemy of my soul to steal my confidence in God. I just continued to trust Him. I had joked with my family that I was going to try an experiment on my flights to Guatemala. I was going to fly with out talking with anyone. Now, for anyone that knows me knows that there is no way that I could go to Dallas on an airplane and not talk. I must talk, I must connect with people. I said my good-byes through the tears to my family.

I proceeded on to the plane, having to walk outside of the terminal to get to the plane. I noticed something different about this plane. It had a pink ribbon painted on it. I found my seat. It seemed everyone had loaded. The seat beside me was empty. Thank you, Lord, you are making it easy for me to do my experiment. Wait a minute, another passenger coming my way. It was my flight buddy from Greensboro to Dallas. I spoke cordially really trying to see if I could go without conversation. No way, he was a very nice, engaging guy. We began to talk about why I was flying and he thought it was great that I was going to Guatemala to minister the love of Jesus. Turns out that he and his sweet family attended Calvary Chapel and now belonged to another non-denominational church. They have 2 boys. After we had our emergency demonstrations we learned from the flight attendant that the pink ribbon was, as I thought, the ribbon for breast cancer. Something that I had dealt with almost 5 years ago. He said that there were only a few in the fleet of Americian/American Eagle Aircraft. Thank you, Lord for making sure that it was on my plane. Another confimation to my heart. It was much bigger than me, though, because tears began to fill the eyes of the gentleman that sat beside of me. He and his wife had just fought the battle through chemo and radiation. She had just recently found out and endured treatment. It was all so fresh to him still. He talked, I listened and I talked and he listened and looked at me and said, "you know I don't think anything happens by chance(nor do I) I think that I was supposed to be in this very seat today. I thank my God for his direction in our life. The time had flown and we were about to land and I look to this nice man and said, "I never got your name," " Sean," he said. "Nice to meet you Sean,"I said, and was so very glad that I was on that plane going to Guatemala. I knew beyond measure that my God was with me and Sean's family, too.

Arriving in Dallas was a treat all to itself. I had several hours there by myself. Something I was dreading turned out to be a great adventure. They have a great monorail to get you from one terminal to another. I thought my children would love this. I loved it. I have decided that if I have to get stranded in an airport I want it to be in Dallas. It is a city unto itself.

It was just like being in a big candy store. So much to do, your nails, a massage. So much to chose from to eat and I was hungry. I sat and had a wonderful lunch/dinner at Bennigans. Of all things a well-done burger. My family can hardly believe it, Mama never eats burgers out.

Charge your phone, rent a laptop. You name it and they have it in Dallas. If you are ever there, don't just settle for what you see right around you, I learned that myself after I had eaten. I found several places that I would probably have liked better but that will be for another time.

So far so good, God!!!!

Bonnie's Wednesday Word - October 15th 2008

2008-10-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

I am hoping that this Wednesday Word finds everyone doing well. I pray that you are trusting the Lord to keep His promise to you no matter the circumstances of life. That can be so easy to say and do when all of life is going your way but when it is not it can be very hard. The truth however is the truth. God’s Word is true in season and out. He is the answer for any and every need that we have in our lives.

I bring this up today as a reminder to me as much as to you. I have just had the opportunity to look at pictures taken and to begin to process all I saw and did while on the missions trip through Buckner International, specifically Shoes for Orphan Souls to Guatemala. I have said that in a word the trip was Amazing.

Amazing that there are precious orphans that are without homes and families to love them. Amazing that orphan does not mean just little ones but more times than not older children and teenagers that may never have the opportunity to have a real family to love them. Amazing that the love of Jesus can be seen and felt through a pair of tennis shoes.
Amazing that there are many ministries and organizations such as Buckner who provide love and support to these orphanages in Guatemala as well as other countries including our own. Amazing that people who do not know each other come from all over the USA to form teams to do a work in the name of Jesus.
Amazing that after we have left the precious orphans to come home that our God is faithful to provide every thing that each orphan needs.

He has a plan and purpose for each of them just as He has for you and me.

I have to believe His Word is true for all of us. I cling to his truths not just for me but for Lola, Lena, Candy, Zaida, Oscar, Norman and Miguel, just a few of the precious orphans in Guatemala.

I pray that you will find all that you need is in Him!!!!!

P.S. Thanks for a wonderful 2008 Dixie Classic Fair. $7192.00 in Plinko for Second Harvest Food Bank, at least 622 faces painted on School Days,
a packed house even in the rain for Josh Wilson, Mandisa and Matthew West Concert and the best Volunteers around!!!!!!! We thank you!!!!!

COME BACK SOON TO SEE PICTURES AND HEAR MORE STORIES ABOUT MY GUATAMALA TRIP!