Money doesn't just fall from the sky.

Probably about twice a week I sit on my nasty little couch here while my little puppy is gnawing incessantly on my forearm and I think, "Oh my goodness, what have I done?" The words never come out of my mouth but they can get loud in my head. "I must be crazy....crazy."

Okay so I quit my bank manager job where I was making more than double what I needed to live and sold every single belonging, minus my pillow, some clothes, and my most favorite books, sold my car and got on a plane and moved to a very poor and very dangerous country.

I speak good enough Spanish, but speaking "good enough" is not enough to be able to survive. I told everybody I knew I was going to start a children's home. Yep, I must be crazy. Who does that anyway? What if I fail? Where will I get enough money? What if I get myself killed? What if in 30 years I still don't have a children's home? "Oh my goodness," I think, "I have gone crazy."

Then I look 10 feet behind me at the man sitting on the computer at the kitchen table. He thought I was crazy too when we first met and told me, "Look Jenna, you've already told everyone what you're going to do. Even if you change your mind and decide not to go, I think you should at least go for a couple of months....then come back." He was so sincere when he said it. He thought I was crazy.

The only reason I can tell myself I am not crazy is because I believe with all my heart that God told me to go. So I remind myself that God told me to go...and usually that quiets the conversation.

Well the man who sits 10ft behind me had a job where he made about triple what he needed to live on and could have retired with full benefits and full pension when he turned 42 years old. He is 28 now. Him and his dad built this super nice house in the nicest neighborhood in Alex City, with a huge hot tub on the back porch only three years ago....he quit his job and put a for sale sign in the front yard. He sold off his professional sound company, quit his band, sold his car, and moved here with me. He must be crazy too.
But he said that God showed him he was supposed to come here.

Some people think we are crazy, even some that I know believe in God. They ask me what our plans are and then the inevitable question comes - how will you get the money to do this? And knowing full well that they already think I am a little crazy, I tell them, well we are just going to trust the Lord to provide our money. I made our board members promise they'd never raise funds or ask anyone for donations. Some people get it and are encouraged and supportive...and others 'know' we are crazy after we say that. Their eyes grow big and either they just smile and nod, or they say something like, "Money doesn't just fall from the sky." Some people think it's because we are prideful and others think it's because we are bashful. But regardless, they think we are crazy.

I remind myself that God told me not to worry about the money rather to just trust Him.

Testimony - We have never asked for a dime. We have never had a need that wasn't fully supplied. Money never fell from the sky. The Holy Spirit fell on people's hearts (some of those people I've never heard of). And those with open hearts are being and have been used by the Lord to make His mission a reality. And their obedience is turned around and multiplied in their lives. We have just what we need for step one, land. Land here is more expensive than anywhere in the rest of Guatemala and way more expensive than in America. A little over two acres costs about $27,000 and that's a good deal. God already knew that and He was prepared. Taxes, visas, a vehicle, lawyers, and social workers cost a lot too...add another $12,000 to that. He already knew it and His Holy Spirit has been hard at work touching believer's hearts. He is amazing.

We have decided to do something crazy here. We want to make His name known and teach others how to worship Him. We want to use the littlest and the least to fulfill that. We are attempting something that without God doing ALL of it, it will fail. We will fail. We will be humiliated. The people will be right to say, "I told you so...money doesn't fall from the sky, you are too prideful, you are too bashful." If we were rich and had no problem in a foreign country, maybe we could do it all ourselves. But we came with only our staff, our tunic and our sandals, not two tunics...just one. No back up plan.

So why did God want to do it this way instead of some other nice way that might spare us a few strange looks and ugly thoughts? All I can think of is that He wanted to prove Himself powerful. Prove Himself alive. Prove Himself good. Prove Himself the hearer of our prayers. Prove Himself our Provider. Prove Himself the author of our faith. Prove Himself glorious. Who can deny it?

We can't take any credit for any of this. We can't take any praise or admiration. We haven't done a thing. God has done every bit of it and if we continue to listen and trust He will continue to do the rest until one glorious day His kingdom will come on this earth and every knee will bow at His name and we will watch the ones who were the least become the greatest and we will worship harder and stronger and more sincerely because we watched with worldly eyes the indescribable things that He has done.

He told us to call the home Casa Gloria. That means Glory House. Lord, you have earned your glory...receive it.

www.misionvidanueva.info

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Photo taken by Jenna Robinson in the Coban city Dump

Orphaned - Abandoned - Abused

Casa Gloria:
-will take orphaned, abandoned and abused children
-will take children under the age of 10 including babies
-will only take street children under the age of 7
-will receive most of the children through placement of government
-will provide medical and psychiatric help to all children
-will take groups of siblings even if one sibling is over the age of 10
-will use local schools and churches for the children
-will allow relatives to visit the child on the last Saturday of every month
-will not use physical discipline as a means of punishment
-will hire one christian Tia to every four children
-will emphasize family units and try to keep the family together as they grow
-will house the younger children in the central home
-will house the older children with their Tia in the bodegas
-will not use volunteers to raise the children or stay in the children's rooms
-will not be considering the possibility of international adoption, at least in the beginning
-will be dedicated to promoting basic human rights among the community
-will implement programs such as premarital counseling, hygiene, and parenting in the community
-will hire a social worker from Coban (Judith Alvarado)
-will hire a doctor to assist the children
-will hire a psychiatrist for the children
-will hire a full-time security guard
-will have the initial capacity to take in 16 children and 4-5 babies
-will eventually have the capacity to take in about 50 children in all
-will consider building another children's home in a different area when the house is full
-will establish a firm and solid plan of life for every child
-will provide training for every child according to his or her gifts and abilities
-will consider the possibility of a foreign study program in the United States
-will provide occupational training for the teenagers
-will have the children in a place where they can succeed on their own by the time the are 18
-will rely completely and totally on the Lord to provide all the funds necessary to fulfill this mission
-will, above all else, emphasize Jesus Christ in the life of every child that comes to the home

Mision Vida Nueva is now officially in the process of becoming a recognized Guatemalan Civil Association that is not for profit.

Our social worker found the fact that we chose to have our home in Alta Verapaz very strategic as there is no existing children's home in this department and it is the poorest department over all in Guatemala.

From our supporters, we need ideas on transitioning the children out of the home beginning in their 17th year, and methods of discipline for the children depending on the severity of their "crime" that can be safely implemented by the Tia's. Send us a message at misionvidanueva@yahoo.com

These are things we discussed for the draft of the children's home plan on our first visit. There is a lot more to come.

Our landlord told us last week that we needed to be moved out by July 7th since we could not sign a 6 month contract. Fortunately, we are very close to the purchase of land and will be working hard to build a 24x24 square foot garage with a studio apartment on top that me, Geoffrey, and Theodore will move into.

We hope to have the plans ready for the Children's home done in the next month or so and can start the construction. We are totally dependent on the Lord to provide what we need to start the home. Please pray with us very specifically that He will provide every dollar and every material and every worker, along with wisdom on how to do things right the first time. The sooner this happens, the sooner we can start bringing in the kids who are out there right now as you read this suffering, without support, without love, without hope and we can start the healing process that the Lord desires for all of His children to have.

Also please like us on Facebook and get your friends to like us and spread the word about what we are doing. We need people on our team! Like us by going to www.facebook.com/misionvidanueva

Our webpage is running and being updated often. If you pray for us, you can find our specific prayer needs at  Get Involved - Pray and don't stop praying for us. We need your prayers more now than ever.

Okay that's all the updating to be done for now I suppose. We love you guys!

Jenna

I saw a dark and stormy ocean. Over it the black clouds hung heavily; through them every now and then vivid lightening flashed and loud thunder rolled, while the winds moaned, and the waves rose and foamed, towered and broke, only to rise and foam, tower and break again. In that ocean I thought I saw myriads of poor human beings plunging and floating, shouting and shrieking, cursing and struggling and drowning; and as they cursed and screamed they rose and shrieked again, and then some sank to rise no more.

And I saw out of this dark angry ocean, a mighty rock that rose up with it’s summit towering high above the black clouds that overhung the stormy sea. And all around the base of this great rock I saw a vast platform. Onto this platform, I saw with delight a number of the poor struggling, drowning wretches continually climbing out of the angry ocean.

And I saw that a few of those who were already safe on the platform were helping the poor creatures still in the angry waters to reach the place of safety. On looking more closely I found a number of those who had been rescued, industriously working and scheming by ladders, ropes, boats and other means more effective, to deliver the poor strugglers out of the sea. Here and there were some who actually jumped into the water, regardless of the consequences in their passion to "rescue the perishing." And I hardly know which gladdened me the most- the sight of the poor drowning people climbing onto the rocks reaching a place of safety, or the devotion and self-sacrifice of those whose whole being was wrapped up in the effort for their deliverance.

As I looked on, I saw that the occupants of that platform were quite a mixed company. That is, they were divided into different "sets" or classes, and they occupied themselves with different pleasures and employments. But only a very few of them seemed to make it their business to get the people out of the sea. But what puzzled me most was the fact that though all of them had been rescued at one time or another from the ocean, nearly everyone seemed to have forgotten all about it. Anyway, it seemed the memory of its darkness and danger no longer troubled them at all. And what seemed equally strange and perplexing to me was that these people did not even seem to have any care- that is any agonizing care- about the poor perishing ones who were struggling and drowning right before their very eyes... many of whom were their own husbands and wives, brothers and sisters and even their own children.

Now this astonishing unconcern could not have been the result of ignorance or lack of knowledge, because they lived right there in full sight of it all and even talked about it sometimes. Many even went regularly to hear lectures and sermons in which the awful state of these poor drowning creatures was described.

The occupants of this platform were engaged in different pursuits and pastimes. Some of them were absorbed day and night in trading and business in order to make gain, storing up their savings in boxes, safes and the like. Many spent their time in amusing themselves with growing flowers on the side of the rock, others in painting pieces of cloth or in playing music, or in dressing themselves up in different styles and walking about to be admired. Some occupied themselves chiefly in eating and drinking, others were taken up with arguing about the poor drowning creatures that had already been rescued. But the thing to me that seemed the most amazing was that those on the platform to whom He called, who heard His voice and felt that they ought to obey it- at least they said they did- those who confessed to love Him much were in full sympathy with Him in the task He had undertaken- who worshipped Him or who professed to do so- were so taken up with their trades and professions, their money saving and pleasures, their families and circles, their religions and arguments about it, and their preparation for going to the mainland, that they did not listen to the cry that came to them from this Wonderful Being who had Himself gone down into the sea. Anyway, if they heard it they did not heed it. They did not care. And so the multitude went on right before them struggling and shrieking and drowning in the darkness.

And then I saw something that seemed to me even more strange than anything that had gone on before in this strange vision. I saw that some of these people on the platform whom this Wonderful Being had called to, wanting them to come and help Him in His difficult task of saving these perishing creatures, were always praying and crying out to Him to come to them! Some wanted Him to come and stay with them, and spend His time and strength in making them happier. Others wanted Him to come and take away various doubts and misgivings they had concerning the truth of some letters He had written them. Some wanted Him to come and make them feel more secure on the rock- so secure that they would be quite sure that they should never slip off again into the ocean. Numbers of others wanted Him to make them feel quite certain that they would really get off the rock and onto the mainland someday: because as a matter of fact, it was well known that some had walked so carelessly as to loose their footing, and had fallen back again into the stormy waters.

So these people used to meet and get up as high on the rock as they could, and looking towards the mainland (where they thought the Great Being was) they would cry out, "Come to us! Come and help us!" And all the while He was down (by His Spirit) among the poor struggling, drowning creatures in the angry deep, with His arms around them trying to drag them out, and looking up- oh! so longingly but all in vain- to those on the rock, crying to them with His voice all hoarse from calling, "Come to Me! Come, and help Me!

And then I understood it all. It was plain enough. The sea was the ocean of life - the sea of real, actual human existence. That lightening was the gleaming of piercing truth coming from Jehovah’s Throne. That thunder was the distant echoing of the wrath of God. Those multitudes of people shrieking, struggling and agonizing in the stormy sea, was the thousands and thousands of poor harlots and harlot-makers, of drunkards and drunkard makers, of thieves, liars, blasphemers and ungodly people of every kindred, tongue and nation....

The handful of fierce, determined ones, who were risking their own lives in saving the perishing were true soldiers of the cross of Jesus. That Mighty Being who was calling to them from the midst of the angry waters was the Son of God, "the same yesterday, today and forever" who is still struggling and interceding to save the dying multitudes about us from this terrible doom of damnation, and whose voice can be heard above the music, machinery, and noise of life, calling on the rescued to come and help Him save the world.

My friends in Christ, you are rescued from the waters, you are on the rock, He is in the dark sea calling on you to come to Him and help Him. Will you go? Look for yourselves. The surging sea of life, crowded with perishing multitudes rolls up to the very spot on which you stand. Leaving the vision, I now come to speak of the fact - a fact that is as real as the Bible, as real as the Christ who hung upon the cross, as real as the judgment day will be, and as real as the heaven and hell that will follow it.

Look! Don’t be deceived by appearances - men and things are not what they seem. All who are not on the rock are in the sea! Look at them from the standpoint of the great White Throne, and what a sight you have! Jesus Christ, the Son of God is, through His Spirit, in the midst of this dying multitude, struggling to save them. And He is calling on you to jump into the sea - to go right away to His side and help Him in the holy strife. Will you jump? That is, will you go to His feet and place yourself absolutely at His disposal?...

You must do it! You cannot hold back. You have enjoyed yourself in Christianity long enough. You have had pleasant feelings, pleasant songs, pleasant meetings, pleasant prospects. There has been much of human happiness, much clapping of hands and shouting of praises - very much of heaven on earth.

Now then, go to God and tell Him you are prepared as much as necessary to turn your back upon it all, and that you are willing to spend the rest of your days struggling in the midst of these perishing multitudes, whatever it may cost you.

You must do it. With the light that is now broken in upon your mind and the call that is now sounding in your ears, and the beckoning hands that are now before your eyes, you have no alternative. To go down among the perishing crowds is your duty. Your happiness from now on will consist in sharing their misery, your ease in sharing their pain, your crown in helping them to bear their cross, and your heaven in going into the very jaws of hell to rescue them.

-William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army

We do what we do because God deserves it, He is worthy, He has earned it.

Love,

            Jenna

Empowering God's children to change the world.

Mision Vida Nueva