helping the fatherless in guatemala

Today I would like to share a story with you, and how one couple is choosing to make a difference in the lives of many.  I introduce you to Dan and Christi.

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I just want to start by thanking you for taking the time to read the story that God is writing with our lives... and a HUGE thank you to Andee for sharing her blog space with us - what a blessing!


First, let me start by introducing ourselves... my wonderful hubby Dan, I'm Christi, our sweet boy Malakai Aweke... and there's a bun in the oven due 3/18!

Our story goes a little something like this...

In 2003, while dating, our eyes were opened to the plight of the orphan. God used the trip that I, Christi, took to the Dominican Republic to change our hearts forever! 

About six months prior, I had been introduced to Jesus Christ for the first time in my life. As I started a relationship with HIM and dug into HIS Word, I began to see that He had plans far better than anything I had imagined. 

I was given an opportunity to serve overseas for about 4 weeks that summer. While I had no idea how this would happen financially, God pulled together the pieces and I left on a plane for the Dominican Republic that June. I had NEVER flown before, I had NEVER left my family for that long, I was SCARED to leave Dan, and I was serving with 30 others that I had never met!  

What happened over the next 4 weeks completely rocked my world! 

I knew there were orphans in the world... 

I knew there were widows... 

I knew there were poor...

I knew there were many injustices.... 

BUT I had NEVER been face to face with what I was about to experience. 

I spent the next 4 weeks reaching out to a village that was filled with witchcraft...

A village where the 'workers' that came in to harvest the surrounding sugar cane fields raped all of the young girls...

a village where children were raising children...

a village where most of the people were walking around naked from lack of clothing...

a village where the children had bloated bellies from lack of food...

a surrounding garbage dump full of HOMES... 

families searching for food each day...

children NOT in school...

children NOT being cared for... 

the look of despair was on the faces of all...

and people that had NEVER heard the TRUTH of Jesus Christ... 

Many faces and stories stand out in my mind, but God used this ONE child to grip my heart forever!

For months I would cry myself to sleep wondering if anyone was taking care of him, if anyone was feeding him, and what would happen to all those precious lives! 

I returned not completely understanding HOW to process all that I had just experienced.  Through much prayer and seeking the wisdom of my pastor, I shared my desire to serve overseas as a full-time missionary and maybe adopt one day with my amazing boyfriend, Dan. We both knew that God was calling us to a life together, but Dan did not share this desire. I remember  something along the lines of, "that's great babe, but I'm a sender, NOT a go-er"... 


However, my wise (future) hubby made a commitment that he would pray for these children by name, listen to my stories, help me process all that I had been through, and be supportive of whatever God called me us to... just as long as it wasn't full time mission work!  
Upon returning, I went through a period of really wrestling with the Lord... wondering how HE could burden my heart so heavily to serve the people of the DR BUT at the same time make it so clear that now was not HIS timing! Dan was absolutely instrumental in helping me to process all that I had been through and encouraged me to continue to seek the Lord's timing and purpose.


During this time, we were both challenged to dig deeper into God's Word and use our gifts to further the Kingdom. While we were serving, we had grown comfortable and were more willing to serve where and when it was most convenient for us, not really being bold in the name of Jesus!

We soon both felt the Lord calling me to again serve the vulnerable overseas. We asked the Lord to show us where and He led me to a trip to Honduras which was later postponed due to political unrest. I was given the option to go to Guatemala or wait a year to go to Honduras. As we prayed, it was Dan that sensed the Lord was leading me to Guatemala. I vividly recall struggling with this decision and Dan telling me that this may be God's plan all along, for me to serve in Guatemala... 

God definitely wanted me to go on the Guatemala trip! THIS TRIP CHANGED OUR LIVES!

While many stories stand out in my mind, it was THESE two little girls in particular, God used to change our hearts, especially Dan's heart! Just like the DR trip, HE was using a small child to greatly impact our lives.

The first photo is Milagra- a precious little girl found in a dumpster and the 2nd is Yulisaa sweet little girl with a big heart that was attached to my hip!

As God would have it, right after I applied to go to Honduras, we were sensing that the Lord was prompting me to serve in a ministry full-time... and I was THRILLED to leave corporate America! We prayed, researched ministries where I could serve, specifically in orphan care or adoption, and surrender this to the Lord and HIS timing! God then called us to my Lifesong for Orphans! God was on the move and we couldn't have been more excited to be involved in all that HE was doing in and through the Lifesong ministry!

In the same month I start working at Lifesong for Orphans AND serve the orphan and the widow in Guatemala... God is doing a MAJOR work in our hearts...

We set out on this trip knowing that God had plans for it... to spread the gospel, to love on some children without parents to call their own, to serve the widow, to encourage some teens from desperate situations, and to make an impact for the Kingdom. 

As I returned home and TRIED to process all I had experienced, I quickly noticed that not only was I lying awake at night crying myself to sleep thinking about the brokenness I had witnessed..... but Dan was too! He could not get enough of the stories and the photos... something was different this time!

God gave Dan this BEAUTIFUL song that he put to the video below which allowed us many opportunities to share and advocate for these precious lives -

She's got no one to tuck her in at night... does anyone care? Father, please, stir in me, OPEN my eyes to see.... GOD was opening Dan's eyes to the plight of the orphan... and it was INCREDIBLE!

We were BOTH so broken... people would ask us to share about the trip and we'd both break down... it was ALL we talked about.... we were physically ill thinking of doing anything but going back!

As we left Guatemala, our team gathered around in the airport and asked the Lord to show BOTH Dan and I how HE would have us respond and how we could serve TOGETHER defending the cause of the fatherless. That spot in the airport is so overwhelming to me!

Over the next months, we sensed the Lord calling us to adopt. We contacted everyone we could get our hands on to try to pursue these 2 sweet girls... and door after door was closed. We made a covenant with the Lord that we WOULD adopt these 2 sweet girls... whenever He called us to. We eventually received the news that ALL adoptions from Guatemala to the U.S. were closed... that we could do nothing, but pray. And pray we did. Fervently!

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Check back next week for the rest of their story.

Dan and Christi are planning to become full-time missionaries to Guatemala, and they are still in the fundraising stage.  They have to raise 75% of their support before they are allowed to go.  If you are considering donating so that they can go as planned, Click here for a link to their donation page.  I know that they would appreciate anything you can give.  Why not consider skipping the mocha latte this week and help them help the fatherless?  I know even five dollars will make a difference.