Thank You, St. Paul's Chapel

One of the churches from the States that is the most involved here at NLCH is St. Paul's Chapel UMC from Red Lion, PA. They bring groups down twice a year, and because of that, have a lot of people in their church and community who knew Chepe and have been grieving right along with us- even if it has been from thousands of miles away.

Because so many folks there knew Chepe, they decided to have a memorial service for him last Sunday. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we even got to be a part of the service with them. They set up a laptop with a video camera in their sanctuary, so we could see and hear everything that they did to remember Chepe. Using our computer and camera, Kendon was even able to say some words to the congregation.

It was a very good experience for us to feel connected with these people as Juan, Kendon, Wendy, Ian, Kara and I were able to participate with them in giving thanks to God for Chepe's life.

Our New Groups

We were set to start a new study in our discipleship groups with the older kids this week, so last week we re-opened it back up to all of the ones who had not participated with us for the last few months. We've got quite a few more kids now, almost more than we know what to do with, but that's certainly a good problem to have.

We can see the Lord's timing in relation of these groups with Chepe's death. The most obvious example is with Chepe's brother, Juan. He had not participated in our groups before, but told us last Wednesday that he wanted to join. Of course none of us had any idea that his brother would die on Saturday. He came tonight and participated, although he didn't say much. That's not unusual for Juan, though.

Another of our older guys, Eduardo, had not been a part before, but called us late last night and asked if he could come and join tonight. He was there with Chepe on Saturday, and he is the one who fell in the water, got caught in the undertow and said that he was afraid he was going to drown. At dinner he said that he feels like God has given him another chance and that he wants to do more things to please the Lord now, and that joining our group could be part of that for him.

Also Pablo- he has participated with us from the beginning. He is one that we always heard was "on the edge" since we came, not one who ever expressed much interest in living completely for the Lord. Yet we have never seen that part of him; he has been faithful to our group and we've loved having him a part- he really seems to be seeking the Lord. Tonight he said that Chepe's death initially made him very angry at God. Now, though, he says that he understands God has a purpose, and that all of this has made him reflect a lot on his own life, and that now he wants to know God better.

I was talking to one of my heroes, Stu, the other day, and he said to us something like, "God knew that this was going to happen, and that it was going to happen at the same time that He has you all are there ministering to those kids." I hadn't thought about it before- what a privilege and what a responsibility. (We had a meeting with Kendon this morning, and without knowing about our conversation with Stu, he said the same thing, almost verbatim. Seems like it's something we should pay attention to.)

Another story from our group tonight- Alex went to work in the city today, and while walking to his work from the bus, saw two men who looked pretty shady and whom he thought he'd better avoid. He walked on the other side of the street from them, but one came over and ended up robbing the only Q.10 that he had. For some reason, the other guy apparently felt a little sorry that now Alex didn't have money to ride the bus home, so he walked back over and gave him Q.1.50 for the bus fare.

Unfortunately for Alex, Q.1.50 was only enough to get him halfway home, and he didn't have any money for another bus to get him back to NLCH. He said it was very embarrassing, but he started asking people for money. He said about six people all told him they were sorry, but they only had the exact amount they needed for their own bus fare. Finally Alex just got on a bus without having the money to pay. (Riders don't pay as they enter- an attendant comes around while everyone is riding to collect the fare).

Alex said he didn't know what he was going to do when another man came and sat down next to him and said, "Hello, Alex, how are you?" Alex asked him how he knew who he was, and the man said that he had done some work at NLCH. He said that the man's face looked vaguely familiar, but that he couldn't place him. This man said that he normally doesn't have to ride the bus in that part of town, but that he was on a special errand for work, and of course- he paid Alex's fare.

I've heard stories about angels... who knows? At the very least... God is faithful to these kids; they are His. The rest of the world may call them orphans, but in reality they are sons and daughters of the King, who is always watching out for them. I'm thankful the King has us here too, and curious to see how He is going to use the tragedy of Chepe's death to do more good than any of us could have imagined.

Facebook Group in Memory of Chepe

For those of you who use Facebook, a friend of ours has set up a group in memory of Chepe, full of pictures, stories, etc. Click here to visit or join.

The Ultimate Blunder

Last night Daniel and I were talking with Ruben about how he has only slept three hours in the past three nights. He and Chepe were roommates. We talked with him about how strange it must be for Chepe not to be there. A few minutes later, some of the boys asked about playing cards. I turned to invite Ruben and I said, "Chepe, do you want to play cards with us?" It was one of those times when the words come out of your mouth and then you realize with horror what you have said and you just freeze. I wished so badly I could grab those words back before they were heard. Ruben just gave me a sad smile, I put my hand over my mouth, apologized and then corrected the invitation. I can't believe I called him Chepe!

Positive Update

Last night, we walked over the boys' side of the property and found Juan sitting on a bench with Herbert, Michelle, Ruben and Rony. They were talking and laughing. It was so good to see Juan smiling and joining in on conversation. He has many good friends here supporting him.

We played cards in the comedor with Pablo, Edgar, and Osvaldo. For awhile Ruben and Jon joined in which was encouraging as well.

NLCH Family

I am continually amazed by Kendon and Wendy. Their hearts were grieving as parents who lost a son and yet they continued to be strong, making many decisions, greeting the overwhelming number of visitors, and comforting the other children that were hurting -- looking especially after Juan. Their presence was a comfort to me as I know it was to all of the children and staff here. Your prayers were uplifting them and carrying them through, so thank you again for praying.

After the burial, Kendon called all the children from the Home together and spoke with them for a few minutes. The prayers of so many of you were especially obvious to me during this time. I could hear God speaking through Kendon as he gathered the children together as a family, told them how much he loved each of them and how they were all in this grieving process together. He told them how it is the custom to bury a body but that the body was only a body, Chepe was not there in that grave but is with our Lord Jesus. He spoke to them about how there are two things guaranteed to all of us: that we have been given life and that one day we will die. We do not know when; only God knows that hour. Death is a natural part of the life cycle. He talked to the children about how Chepe was a blessing to the Home for each day that we were able to spend with him. He also then talked to them about while we are glad that Chepe is with Jesus, God gave us emotions and it is okay and normal to be sad, to cry, and to miss our dear friend. He mentioned how people mourn differently so it is perfectly fine to cry at any age and regardless of gender and that it is equally okay not to cry -- that doesn't mean that you don't miss Chepe as much as those who are crying. He told the children that we would all come back to the cemetery when the grave stone was put in and we would continue celebrating Chepe's life and memory. It was such a precious time for me to watch as Kendon and Wendy parented that group of 48 children and they all drew together as a family. I was reminded of how thankful I am to be here and be just a small part of the NLCH family. Thank you for being a part of that family as well.

Pictures from Today's Services

The funeral was held in the teacher's lounge, where the visitation was held last night. Chairs were set up in rows with many more rows of chairs outside on the sidewalk and a speaker projecting the service for those outside to hear.

Josue and Sammy watching the service through the window.

The pallbearers carrying the casket from the teachers' lounge to the hearse. I was impacted seeing the picture on the right which captured the grief of Chepe's friends. Ramsis, Jon and Ruben from the Home served as pallbearers. The others were friends from school.

Loading the casket into the hearse.

Waiting to walk to the cemetery -- there was a huge turnout

Juan and his mother in the hearse.

Beginning the walk to the cemetery, following the hearse.

Funeral procession through the streets of Villa Neuva.

Funeral procession entering the cemetery.

Entrance to the Las Gardenias -- the private burial section of the cemetery.

Pictures of the private burial section of the cemetery. You can see Chepe's burial site (there is a green canopy) on the far left side of the left picture. In the right picture, you can see over the wall in the distance the red roof of the three story apartment building on the new property at the children' s home.

Kendon and Wendy walking with Jon.

Carrying the casket from the hearse to the burial site.

The crowd at the burial site.

It is the custom in Guatemala for the father to say a few words at the grave site. Kendon paid a wonderful tribute to Chepe speaking of his big, beautiful smile and obedient nature, among other things. In the picture on the left, you can see Juan and his mother standing by Kendon.

Sonya (one of the home mothers) comforting Emely.

As mentioned before, the custom in Guatemala is to stay at the grave site as the casket is lowered into the ground and covered with dirt. This was an emotional time and many students threw flowers and notes into the grave. Flowers also were placed on the top of the burial site.

More Information

We want to share some additional information with you that clears up some unintentional rumors/errors that were reported before. We now have more of the facts. An autopsy was performed on Chepe's body and it was discovered that he did not have any water in his lungs, which means that he did not drown. He died of a heart attack. This came as a shock to us all. How could a seventeen year-old die of a heart attack? It must have been a sudden, massive heart attack. Chepe's mother said tonight that he was born with a heart condition but she never told Kendon and Wendy about it. About five or six years ago, Chepe complained of some chest pains so Wendy to him to see a cardiologist. The doctor said everything was fine and Chepe never complained of chest pains again.

Although this in no way diminishes the grief, I pray that these new findings will help alleviate some of the guilt that the homeparents and others who accompanied him on the trip yesterday are experiencing.

We just returned from the visitation which is being held at NLCH, in the teacher's lounge of the school. His closed casket is surrounded by flowers, a few candles, and some pictures of him. Some of the kids made a large collage of pictures and also many cards which decorated the walls. Students, teachers, friends, and many from the community have come to show support. It is the custom here for someone to stay with the casket all night so a vigil will be held throughout the night.

The funeral service will be held here tomorrow morning at 10 am. After the completion of the service, we will walk to a nearby cemetery for burial. I have been told that it is the custom here to stay as the casket is lowered into the ground, so please pray for this time, as I know it will be extremely difficult for the children to watch.

It may seem strange or morbid to post pictures on here of his casket, but I know many of you are grieving with us, have met Chepe, and wish you could be here for support. Therefore, I wanted to share pictures to help you feel a little more apart of what is going on here and hopefully help with your closure and grieving process.

Black cloths were hung on the front gate with the signs pictured below.

Signs announcing that school will be canceled tomorrow and Tuesday due to the death of a student and that the viewing would be held in the teachers' lounge.

Visitors waiting outside the teachers' lounge.

The casket with Chepe's picture on top and surrounded by flowers.

Chepe & Juan's mother.

Juan (Chepe's brother) and Daniel (one of the boys from the home).

Sylvia (the NLCH social worker), Kendon, Wendy, and Sylvia (the school principal)

In Memory of José Angel

We all have broken hearts today, and the days ahead will be very difficult. Yet I am overwhelmingly thankful for the year of our lives that the Lord allowed us to know Chepe. What a gift of God this young man was to those who knew him. In his 17 years, the Lord took a lot of things that were intended for evil and used them for good, and we pray that, somehow, this tragedy would serve to glorify the God that Chepe loved and served in the lives of those of us he leaves behind.

Chepe

Chepe's body was found this morning in the ocean. As feared, he did drown yesterday. Daniel, Kendon and a group of others from the Home are still at the coast. Kendon is making arrangements for his body to be brought back here. I asked Wendy this morning and she said this is the first child that they have lost during their almost 20 years at NLCH. This is obviously a heart-braking, devastating day. We did not take the children to church today. They are each dealing with their grief in the own way. Please continue to pray for Juan (Chepe's brother), for all of the children here, staff, and Kendon and Wendy who hearts are grieving as parents and they are having to make a lot of difficult decisions right now.

We covet your prayers.

Continue to Pray

We still don't know anything; it has now been more than seven hours. What we do know doesn't look good. The rest of the group returned to the children's home, while Daniel, Kendon and two other men stayed to help with the search. Wendy talked to one of the boys when they got back and he said that he almost drown -- that he was with Chepe in waist deep water and suddenly he felt like he was being pulled out so he started walking backwards and his feet came out from under him and some people in a boat helped him. That's when he turned around and couldn't find Chepe. Of course, this is like the telephone game -- a lot of people sharing different perspectives, I am hearing it second hand after it has been translated into English, so we are still trying to sort out the facts. Another teen on the trip said the water was only knee deep and very calm.

We are still praying for a miracle. Daniel, Kendon, and the other two men had to come back because it was too dark to continue searching the beach, and since it is Guatemala's Independence Day, all of the hotels near the coast were full. They plan on leaving at 5:30 am to drive the 2 hours back to the coast to resume the search.

Please keep praying! We will keep you posted as information becomes available.

Urgent Prayer Need!!!

(Chepe in the yellow with his brother, Juan)

Please join us in praying right now for Jose Angel (Chepe). A group of the older kids from the Home went to the coast today with a set of homeparents. The ocean was calm and shallow in this inlet. The group spent their time at the beach together, and when it was time to go, Chepe was missing. They had just seen him and thought that he might have gone to change his clothes. It has now been over 3 hours and we still have not been able to locate him. Police, fireman and the group are all looking. They think that someone might have taken him. Daniel went went Kendon to join the search. Wendy notified the rest of the children at dinner and Chepe's brother Juan privately before dinner. Please pray fervently for Chepe, for those helping with the search, for Juan and the rest of us as we are awaiting news! We are in need of a great miracle!

Independence Day

Today is Guatemala's Independence Day. Last year, we woke up to parades and fireworks in Antigua. It is much quieter around here. The New Life school had a day of activities yesterday to celebrate though. The teachers and students worked very hard to decorate their classrooms, prepare special food, and to present a program for the parents. Many of the children dressed in native costumes. I especially liked the little boys with painted on beards and mustaches!

For the Summer Interns...

I thoughts the summer interns might enjoy a few pictures and a video of the destruction of their favorite summer bunk mate (a Ninja Turtle piñata). The kids had quite a good time last Saturday beating him until he burst. How sad... I think I am going to miss that guy! FYI -- he held a lot of candy. Elias alone told me that he got 40 pieces!

Kevin Update

Several people have asked how Kevin is doing. We haven't seen him yet since his accident. He is staying at Kendon & Wendy's house. In fact, this picture is Kendon's (stolen from his Facebook page -- hopefully he doesn't mind!). I talked to Wendy tonight and she said Kevin has been running a 101 degree fever. She called the doctor and he doesn't think that it is related to his broken arm. Please continue to pray for Kevin. The pain of a broken arm is bad enough but combined with fever, I am sure he is pretty uncomfortable. I know he is in great hands though. When I spoke with Wendy, they were watching a movie with Kevin so I bet he is enjoying the special treatment. Daniel and I will get to go visit him tomorrow.

Kevin

Eleven year-old Kevin jumped off the swings at school today, fell when he landed and broke his arm. It is a pretty bad break and they are going to have to put him to sleep in order to set the bones. Because he had just had a snack before he went to the hospital, the doctor insisted on waiting a few hours before the anesthesia. His procedure will be done at 5 pm and then he should be able to come home around 8 pm tonight. Please be in prayer for him -- for the procedure, pain, and that his arm will heal completely.

This picture is the most recent one that I have of Kevin. For some reason whenever I have a purse, the little boys want to carry it and argue over whose turn it is. Kind of strange but it's a help for me (well...except for the fact that I worry about them getting into it, so I have to keep a constant eye on them).

Not Quite the Right Translation

This sign was on the beach at our hotel.

Anniversary Trip

Daniel asked me to do the post about our anniversary trip. After he reads this, I think he will regret doing that. For those of you who don't want to read a long, sappy message, consider this your warning and just look at the pictures and move on.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I went on this trip wanting time to sit and think and regain perspective. I am thankful that we had a lot of thinking time while we were away. It was the perfect time to go to the Guatemalan coast because it was during the work week and school year. On our last morning there, we sat on the beach for several hours and as far as we could see in both directions, it was just the lifeguard and us. It was almost eerie but wonderful!

I thought that during my thinking time, I would realize how I was taking God's presence, the children at NLCH, and our opportunity to live in Guatemala for granted. While this is true, I was already aware of that before the trip. What really stood out to me was how much I take Daniel for granted.

During our wedding, our pastor said something that has always stuck with me. He said that he prayed that one day, many years from now, we would be able to look at each other and say that we knew the Lord better because we always saw Him in each other. I am sad to admit how little my attitude, actions, and thoughts resemble the Lord's on a daily basis and yet I remember this line from our wedding and it makes me think of Daniel. He continually represents Christ and His unconditional love for me as no one else ever has. When I am moody and irritable to the point where I don't even enjoy being around myself (now that's bad!) he continues to love me, stays by my side and somehow sees the very best in me. I can't explain that kind of love and I know that it only comes from the Lord. I realize that there are a lot of wives who are not able to say that through their husband's character and nature that they know the Lord better, but I honestly can. What an amazing an undeserved gift the Lord has given me these past six years! I am so thankful that the more time that I spend with Daniel, the more that I learn about him, the more that I love and respect him.

I could certainly write a lot more but I will end there. Daniel is going to hate this post enough already. :) Here are few pictures from the trip:

Anniversary dinner in AntiguaWe shared a dessert -- good thing we were already full. It was pretty but was only about one bite each.

The waves were really big (the beach had a red flag the entire time we were there). So, we just stuck our feet in the ocean and enjoyed watching it instead of swimming in it.