By Dawn Schanné
Have you ever felt the call to volunteer out of country? May-be an internal conversation like … maybe I could do this? What was your response? What was your immediate thought? Was it something like, “No, God, not me, you have the wrong person, send someone else.” That was mine. I had never traveled out of the country or without my family. But I heard the call, “Go and serve my people.” I knew it was not mine, but God’s will for my life. I answered, “YES!” And so started my journey along with 11 other team members traveling to Guatemala in 2017. I’ve been going 3 – 4 times a year now – and I LOVE IT!
Steps of Hope is a Christian learning resource center located in Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala. The center opened seven years ago and within that time span I have witnessed growth from seven students to approximately 200! Education is so im-portant, but, due to lack of income, children have to work the fields to help support the family’s income – a day’s wage about $5. We are empowering the students and their families to live an abundant life filled with opportunities and hope.
On my first trip, upon arriving we loaded our gear onto the team bus and headed for Antigua. I thought, “I’ve got this!” As we arrived in Santa Maria, I was not prepared for what I saw. The poverty was unlike anything I had ever seen. The walls of the homes are made of bamboo with dirt floors – no bathrooms or running water. Food is cooked inside the home on an open fire with no ventilation. As the students started coming in for their classes, you could see how dirty they were. That did not stop the love from them pouring out to us, their eyes glistening as they greeted us. I thought I was going to help change their lives – but mine was forever changed.
My last trip was this February 17 – 25. The children call me “Donus” because they have trouble saying “Dawn”. This year I headed up the construction team. We built 6 bunk beds, 3 large cabinets for the teachers, and other repairs/improvements at the school. We had a three-day VBS on the “Fish and Loaves” story. The bible story was read as the children created little baskets of loaves and fish. They had so much fun!
God’s love is so powerful! Everything I have has been provided by God and it is with such joy I am able to give back by serv-ing at Steps of Hope. So, next time you feel a nudge or hear God’s voice, don’t hesitate to say, “YES!” God will take you to places you could never dream of and will walk with you on that journey. Praise God for all He is doing!
On June 4, Jessalyn Waddell de Mena, program director and founder of Steps of Hope–Guatemala will be at Glen Mar during the 9:30 service, to give a quick update. So if you are interested, this is a great opportunity to find out more about the program.
