Little Victories

In the last few months I've had the opportunity to nanny for a family with four children. Every day is a new adventure, but I'd like to share one story in particular. The youngest little girl is two and when I first started watching her, she was not fond of me. Tears would ensue as soon as mom walked out the door. She wouldn't even let me touch her so an older sibling ended up having to sooth her every time. Well after about a month, I walked into the kitchen and no one was in sight then all of a sudden I hear little footsteps. I turn around and across the room, there she is freshly awaken from a morning nap. I open my arms and say "Hi, come here sweet girl" and that's when it happened. Her face lit up and she ran into my open arms with the purest of laughs. I had won her over. She finally accepted me.

It's these little victories that mean the most to me and I think it's because they remind me of Jesus. I imagine my joy in those moments, and then I realize how that won't even compare to the joy that God has when He looks at His children. He brings us little victories all the time, but all to often we are caught up in our busy lives and we don't even notice. Ever since my acceptance into the world of the little girl mentioned above, I've thought more about the little victories from God. Included in that list is life-long friends that I've made in the last two years, two completely funded trips to Guatemala with a third on the way,  and of course the ability to know the wonderful family that I nanny for. While that might not seem like a much, they are the day to day thoughts that instantly bring a smile to my face and a prayer to my Maker. He has made all these things possible and all I can do is thank Him with the gifts and talents He has given me. Therefore I will rejoice in the little victories!

Hola Flor

Hola Flor. She is nine years old and has the most beautiful face. In fact several women in Guatemala ‘claim’ to be her mother simply because of her beauty. They are not her mother, however, because she is an orphan at Fundaninos. When I really met Flor on my second trip, she was always buzzing with life. Her and three other girls of the same age did everything together. If I saw her, I saw them all which I loved because it reminded me of my family back home. These girls are each other’s sisters. They look out for one another. During my time with Flor, we would throw a ball, do cartwheels, and jump on the trampoline. At one point, I was struggling trying to speak basic Spanish to her and she stops me to say “You can speak English.” What?! She’s understood me this whole time and just watched me fall on my face trying to talk to her. Needless to say we both got a good laugh out of that one and from that point on our conversations became a lot smoother. Yet, every time I tried to get her to practice her English she became quite shy, her little head would drop down and her eyes would look up at me and my heart melted. She’s smart but doesn’t like to flaunt it. She’s kind but doesn’t beg for recognition. She is just a nine year old girl with a servant’s heart for Jesus.

Meet Javier

Meet Javier. He is five years old and because of nerve damage at birth his right hand and foot are slightly deformed. Halfway through my first trip to Guatemala, I fell in love with this little boy. On my second trip, the deal in my heart was sealed. Every time he saw me his eyes lit up and let me tell you he has beautiful little eyes. He would grab my hand and away we would run to the trampoline. Now at this point you might be thinking ‘He runs? With a deformed foot?’ Javier’s handicap has not stopped him from anything! He runs and jumps and does wrestling moves just as well if not better than the other boys his age. At one point in the week I stood watching him play with his friends and thought, “Lord you are so good. He is fully able to just be a little kid because You have placed him in this orphanage where he is cared for and where his peers accept him.” On this last night of my second trip, the staff and kids threw us a good-bye party, complete with performances and a dance party. Well by this time Javier and I were tight and he would not let me put him down the entire time. If I was sitting he was on my lap; if I was standing he was on my hip or my shoulders. As you probably know, five year old boys are not the lightest of beings, but I didn’t care. I would’ve held him in my arms, listening to him laugh all night long. My sweet Javier, oh how I miss him.

Gratitude and Appreciation

Dear friends,


As I sit down to write this letter, I don’t even know where to begin. My second trip to Guatemala was definitely better than the first, which also meant that it was much harder for me to leave. Before I go any further I would like to just say thank you. In the weeks leading up to this trip, the Lord really showed me what it meant to trust Him through my finances. Three weeks before our departure date, I barely had half of the money required, yet God is faithful and day after day more money showed up until I was fully funded. He worked out all of that through my supporters, through you. For that I am extremely grateful.

Once we arrived in Guatemala, our team bonded almost instantly which is proof that God was the main orchestrator throughout this trip. Being a smaller team of only eight people, we were able to do things such as build a shelter for an outdoor tortilla oven and organize donated goods. But more importantly, we were able to play soccer and dodge ball, sing and play guitar, jump on trampolines, and have a dance party all with the kids. It is in these times where my heart warmed. I could tell you individual story after story of my time spent with these kids, but the overall theme that the Lord revealed to me that week was the importance of continued relationship. As soon as I stepped off the van, a few of the kids remembered me from March. When I was leaving, several of them asked when I would be back. They might be children, but they remember and they care. Growing up in an orphanage, they are used to people abandoning them, parents, friends, and caregivers. Their only stable presence is Jesus and while that is sweet and wonderful, that is also why I believe He has placed the desire in my heart to return. I do not want to be another face that they never see again. We are called to be in relationship with others and for me that includes my friends in Guatemala.

With that said, I am now prayerfully considering an internship at Fundaninos for 2 months next summer. As much as this excites me, it also produces a bit of unease as there are more unknowns than certainties involved. Soon I will begin meeting with the Missions Coordinator at Redeemer Church to walk through the details of this adventure. And so, once again I ask for your prayers. You have supported me thus far, and I cannot continue on my own. The Lord is my guide and my strength, but I also need prayer from my community.

In an effort not to write a novel, I will keep this letter short. However; if you would like to continue to be updated or hear specific stories from my trips, you can view my blog at fosteringthespirit.blogspot.com. And once again, I say thank you for all your help.

In Christ,

Samantha Dunn

Quickly Approaching

As a college student, summer time is a break, a 4 month prize for 9 months of hard work, but this summer has been different. My life has speed up with things including summer school, work, babysitting, fundraising, lunch dates etc. While all these things are wonderful, they have kept be busy. So busy in fact that my second trip to Fundaninos has snuck up on me. I have not had time to really sit back and think about this trip, but with our departure date only 4 days away, all the emotions come flooding in. My heart swells when I think about the little smiling faces running up to us as soon as we step of the van. One thing that really hit me the first time I went was the power of redemption. Every child has a rough past, but they also have so much joy. They have so little, yet share everything. As orphans they have been provided a family through the staff at Fundaninos and have been adopted into God’s kingdom. They are His and He is their Father. This is why I return, to share in the love and joy that Jesus has brought these people. To be an ambassador of the Gospel simply by loving on some kids.

The Joy of Camp Life

This past week I took some of my high school friends to YoungLife camp and as the tagline goes, “it was the best week of my life.” From the pool to the zip line to the ropes course to the dancing and singing, it was an amazing week. However, all those things are not what made this week so great. Every moment at that camp, the love of Christ was being displayed in some form or fashion; that is why camp is so incredible.


Looking back, I feel that there are so many thoughts that I cannot put them all into words. Serving alongside some great people and watching my girls process different characteristics of God make the whole week worth it. Being away from the stress and distractions of home allowed me to revel in the joy that the Lord provides. For the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus died on a cross. Wow, I truly believe that must be some intense joy if He was willing to endure death for it. And while at camp, I was able to catch just a glimpse of what that joy is like. A joy that is so powerful you would give everything up just to attain it and once you have it, nothing else matters. His joy is enough to captivate you for the rest of your life. With that said, I want to leave you with two quotes that came from my devotion that week.


“Just give me Your love and Your grace and that’s enough.” –St. Ignatius

“The mystery of ministry is that we have been chosen to make our own limited and conditional love the gateway for the unlimited and unconditional love of God.” –Henri Nouwen

This is the time

This past weekend, my friend Megan and I decided to make a spontaneous trip to Ashville, NC. At one point in a conversation about Guatemala, I said “This is the time.” I said it without really thinking, but once it was out of my mouth the gears in my mind started turning. Right now, I am a single college student; I am in the phase of my life where nothing is holding me back. These years are perhaps the only time when I can go and do whatever I want with no strings attached.

I believe through that conversation, the Lord is trying to show me that I need to take advantage of the opportunities He has given me right now. He has blessed me with a desire for the Guatemalan people and because I am not married, I can serve there for an extended period of time without having to worry about “a family back home.” He has blessed me with free time and summer breaks so that when a friend wants to go on a road trip I don’t have to worry about “work the next morning” or “getting to bed at a decent time.” This is the time for exploration, the time for spontaneity, the time for road trips, late nights, and spending the summer doing mission work. With all these ideas and plans in my head, I don’t want to look back on this time in my life and regret not doing something. I am only here for a short time; I want to make the most of it. I want to take a trip to Ashville and come upon a fair on the way home just because I can.

This is the time..

Imagination

Imagination. It’s something every child seems to have too much of and every adult too little. Sometimes I wonder why our imaginations seem to shrink as we grow older and I wish I had mine back. However, there is one time when I am totally lost in dream world; when I’m reading a book. Any avid reader knows what I’m talking about for any work of literature, but tonight I want to focus on one particular novel. A few days ago I began reading Kisses from Katie and while I have not quite finished it, my heart has been captured and my mind intrigued. If you’ve not read it (I recommend you do), it tells the story of a young American woman who answers God’s call to move to Uganda with the mission of loving on people. It is a non-fiction book and you might be asking yourself how my imagination could possibly relate to a true story. Well you see, with every word that she writes, I see myself acting it out only not in Uganda but rather in Guatemala. Thus far, I have only been there for one week’s time yet when Katie talks about the beautiful children living in filth I see kids dressed in rags walking along Guatemalan dirt roads. When she watches hundreds of Ugandan kids gather in her front yard I see 40 Guatemalan children running towards me from the school house. When she describes adopting her first daughter and being called “mommy” I see a sweet 5 year old boy that my heart desires to hold. When she talks about the anguish and compassion she feels for each orphaned child, my heart breaks thinking about each kid at Fundaninos Orphanage. But best of all, when she writes about how great God’s love is for each one of them and us, I am in awe at the power of His redemption on every single one of His children.

Guatemala. It has consumed me. I cannot go a day without remembering the precious people I meet there. I cannot contain my imagination as the days to my return inch closer. I cannot read a page of Katie’s book without picturing the country I have come to love so much.

My Favorite Sound

Over the past few days, I’ve discovered my favorite sound: laughter. It may seem silly, but as the old saying goes, “laughter is the best medicine” and it is. It is the one thing that we all have that can instantly lift someone’s spirit. It is the purest sound and it portrays sheer joy. Whether it’s a full belly cackle, a fake smirk turned true, or a small giggle, I just love it. I thank God that He has such a great sense of humor and that He gave us the ability to share in that humor as well. When I’m at work and I hear a baby laugh, I can’t help but smile. When I come home and my roommates are giggling about nothing, I can’t help but join in. Laughing makes me happy; it lets me know that even in this broken world, hope is possible. Thanks to Christ, joy is right in front of me in the form of laughter.  

I am returning.

And so the countdown begins; exactly two months from today I will be returning to Guatemala. I cannot express in words how excited I am to be back at Fundaninos Orphanage, but here are a few of the things that I am looking forward to:

Boarding a plane with my good friend Megan. Flying above the over-crowded, unorganized cities. Walking around in 80 degree weather without humidity. Passing brightly colored buildings. Driving through narrow streets with zero traffic laws. Being lost in conversation because I don’t know Spanish. Watching God’s children sprint up to our van before we even get out. Smiling faces on both the staff and the beautiful kids. The look of recognition when some of them remember me from the first trip. Chasing the little ones around the playground. Making bracelets with the older ones. Hearing the sass that some of the girls come out with. Witnessing the love the directors have for all the children. Changing a baby’s diaper. Watching God redeem each and every one of those kid’s lives.

Simply writing this creates in me a small desire to pack up all of my things and just move there tomorrow. Those little Guatemalan children have my heart and I think it might just burst with joy the moment I step off the van.

Community. It's a big deal.

If someone were to ask me for one piece of advice right now, I would have to say “Community is everything.” Recently, I’ve been pondering the amount of influence others have on me and if having a community is even important to daily life. The answer can be found through cause and effect situations. For example, if all your friends are going to a wild party planning to get wasted, would you go? Or what if they all decide to volunteer their time at a soup kitchen, would you go? The people you choose to surround yourself with have a much larger impact on you than you might think. Your community can either build you up or tear you down. It can pull you farther from God or it can push you towards Him. The outcome depends on who you spend quality time with. From the beginning of time, we were created to be in relationships with others and to form a community of believers. This was not just for fun. On the contrary it has great purpose. We are stronger together; we are bolder together; we are more successful together. Community not only offers encouragement in spreading and living the Gospel, but it also provides a support system and an accountability group.



Along with surrounding yourself with a community of believers, I must say that we need to be conscience and careful to be an uplifting member. Just having friends is not enough. The devil will still attack a group of believers and if we are not careful, his success can manifest in crude language and jokes, bad attitudes, judgmental and destructive comments, etc. A good community can easily be tainted if we are not constantly reaching for the higher standard that we are called to. Hebrews 10:24-25 states “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”


You cannot live the Christian life alone. First, you must have a relationship with Jesus; He is your guide to life via the Holy Spirit. Second, you must have a community of solid believers that you intentionally live life with.


Community is everything. Don’t take the quality of your community lightly.

Finding the Simple Truth

Around Easter and Christmas, it’s easy to ponder the wonders of God’s redemption. But what about the other days of the year? I’ve come to realize that I often just go day to day trying to meet the next deadline or make it to the next big event. People and opportunities fly by without so much as a glance from me. Recently I saw a post from Ellie Holcomb quoting a line from the Hunger Games. It said “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear” and she responded by saying that there is Truth in the Hunger Games. Now of course when I watch the movie I connect Katiness’s volunteering as tribute to Jesus’s volunteering to die on the cross which means more than words can describe. However, tonight I ask myself about the other pieces of Truth that I see and hear every day.



God is here with us and He is our guide. His Truth comes from people, nature, books, movies, songs and just about everything else. All we have to do is be aware enough to acknowledge it. Once again I am reminded of my time in Guatemala. I saw Truth being revealed in every one of those children. Their energy spoke of protection; their smiles shone with love; their laughs rang with redemption. It was so easy to see God working in the lives of those people, but once I got back home I hardly noticed His presence. I think it’s because I stopped looking; I stopped preparing myself to see His grace in common situations. And thankfully, even though I stopped looking, He never stopped changing hearts or providing for His children. From here on out, I will look for the Truth in each new day. God has given us promises and I will find His reminders in the small things as well as in the big.

Redeemed by Adoption

I am scheduled. I am detail oriented. I am planned. I am structured. I am time sensitive. I am missing the big picture.

Recently I traveled to an orphanage in Guatemala where I expected to see sorrow and fear. I could not have been more wrong. The first time we pulled up in the van kids came running from all directions with outstretched arms. By day two connections had been made and their faces would light up when they saw us come around a corner. I was amazed at how happy and content they seemed considering most of them came either from the streets or from broken families where abuse and malnourishment were rampant. After hearing some of their stories I wondered how in the world they could act so carefree and innocent. But as soon as the question entered my mind I knew the answer. God is their one true satisfaction.

Details of the past and the future are insignificant to them. They rejoice in the now. The words from John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” make up the core of these kids. After making string bracelets with one nine year old boy for a few hours, I realized that this kid who has no traditional family to grow up in understands and believes the act of being adopted into the Kingdom of God better than I ever have. Why should they concern themselves with planning or structuring their future when the Almighty Lord of all is their father?

At such a young age, the world has destructed them. But what I learned while I was there is at that same young age God has redeemed each and every one of them to a life of pure bliss. Joy is found in Him and shown through his children. So why do I stress out over the little mishaps and try to micromanage every aspect of my life? I’m not looking to the Lord for the bigger picture. Here in my American life dictated by success, I miss seeing the power of God’s redemption because I’m too focused on the specifics of the situation. I do not rejoice in my adoption as God’s child because I’m too busy trying to control daily life. I think back and I say to myself, “those kids had it right.”

On the night we said our goodbyes, my bracelet making friend embraced me like there was no tomorrow. Tears spilled over onto my face and as I let the hug end I felt joy. Joy that he knew Jesus. Joy that he had a place full of believers to care for him. Joy that he could love me and his peers so easily. Joy that God had given me the opportunity to learn so much from him.

So take a look at the big picture. Notice the beautiful redemption around you. Live like you are adopted.