"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God our Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress" (James 1:27 NLT).

Exemplifying and living the true mission of Adventist Midwest Health in their personal lives, two employees spent their vacation sharing God’s love with orphans in Central America. Julene Fletcher, coordinator of special events in human resources, and Russ Soliman, regional director of information systems, traveled to Guatemala to minister to orphans and to share the gospel with them.

Soliman said he and his wife Deborah had been praying for a mission opportunity for more than a year. While listening to the Moody Bible Institute radio station, he heard about a trip co-sponsored by the radio station and Buckner Orphan Care International, a Christian not-for-profit organization which provides care to children in other countries. Individuals who wanted to join the trip were asked to submit an application. “Working with orphans sounded like an amazing opportunity to share God’s love and bring these kids hope,” he said.

In an office 20 minutes away, Fletcher was listening to the same radio station. She was inspired for mission work after reading an online journal of a radio announcer who had undertaken a similar trip. “I was awed at the impact this had made on him,” she said. “I’d never been on a mission trip before, and thought ‘here’s my chance,’” Fletcher added.

Fletcher convinced her husband Mike and 18-year-old son, Dean, to join her. It wasn’t until she received a list of participants from Moody that she realized Soliman would also be on the trip. She e-mailed him so the two could exchange thoughts before their adventure. To finance their trip, which cost $2,200 a person, Fletcher said she sought donations from friends, co-workers, and members of her congregation. This also secured a strong prayer base for personal prayer requests for the trip.

Arriving in Guatemala in October was literally a culture shock, Soliman said. “There was such a large military presence and what seemed like chaos everywhere,” he remarked. Throughout the trip, they were accompanied by interpreters and were never allowed to leave their group since kidnapping is one of the chief sources of income.

“There were so [many] people praying for us that I was not anxious once,” Fletcher said. As in other third world countries, many families in Guatemala give children to state-run orphanages because they cannot afford to care for them. Many other children are found practicing prostitution and are sentenced to the orphanage by a court. “These children have very little hope. They have their basic needs met, but there is no one to hold them or play with them,” Soliman said.

During the day, the group of 40 visited two different orphanages, distributing aid and gifts which included soccer balls, underwear, T-shirts, and writing supplies. At each orphanage they also conducted a Bible lesson. “We went to share God’s love and the good news of the Gospel. Six young children accepted Christ into their hearts,” Soliman said.

Traveling throughout the day was difficult. They would set off in mini-vans early in the day and wind through hilly, country roads taking up to three hours to reach their destination. “When I first saw our itinerary, I wondered why we were only visiting two orphanages [a] day, but once we started driving, I realized we couldn’t do more than that,” Soliman said.

The ride back at the end of the day brought time for reflection. “The bus was silent for at least 15 to 20 minutes after leaving as we all thought about leaving these children behind,” Fletcher said, recalling how the gates would clank together after their vans pulled out.

A self-proclaimed non-adventurous type, Fletcher was relieved to find they were staying in hotels. “It brought a touch of familiarity and made the nights easier,” she said.

After seven days, returning to normal life in the United States was an adjustment. “It was shocking coming back. We can walk away, and they can’t,” Soliman said. Leaving the children behind was particularly difficult. “It was definitely hard hearing the doors close behind you. They can’t walk outside. They can’t leave, yet we’re free to leave,” Fletcher said.

For Soliman, the trip was an eye-opening experience, and he is ready to take on another mission trip. “Before [when] people said, ‘mission trips change your life,’ I didn’t realize how true that is,” he stated. “Now I know. You think you’re ministering to them, but they are ministering to you. I will definitely look for other opportunities.”

Not a day goes by when she doesn’t think about the children, Fletcher said. “I pray for them every day,” she added.

Victoria Tedeschi, public relations specialist for Adventist Midwest Health