February 1st – 5th

It already February! Not only that, but the first week of teams is already an event of the past. That’s not to say it’s no longer significant. Quite the opposite. A major theme lately has been talking about and reflecting on the value of time; time is a ruler for the great things God has done and is doing even as you read this.

The value of our volunteers is extensively indescribable; there is no way around it. The trays that need repairing for the summer season would remain broken. Fewer people in the world would have a warm quilt to wrap around themselves. Millions of people would have no chance at surviving life without the soup and peaches, prepared by the volunteers hands.

A large portion of our volunteers this week came from all over the country under the umbrella of the organization Young Enough to Serve (or YES!). Their name reflects not only their attitude, but the attitude of pretty much everyone else here. Were people ready and willing to scoop soup hours on end? Yes. Did anyone step up to help paint the soup plant? Yes. How about hands steady enough to sew quilts or reassemble fruit trays? Yes!

That interjection could also reflect the excitement surrounding the truck we saw off to Guatemala. While every truck is meaningful, this one was very personal for the staff, as well as several of our volunteers, both long- and short-term. The container was full of soup for Hope of the Nations, a feeding ministry started by Eric Rivera, our former director of procurement and distribution at Gleanings. Yes! Transformation is taking place in this world.