Casa El Roi

There are many names of God that are precious to me--Emmanuel (God With Us) and Jehovah Tsidkenu (the Lord My Righteousness) are among my favorites. But there is one name that is even more special to me; it is the first name that a human being ever gave to God in the Scriptures--El Roi.  This name was given to God by Hagar, a slave woman who was forced by Sarah to sleep with Abraham in hopes of helping God out on his promise to give Abraham a son. Even though it was Sarah's idea, when Hagar actually got pregnant, Sarah got jealous and started to mistreat her.  Hagar ended up running away from home.  When out in the desert, alone and pregnant, God Himself met her, called her by name, and made some very special promises to her.  It was on that day that Hagar gave God a new name:  El Roi, The God Who Sees Me.  (Genesis 16)  **Incidentally, one of the things God told Hagar that day was that she should name her son Ishmael: "God hears me."  

After the story and the announcement of the new name of
the center, we colored our memory verse sheet and
memorized Psalm 32:8:  "I will instruct you and teach you
in the way you should go; I will guide you with my loving
eye on you."  (NIV) We had such a big crowd this morning
that I couldn't get everyone in the picture.  I love this one
of Juliana's big smile though!

Loving InDeed is the name of the widow's program I started a few years back, but the ministry center itself needed a name.  All buildings here in Guatemala are given names, even little tiendas. Usually they are spiritual names: Casa Shalom (House of Peace), Iglesia Jehovah Jireh (The Church of God our Provider),  Tienda La Bendicion (The Blessing) As I thought about what to call it, I asked myself what one thing I wanted my girls to know about God.  Then it hit me--I want them to know that He SEES them.  They might be marginalized by society, the very bottom of the social totem pole, but there is One who promises to be the Father of the orphans, the great Defender of widows, their Emmanuel.  He sees them, He knows them by name, and He loves them.  THAT'S what I want my girls to know.  That's life-changing!  So this morning I taught my girls the story of Hagar--the slave girl who had no rights, no social standing, and no money or possessions of her own--who was met by God, not once but TWICE (see Genesis 21 for the second time), and was bold enough to give Him a new name.  I can't imagine being brave enough to see God, have Him audibly speak to me, and then say, "Wow.  I really like ___ about You.  I'm going to give you a nickname.  From now on, I'm going to call you ______!"  But that's exactly what Hagar did, and God didn't seem to mind.  And so, I am happy to announce to you all the new name of the Loving InDeed ministry center:  Casa El Roi, House of the God Who Sees Me.  May God use it to proclaim His glory and goodness far and wide!

This 2-room building will start off as my office and a work room for the ladies.  When the larger ministry center is

built, we girls will move down to it and turn this building over to the guys.  My plan is to fill it with woodworking

tools that most people here don't have access to, and then teach Rogelio and his father (who are already skilled craftsmen) how to use them.  Then they can use this carpentry shop to mentor the widow's sons and teach them this valuable work skill.