David McCormick

This past week I had the privilege of facilitating a role-play workshop called "Life in Limbo"; an excellent tool that we have used to train up over 300 people in Guatemala over the past 12 months. This was my 10th time facilitating, and each time I learn so much about human nature, specifically about human emotion. I have seen grown men and women throw themselves on the floor, hide under tables, weep inconsolably, run out of the room and burst into uncontrollable laughter. Yesterday I had 30 psychologists and social workers who work in children's courts throughout Guatemala and gained even more insight into the complexity of human response to uncomfortable or stressful situations. A particular social worker assumed the role of a 4 year-old child and while she intended to respond as such, the behaviour of this woman was unlike anything I have ever seen even in the most hyperactive and defiant child. As I tried to instruct and lead her through the steps of the activity she...

Few times have I felt more uncomfortable sitting in a court room surrounded by an angry judge, apathetic psychologist, bored lawyer, distracted court official and a defeated biological mom. This is the fourth court date where the mom has come to be reminded of her shortcomings and judged by her lifestyle and the neglect her two little girls have suffered. Throughout the hearing, the judge repeatedly referred to the mom'in a condescending way and as this broken lady sought to maintain some of her dignity, he would glance over at me with a face marked by one word: SHAME. Of course, prostitution is never a source of joy for the women that are slaves to it, but being in that room with a thick stench of oppression and bondage made me realize that there are deeper levels of despair and guilt that I have never experienced personally. As the woman walked out of the court room I remained seated as I chatted with the psychologist seated next to me. It was incredible how mechanical the transi...

Reading through the Amplified Version of the Bible, I stumbled upon a verse that I have "known" for years, but never really assimilated until now.  In Proverbs 22:6 it says "Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it." As parents, we have all heard and clung to the part that says that if we are faithful in training up our children in the right way we can have some kind of guarantee that one day, God will bring them back to that path. Working in orphan ministry, we obviously want to grab on to this promise but we often equate the training aspect to sitting our kids in church services and group devotions. I feel like the heart of this verse is much deeper and more complex. As Christians, we would say that our number one priority for the children we care for is for them to find healing from their past, restoration in every area of their lives and come into a personal relat...

Dear short-term missionary, God bless you. I am so glad that you have made the decision to get out of your comfort zone and go serve God in a tangible way. Over the past 13 years, I have seen a lot of missionaries come and go and I want to share with you what I think you should know. 1. Be humble. God once said that He opposes the proud and if God isn't on your side then you should just stay home. If you come into a ministry setting thinking you have more to offer than you have to learn, it may be nicer for everyone if you just send the cost of your flight as a donation. I have met short-term missionaries with attitudes and postures so humble and kind that they truly impact the lives of the children and staff in a way that doesn't depend on the eloquence or coherence of their lingo. I think our best example is Jesus himself who came to model humility as a servant and who, in turn, has become the most influential and powerful leader to ever walk the face of the earth. If you...

The moment a child is taken from their mom for whatever reason, this bio mom begins fighting a battle for the custody of her children; a fight marked with struggles and losses. Our focus is to holistically respond to the children, a priority which I believe to be correct, but I wanted to share these 5 recurring losses that I have witnessed in bio moms over the past few years. We received some kids last week who do not really manifest a strong attachment to their bio mom and were sent to us due to parental negligence, but when I get a call from this bio mom a few days later, I could already identify the stage of loss she is in as she  has been swept into a battle that will cost her much more than this lost time with her children. It is important for me to remember that God's ideal for these children is to remain with their own families, and in the absence of a safe and nurturing family, a substitute should be available where kids can still grow up with a healthy attachment...