Let me tell you, living in a house with 22 highly-opinionated, young adults is not always easy…or even fun for that matter.
For the past 3 and a half weeks, I’ve been living in San Pedro, El Alto, Guatemala with all of Team Valiant, Team Renown, Team Living Water, and two squad leaders. That’s a total of 23 individuals living together in a very small house. Anywhere you go, you’re still surrounded by people. Alone time doesn’t exist on the World Race. I’m actually an extreme extrovert and I still find myself feeling suffocated at times. I’ve never craved silence like I do since I’ve been on the race. But God is using this community to help me grow. God’s teaching me things that I know I will carry with me for the rest of my life. My teammates and I have all come from different backgrounds, encounter the Lord in different ways, and possess different perspectives, so you can see why we don’t always agree with everything. Community living is challenging, but God is showing me that there is reason and a lesson for this community I’m living in.
Here are a few things I’ve learned:
Listen: Stop Talking. You can’t win everyone’s approval and acceptance through the countless number of stories you tell. Take the time to listen to what others have to say. Take interest in their stories and their thoughts so you can really love them in that way.
Love, love, love: Love your community no matter what. Love them when they eat your personal food. Love them when they’re obnoxiously loud the night you decide to go to sleep early. Love them when they leave their junk scattered all over the house. Love them when you’ve been with them for 24 hours straight and all you want is a break from them. Love them even when you don’t feel loved back.
Filled with grace: Living with 22 other people is bound to cause conflict. There will be misunderstandings, miscommunications, and arguments. God has taught me that I need to show grace in everything that I do. Speak with gentle, kind words, accept apologies graciously, and respond to criticism with grace.
Make time for Jesus: It’s hard to find time for a devotional when it’s nearly impossible to be alone. But I can’t stress enough how important it is. In the past month here, I’ve discovered the best way is by waking up an hour early to make myself a cup of tea and have a quiet time with the Lord. Sometimes it is so hard to force myself to wake up at 5:30 or 6, but it’s always worth it. Alone time with Jesus is the prime thinking time, and the perfect time God can use to grow and shape you with His word.
Intentionality: It’s easy to make connections with a small handful of people and pursue a deeper relationship with them; while forgetting to bond with the rest of the community. You have to make it a point to love each person intentionally everyday. You might have to go out of your way to say hi to everyone, but people notice; and they appreciate it.
Even though community is hard, it’s one of the most important aspects of the World Race. God’s love is already transforming my life, and I can’t wait to grow even more.
Hammock time with my ministry buddy, Alex.
Loving on my awesome team leader, Michelle.
Quality time with some members of my squad.
