We made it!
well… we've been here for a week now, my apologies to those waiting to hear about what we've been doing.
BUT WE MADE IT SAFELY!
The moment that we stepped out of the airport the smell reminded me of so many beautiful memories back in my Managua, Nicaragua days. Central America has a very distinct smell.
I was reminded of the people, the smiles, the laughter.
It reminded me of the time I went to the dumps and witnessed some of the most tragic poverty i've ever seen and there in the dumps a stirring for missions arose.
A desire to do something.
A desire to go.
And now,
with a willing heart and open hands.
here I am.
4 years later.
I'm living my dream.
I'm living in Antigua, Guatemala with 14 other ladies.
Soon to venture with my team of 6 ladies
and squad of 47 into 10 other countries.
Antigua, Guatemala is beautiful. It's filled with so much history and culture. We've toured around the city, visiting different cathedrals, hiking up a steep hill to get to an over look before the sunrise and watched the sunrise over the city, going to a macadamia farm, exploring the city on our own, and some shopping… its so fun
but don't get the wrong idea here, we're not here to do fun stuff, we've just been blessed with the opportunity to get to know the city and fall in love with it while our ministry sites get finalized.
and I've fallen in love with it. Guatemala now has a place in my heart that will remain for the rest of my life.
We are completely spoiled this month, the 14 of us (Team mighty love and team Agape) are living in a home that is in a nice gated community outside of the city of Antigua, i guess us americans would consider it kind of like a suburb area. We're still in Antigua its just the nice part of Antigua. Like.. spoiled. seriously.
All 14 of us sleep in a room that have enough bunk beds for majority of us.
We have bathrooms that have working showers and toilets.
and sometimes, if we work the shower right, we get warm water.
We get a nice kitchen that we can cook meals in.
Electricity.
Wifi. IN THE HOUSE.
Tables we can eat meals on.
We have a GORGEOUS front yard that we've taken over with our hammocks and clothes lines.
We can safely run at night or during the day.
We're spoiled and there isn't a moment that goes by without having a heart of gratitude.
These past 5 days have been crazy…
my everyday norm is completely abnormal.
I hand wash my clothes and hang dry them on a clothes line.
I wear the same outfit multiple days in a row- and it's okay.
I ride the bus everywhere… and when i say ride, I mean stand, sit, and mostly hold on for my dear life hoping I won't fall over while the crazy bus driver begins driving the moment we get on the crowded bus searching for a seat.
I've found a new love for making videos. (watch my very first video if you haven't already!)
Spanish is normal to hear everywhere I go.
When I hear English I freak out.
When I see white people I freak out. (Antigua is a tourist city, so it happens a lot)
I use my water bottle water rinse my tooth brush.
I've accepted Guatemala as my home this month.
Getting bombarded by men, woman, and children selling things at the market doesn't phase me.
I throw my toilet paper in the trash can and i'm used to it. (sorry mom and dad)
I take 3 minute showers.
Getting coffee is a treat.
I eat a lot of rice.
We make all of our meals.
but my time here hasn't just been flowers and butterflies…
it's been hard.
I've spoken little Spanish.
I've struggled with immersing myself in community.
I've given hard feedback.
I've received hard feedback.
I've been so tired.
I've been challenged.
I've been stretched.
I've been jealous.
I've been envious of my teammates gifts. and struggled with not knowing mine.
I've had a bad attitude… a lot.
I have to ask myself the hard questions.
I've been homesick.
I now understand that I have to choose to spend time with my team over secluding myself from them when alone time is all I want.
I understand how difficult it is.
I'm getting a better understanding of what healthy community looks like.
I get anxious and frustrated easily and recognize that it's necessary to ask the Lord why and find ways to confront the deep rooted issue and resolve it.
resolving the issue is hard.
I want to be alone…a lot.
I don't get to be alone… ever.
and I'm finding that that's okay, because I need these women in my life to grow and learn.
I've felt alone while being surrounded by 13 other women.
The enemy tried convincing me that I'm not a Godly woman, because that has been spoken over me before.
The enemy tried convincing me that I'm not gifted and can't bring anything to the team.
I've had to speak life and truth over myself. and that in itself is hard.
I've had to get over my pride and ask my teammates to call out the good in me.
I've spent quality time with my teammates and appreciate everything that they bring to the team.
but, I love how hard it's been, because hardships bring blessing and I already feel and see the blessing that these trials have brought.
I've only been in Antigua for 5 days and it has already been a roller coaster of emotions. I've cried, laughed, been angry, jealous, envious, sad, lonely, and joyful.
It is so evident that the Lord is at work in restoring me,
reaffirming me,
growing me,
challenging me,
and He truly does desire to make this year my year of redemption.
This is my year to understand grace in its full meaning.
This is my year to understand freedom and my year to walk in that freedom.
This is only the beginning
This month we have 5 different ministry opportunities, we're all splitting up to do the ministry that best practices our gifts.
We have the option to either:
Go to an elderly home, love on the elderly and serve however we see fit.
Go to the hospital to love on the special needs children and serve however we see fit.
Help our ministry contact with business administration putting together retreats, rallies and other opportunities for the youth in the community of Antigua.
Translate lessons for us and other missionary groups to translate in the schools around this area, teaching them Christian morals and values.
and the last option is to go to the schools and teach the lessons that are already translated.
We are so stoked that we are given different options to love and serve this community and share the love of Christ in different ways.
Monday and today I've been helping translate the lessons. It's so exciting that I get to be a part of something big that will have so much impact on the youth here.
Tomorrow, I'm excited that I will get to be serving at the elder home showing them the love of the Father by showering them with affection and attention :).
Its been such an honor to get to know team agape, and such a blessing to get to know my team (mighty love) on a whole new level. The Lord has some crazy beautiful things in store for us individually and as a team.
Prayer requests:
Personally– I'm struggling with immersing myself in the community that the Lord has placed me in. So often I want to shy away and be alone. Please pray against that with me. The Lord has me with these ladies to shower me with love and affirmation, to challenge and grow me. I'm blessed with the opportunity to have such genuine sisters to walk along side me and call out my gifts and strengths on a daily basis. I don't want to take that for granted.
As a team: We need prayer to continue to be vulnerable with each other. We need prayer to continue to find the strength and boldness say the hard things to each other to build each other up. We need prayer over intentionally getting to know one another. We need prayer over learning from each other and appreciating each others flaws and gifts.
As a squad: we're all in such a crazy place of "what did I get myself into…" please pray for perseverance and strength to tackle each day embracing what He has to offer for the day. Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among each of us and goes before us, boldly proclaiming His name to everyone we meet whatever that may mean. Pray we continue to pursue Him on our own time. That we lean into His comforting embrace in the times we are weary and burnt out. That we walk in freedom and not in shame or doubt of who we are. That we grow in raw community with each other with a bond that is unbreakable.
and lastly, Please keep us in your prayers as we finalize this month and prepare to move into a new country in 2 weeks- I'm excited to say that the squad will be together in Honduras next month serving in the community together! I can't wait to bond with them and share the Love of Christ along side such amazing women and men.
Lastly, BIG thank you to those who have supported me in prayer and financially. I'm a little less than 2,000 dollars shy of meeting my next deadline in April. I need 11,000 and have 9,998 as of today. Please pray boldly that the Lord won't just meet the deadline before April, but will fully fund me (16,285) because He is bigger than money and I know He's called me into this trip and will see me through.
Please consider being a one time or monthly donor by clicking here.
SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHAT I'M DOING AND DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG HERE.
Thanks for reading this long post (I promise they won't always be this long). Much love to all of you!
Andie
