“Knowing the parting that was soon to come did not diminish the beauty nor our delight in being together. No, it heightened it. It made us more alive to the moment. More aware. More present.” – John Eldredge, Captivating
Last month was worthy of words like “divine” and “predestined”. Guatemala was captivating in the bursting sunrises that made each morning’s new mercies feel tangeable. The people were lovely, from the playful spirit of the children to the quiet wisdom of the widows in Cruz Ayapan, Santa Maria, and Xenacoj.
Guatemala was a country that the Lord used to plant and revive passion in my soul. He made dreams come true in a fashion comparable to a surprise trip to Disneyland. Guatemala is my Disneyland. I could write a novel on the wonder that was month 5 of my Race, but I bet you would rather see for yourself. Here’s a little recap of what my month looked like:
Before leaving for the Race, I thought about getting baptized and decided not to because I didn’t understand what it meant. The Lord answered my inquiries last month, and I chose to get baptized at Lake Atitlan. My team mate Kourtney gave me the scripture Hebrews 12:1-3 to remember my commitment by.
Our team surprised Brandon with a birthday celebration in honor of his dad who lost the battle with cancer. He was known for his pursuit of the Lord even in the midst of his suffering. We never got to meet him, but he holds a very special place in our hearts, and his legacy lives on through Brandon.
Meet my besties from the playground, Rosaria and Brenda! We don’t speak the same language, but we stumbled through broken Spanglish to spend our afternoons singing, playing tag, and trying to teach eachother basic words in the other’s language.
We stumbled upon a quaint little coffee shop in Antigua, and I was given the opportunity to work a few hours while we spent a few days in Leadership Development Training. Alex (on the left) is the manager, he is passionate about coffee and so knowledgeable about its origin. He cultivates relationships with his customers and ensures the quality of the product is up to par too. Saying goodbye stung a little, but I trust the Lord to bring me back one day. Bryan (on the right) is my squad leader who came to cheer me on throughout the day!
My team mate Brandon got his first haircut on the Race! The little things are worth celebrating too right? I think so.
Me and my team climbed a volcano (Volcan Pacaya) together, here is a photo from the top! We were also able to roast marshmallows over volcanic ash that was still hot. It was a gift in the form of a dream come true.
I was blessed to see the other side of TOMS shoes (one for one) as we were able to put new pairs of shoes on widows feet for Mother’s Day.
My first time delivering a message on the World Race! I spoke on Ephesians 3:16-19, being rooted in the love of Christ and choosing to be unified in His love. This was the first Mother’s Day celebration the women in the community had ever experienced.
