I can’t believe that we’ve been calling Guatemala home for two weeks already.
We’ve been living in a small, rather impoverished town called San Pedro that lies in the foothills of several volcanoes.
Each morning, I run along the cobblestone- lined streets as the sun barely creeps over the horizon. All around, burst a plethora of flowers of all colors, and in the distance- a volcano erupts every twenty minutes. God’s beauty and glory abounds here, through his creation.
My team wasn’t given an official ministry assignment in San Pedro, because we’re only here for two weeks before leaving to go to our permanent ministry site in Quiche, Guatemala.
Instead, we were encouraged to live missionally and to seek out ministry in everything we do.
And so, ministry for us has looked vastly different from day to day.
One day, ministry began with a prayer walk through town, saying “hey god, what do you have for us today?” Minutes later, we stumbled upon a few little guys playing soccer in a small, dirt field- eager for more players. That day, Lizi, Nathan, Cara, and I played soccer with them, spun them around in the air, laughed, got real dirty and loved on them for a few hours. And, inevitably lost terribly. It was beautiful.
My team and I spent multiple days scraping paint off of our ministry hosts’ old, worn down bus for hours at a time. And then, later, re-applying a fresh coat of paint.
Some days, ministry was buying groceries, cooking meals, and serving all forty-one people living in our house.
But, overall, ministry has been far more about the small, everyday moments, like:
Building relationships with really cool store owners in town, helping a wonderful woman who lives in our neighborhood to her home- her hand in my right and her groceries in my left, and sweet conversations with people in coffee shops about life and Jesus.
Even though I’ve used it approximately twenty- seven times in this blog, I don’t love the word “ministry”.
Because, I’ve been learning a lot recently that ministry can be found in almost everything. It’s, simply, any time that God is spilling His love out of us into other’s. It’s any time that you’re able to relieve someone else of their burdens. And, that should be something that we strive to live out continually and consistently.
“We don’t need to call it “ministry”. Just call it Tuesday. Love already has a name.” – my main man, Bob Goff
For the past two weeks, God has provided an incredible amount of opportunities for seeds to be planted, and for His love to be made evident through us.
There is something so beautiful about waking up each day, having no idea of the ways that God is going to work that day- only knowing that He will. He always does.
There is something so beautiful about wandering aimlessly, and taking whatever opportunities you feel God leading you to.
I have loved every minute of our time serving here in San Pedro, and I’m sad to say goodbye to these two weeks, because they’ve certainly been beautiful.
Later today, my team and I will be beginning our five-hour trek to Quiche, Guatemala which is where we’ll be serving for the remainder of our time in Guatemala.
Our hearts are so full of anticipation and excitement.
Please be praying for this next leg of our journey, and everything that God has for us there.
