Earlier this week we were woken up at 4am with firecrackers, whistles and ladies yelling “Get up, it’s a great day to intercede for the children of the world and serve the Lord. Get up you lazy girls. Get dressed and remember to wear a bra.”
Hearts in Action is hosting a two-week training called The Great Commission. The attendees are from throughout central America and they have a desire to grow as they pursue youth ministry and missions. As part of their training, they participate in a type of boot camp, and it is no joke. I was startled out of bed from the firecrackers and knew I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. So, I got dressed and joined The Great Commission ranks outside.
It was still dark when we went out to the black top and the stars were amazing. The sky was so clear and we could see so many constellations that filled every inch of sky that was visible to us, right up to the tree lines on all sides. We started out with some stretching and dancing, which got our hearts pumping. Throughout the warmup, the leaders would keep reminding us to stay in our lines and that we would have time to laugh and talk about these events later, but that time was not now. They said that the morning’s task would humble us. I was not prepared, nor could I anticipate the obstacles that would come next.
The whole time, a conference leader, Mario, stayed with our group and was translating in English. Through his prayers and consistent encouragement, we were able to catch the vision and heart behind the mornings’ tasks. One of the first verses they shared was James 1:27, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” This was one of the verses that had a huge impact in my life two years ago, when I went on a mission trip to India and I love that it is becoming a theme again for this journey.
We got in three straight lines and jogged around the campus to a large tree on the property. It was the national tree of Guatemala where Suzanne then shared a few words. As Christians, we are called to intercede for those who are oppressed and in bondage so, that through the power of Jesus, they can find freedom. Just as Joshua marched around the walls of Jericho to bring them down, we jogged around the tree 7 times as we prayed for Guatemala.
We got back in our lines and jogged to an open area of grass. Someone spoke and reiterated how this morning would humble us and that we should not fear. Then, we all got down on our stomachs, on the wet grass and had to crawl on our elbows and knees to a designated spot. What was going through my mind at that moment was how we had been spraying the property last week in an effort to kill some of the massive ant hills. I hoped and prayed that our team had sprayed that area. I also thought about the half dozen tarantulas, big-toe-sized beetles, and other creepy crawlies I have seen in the past two weeks. I would have liked to finish this quickly, but I had to wait for the people in front of me to move. I could feel the moisture from the grass going through my shirt sleeves and pants, but was trying to focus on anything other than that. When my mind started drifting to the insects or dampness, I would freak out internally and selfishly bump into the person in front of me. I was just trying to get out of there as quickly as possible, but the Lord was teaching me, even then, that I needed to have patience and trust.
We next jogged on a path towards the jungle. Mario lit the way with his flashlight and reminded us to keep praying as we jogged. There are children all over that are suffering. We entered the jungle and our team was careful to avoid the muddy potholes on the trail. We stopped at an open area and were told to look up. Where we had seen the stars less than an hour earlier, there were now only clouds and dim moonlight. Someone spoke and said, just as we can’t see the stars anymore, let us remember and pray for those whose light has gone out or grown dim. For many who are going through trials, they are only seeing the clouds, forgetting the beauty and light of the stars is still there behind the clouds. We were encouraged to get down on our knees and pray in that moment for the children and people we know whose light may have grown dim, that God would restore and bring light again.
Praying for an unknown person or someone you have never met is an act of faith. I didn’t know all the details of the trials they were facing, but I felt I should be praying for a Guatemalan child. It was both challenging and humbling to pray in this way because I could not rely on my own knowledge of their situation, rather I had to trust the Holy Spirit to lead me in my prayers and give me the words.
Someone then spoke on how we are to bear one another’s burdens. Just as we did at training camp in August, we got into groups and picked up one teammate to carry them further into the jungle. We took turns carrying each other and at one point I wasn’t holding anyone, rather, I felt like I was there for moral support. I saw another team struggling to carry their person so I fell back to try and help. Mario saw me go back and said to me, “You are with this team. You need to stay with them.” At first I thought that was strange since they didn’t need me in that moment. But, shortly after, one of my teammates did need relief from carrying and I was able to fill in. Only after the entire activity was over did it hit me that there will be times on the race where I may have good intentions to help others, but neglect my team in the process. I have committed to this team and we have said “yes” to taking on this journey together. In all situations, I need to be mindful that I am not neglecting my team for a task I think may be “more worthy”. I am called to love and serve them just as much as I am called to love serve our ministry hosts, children, and those facing poverty, oppression and injustice.
We reached this end of this section and then all jogged to the next point in the jungle. At this point we were on a narrow path and were instructed to sit down as we heard from another speaker. I was very distracted by the amount of creepy crawlies that may have been surrounding us at this moment, and missed most of what was being said. However, later that night I ate dinner with Adin. Turns out, he was the person speaking in that moment. Adin’s brother used to work at Hearts in Action and found a lot of joy in his relationship with Jesus. Others saw his happiness and were jealous of that, so they shot and killed him. It was apparent from the 6 bullet holes in his car that the murderers weren’t after his possessions, but wanted him dead. Adin shared this story openly and with an incredible hope in his eyes that his brother’s death was not in vain. God has given him and his family a lot of peace, and they can’t help but share that peace and joy with others. The verse he had shared that day was Jeremiah 1:17 which says, “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.” This is one of his favorite passages because of how it encourages him not to fear as he continues serving the Lord. Adin’s brother was killed just two months ago.
Back in the jungle, after Adin finished speaking we were told that we will encounter many trails in our paths as we follow the Lord. With God, we can persevere to the end. At this point, we all crouched down and duck walked with our hands behind our head, single file, through the jungle. I couldn’t tell you how far we walked like that, but my legs were in a lot of pain. I could feel my thighs burning and tried to stand up, but, very gently, Mario spoke that we were almost at the end. I’ve heard it said before, when we think we can’t go on anymore, just go a little further. I tried to keep that in mind and kept pressing forward. I also thought about the underground church. There are Christians all over the world who cannot practice their faith openly. Because of persecution, they have to travel in secret to get to a place where they can worship with other believers. From the stories I’ve heard, sometimes they literally have to crouch or crawl for an extended amount of time to get to a secure location undetected. The last four months of the race we will be in Asia and this is a reality for some of the counties we will be visiting. I couldn’t help but think that God was not only making me aware of this reality, but possibly preparing me for what we will see and experience.
We finally made it to a clearing at the end of the path. I recognized where we were on the property and thought we must be near the end. However, there were still several tasks ahead and more God wanted to show me. We got back in lines and continued praying until the whistle was blown and again, someone spoke. The talked about Jesus and how he carried the cross on his back as he walked to his execution. They then asked, “Who is willing to take up their cross?” We then each picked up a log (roughly two feet long and ½ a foot in diameter) and jogged down the field to the next obstacle. I am still processing what this means to me personally. Like, what does it look like to take up my cross daily in surrender to Jesus?
Back in our lines, we were onto the next obstacle. Before us stood four hurdles. As I waited for my turn, Mario came to each of us on the lawn, touched our shoulder and said that God would bless us for being here. There was a reason we chose to get out of bed this morning and God has a purpose for us. Looking further down the obstacle course I saw what lay ahead. There was a whole lot of mud, a trench, a pond and a cross. This is how it went down. I alternated jumping over and crawling under the hurdles, did a log roll through a patch of mud and then crawled with my elbows and knees through a muddy trench as the leaders threw buckets of water over top. The trench was about 50 yards long and emptied out into a pond. As I got to the end of the trench I stood up and waded through the pond to the grass on the other side. I collapsed on the grass and before me was a wooden cross. I couldn’t help but let tears fill my eyes as I looked at the cross. I was both relieved and proud of myself that I had made it through. But, I also realized what a comfortable life I have been living. I’ve definitely had my share of hurdles, trenches, and murky waters I’ve walked through, but I also have my securities to run to when things get tough – my family, church, money, entertainment, my own strengths. In this moment, there were no securities to cling to, only the cross of Jesus to fix my eyes on. In the cross I find strength, purpose, hope, peace and motivation to continue on.
There was one last stop on this course. Once again, we got in formation and jogged to another point on the property – the flags. Near the entrance of Hearts in Action are 10 flags, one for each of the countries represented at the conference. Suzanne’s husband held a torch and exhorted us in the work we’re doing in each of our countries and around the world. We got in pairs and took some time to pray for each other and the people and situations we’d encounter in our ministries. Next, the torch was passed by one representative, from one country the next. Each time the torch was passed, the country prior would say a prayer for the next country. Guatemala called up Ecuador, Ecuador called up Mexico and Mexico called up the United States. Lyndsay, from my team, represented the United States. She, fittingly, called up Honduras. In her prayer, she said how grateful she was for being with him on the same ground in Guatemala. She recognized the Spirit at work in this person and prayed that God would do great works in Honduras through him. Lyndsay ended her prayer by saying how the Lord’s work was already visible in this country and encouraged them to continue in the work they were doing.
I am so grateful for this opportunity to be on the World Race. As we all stood around the flag poles, there was no language barrier or different races. We were brothers and sisters, worshiping the God who gave us life.
This trip means so much more to me than 11 countries. Yes, we are traveling to 11 countries, this year but through Hearts in Action, I was able to experience even more countries and cultures and increase my heart for the nations of this world. If I had the opportunity to do this all over again, I absolutely would.
*P.S. Sorry for the lack of pictures in this post, wifi has been fickle!
Misc. Updates:
- We were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with our squad. I did miss home, more than I thought I would, but was so grateful for my new WR family.
- We celebrated Shara’s birthday yesterday, all throughout travel day.
- We are currently in El Salvador, heading to our ministry site for the month. We will be at an orphanage in Santa Tecla.
- I am still amazed that God has provided so much for me to be on this trip. I am about $3,500 away from being fully funded. My next (and final) fundraising deadline is in January. If you feel led, you can click the link above or message me for details on how to donate.
- Thanks for reading and for all the prayers and support from so many of you. It means so much to me and keeps me connected while traveling.
Love you guys!
