Lessons from La Cama

 “Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean

This has been a favorite quote of mine for almost as long as I can remember. I have always been a dreamer at heart, there’s no denying that. Most of the time it got me into trouble – instead of accomplishing the “priorities” at hand I’d often go off into “la la land” for a while, where I’d find myself in another place, another time… usually another point in my life. Before college I would often dream about the future – what my career would be, when I’d get married, how many kids I’d have, where I would live, all the lives I would touch… I had it all planned out. Although they were big dreams they were not outrageous, and I truly believed that God wanted me to achieve those goals just as much as I did. To me, those day dreams might as well have been reality.

When I went away to school, everything changed. Due to multiple circumstances (some by choice and some by happenstance) my outlook on life went from optimistic to pessimistic. I found myself trying to please everyone around me and began to base my self worth on others. Obviously that is not a very fulfilling route to take, and my self esteem plummeted because of it. I was young and naïve and I became involved in some unhealthy relationships…  relationships that instead of fanning the flame in my heart completely put it out. I can’t tell you how many times I heard that I needed to get my head out of the clouds and have some realistic goals. So that’s the way I began to think. And I have come to learn over the years, what is in your mind becomes your reality.

So, you’re probably wondering where I’m trying to go with this… Well, it boils down to what I saw and learned during my weeks spent in La Cama. Pastor Manuel and his family don’t live a life of exquisite means. When it comes to materialistic things they don’t have a lot – but that doesn’t diminish the hopes and dreams Pastor has for his family, church, and community. He dreamed that his children would finish school, and we watched his son graduate. He dreamed to build a church for his congregation, and we helped him lay the foundation. About 40 people attend his services every week, yet he is building a church big enough to fit 500 people. Missionaries will be coming to help him out throughout the course of this next year, when he hadn’t planned on much help at all. He has received everything and even more then he asked for… and that’s just why. He asked the Lord, whole heartedly and faithfully. And it was given. Despite any hardships him and his family had seen, he had such incredible faith that the Lord would provide, and that is exactly what He did.

1^st John 5:14-15 says that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him.

God wants us to achieve our dreams. He wants us to dream big. He even wants to give us more then we imagine or ask for… He didn’t give us such vivid imaginations for nothing! All we have to do is simply ask and know that we are heard. When I signed up to go on the race and found out I had to raise $13,000 I had no idea how that would be possible… but I asked that if it be His plan for me to come on this trip He would make it possible – and sure enough I’m here in Guatemala… building life-long relationships with people thousands of miles away from home, with teammates who share the same dreams as I did years ago – and now do again.

I feel like I’m truly “living the dream”, and I can’t wait to see what else my eyes will be opened to these next 10 months. I can’t wait to see what doors will open towards my future, and I can’t wait to see prayers answered and dreams fulfilled for all of you that are asking.