There is power in the name of Jesus. I am experiencing His power in Guatemala again and again everyday. God is showing me to be patient and wait in his Presence. As I get frustrated with long, slow days that feel unproductive, I am surprised yet again how God really used me to glorify Him that day. I came with the expectation of changing lives everyday and God is teaching me to slow down and experience Him first. To feel Him in my heart and seek Him above all else. To view the world more and more in His perspective without fear as I grow his Kingdom. By living more in His perspective I can release any unnecessary burdens that are not of the Lord.
I am falling in love with my team more and more each week. Getting to know who they are as my brothers and sisters in Christ has been such a privilege. To learn each others struggles and be set free from any shame or fear that we carried has only brought us closer. Fortunately I am not only living in community with my team but two other teams from my squad. Every Wednesday, Jessica and Andy have been leading us in worship as a community. There is something so special about hearing everyones sweet voice praising our King in unison. But last night was a little different. We all got a little more vulnerable with each other.
We each received a slip of paper with a list of struggles we may have faced in the past or are still facing. The list included masturbation, pornography, eating disorder, drugs/alcohol, homosexuality, family turmoil/divorce, pride, judgment, materialism, habitual lying, fear of being unloved, doubt in faith, self image/esteem issues, premarital sex, and physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. We were asked to circle any of these that applied to our life and put them in a pile anonymously. We then received someone else’s sheet and as each struggle was read out loud, we were to stand if it was circled on the sheet we were given. I can guarantee no one feels alone in there struggles any longer in this house. It was powerful to feel God’s presence surround us like a blanket as we became honest and free with the community He has placed in our lives this year. We do not want to dwell on these struggles, but rather focus on the freedom and grace it brought to release all shame we may have held onto. Doing this with my new family was indescribable. We worshiped our God with all our hearts leaving our struggles at the foot of the cross. As we continued to worship, my teammate Aaron got on his hands and knees, ripped up everyones slips of struggles and spelled “GOD GAVE GRACE” on the floor in the center of the room. I am so thankful for community and learning more and more about LIVING each and every moment in God’s presence.
