I can’t believe that I have seven more days left in Guatemala. I have only one more week to spend in the country I’ve called home for the last three months. I am so excited to go to South Africa, but I am also going to have a hard time saying goodbye to all the wonderful people here in Guatemala City.
I have been so blessed by my time in this beautiful country. I have done and seen so many things. I have been to Antigua, Guatemala City, Tikal, and even Belize. I have had crazy adventures. I took a selfie with a tarantula, hiked through a rainforest, ate live termites, rode on a completely packed chicken bus, and met people from all over the world.
I’ve worked alongside amazing ministries. I got to work with YWAM Guatemala City and their wonderful staff and DTS students. I got to color with kids living in the city’s dump zone. I danced with kids at a daycare. I got to talk to women at a battered women’s shelter, and get to know their stories.
I have discovered the deliciousness that is choco piña. Also, plantain chips are my absolute favorite now. I have learned so many kid’s songs in spanish, and have been a part of worship and prayer in six different languages at the same time.
In Guatemala, I have laughed, I have cried, and I have lived. I learned what truly living really looks like here. I have a better idea of what living a meaningful life is now. I got a glimpse of God’s kingdom in Guatemala, and I want more!
All my life, I thought that living under God’s will was the safest place to be, but here I discovered that is not true. God’s will the the most dangerous place to be. He will call you to terrifying things, and push you out of every comfort zone you have. It is the most dangerous place to live, but it is absolutely the best place. It is the place where you find peace, joy, and love. It is the place where you start living the everlasting and abundant life that Jesus died for.
I can never go back to living my life for me. I have tasted everlasting life here in Guatemala and my life will never be the same. I have surrendered my plans, my hopes, and my dreams. I want to live under God’s will, even if he calls me to things that terrify me.
When I got back from the race, I planned to get a teaching job. I wanted to start living a “normal” life. God, however, has other plans for me. Over my time here in Guatemala, he has made it clear to me that I am not supposed to go back to a normal life just yet. At the start of this trip, I thought that I would be spending one year on missions, but now I am called to change that into three. So, after I get back from the race, I will be doing two more years of missions. I have no idea what that looks like right now, but I am praying and seeking the Lord. I know that when the time comes, he will speak and show me what to do.
It’s a really big change of plans, but I am confident that it is going to be good. Right now, I am focused on finishing my last week in Guatemala well. I am so excited about South Africa, but I want to enjoy every last minute I have here. Please keep my squad in your prayers on November 5, as we will be flying to a new continent and to new adventures!
