Leaving Guatemala was tough; we spent a month pouring ourselves into our ministry and the people introduced to our lives, and then on Sunday were informed that our last day in Quiche was Monday! While it was sad to say bye to the guys we worked for at the hospital since we know we probably won't be seeing them again, I feel filled to the brim with gratitude for the awesome time we got to spend with them, all the work we were able to accomplish, the lives we hopefully touched, the hearts we hopefully moved, and with excitement for Honduras!
Right now, it is 9:21am on Tuesday July 30th. The bus just crossed the border into El Salvador, and we're just over 3 hours into our 13 hour ride to Tegucigalpa, Honduras! Yesterday, we took a bus from Quiche to Chimaltenango and then hopped on another one into Antigua. We counted almost 100 people on the bus to Antigua, it was pretty comical when the guy said they had room for 16 and began tossing our bags on top of the bus- we looked in the bus to find it packed, with sparse standing room only. We stayed in a sweet little hostel in Antigua, where I slept in a BED!!!! After getting a full 5 hours of sleep, we woke up at 3am to catch shuttles to Guatemala City, and to our delight the bus to Honduras is a) comfortable, b) has a toilet, c) is nearly empty! Thank you Jesus for comfort and rest in our travels 🙂
As I reflect on the last few weeks, I am delighted to think about the work God is doing in me and the way He's changing me. I'm excited about the things I got to experience and the things I learned. Here's a quick list to sum up those things
1. Patience. I was forced into learning patience like I haven't learned it before. Just about everyday, my team and I spent a good hour (sometimes more) waiting to begin work; waiting on supplies, running to get paint, then running again to get paint brushes because… Well I'm not sure why, but multi-tasking just isn't high up on the priority list in Guatemala, waiting for directions, looking for someone to give us directions, waiting for new sand paper, waiting for paint to dry, waiting for the hour & a half lunch break to be over… Yea, lots of waiting.
2. Living in community. I lived alone or sometimes with one roommate through college, so living with all 50 something of my squad mates was a new experience. It wasn't difficult, and I actually really enjoy it, but it was for sure a learning experience. I learned it's important to seek alone time and quiet time, which can be challenging when there are always people around, doing something (I really hate feeling like I'm missing out on something, so to stay back or choose quiet time when people are playing a game or some other extracurricular activity is hard!). However, I've learned that spending time alone is precious and vital to growing in my relationship with God.
3. Growing pains: are good. I ventured out into this year fully expecting and hoping for growth and refinement; I long to grow in my compassion for others, in selflessness, in wisdom… Really in all things Christ-like. I don't want to just be a fan of the Almighty God of the universe who sent His Son to die on a cross as payment for my sins, but to be a wholly devoted follower of Him. While it is painful to grow out of old ways and habits, it is a beautiful thing to grow into the identity I have in Jesus.
Guatemala was a great kick off, and I am so pumped for the next 10 months.
Honduras, here we come!
