“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:10
God is hard at work blessing the country of Guatemala which I get the opportunity to call my new home. Particularly in the small town of San Domingo Xenacoj, the place the Lord has prepared for us World Racers to invade. I, along with all of my squad-mates, have been called to shed the light of Christ into very dark places all over the world. This means we get to see beautiful countries and venture out into the unknown. Even though this is an exciting adventure, it would be a mistake for anyone to assume that it’s easy.
Life on the mission field can look very exciting on Facebook and Instagram, when in reality, all social media reflects is the glorified aspects of living for God in foreign countries. You get to see us playing with cute kids, petting exotic animals, and seeing some of God’s most incredible creation. However, life on the race is not always that comfortable.
14 of us girls, making up two teams of world racers, are sharing one room. There is hardly anywhere to walk since all of our personal stuff takes up almost all of the floor. We have one toilet, which doesn’t always flush so you have to pour a bucket of water into it, and one shower that we all share. Dishes for almost 30 people have to be hand-washed after every meal. The beds we sleep in are thin mattresses that you can feel the wood bars running though. Do not get me wrong though, God has blessed us MORE greatly than we could have ever imagined, but it’s just not the comfortable American life we are use to.
Often times I feel almost bad because 30 racers are invading one Guatemalan home. And for the record, Guatemalan homes are small. We have come in and eaten all of their food, occupied their bathrooms, and are tracking mud and dirt everywhere, but German (our ministry host) and his family have completely opened up their home and hearts to all of us.
On the second morning in Guatemala, German shared his heart and his story with all of us. He talked about how he had nothing, until God brought Dave along and changed his life. It was a story of how God transformed a poor, Guatemalan man into a man with a heart to see God’s work be done in the world. German went on to tell us how before he had only a small family that took up his home, but now he has all of us to fill his home and to share God’s love with. Out of all the ways German has blessed me, saying this was by far the greatest.
Rather than German focusing on how his family has less food, room, and personal space in their own home, he sees us as a blessing straight from God to be in community with. German could easily complain how it isn’t comfortable to live with over 30 people in his home yet he has his life centered around Christ and can take everything in his life as a blessing.
I’ve only been in this small village with German and his family for a few days, yet God has already shifted my mind to prepare me for the mission field. Instead of focusing on how uncomfortable life here can be, I now view everything with a heart for God and see it all as a blessing.
I no longer have to spend an hour doing dishes, I GET to serve our ministry family by doing dishes. I no longer have to share a room with 15 other girls, I GET to live in constant community with woman of God that I love. I don’t have to wake up early in the morning to go “help people,” I GET to serve God, expand the kingdom, and share the message of Christ. I GET to be in a relationship with my God that I don’t deserve. God has blessed us all in so many ways if we could only open up our eyes and see it. He has so much to teach us if we can only step out of our comfort zone and see what He has for us.
