Last weekend all of L Squad took a “retreat” to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. After two weeks of ministry, retreats for both the squad and team leaders, and the rest of the squad were instrumental in recuperating and regrouping. For my fellow teammates and squad-mates, people returned to ministry this week having processed all that had happened and with a fresh sense of why we are doing what we are doing. People were ready to re-launch—just as our lives our sets of daily deaths and rebirths, the retreat provided a strong sense of re-launching. There were many successes during the first few weeks, but we wanted more! It also provided a reminder that some of the best moments of ministry and time together come when we are not technically doing the ministry we set out to do, or meeting the people we set out to meet.
For the leaders, the retreat was a rich time of encouraging each other, processing the happenings in our team, and gaining a renewed vision for where our teams are going. Through a variety of seminars and conversations, each team leader was able to vocalize the breakthroughs and struggles of their respective teams, and retain valuable wisdom on how to better navigate feedback times, team dynamics, and move more fully in our spiritual authority. The times of fellowship over meals, focused meetings, and joking + fun all contributed to a weekend where the leaders could simultaneously release the first few weeks and press into what is to come.
If there is anything I’m finding out about these people that I’m spending the next year of my life with it’s this: they like to take advantage of every waking moment. And I mean every waking moment! Last Saturday, we woke up at 3:30 AM and by 3:45 were rocking out to whatever was on the Guatemalan radio…Do you know many people who are dancing at 3:45, and not after staying up the whole night? By about 5 AM we were on top of a nearby mountain and had these views:
The world awakens…It was a special moment of seeing His creation.
After the ride back and a delicious breakfast at our hostel, we were on to another spot of the lake to cliff jump…Note to self: don’t ever try gainers again off a cliff jumping spot unless you’re fully committed. I might be able to get a video up of some failed attempts, soon.
While there were many other special moments over the course of the full weekend, my favorite may have been sitting around the dinner table that Saturday night. The delicious meal and the view of the lake in the background were great, but the new family I have is a true gift that I can’t take for granted. This family is one that knows how to withdraw in order to “retreat”, but is constantly pressing in to each other.
