It’s hard to believe that I left home 7 weeks ago. Time in Guatemala has been going so quickly and I know that the rest of my time here is short. For the past 6 weeks, I’ve been working in a kindergarten class as a teachers aid and it has been great. This isn’t exactly what I pictured ministry to look like on the race, but it has been a great experience.
When I first started started working at the daycare, it was easy for me to build relationships with most of the children, but I was having trouble with one young boy, Nelson. Nelson had an attitude problem, he liked to fight, and he never smiled at me. I was trying to be his friend but instead of high fives and smiles, all he was giving me was punches and frowns. I began praying that God would give me patience to deal with this young boy and that he would help me reach him. One day during class, I gathered up the courage to give Nelson a note that said ” Tu es mi amigo”. I was worried he would crumple it up and throw it away, but instead, I watched a smile spread across his face as he read the words I wrote for him. He immediately came over to me and gave me a high five and we’ve been friends ever since! It was awesome to see God break down the walls around his heart and I trust that God used me to plant a seed in Nelson’s life.
Unfortunately my time is up at the daycare, but this week I began new ministry that will last the rest of my time in Guatemala.
On Mondays and Fridays I will be volunteering at a local hospital in their cerebral palsy facility. During my time here, I get the awesome opportunity to provide love and affection to all of the people in the facility.
I will be spending my Tuesdays and Thursdays in a town 30 miles away building a house for a sweet woman named Ninet. The foundation for the house has already been set, we have almost completed digging the well, and we hope to soon begin constructing the frame for the house.
On Wednesdays, I will be translating Textbooks from Spanish to English so that a team of volunteers can teach value classes in the local schools.
In addition to each of these activities, the soccer tournament my team has been planning and preparing for has begun! This week, I delivered a message of salvation at a women’s game and I will soon be playing in the tournament with a group of girls on my squad!
During my time in Guatemala so far I have been struggling with feeling effective where God has me. When I signed up for the race, I didn’t imagine I would be translating textbooks or playing soccer. It’s been difficult for me to feel like I am making a difference since I am not always in direct contact with the less fortunate, but I know that God brought me here and this is just what he planned for me. I know that He does not make mistakes and I know that He is always good, it’s just not always easy for me to see that. God has been showing me a lot about who He is and what He thinks of me. He has been showing me a lot of areas in which I need growth and He has also been helping me realize my strengths.
Through all the craziness that is life in Guatemala, I have peace knowing that my Father is in control and He has brought me here with a plan and a purpose. I’m growing, I’m learning, I’m changing, and I am right where I am supposed to be.
