You may have been wondering “guat’s up”??? This is my first blog about Guatemala and it’s actually my exit blog. I have another blog on the way about debrief but here’s to now. I feel like it’s too soon to be posting an exit blog for Guatemala… But this is it, month two is coming to a close. It was a challenging one but there were many lessons to be learned within the squad.
We served with Agape in Action through a few different ministry opportunities, such as medical work, building up a road/land for a future ministry site, and children’s ministry at a school and daycare.
There were times were it just felt like ministry wasn’t happening much. However, I then realized that ministry was in fact happening all around us at all times. It was happening within our squad mates and ourselves.
You see, we could go on from now and look back on month two as a short one or the month we were all sick. I choose not to because it was much more than that.
Yes, all but a few of us ended up sick with a nasty stomach bug, which was no fun at all. But what God did between relationships and our personal relationship with Him was a beautiful thing to watch and experience. Now, I’m not going to go through each of our stories but feel free to check out my squadmates blogs. I will tell you a brief story about my sick time with Jesus.
So the two days I was sick I found myself being prideful and not submissive to authority like I had found myself doing earlier in the week when I didn’t want to put on sunscreen and gloves because I thought I could handle it (I found out otherwise). I hate staying cooped up into one area and yes, I found my way out on that last day by going for a walk in town and a ice cream stop. As I went to bed that night I thought I was all better. That was until I woke up with this terrible bloat in my stomach. So much I couldn’t stand laying there. It was like the Lord said, “we’re not done yet! The whole time you were sick you spent no time with me. Grab you Bible and go to the guys room.” That’s what I did. It was 12:58 am at the time. I read my Bible, prayed, and the bloat eased itself away. I wanted to head to my tent to listen to some worship music and talk to God some more. I thought I had been in the guy’s room for no more than 45 minutes. Well, it was 3:06 when I returned. Let me tell ya, that was some of the best sleep following that and I felt like a new man when I woke that morning and have felt great since. Overall, it was a great one-on-one time with the Lord and very much needed.
I now realize that being sick for a couple of days was actually a privilege; a chance to rest in the Lord and know Him more. Through that, the Lord will/did bring healing, more than just physical. Let that be an encouragement to you. The Lord wants to work in those not so great down times!
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
