In this blog I am gonna show you around the place where I am living! I have jotted down some of my favorite things and people here! Hopefully this can paint an accurate picture of what my day to day life looks like as well as give you a clear insight of my heart for this place.
1.) Indoor bathrooms…need I say more? ITS INDOORS! This room can accurately depict a World Racers dream bathroom while being on the race. Not only is the shower huge (yay, room for dancing 😉 but it also has hot running water with great water pressure. This bathroom also includes a toilet not to mention that it flushes! It also has a toilet seat that is still intact. It has a sink that has purified water!! We can get water from the sink and actually drink it. And to top it all off, the bathroom comes with a matching shower curtain and floor rug 🙂
2.) Bunks! When I first walked into the room my mouth nearly dropped to the floor. Our room is very spacious and has four brand new bunkbeds. There’s been no one who has placed foot in the beds before, aka there is a very very slim chance that bed bugs will be taking residence in the covers! The brand new beds are enveloped with sheets (plural), a Guatemalan blanket and a fluffy pillow! I literally couldn’t believe it. AND the sheets matched the pillow case, ahhh I just love those little details, its the small things in life ya know? There was also a sweet note written on everyones beds.
3.) Sandra and Teresa, meet the two amazingly talented chiefs at the base! These ladies are dolls, I just love spending time in the kitchen with them whether thats helping them with a meal, washing dishes, or trying/failing desperately at talking to them in Spanish. They always can give me a laugh. They hand craft our breakfasts and lunches day after day! They have plenty of room to make food for 45+ people and idk that just makes me happy 🙂 These meals have been some of the best plates I’ve had on the race thus far! One of my favorite meals since being here has been a plate with black beans, scrambled eggs, corn tortillas, and plantains, its so good. I also am super thankful that this place has CLEAN cleaning supplies!!! Soo, dishes can actually get cleaned, floors can twinkle, and countertops can remain stainless.
4.) Princessa! We live with a little horse, she is super sweet, loves staying in her little kitty corner and hates soccer balls (there may or may not be some emotional/physical scares from a soccer ball rolling across her area). Kinda random, but she’s good company when you need a good listener and a set of big ears(:
5.) Hammocks! There are polls upon polls to hang hammocks on!!! I love resting in my hammock and catching a few rays as I block out life. It’s not often that a base will have a lot of places to hang hammocks, so I am thankful that a lot of our squad can chill and be in there own world with no one else in it.
6.) Sunrises and sunsets! One of my favorite things about living here is seeing the sun rise and set behind/over the volcanos and mountains. I love to go on runs whether that be in the morning or in the evening. It brings me so much peace. On one side of the complex lays a large field where we can play soccer, lounge and goof off. On Saturdays some locals stop by and we get to play soccer with them, its so much fun! And that brings me to another thing! This place is big enough where we can run alone, a dream come true.
All of these things have been a huge blessing for me and my squad and although it feels a little weird to have these accommodations while being on the race, it proves to show God’s hospitality as our Father. All of these awesome things shed light on the daily greeting that God warmly welcomes us with. From the bathroom floor mats to the open field, God’s presence is so abundantly apparent here. My prayer is that this special place will continue to be a daily reminder of how the Lord truly does want and desires the best for me.
Though above all of these things are the cherries on top! … (drum roll please), my squad and I have the opportunity, privilege and honor to have a team of 13 staff members (world race alumni, alumni coaches, world race church planters, and squad leaders) that will be pouring into us for the next two months!!! I am so ecstatic. If it wasn’t for these people, I would have not had the overwhelming experience of God’s hospitality. All 13 of these souls are so willing and passionate about serving the Lord and its such a huge blessing to see other humans (lol other than my squadmates) that have done this thing called the race. They inspire me in so many ways. There are staff members as young as 23 and as old as 50 here.
I ask that you would pray for them. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of them all together, but I can give you all of there names (May, Gabe, Kelsey, Kevin, Tanya, Angela, Stephen, Michelle, Cali, Andrea, Esther, Bob, and Becky)! If you are interested in knowing them, here is the website in which you can find them on: https://www.worldrace.org/staff/. They have committed their lives to missions overseas however I do think that mission in the states is just as important whether that be serving across country or serving in your town. Some of these people have moved literally around the world building more world race bases, others move across Central/South America while others get to stay in Guatemala and build more relationships and Kingdom here!!!! How awesome is that! These people are close to my heart, I am amazed at God’s provision and sovereign hand in this place. They continue to seek us out and pour out into us, persistently overflowing the fathers love. Many thanks goes out to my leadership this month.
