Yikes, and then there were five months left. I can’t believe my time in Honduras has already come to an end. Those two months have already come and gone. Honduras was a beautiful place full of so much growth. I don’t think that two months ago when I stepped on the soil I knew where I would be today.
Honduras left me with a way different experience than Cambodia, but that came with so much growth. It was a place that pushed me to break all expectations. A place where my team and squad grew so close in such a different way. A place where ministry wasn’t always glorious and sometimes felt fruitless, but pushed me to find the Lord and joy in the little things. A place where I sometimes questioned my place here on the race and other times basked in the glory of the fact He chose ME. A place where I experienced all the big holidays for the first time without my family. A place where I felt so close to the Lord in such different ways. A place where I truly began to find my voice. A place where black coffee was available and so so good. A place where one in three men felt the need to cat call as you walked by. A place where I fell in love with Fresca, Frijolis, and Ranchitos (all the fun snacks). A place where beans and rice never seemed to get old. A place where the sunset never failed to amaze me and the stars shined so very bright. A place where I experienced the Lord more through nature than I ever have. A place where I met and stayed with two amazing hosts that poured into me and pushed me towards growth. A place where my limited Spanish came in handy. A place where I realized next winter at home will be hard because I feel freezing at 60 degrees. A place where I fell three too many times. A place that will forever hold a little piece of me.
As I reflect back on the past two months, I realized that even in the times I didn’t feel the happiest in the moment, I can find joy now. I realize that the Lord blessed me with so many good times and so many amazing memories from the time spent clearing a field of weeds and rolling yarn (among other things). In the tight quarters of a small home, he pushed me towards new relationships and amazing friends. In cold showers, he taught me how abundantly I really live. In a busy and full atmosphere, he taught me the true importance of sneaking away to gain time with him. In the beautiful mountains, he taught me to seek him through the nature he created. He filled the past two months with so much growth through the small things. He taught me to look for him constantly throughout the day and find his presence in small things which has definitely changed my perspective.
One of the largest ways he pushed me towards growth throughout the course of the past two months was in community. I didn’t necessarily realize this in the moment, but as I have processed my time in Honduras throughout the course of this debrief, the month spent just as a team at the Ranch pushed me to grow so much into better communication patterns. Through this time I realized that my voice really does matter and my opinions and feelings are a real thing that need to be voiced or else nothing will ever happen and I will be left feeling unheard. Through this the Lord is really pushing me towards boldness and away from passiveness. I was able to carry this into our second ministry and while I still have a lot of growth to pursue here, the past two months have left me in a good place.
So, Honduras was a place where the Lord’s presence was felt differently, yet ever present. It has an amazing culture about it. It was a place of so much growth, and because of all the things mentioned, it will forever hold such a special place in my heart. I know I said this about Cambodia and I will probably say the same about Guatemala, so thank you Lord for being so good and teaching me so much. Thank you for giving me so many good memories to look back on as I leave each country.
Saying goodbye to Honduras was hard, but I am so excited for new beginnings in a new place at the same time. I am now in Guatemala where I will call home for the next TWO months. We arrived to debrief on Saturday afternoon after a 20 hour bus ride all night on Friday. We are currently staying at a nice little hostel in Antigua, Guatemala with volcanoes practically just around the corner. Tomorrow, we will pack up and leave in the morning to head about 30 minutes outside of Antigua to a base where I will be spending the whole month with my squad. We are still unsure of our future ministry assignment, but I am confident the Lord has some really big stuff for us here. Through my time at debrief, I have already fell in love with the culture and scenery. The people are absolutely amazing and I just can’t wait to see what exactly the Lord has in plan for us all.
Please pray for a safe and simple transition. Please pray that my team and I can praise the Lord through ministry regardless of what we are doing. Pray for a joyful heart and a serving spirit. Just pray over my squad and I and that our time in Guatemala is a time of growth. Pray that through us the Lord can leave his mark here.
Also, side note: My parents are coming to GUATEMALA!! In just about two months they will be joining me on the soil I currently stand on. However, in order to do this they still need funding. Check with me or Brian or Kathi Smith to see how to donate towards this trip. My amazing teammate Drew is also still in need of $3,200 by Januray 29th in order to stay in the field. I have complete faith in the fact that the Lord will provide, but just keep in mind that he can use you to help my parents and Drew meet their fundraising goals! EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS!!
