So, let me set the stage..
Adventure weekend in Antigua.
Crowded bus from Chimal to Antigua.
Like the most crowded bus I’ve ever experienced.
Super hippie hostel.
Reggae music.
Weird sketchy ‘pool’ in the middle of the courtyard.
Beds made of wood pallets.
Bar at the back of the hostel.
Random festival thing with local foods (meal worms, cricket cookies, quail eggs with salsa, the best guac dip sauce stuff I’ve ever tried, eucalyptus chocolate- i tried all the things)
Sports bar for dinner
FOOTBALL (PRAIIIISE) -also thank goodness I only watched the first half :/
Salsa dancing
It was a pretty sick start to the weekend.
Then I got sick… Like the most sick I’ve been in a hot second.
Sunday morning we got breakfast at a cute rooftop cafe and went to church. It was exactly what I needed to hear. Every word the preacher said hit home and it was awesome. We were leaving super encouraged and desiring to come back. But I started to feel sick again off and on. That afternoon we had planned to go to a coffee plantation and do a whole tour. I wanted to go but my stomach said, nope. So I hung back with a group who was just chillin’ around Antigua for the day. We went to a coffee shop and I just napped. Eventually everyone decided to go walk around but I felt too weak so I stayed back until someone came back to let me know that it was time to bus back to Chimal.
A few minutes after they left I decided to get a smoothie because I figured I couldn’t go all day without food so I went downstairs and was too weak to go back up the stairs. So I took the nearest seat next to Arthur Pace.
He started up a conversation right after I sat down and immediately, by the grace of God, all of my pain and discomfort was gone. We were able to have an awesome conversation for the entire couple of hours that I was waiting there. He shared with me about his life and extensive travels and I shared about the World Race and what brought me to Guatemala.
I found out that he’s from Brazil but lived in Brisbane, Australia for years and continues to travel now. He was an airline pilot for decades and now he travels around writing books and life-coaching people. I got the sense that he is still searching, still wandering, still exploring what the world has to offer. He was warm, open and willing to talk about any topic that I brought up.
We talked about people and life, the human condition, our belief systems. Pretty sure we hit all of the important stuff. I could just see in his genuine smile that our conversation was encouraging for him too. Just talking about the important stuff is refreshing. I’m sure we could have talked for hours more but one of my teammates came to get me. We said our goodbyes, I got his contact information, and prayed with him.
I thanked the Lord that He brought us together. I thanked the Lord for our conversation and for the new friend I’d found in Arthur. I’m excited to see how the Lord uses our friendship in both of our lives. I will continue to pray for Him, that the Lord guides him in life and that he will find his peace, security, and strength in Christ.
All that to say, the Lord used my illness to keep me where I was supposed to be. He had a plan. A plan that had me Investing in a new friend instead of exploring the coffee plantation. That plan was really good.
Dad, I’m fine (:
Sent from my iPad
