Between drinking hot chocolate and mispronouncing simple Spanish words, I’m not sure what I’ve done more of this week…
Greetings from Valle de Angeles, Honduras!
If you were to ask anyone from any season of my life in the last 12 years for an undeniable trait to describe me, outside of my faith, no doubt they would answer with a simple name: Taylor Swift.
I have been a Swiftie since the ye olde age of nine, when I heard Tim McGraw on the radio for the first time. But when I say fan, I don’t just mean a casual listener who buys her new albums. I buy the albums, I see the shows, I wear the merch, I obsess over the awards shows, the public appearances, the Instagram posts, the ever-evolving style, I’ve analyzed each album, each “era” if you will, and could give a 4 hour TedTalk on my findings at any given moment, I know every word to every song (100+)…it’s a lot. Even for people my age, the generation of “fan girls”, it’s a lot. Taylor was the soundtrack of my growing up. But she’s also an important inspiration for me in who I’m still becoming.
If the title of this post triggered you, I’ll tell you just what Taylor Swift could possibly have to do with the World Race. While in Belmopan last month, my team had an incredible opportunity to serve for a few hours one evening at a relocation home for young girls who have been sexually abused. Some of these girls are as young as 3-4 years old, all the way up to 15-16. Walking into this home, knowing what each of these young, beautiful girls have been through, quite literally made me physically sick. My squadmates and I played games, colored, sang songs, and ran around the backyard with these girls for hours. A few of the girls started singing their favorite songs for us, so I asked if they knew any Taylor Swift. A few of my teammates laughed, like of course I would bring up Taylor but there’s no way these young girls all the way in Belize know such an American pop star. I’m not an expert in most aspects of life, but I would call myself fluent in teenage girl, so of course they know Taylor! We danced and belted You Belong With Me at the top of our lungs, and the girls were surprised and so excited I knew every word just like them.
This month, our ministry is serving at a home for adults with special needs. This ministry is literally the heart of Jesus. If you’ve ever worked with anyone in the special needs community, then you know the level of joy and love I’m talking about. But you also know just how emotionally exhausting it can be. This past Friday, we gathered all 70+ residents in this home and basically had a giant dance party for a few hours. Because of the language barrier, my teammates weren’t exactly sure where or why we were wheeling these residents off out of their rooms, but the Honduran staff and volunteers said to follow and when they led us outside and I could hear Taylor blasting on the speakers, I think my heart exploded.
Taylor Swift is not a Christian artist, and I’m not naive enough to claim she represents “Christian values.” But she does represent acceptance. In a world that encourages false selves, that rejects anyone different, that fights fire with fire and spews hate, Taylor is the girl inviting anyone and everyone to her lunch table. For the brave, beautiful teenage girls in Belmopan, Belize, who have been through so much more than anyone should ever have to endure, Taylor’s music makes them feel heard and known. These girls more than deserve to sing and dance and just be silly and actually 15 years old for what may be the first time in their lives. For the beautiful men and women with special needs in Valle de Angeles, Honduras, who are often rejected, ignored, and forgotten by the rest of the world simply for being different, Taylor’s music is light and fun and dancing to Shake It Off puts a smile on their face. Taylor’s music both here on the Race and in my own life, represents beauty in the brokenness, joy amidst pain, dancing through the hard things.
I’m a follower of Jesus and Jesus alone. But this is why I call myself a Taylor Swift fan.//
On Monday morning we left Caye Caulker, Belize, took a ferry back to Belize City, rode a bus to Guatemala, crossed the border, took a different bus through the night to the Honduran border, crossed, and finally arrived at our ministry hosts’ home here in Valle de Angeles on Tuesday evening!
Month 2 is all-squad month, meaning there are 37 of us all living together in one home and doing ministry together as a squad. It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times… In all seriousness though, the World Race is divided into three areas of focus: mission, intimacy with the Lord, and community. So while my introvert tank is pretty much already drained by the time I wake up each morning, I’m certainly learning the importance of healthy community with these 37 wonderful people! Please continue to pray for my squad and our time in Honduras this month! I am thanking Jesus everyday for this gorgeous city and the angels found on every corner even more.
