Disclaimer!! I only did some of the questions you guys asked for the sake of length, but if you have any others please feel free to reach out. 🙂
1. What does your weekly schedule look like in detail?
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday- I usually wake up at 6:30 and get ready for breakfast at 7. After breakfast, we make our sandwich lunch and then have morning devotions from 7:45-8:30. After that, my team and I head to our bus stops and make our way to ministry. It’s all the way up a mountain and it takes like 45 minutes to get there. Most days when we get there, we take time to start our days off with the Lord on a ledge for about 45 minutes that overlooks the surrounding views and cities at the bottom of the mountain (it’s the most peaceful and beautiful place that I know of). When we’re done with that, we do ministry for the day. Monday and Tuesday are usually different every time and we do whatever our ministry host has for us. We sometimes pick up trash, clean the ministry base, or visit houses and help with their daily chores or pray for them. Wednesday’s are our women’s ministry days. We bake all morning and then do ministry with the women in the afternoon. Each week’s lesson is different, but we always do an activity to serve them and then give them whatever we baked that morning. Friday’s are our kid’s ministry days. We start our day off cleaning the room that we have it in, set up, and then lesson plan. Then, we spend our afternoons with the kids by doing ministry, giving them candy at the end of it, and then we go play soccer with them. When we head back, supper is at 5:30 and then team time is after that. Each weekday (including Thursday) we have a different objective for team time. There’s worship, feedback, a thing called The Bible Project, blog time, and Friday’s we get debrief questions from the week.
Thursday (Activation Day)- This day of ministry is a little different from the other days of the week. Breakfast and devotions is all at the same time, but then at 9 we have a session that usually lasts until around 11-11:30. Each session is different, but the main purpose of it is to strengthen us in our faith by learning how to hear God and be used by Him. After each session, we get a different staff member to come with us and take us to different cities in Guatemala. What we do is literally ask God where He wants us to go and how he wants to use us. Sometimes, God asks you to speak life into a specific person, give different items to someone, or give them a word. It’s amazing how God uses you when you listen. I think people in the U.S. often overthink God’s voice and don’t listen to it as much because we don’t think it’s actually Him. My advice is to stop doubting and start listening, He’s always speaking to us on how we can further the kingdom.
Saturday- Saturday’s are our adventure days. This is pretty much another day without a set schedule. We can go and do whatever we want. Breakfast is provided, but the rest of our meals are our responsibility (but they give us spending money for it). This is also the same for Sunday. We usually go shopping, get wifi, or go and literally adventure like a tourist on vacation. It’s relaxing and fun.
Sunday- Our day of sabbath as the Lord shows us that He did in Genesis chapter 2 after He created the world. On Sunday, I usually go to church in Antigua (which is about 45 minutes away from the base that I live at.) and spend the rest of the day at a nearby food place, get wifi and facetime my family, upload a blog, download movies/songs for the week, and get other miscellaneous things done that I need the internet for.
Everyday- Each of the teams are given chores (except Sunday). It goes in a rotation of being in charge of cleaning bathrooms, cleaning the dining area’s floors, taking all the garbage out, serving the food, and washing tables and dishes. After the rotation is done, you get two days off because there are enough teams for that, and then you’re back onto the rotation. My team has our own rotation of chores to do too. Everyday we are in charge of making our beds, and then we all are given a certain day of the week (mine is Monday and Sunday’s are off) to sweep the floor, take out our bathroom’s garbage, fill the toilet paper, and then wipe down the sink. Our everyday curfew is 6 p.m. every night just because it keeps us safer than safe 🙂
2. How is it in Guatemala?
It is amazing in Guatemala. The weather stays in the 70s and it rains almost every afternoon for an hour or two. The people are all kind and so giving.
3. Is the food different?
Much of the food is made up of rice and tortillas, but I’d say my body adjusted pretty well to it. It is delicious and the portion sizes are large. They have these mini tamales and we eat them often, they are sooo good. I mostly eat chicken for protein, but I’m not tired of it. All of the food is delicious, I can’t think of one meal that I don’t like here. Some of the food is the same as back home like spaghetti and PB&J (I eat a ton of PB&J).
4. What has been the most challenging part?
The most challenging part is probably being homesick and missing what’s going on while I’m away, but I’m learning so much through it. Also, adjusting to the culture. I think we all know that North America is very fast-paced, but Guatemala is not like that at all. It’s been fun to learn and be reminded that Jesus never rushed onto the next thing. There is so much good that comes out of not being in a hurry.
5. How many countries will you go to?
I go to four total countries. Guatemala, Ethiopia, Thailand, & Malaysia
6. What has been the best lesson that you’ve learned so far?
The best lesson for me this past month has been the love of the Father. It took me a long time to grasp (and I’m still grasping) that the Lord wants the desires of your heart. He’s taught me so much about how He created me to have wants and desires and that He wants to help me get there…that’s just crazy to me. All my life I just wanted to listen to God and do what He wants, but now I’m learning that what He wants, I want too. They go hand-in-hand. He taught me that what I want to do with my life still glorifies Him. If I continue to seek Him, He will do great things with the desires of my heart. This has taken time to process, but I’m so thankful He taught me that His love goes deeper than my understanding.
7. What time-zone is it there?
Guatemala is an hour behind Minnesota. So, if it’s 6 p.m in Minnesota, it’s 5 p.m. here. When you guys do daylight savings, we will be on the same time.
8. How can we pray for you?
At the end of each of my blogs I will do a prayer request list. This is just for those of you that want to actively be praying over me, my team, and the country I am in. Thank You!!
-There is sickness in the area of my ministry. Please pray for health, resources, and comfort for the families.
– Gangs in the surrounding city of my ministry have been causing issues, but our God is bigger than anything that the enemy tries to do. Continue to pray for the hearts of the gang members and also the lives of those affected by gang violence. Pray for peace and for forgiveness for any wrongs.
-Pray for God to continue to move in the hearts and lives in Guatemala
– Pray for all of my family and loved ones back home 🙂 Love them!!
