Last week, in honor of being here for a whole month, my squad went to Lake Atitlan for debrief. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t what I got. I was expecting rest. I was expecting to come back into ministry and be as energized and ready to go as the first week. But I actually came back feeling even more unrested than before.
The Lord has been teaching me a lot in the past two weeks. A lot about myself, a lot about who He is, it’s just been a lot to process. Debrief came at just the right time, as I could
process what I’ve been working through with my leaders after a week of doing it by myself. They spoke such wisdom and truth into me that couldn’t have been done here at the base. At the same time, while I was feeling like I was understanding more about who God says I am specifically, I was feeling really attacked and there was just a heavy presence filling the town.
The town that we stayed at, San Pedro, has an apparent reputation for being a party area at the lake. Gringos filled the place, coming from all over the world. It was a beautiful little
town. There were coffee shops everywhere you looked and a very earthy vibe. But with that came heaviness. There were so many lost people, people who didn’t know Jesus and didn’t have the desire to. There were drunks coming up to us in the street and asking us for money. There were little boys who haven’t seen their families in years selling us cashews because that’s the only way they bring in income. There were women who left their children at home for a few days to meet men at bars and spend the night with them. There were atheists who were so eager to tell us what they believe but not so willing to listen to us. And it was heavy.
I wasn’t uncomfortable. I wasn’t offended by anything anyone said. But during our late night talks with an atheist or with broken women, I think I felt a little bit of Jesus. I felt so
broken for them. And even though I struggled with some of the choices they’re so blindly making, I’m choosing to see the Jesus in them. I’m choosing to see them how Jesus would. So I’ll start with their names. Josh. Julio and Franscesco Chico Poncho Paco Sempras, Brooke and Ashley. They have names and the Lord calls them out by name, out of the ashes, and calls them to follow Him and to know the truth. The Lord has the biggest longing for them to know Him, to know His name, and to be filled with Him. And even better yet, He does the same with us.
