October – Guatemala – Mi Reto
November – Nicaragua – CICRIN Orphanage
December – Costa Rica – 6:8 Ministries
Favorite Country – It would have to be Costa Rica. We were right outside the city, San Jose, and our ministry was great. We did feedings to the homeless, helped with construction at a 4 Square Church, Operation Christmas Child, and more. I really loved feeling like I had a life there; friends, a church, knowing my way around town, etc. Being away from home at Christmas was definitely weird but we made some great memories with authentic New Orleans gumbo for Christmas Eve, bon fires and Christmas carols, cookie decorating, Secret Santa and an amazing Christmas dinner complete with pork tenderloin, green bean casserole, cranberries and mashed potatoes.
Best Memory – We really connected with one particular family (Carlos, Miriam, Carlos Jr, Abraham and Isai) in Guatemala and our main ministry that month was helping to build their house. It was near the end of our month and Miriam wanted to have us over for dinner. So that day Angie and I went with her and the 3 kids on a shopping extravaganza! The whole team chipped in some money and each boy got to pick out an outfit and new shoes, they went crazy. Then we bought food for that night and went back to their house to cook. It is not easy to prepare a meal for 15-20 people without a full out kitchen like I’m used to. 4 hours later we were finally all around the table, which we had to put outside since the house was too small for us all to fit in. We ate, sang some songs and we tried to communicate the best we could. It was just a great day from start to finish.
Breaking Point – Right before we headed to ministry one day in Costa Rica, I happened to get on facebook only to find out that my grandfather had passed away earlier that morning. I had a decision to make. I could either let myself get down, fly home and be with family or I could trust God. I know He called me to this trip and He knew what would happen. I believe He had a reason for me not being there. I would have to grieve my grandfather’s death whether I was at home or in Costa Rica and I decided to stay. My team rallied around me, my family supported my decision and I believe it was the right one. But it still hurt; it was a wake up call for me. Knowing that I made a commitment to 11 months whether it got hard, dirty, ugly or not, life was still going on at home, but I was exactly where I needed to be.
Favorite Food – In Nicaragua you could buy sweet bread everywhere. That was dangerous for my health! It’s fresh baked, warm bread coated in sugar, basically a donut, and it’s dirt cheap. “Sweet Bread” also became a nickname for me for a short time. Guatemala was my overall favorite. We had a lady from the church cook for us so it was authentic. My favorite thing she made was chocolate rice for breakfast, I wish I could remember the name. Also, her beans were to die for. In Costa Rica we cooked for ourself so we didn’t get a cultural feel for food there but we did make guacamole and homemade tortilla chips almost every day. Que rico!
Scariest Moment – I had the chance to go scuba diving for the first time in Guatemala. Angie, Sarah and I didn’t really know what to expect but it was month 1 and we wanted the “adventure.” So we got briefed on the equipment and what to do for about 30 minutes at this guy’s house. It literally took me another 30 minutes to put the wet suit on (that is a story in and of itself)! We get to the lake, which is an inverted volcano filled with water, and I start to get a little nervous. I’ve never been scuba diving before and I pretty much chose the most sketch way to go. Nothing bad happened, but I was really nervous. We only went about 30 feet deep but at one point I thought I was pushing the button on the jacket to release the air so we could go deeper but accidentally pushed the one to fill it up. Needless to say I shot up out of the water, and if any of you have been diving before you know that is one of the most dangerous things you can do. Good thing we weren’t that deep. I probably won’t go scuba diving again, even if it’s not sketchy. Breathing under water like that was too weird for me.
Time I Felt Closest to God – Early morning or sunset, cool weather, Lake Nicaragua, hammock, iPod, Bible, journal, done.
Funniest/Most Embarrassing Moment – I tried really hard to remember an experience with myself, but honestly, Central America seems so long ago. So here’s a funny story of my team leader, Mac and another team leader, Scotty, in Costa Rica. The area where we lived was in a semi-dangerous neighborhood but we all felt safe because not only were we were in a gated compound but an ex-mob leader, Victor, who had gotten saved lived in a separate house in the compound. He was huge and eliminated any fear we had for our safety. Mac and Scotty shared a tiny room connected to the garage so they could hear when a car drove through the gate or see if anyone was walking around from the window that was by their bunk beds. It’s 3:30am and Mac got up to pee. At the same time, Scotty heard a car alarm go off, inside the compound. So he got up to look out the window, did I mention he’s ex-military? As soon as he looked out the window he saw a hooded man walking toward the car with something in his hand. If I was in this situation I would have probably wet myself at this point. Scotty yelled out the window, “HEY!”, the hooded figure turns and starts walking directly towards the window. So what does Scotty do? He tells Mac there is someone there, and they hide…in the closet. Now this room was tiny. Barely enough room for the bunk beds and their packs. The closet was even smaller. So we have 2 grown men, in the middle of the night, hiding in the closet. Scotty calls our ministry contact, at 3:30am, to tell him there was somebody in the compound with a gun. If you haven’t guessed already, yes, it was Victor! He had heard something and had gone out to see what it was. When Scotty yelled, he came toward the window to let the guys know it was him, and the thing in his hand was a flashlight. I wish we could have seen this all play out but having Mac and Scotty tell us the next day was still pretty funny.
Blogs I Recommend – Worship in a Witch’s Cave, A Day in the Life…, I’m Dreaming of a Sober Christmas
