Last month every morning before we would leave for ministry for the day, a different squadmate would give a word, which simply was a short devotional about whatever God placed on their heart. So one morning I was asked to give a word, and I prayed to God for direction into what he wanted me to share with my squadmates in order to uplift and encourage them.
The result was that God had been placing words on my heart as like a theme for each month, and I had just then realized that fact, so this blog is about the 3 words that God gave me during my first leg of the World Race here in Central America.
Month 1-Belize: Free
From the time that I got home from training camp to before I landed in Belize, I felt like a dog on a chain being teased by a squirrel & I wanted to chase after it but couldn’t without choking myself more so then I already felt like I was being choked as I was ready to embark on this great adventure, but still had this hurdle in front of me called life. As I still had a month left at my job, which put me in a bad mood as I felt like I was going through hell during that time. I was pulling on my chain as I was ready to go & leave my old life behind to begin a new life as a missionary.
As soon as I stepped off of the plane at the Belize City airport, I immediately felt as if a heavy weight had lifted off of my shoulders for the first time in nearly 6 years as I finally felt free of my chains. I remember looking up to the sky, lifting my arm in the air & fist pumped it and saying to myself “This is it, I’m free” before walking down the steps of the plane feeling like a superstar athlete would feel, onto the Belizean soil & the start of my World Race journey.
Month 2-Honduras (All Squad Month): Peace
I’m not gonna lie Honduras sucked for me in so many ways, but somehow in all of that suckiness that I was God somehow brought me a sense of peace & I grew so much from my month in Honduras. Another thing I learned was how to be still & focus on the present as I was one who always had to be on the go & if I stayed inside for more then a day then I would get stir crazy real fast, but because of the month in Honduras I have learned how to slow down and just enjoy the day as well as time with people. I ended up enjoying my time in Honduras more then I thought I would and I also realized just how much I missed serving with just my team & no other teams around us.
Month 3- El Salvador: Strength
God has def tested my strength this month, and I’m not talking about my physical strength either as that is good, but instead God has tested my inner strength meaning my mental & emotional strength. This month my team and I are once again doing ministry 24/7 just like we did in Belize & add in the fact that we just had all squad month as well, I knew that there was a chance that I would struggle as I’m one who can’t stand living with a large group for an extended period of time. But by the grace of God I survived and for the most part have had a good attitude about all of it.
As far as emotionally this month the hardest thing is the fact that this was the first time in my life that I spent Christmas away from home & I also found myself missing my best friend alot more this month then in the previous months, so I ended up struggling with those two things more then I thought I would this month, but overall it has been incredible this month.
Til next time your fellow sister in Christ,
Bonnie
Team Surrendered
P Squad
Psalms 18:2
YOLO
