there are moments i just wish i had a camera for. moments so precious and perfect, so beautifully and carefully designed, i almost can’t believe they’re real.
these moments, man. they fill my heart in the most beautiful of ways. because i so desperately want a camera to capture it all, but at the same time am so grateful there’s no camera to impose pressure and anything that could break the moment of purity. the moment of pure blessing and joy and beauty that makes them what they are.
so on the first day of october. i had a moment or two like this. and they’re moments of such preciousness to my heart that i almost don’t want to share them. but i know my words, capturing them. writing them down somewhere is something i will treasure forever.
tuesdays here for my team consist of hours of lesson planning for our english classes in a public school in paramos, guatemala. then from there we head out for a couple of hours of atl, which stands for ask the lord. when we first got our schedules i looked at tuesdays and thought, “wow, not much happening. kinda pointless.”
but god turned that doubt upside town and threw it off the building and twisted it in ways i didn’t know that i could be so wrong.
so on tuesday, october first we set out to lesson plan and when things were completed and we had a while to wait before going out into the town.
my team danced. my team rejoiced. my team laughed. my team sang. my team was beautiful.
and when we stepped into our atl time.
they were women of faith. they were women of beauty. they were women who met people where they were at. they were women who prayed and declared healing. they were women who held hands, through the streets, letting the rain fall on our faces while laughing. they were strong women with childlike faith and wonder.
and then when ministry was “over” for the day. we drove home in the middle of a storm.
and we were singing in the rain. we were dancing around. we were fully clothed foolish worshippers before the lord in the rain. we were silly. we were girls who chose laughter. we were puddle jumpers. we were slip and sliders. we were childish. we were everything that i dreamed community and best friends to be. we were more than content.
then when it was time to have team time, to make things serious. to build each other up through what we call feedback. we all, fully clothed, jumped in the shower in our room together.
and we sat.
soaking wet, covered in grass, covered in grace and love and jovial spirits and somehow had a time of encouragement. a time of growth. a time of immense love.
and as we sat there in the shower. i so badly wanted someone to run and grab a camera and capture the moment. but i more than anything didn’t want the moment to end, knowing full well no camera, no words, nothing could ever capture the way in which i felt in that moment.
the world race is so incredibly different and perfectly imperfect from all the ways i imagined it to be. but full of so many moments that make random tuesdays lifelong memories. i described doing ministry five days a week as the most draining yet filling thing i have ever participated in. i am so blessed to take part in this life. i am so blessed for the way god used all of you. my friends, my family, my supporters, my community at home to get me to be fully funded. you are such a clear picture of the lord’s generosity.
life is oh so good.
signing off for now,
charlie<3
