The island life is slow but God is revealing so much through this calm.
We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the American way of life we rarely slow down to really breath in Gods presence. We’re too concerned with making it to the next destination or finding something to do because we just can’t sit still.
Since we’ve been in San Andres I’ve spent so much more time just being in Gods presence, reading the story he has given us and soaking in some good conversations with my sisters.
It has been a transition.
Living in a land where there’s a huge language barrier is difficult. Not understanding anything they are trying to say and them not understanding me either.
I have succumbed to google translate (*praises) and hand motions.
Many times silence fills the space because I become aggravated with my lack of knowledge of the language. Yet the Lord is doing so much.
Ministry isn’t what I imagined my first month of the race to look like.
-It’s spending time playing card came with teenage boys.
-It’s planning to go evangelize and getting rained out because satan knows we are headed to do Gods work.
-It’s giving “gratis abrazos” (free hugs, to those of you who are also bad at Spanish) to the few people that we have got to talk to.
-It’s trying to learn Spanish so the language barrier isn’t so deafening.
It’s also loving on this sweet, sweet lady named Luz Mila // who seems all but forgotten. Her name means -thousand lights- and this is exactly what she has been to my team.
When we first got to the island she brought in our food with no words to be said. We instantly fell in love. She’s a tiny woman with a fierce love for Jesus.
In just a week she has opened her heart to us and filled us with so much joy and laughter.
I.E. We sat down to eat the other day as she brought in our food, we served ourselves, prayed and began eating. About ten minutes passed and we were finishing up our meal.. She came to the door holding a bowl of lentils. With one of the saddest looks I’ve seen, her eyes staring solely at mine and piercing my heart. She was so upset. we eagerly told her that it was fine and that the food was “muy bien” as I placed my hand on my stomach to signify that we loved it and would eat the lentils as well.
Then a few days later she was cleaning the bathrooms, I used one she wasn’t cleaning at the time then suddenly realized there was no toilet paper… I had two options. 1. Yell for one of the other girls or 2. Google translate to Luz Mila that I needed “papel higiénico”. I cracked the door about to yell out for one of them when this little hand popped around the corner holding a roll of toilet paper.
Nothing is ever as you plan it and God can use anyone to do anything.
Bringing Luz MIla to us was a blessing, but many blessings she shall receive because of the love she shows others.
Although this month looks different than what I had in mind doesn’t mean that God isn’t doing great things for his Kingdom.
Selah Sisters + Mary // our translator
Some of the youth
My favorite human from Month 1 // Luz Mila
