World Race week 2 is in the books and this week we finally started ministry! Up until now we have had launch, training, host orientation, and ministry orientation.
Here is a glimpse into what the past two weeks have looked like:
Launch: My family was invited to stay with me for a two-day event, launch, after dropping me off in Georgia. On Tuesday the 11th my family and I said our very tearful goodbyes along with the other 280 racers. Our families left, but we all stayed an additional day for more training. Looking back at launch, I laugh at the things we came up with as a team. For instance, our treasurers (each team of 6 or 7 racers has one) were given our food money for the day. They then had to grocery shop and purchase food that could be cooked by teenagers, in a hotel and stay within $5 per person per day. Here’s where we got creative: we made grilled cheese with the hotel iron and ramen noodles using the coffee pot.
Travel: On Wednesday the 12th our squad was up and ready go at 2:30am. We had a 7am flight and it took every bit of 4hrs to get the 55 of us checked in. We have 3 girls (2 racers on the squad and 1 in the office) who are in charge of logistics for the whole squad. They oversee all flights, land travel and information needed to get and keep us in each country safely. MaryGrace, Michelle, and Amie crushed it! We had a 4am hiccup during check in but they handled it with no problem. By 9am we were in Houston, TX waiting for our connecting flight to Guatemala City. I enjoyed my last Chick-Fil-A sandwich and American bathroom experience before arriving in country at noon.
Host: Adventures in Missions has a base here in Guatemala that we are staying at. It is a new build, so it is very nice. Each team has their own room with 4 bunk beds, an indoor bathroom and hot showers! The staff here is great and love pouring into us as we prepare each day to do ministry. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the staff come to lead us in morning Bible study. There is a weekend security/ handyman that stays at the base while no one is here on Saturdays and Sundays. They have two cooks that make us breakfast and dinner Monday-Friday. (In case you’re getting visions of me in a posh bed and breakfast, please remember that there is no heat/AC along with numerous other luxuries I am used to in the states.)
Ministry: I have only had 4 days of ministry experience, but it has been good so far. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday my team and I go to village nearby (20 minutes by chicken bus) and teach English in the mornings to 4th graders. Teaching English to children who speak a language I know none of has been VERY interesting, but I’m getting creative with ways to explain a concept without using words. In the afternoons we walk around the village that the school is in doing door-to-door ministry. This looks like starting conversations with strangers and asking them about their families, crops and occasionally the chickens running around you. We have a Christian translator with us who is awesome! He has a heart for these families who have literally been rejected by the government. On Tuesdays we go into a different town and help in an already established and well-run English Academy who is understaffed for their growing school. Thursdays we have something called Activation with the staff here at the AIM base. It is essentially more training and teaching, but man is it packed with wisdom. After the session we go out and put what we have learned into practice. As I mentioned, I have only had 4 days of ministry experience here, but I am looking forward to learning and sharing more about it as the weeks go on.
