“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:18 The people/ place: Seven Americans living among locals in a rustic town nestled in the foothills of Guatemala. The purpose: Love God. Love others. Scene 1: On Friday morning, team pneuma awoke for our first “official” ministry project. [Just a sidenote: I am learning more and more that “ministry” is not contained in a specific project. It is a way of life. Wherever we step foot is a ministry site, but that is a different story.] We hiked along the road up to an opening in the jungle. This was definitely a hike up a beaten path. Our contact and our new friend Mario bushwacked the brush with a machete as we hiked up the strenuous climb. We reached the summit. At last, we reached the piece of land that we would level for our friend’s [Elba] new home. Elba has 3 children ages 5, 12, and 17 and is a widow. Her old job was along the coast where she crushed big stones into small pieces of gravel. Her next job was chopping wood. Needless to say, Elba is a strong woman and extremely hard worker. Our team, Elba, Marco, and Mario leveled the ground with pic axes and shovels. It was humbling to realize that we were preparing the foundation for her new home. After we finished our task, I walked over to her and asked her how we could pray for her family. I prayed in English and Spanish over her land and spoke blessings upon her family and their influence in their community for Christ. After all, community transformation begins with one individual. It was a sweet moment between sisters in Christ. I was touched by her strength in the Lord admist difficult physical circumstances, and she was touched by our team’s willingness to serve her and her family.
[Elba and I]
