September was an amazing month full of so much joy and growth. It was a great time for my team and I to get settled into a routine. We continued to work at Morning Glory, a school, where we played with the kids, taught English, and performed skits for the bible class. This month was also an incredible challenge as me and my team learned how to live together and build a healthy community.
For the first two weeks of September my team and I got settled into our daily routine of waking up, going to school, coming home, eating dinner, and then going to bed. This routine initially seemed effective since we were able to keep up with our work at the school and were always available whenever called. However, within these few weeks we were having trouble meshing as a team and getting to know each other on a personal and spiritual level. We tried hard to force ourselves to have “team time” with the hope that we may become friends through playing cards together and ice breaker games. Our schedule and once great routine became very draining and left many of us feeling emotionally and spiritually empty. This led to a lot of conflict on our team and also made it difficult for everyone to see eye to eye.
One of the last weeks of September was our first “Debrief” which is a week that the whole squad gets together to relax, hangout, worship, and reflect on our previous month. Our’s took place in Antigua. This was a great time for our team to reflect on ourselves and discuss problems and how to fix them. Luckily we had our squad leaders guiding us and giving us advice on what may bring us closer together. We established a few norms and alterations in our schedule. First we decided that we need to be spending time in worship every day followed by bold prayer. I say “Bold Prayer” because that is the way that Jesus prayed along with so many others in the bible, this includes praying for healing,mission opportunities, and for wisdom to pour into others. Next we decided that we would intentionally seek out “one-on-ones” with members of the team. We decided this because it can be easy to gravitate to your teammates who you get along with best which leaves weak relationships with those who you may not naturally click with. Debrief over all was a great time to relax, gave me the opportunity to organize college plans, ability to talk to friends back home, and just refill my emotional and spiritual tanks.
When we arrived back in San Raymundo after debrief was over there was an initial change in atmosphere. We all had a renewed desire for mission and personal growth. Incorporating worship and prayer was the key to this. It has been a great way to grow together and come together for the greater purpose of furthering the kingdom. Having one-on-ones with every member of the team helped greatly with our team dynamic. This was an awesome way of building relationships with the members I wasn’t extremely close with. Our team now has noticeable adopted a new mentality and attitude towards our work and our team. I am very thankful to be on a team that demonstrates constant self-discipline and has an very intentional desire to pursue the Lord.
Highlights of September:
– Spending a weekend at Lake Atitlan and getting my first experience staying in a true “backpackers” hostel. We spent a day on three busses and a boat in order to get to our destination on the lake. The weekend was spent having bible study, playing bar trivia, swimming, and exploring.
– We were fortunate enough to get to spend Independence Day in Guatemala. We got to spend the day taking part in festivities such as the torch run through the city, watching the school dance competitions, and taking part in the parade.
– I’m so thankful that we have the opportunity to spend so much time at the school playing with kids. The relationships we’ve built with the children will be lasting. I am dreading needing to say goodbye next month.
– Teaching bible class is always a highlight of my week. I’ve been able to continue my high school acting career into the schools of Guatemala. I’ve gotten to play Joseph and Jonah. The children are so much fun to perform to and are always enthusiastic.
