Crazy to think I only have a week left in Guatemala. You start to look back when you realize your time is about to be over here. As I reflect, all I can say is that I have learned an incredible amount.
Thru all my doubts and worries, I’ve learned my faith has boiled down to the following phrase “Love God and love people”. Juan, my host, has really put this on my heart and it stuck as something I remind myself daily. I believe Christ wants faith to be simplistic for us. He wants us to truly understand his purpose on this earth. It doesn’t have to be this big complicated concept that you struggle with daily. I know I am young and don’t know much, but I have the wisdom to know this. You only need faith the size of a mustard seed to do big things for the man upstairs. All you have to do is give him all the faith you can and he will do his work in and through you.
So Love God and love people, what does that look like for me? I see, “Love God” as constantly focusing on having that personal relationship with him. I don’t wanna go to heaven and see God and have him say he didn’t know me, that I knew he was real, and chose to not view him as my father rather a judge. I’m trying to build that relationship just as if he was one of my bros from my squad back home. It is key to Love God first because all the love you have for him will overflow into love you can have for people, and for me loving people is something Ive always viewed as very important. I look back and can really see its something my dad instilled into me, “treat a janitor with the same respect as a CEO” is something papa Rhoden taught me. I can see Juan as a perfect role model for this as he came back to his hometown to help is people and the kids of the next generation. All the work we have done here, I have seen that the most you can ever do is love on people. If you can love on people and build a relationship with someone you open that door to share Christ’s loving life style. Loving on people to me looks like doing whatever it takes to help and live life with them. That could look like an endless number of possibilities ranging from giving money, clothes, and food to hanging out and spending your time with them.
We workout with this guy we live near named Thomas. By being here for 3 months we’ve been able to have this amazing friendship with him. We help him out whenever he needs help on odd jobs and spend time laughing at our awful Spanish while we workout. For me this friendship is what showing Gods love is. I know no doubt it has had a big impact on both of our life’s. I also recently got to start boxing with this other guy named Thomas (common name in the guat lol). I didn’t really think much of our relationship at first, but a week later God really opened up a door. Thomas told me he didn’t want to go to God in till he got himself together. This thought has been something so relevant to me in my life. It was so cool I got to share with him how he doesn’t have to be perfect before he goes to God, that he will take you as you are and overjoyed when he gets the chance to. I also got to share my story of how I was far from perfect before I came on this trip and how I’ll never have it all together. Moments like these you really can see God working. This really showed me how valuable the relationships we’ve built are.
We have talked about how it would be great to switch countries every month and see more of the world. I would love to see more but, these relationships that I have built are worth so much more. I wouldn’t trade these 3 months here for anything. Through it all I continue to remind myself “Love God. Love People” and if I continue, I know I can’t go wrong.
We are about to leave Guatemala on November 5th and head to South Africa. I am short of my fundraising goal by $2,505, so all donations are appreciated. Thank you for everyone who supported me and helped me have this amazing opportunity.
