It is Wednesday, February 8, 2012. The 6 teams of D Squad are making preparations to leave Guatemala and travel to El Salvador for month 2 of The Race. Wow. I can’t believe we have just 2 days left of ministry in Guatemala, and that month 1 is almost over. Some of us have absolutely loved being in Guatemala and will definitely shed tears this Friday when we leave. However, some of us enjoyed our time here but did not fall in love with Guatemalan ministry.
For me, this month felt a bit stagnant. It definitely wasn’t a month of being incredibly stretched emotionally or physically. Our living conditions aren’t sketchy, the food isn’t in short supply, there is a Wal-Mart-like store about a 10-minute walk down the road for any basic necessities, and we have a Laundromat in the neighborhood.
Before beginning The Race, I knew there were still some heart issues that I was going to have to deal with. Four examples that come to mind are: being in community 24/7, having a team leader who makes decisions for the 7 of us, not having control of my day-to-day schedule, and losing the responsibilities that I had back home. I know The Race is going to change my heart and my character for the better, but I don’t feel any different yet. It has been encouraging to get positive feedback from my team because they seem to think otherwise. Some feedback I have received thus far is: 1. A better ability to relate to other females, 2. Receiving constructive feedback well, 3. Being able to admit mistakes, and 4. Exuding a joyful spirit.
There have definitely been days when I have not had a good attitude and did not want to participate in the day’s activities. Therefore, a teammate challenged me to write down 7 “good things” every day. I have been writing them in my journal almost every day and the following are some of those “good things:”
1. The Guatemalan landscape, 2. Singing at church, 3. Running water, 4. Friendly Guatemalans, 5. Sports, 6. Community, 7. Feedback, 8. Being humbled by ministry experiences, 9. Choice, 10. Having an iPod for music, 11. Hayden Furlow, my squadmate (the Lord put it on her heart to soften mine), 12. Peanut butter sandwiches, 13. Electricity, 14. Dancing, 15. Basketball, 16. Teamwork, 17. Having an open mindset, 18. Fruit and vegetables, 19. Modern medicine, 20. Internet access, 21. Free time, 22. Wind, 23. Transparency and vulnerability, and 24. Teammates who unconditionally love me
This blog didn’t exactly go in the direction I had planned, but apparently this is what’s on my heart at the moment.
The view from our neighborhood The city dump … crazy/beautiful
Praying over an elderly woman at City Hall Playing with the kids at the city dump
Our friends at the orphanage
Yup. That is me upside down on Hayden Furlow's shoulder at the dump.
Photo Credits: Robin Brooks (Team Lionsong)
