Two of my teammates and I recently went to the remote village of Chahal to meet pastors and ministries that the World Race could partner with in the future as more teams travel with Adventures in Missions to serve the people of Guatemala. This was a trip we were told would take us 6 hours to get there… little did we know that it would take us over 11 hours and on a car ride that felt more like we were on the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.
Our journey took us Northeast through the mountains towards Belize with our personal guide and incredible man of God named Marco! The 11-hour drive was filled with his amazing testimony and encounters with God. Our journey first brought us to a man named Rudy, who we met on the side of the road as we passed through San Cristobal. Every conversation I have seems to remind me of how good God truly is! Rudy’s organization, Living to Serve, was acknowledged as a non-profit by the Guatemalan government only a week prior and his organization’s impact is going to greatly improve the lives of the many impoverished villages surrounding his home of San Cristobal. His organization is going to provide water filtration systems and send medical teams out to the villages, the first team coming in November! It was incredibly uplifting to see the excitement Rudy saw in the work he is doing for his people and the future God holds for him and all of Guatemala. Wow! God had definitely brought us to Rudy and Rudy to us. As we stood on the side of the road praying, I could help but see how God made this meeting possible. The simple things like a meeting I would typically overlook God’s hand but His hand is in everything! It’s crazy how as soon as you are taken outside of your comfort zone how easy it is to see God!
After meeting Rudy we continued our Journey for the remaining 7 hours to Chahal. When we got to Chahal we arrived at a random house. We hung out and listened (tried to as it was in Spanish) as Marco chatted with a man about Moringa – a tree that provides 9 main nutrients our body’s need, which can help to fight malnutrition. Before we left, Bryan felt led to praying for the man and though I can’t really explain what happened it was one of the most Spiritually led prayers I have ever prayed. As we left, Marco explained that he believed that the encounter the man had with the Holy Spirit as we prayed would probably lead him back to Christ! Holy Crap! Are you serious!? En Cristo todo es posible! Though I will never know if the man found his life back into the loving arms of such a wonderful Savior, I can continue to pray that he will.
Now exhausted I couldn’t wait to go to bed… that was until I saw where I was going to be sleeping for the night. The bed I expected to be sleeping in was nothing more than a straw mat on top of wood boards and string. Did I forget to mention the ants that were crawling up and down the walls? As Sarah and I freaked out, Bryan told us as nicely as he could to suck it up, but I never appreciated sleeping in my tent more than that night. Thank goodness I wasn’t the one woken up at 5 am with a bug crawling across my chest! Poor Bryan! Before bed, we attended church where Sarah, Bryan, and I all had to give an impromptu speech and then sing in front of the congregation. Never in a million years would I stand in front of a group of people and sing! I was told that it was likely that I would have to speak in front of people but I didn’t think it would happen until Africa and not my 2nd week on the race! Again, God reminded me to have no expectations.
In the morning Marco took us to a national park where we were able to jump off waterfalls and swim in the river! The first people of our squad, heck yes! We ended up being slightly late for the prayer meeting we attended but when we got there they had the doors draped with ribbons for us to cut for the grand opening of a man named Avalardo’s new business that would bring a new source of income for the community. The prayer meeting involved singing, praying, and many thanksgivings. The thankfulness of Avalardo and the others was an incredible blessing to me. Once again I found myself reflecting my personal thankfulness. The previous night I resorted to complaining rather than being thankful that I had a bed and a roof over my head for the night, something I often take for granted. At the end of the meeting they prepared a rare meal that included a living sacrifice of turkey, soup, corn tamales, and tortillas. It was oddly delicious, though I passed on the turkey leg.
We headed back towards Quiche and stopped in Coban to meet with a doctor named Felipe, who’s family works with a church that feeds the many homeless people of the city and are working to begin the building of a shelter that will provide a place for men and women to sleep, shower, and be fed. In such a short trip we encountered so many people doing the work of God! It is truly incredible and eye opening at how much work there is still to do! My teammate, Sarah, feels extremely called to Guatemala which is so exciting to see how God can pull at each of our hearts in different ways. We were again blessed with another meal, this time by the Felipe and his family, pollo asado! (God has a true sense of humor – as I had made the comment that I was no longer going to eat only 6 hours earlier)
Going on these types journeys is never knowing where God is going to take us, especially with Marco! (This man has incredible faith, makes me wonder why I worry so much! Definitely learned a lesson in faith just by being with this man!) We had no idea where we would sleep or where our meals would come from but God continued to provide! After dinner we were blessed with a place to stay at Rudy’s house and he also provided us with our breakfast the next morning! Wow! And this is how Marco and his wife live most of their lives! Incredible. After breakfast we made the remaining distance of the trip back to Quiche just in time to pack again for the weekend at Lake Atitlan.
Until next time… Blessings!
Our journey took us Northeast through the mountains towards Belize with our personal guide and incredible man of God named Marco! The 11-hour drive was filled with his amazing testimony and encounters with God. Our journey first brought us to a man named Rudy, who we met on the side of the road as we passed through San Cristobal. Every conversation I have seems to remind me of how good God truly is! Rudy’s organization, Living to Serve, was acknowledged as a non-profit by the Guatemalan government only a week prior and his organization’s impact is going to greatly improve the lives of the many impoverished villages surrounding his home of San Cristobal. His organization is going to provide water filtration systems and send medical teams out to the villages, the first team coming in November! It was incredibly uplifting to see the excitement Rudy saw in the work he is doing for his people and the future God holds for him and all of Guatemala. Wow! God had definitely brought us to Rudy and Rudy to us. As we stood on the side of the road praying, I could help but see how God made this meeting possible. The simple things like a meeting I would typically overlook God’s hand but His hand is in everything! It’s crazy how as soon as you are taken outside of your comfort zone how easy it is to see God!
After meeting Rudy we continued our Journey for the remaining 7 hours to Chahal. When we got to Chahal we arrived at a random house. We hung out and listened (tried to as it was in Spanish) as Marco chatted with a man about Moringa – a tree that provides 9 main nutrients our body’s need, which can help to fight malnutrition. Before we left, Bryan felt led to praying for the man and though I can’t really explain what happened it was one of the most Spiritually led prayers I have ever prayed. As we left, Marco explained that he believed that the encounter the man had with the Holy Spirit as we prayed would probably lead him back to Christ! Holy Crap! Are you serious!? En Cristo todo es posible! Though I will never know if the man found his life back into the loving arms of such a wonderful Savior, I can continue to pray that he will.
Now exhausted I couldn’t wait to go to bed… that was until I saw where I was going to be sleeping for the night. The bed I expected to be sleeping in was nothing more than a straw mat on top of wood boards and string. Did I forget to mention the ants that were crawling up and down the walls? As Sarah and I freaked out, Bryan told us as nicely as he could to suck it up, but I never appreciated sleeping in my tent more than that night. Thank goodness I wasn’t the one woken up at 5 am with a bug crawling across my chest! Poor Bryan! Before bed, we attended church where Sarah, Bryan, and I all had to give an impromptu speech and then sing in front of the congregation. Never in a million years would I stand in front of a group of people and sing! I was told that it was likely that I would have to speak in front of people but I didn’t think it would happen until Africa and not my 2nd week on the race! Again, God reminded me to have no expectations.
In the morning Marco took us to a national park where we were able to jump off waterfalls and swim in the river! The first people of our squad, heck yes! We ended up being slightly late for the prayer meeting we attended but when we got there they had the doors draped with ribbons for us to cut for the grand opening of a man named Avalardo’s new business that would bring a new source of income for the community. The prayer meeting involved singing, praying, and many thanksgivings. The thankfulness of Avalardo and the others was an incredible blessing to me. Once again I found myself reflecting my personal thankfulness. The previous night I resorted to complaining rather than being thankful that I had a bed and a roof over my head for the night, something I often take for granted. At the end of the meeting they prepared a rare meal that included a living sacrifice of turkey, soup, corn tamales, and tortillas. It was oddly delicious, though I passed on the turkey leg.
We headed back towards Quiche and stopped in Coban to meet with a doctor named Felipe, who’s family works with a church that feeds the many homeless people of the city and are working to begin the building of a shelter that will provide a place for men and women to sleep, shower, and be fed. In such a short trip we encountered so many people doing the work of God! It is truly incredible and eye opening at how much work there is still to do! My teammate, Sarah, feels extremely called to Guatemala which is so exciting to see how God can pull at each of our hearts in different ways. We were again blessed with another meal, this time by the Felipe and his family, pollo asado! (God has a true sense of humor – as I had made the comment that I was no longer going to eat only 6 hours earlier)
Going on these types journeys is never knowing where God is going to take us, especially with Marco! (This man has incredible faith, makes me wonder why I worry so much! Definitely learned a lesson in faith just by being with this man!) We had no idea where we would sleep or where our meals would come from but God continued to provide! After dinner we were blessed with a place to stay at Rudy’s house and he also provided us with our breakfast the next morning! Wow! And this is how Marco and his wife live most of their lives! Incredible. After breakfast we made the remaining distance of the trip back to Quiche just in time to pack again for the weekend at Lake Atitlan.
Until next time… Blessings!
[Guatemala in pictures to come when I have a better internet connections]
