So my time here is about done. Ministry has pretty much ceased, the 6 other teams are making their way back to Antigua, and early Thursday morning we will be taking a long ride to Honduras. I am sure many of you are wondering what life is like for me every day here in Guatemala so I will try to give you a general gist since everyday looked completely different.
I wake up in the morning in my hostel, grab my headphones and listen to some Phil Wickham since I wake up too early and can’t fall back asleep. I roll out of my sleeping bag that is already beginning to stink, in the dark I search for my flip flops on the cluttered floor, try to quietly unlatch the door and stumble my way to the bathroom. I try to remember the last time I showered and smell my armpits to see if I should take a shower or just wipe/shave them. I grab shirts off of a pile and smell them to see which smells the cleanest. I brush my teeth using a water bottle then make my way upstairs to eat some grub of some Excellent brand corn flakes. After I may or may not have time with the Lord depending on when we leave for ministry. We would go to Casa Maria’s, Casa Jackson’s, or the hospital…or two of the three. For lunch we would eat peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwiches and Chiky’s (delicious cookies). When we got home we would send people out to the market to get food for dinner (I went often), we would have free time to be with the Lord, to connect with family, to sleep, to adventure. Then we would eat a super delicious meal cooked by our very own Erica Floyd. After dinner we had feedback, which is a time to reflect on the day, encourage one another, call people out, get stuff off your chest, tell people they drove you nuts. Not always a fun time, but definitely needed. After feedback there was some more free time or bed time. I usually am the first to sleep and rise in my room so when I go to bed I read a little, put my ear plugs in, then put my head under my sleeping bag so it blocks out the light in the room. Once I fall asleep my two teammates come in and unintentionally wake me up so I decide whether to join their conversation or just wait a few minutes until they get into bed. Then it starts all over again but different.
I journaled about this month and made a list of the things I did, saw, was taught, was shown and I want to share a little with you:
- God HEALED Vivian’s broken toes (until Brian and I stepped on them again)
- We met some really awesome people here who we want to adopt into our race. They blessed us so much (Evan’s family, CSA guys, The Siblings, Camila and Eric)
- God is revealing how he sees me, ridding me of expectations, increasing my confidence
- I can truly say that I LOVE God with no doubts! I thirst to be with Him
- Beginning to understand the authority I have in Christ
- Our team went through a glorifying Real World intervention
- Learning how to serve my team
- Declared I would not live in fear
- Learned that spiritual gifts pass away, but love lasts forever
- Learning how to righteously live out the desires that God has given me
- The spiritual realm of life is becoming more real
- Learning what my convictions are, who I am, what I see as truth, what it looks like for me to be set apart
- Began my quest to read the Bible cover to cover (I am still in Genesis)
- Hiked up Volcan Pacaya and roasted marshmallows over the heat
- Spent two nights at Mono Rico (or something that sounds like that). It is a beach, my first time in the Pacific Ocean, seeing black sand (we got stranded on it with no shoes, I have never experienced such pain on my feet…my toe peeled), slept on the roof, there was a pool and bball court, we had to take a canoe to the house. It was a really awesome time of fellowship and hiding away with the Lord (it only cost us 14 dollars each to stay there)
- Ate breakfast on a mountain overlooking the volcanoes
- Psalm 107:1… Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! …this has been the theme of this month for me. All I can do is thank Him. Try it out you can’t run out of things to thank Him for!
- Hygiene is completely different here for us in every respect. We eat off of the floor, use each other’s bowls and silverware without washing off the remaining food remnants
- Dogs pooping in the road and sidewalks and sitting in the caged windows has become a normal sight
- The goodwill market here is AWESOME!
