Dec. 21, 2018
My team was asked to perform a Nativity play for a school program. This is the school that most of the kids go to who attend our program that we run (I’ll be sharing more about our ministry in my next blog post!). We taught the kids how to sing “Feliz Navidad” and they performed it for their parents. We spent the first half of the day helping prepare a traditional celebratory juice and meal that was served at the end of the program. At the end of the night, we got a ride home in the bed of a truck which really made it feel like Christmas to me (it was frigid).
PC: Aly Badinger
PC: Aly Badinger
PC: Aly Badinger
PC: Aly Badinger
Dec. 24, 2018
Christmas Eve was a really special day for my squad. We all dressed up in our “best” which pretty much meant someone else’s clothes because it wasn’t something we’d been wearing for the past four months. Christmas Eve dinner was eaten family style with one long table, lined with candles. After dinner, we had a squad church service where we worshiped and then listened to Jacob speak. At the very end of the night (or so we thought), we got to enjoy a wonderfully prepared coffee and hot chocolate bar! At midnight fireworks went off from all directions and it sounded like Guatemala was exploding. It was the most beautiful firework show I’ve ever seen.
PC: Aly Badinger
PC: Aly Badinger
Dec. 25, 2018
On Christmas morning, my team woke up around 8:45 and Santa had brought our stockings all the way from Guatemala!!!! I got a “Vote For Pedro” shirt which is SO COOL because Napoleon Dynamite has been my favorite movie since I first watched it in Ecuador. At 10:00 the whole squad went into the common room for Secret Santa. After watching each person open their gift, we had brunch. We stayed in our pajamas all day, watched Elf, ate Christmas dinner, and ended the night with Family Feud (WorldRace edition). We were all pretty tired from the festivities and had to wake up very early for ministry the next morning, so the night ended a little early.
Kori got a grandma sweatshirt
PC: Aly Badinger
I made Jacob chocolate chip cookies (his favs) and got him a major dad shirt for Secret Santa!
PC: Aly Badinger
FUNDRAISING UPDATE:
So, a little while before Christmas two of my team mates spoke over our squad that we would all be fully funded by Christmas.
This did not happen, and at first it had me question why.
I still believe that God did speak through them.
Matthew 21:22 says that if we ask in faith we will receive, and recently my whole perspective on this has changed.
It’s my natural instinct to doubt If God is big enough and if He keeps his word.
It’s time for me to start taking a look at what’s happening on my end.
In Luke 17:6, the Lord says “if you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
God’s character doesn’t change and what He says is true.
Through this experience I’ve learned that i can’t continue questioning God because He’s never the one falling short.
I’ve been given more time to stay on the field even though I didn’t reach my goal on January 15th.
I am currently $1,400 away from my final goal, and I am fully trusting that I will get there.
Thank you for reading and for all of your support so far!!
Much love,
Lexi
