We just finished our first month in Guatemala! It was great… so let me try to recap for you guys.
We arrived in Santa Cruz Del Quiche after a cramped 2ish hour bus ride.
Then we set up our tents in front of Agape in Action, where we stayed for the next month. Pretty much we set up tent city in their front yard, where the squad of 60 of us was given the privilege to eat, sleep, and worship under their roof.
During the day, each team went and did our own separate ministry. Team Shekinah, the all-girls team I am on, got to spend the month at an orphanage named Casa De Mi Padre or House of my father. While at the casa, we were able to spend lots of time in the afternoon playing with the kids. In the morning we spent time doing household chores like laundry, cooking, and cleaning.
The whole second week we were able to relieve the “house parents” for a 4 day vacation. We didn’t quite realize what we were getting into.
That week, we woke up at 5:30 to get the kids up for devotional, breakfast, and school. After they were off to school, we started to laundry, cleaning and cooking.
The kids came home around 1 when they ate lunch and did their homework. I told one of the kids I would help her with math… she brought over word problems for me to help with… no bueno. I don’t know Spanish.
After that we played random games, like jacks, uno or jumping on the trampoline until it was time for dinner. After finishing the dinner dishes, we played a little longer before devotional and bedtime for the kids.
Anyways, this is the average day at the casa. Sounds pretty normal right? You decide by using your imagination as I go through the average scenarios.
Let’s just start with the most normal… the laundry. Luckily there is washer, but everything must be put on the line to dry, which makes it board stiff. Want a little crunch with your towel? Oh no? Hmm, what about folding the stiff clothes of 21 kids? Choose joy! 🙂
Okay, so on to the cleaning. Well there’s broom to sweep. There is also a broom to mop. Just add an old sweatshirt over the bristles and viola you have officially made a mop! Good job, that’s the way to get the floors squeaky clean.
Last but oh definitely not least are the dishes. First, you turn the one nozzle and realize there is only cold water coming out of the homemade trash bag faucet. The dishes are piling up and there is no garbage disposable. Don’t forget to grab a handful of crunchy towels off the line, the dishes don’t dry themselves.
Alright, so now you have put yourselves in our shoes for the month, what are your thoughts? Expectations blown! Thankfully, a few weeks previous to the WR, God taught me to lose my expectations, or I might have realized just how odd the things we were doing really are. Though that was a great reminder, God was able to teach me lots more through month one.
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(us with the kids on the last day)
Although ministry was the bulk of our time, it was during my alone time God taught me the most. It just took me being out side of my sanitary comfort zone to actually listen. He taught me to seek Him above all else. He reminded me to “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.- Matthew 6:33” He taught me how to worship and really worship. Worship for Him and not for myself.
Durning the first week, I am pretty sure my worship consisted of singing and asking what God could do for me, what gifts He could give me? After lots of conversations with God, He reminded me to be seeking Him and Him alone. By the last week, I was on my knees praising God, for who He is, how much He loves us, and weeping realizing how much I don’t deserve any of it. Also for one of the first times, realizing how beautiful a gift our salvation, Jesus, really is. I realized what an uminaginable, extravagant love it took to bear our sins and the wrath of God, He didn’t deserve so we can spend eternity with Him. Seriously, I am in love with Jesus.
