We are going into month 7 and I still can’t believe it! It’s been a beautiful ride these last 6 months to serve God, meet so many people, and to see this beautiful world God has crafted. The main question people keep asking me which has been my favorite country to go to? I can never answer that, because each country has sweet memories that I hold dear to my heart. Each country has charmed me in its own unique way! I want to make a charm bracelet after the race and have each charm represent a memory or something significant about each country that will be a memory I can look at forever.
Here are the charms so far and the heart behind them:
Colombia: orchid
In Colombia, one of our last ministry moments was taking the women from the rehabilitation program out on the town. We got pizza and ice cream. We went to stroll around the botanical gardens and had a huge photo shoot. There were beautiful orchids everywhere and these flowers are just a sweet reminder of how important this ministry was for me this month.
Ecuador: coffee cup
This month is full of great memories, but one of my favorites involves a lady named Monse. Week one of church she invited us out to ice cream, and the next week invited us to her house for dinner. We felt so loved by this woman and her children. She cooked a delicious meal of chicken, plantains, and rice. She served us coffee and bought a birthday cake for Lauren. The best part was we moved all the furniture and turned on fun Latin music and began to teach us how to salsa! We laughed and smiled for hours! It was in this moment where we felt like Ecuador was our home away from home.
Peru: ocean wave
Pacasmayo…a month of refreshment for me! We spent our off days by the beach learning to surf, soaking up the sunshine, and playing volleyball with locals. We spent nights worshiping as the sun would set and the ocean waves would crash along the sand. We had a youth bonfire on the beach with a sky full of stars and the sound of the late night ocean as the best background noise. This Lord new I needed a month where I felt so seen and loved by His creation and He delivered with this gorgeous town!
India: pineapple
Pineapples are the international sign for hospitality, and wow is this country full of it!! You will never feel more served and taken care of in any other country! They serve out of the purest joy of their hearts and it’s inspiring to watch. They work hard in the kitchens to serve you the best of the best homemade curry. They walk alongside you as we do house visits and beg to carry your water bottle. They took the time to handmake us saris and dress us all up in traditional Indian attire. There is so much to be said about the people of India, but every moment of service made me and my team feel blessed abundantly!
Nepal: mountains
One of my favorite memories about Nepal is in our town there was an outdoor movie theatre. We would go there for team times or on our off days to watch a late night movie! They had the best pizza in town (maybe because it was the only place it’s pepperoni!) and the whole atmosphere was to die for! We created some great team time moments there and soaked up all the Nepal beauty there.
Rwanda: music note
Rwanda is a music note, because everywhere you go people are dancing and praising Jesus here! Church services are wild and crazy and fun. They don’t set a time limit. They just dance and worship until they’re drenched in sweat. You can’t help but want to dance right along with them, and we have too! We got pulled up on stage and got the chance to praise right alongside them. It was so much fun to let loose and praise the Lord in such a fun way!
I cant wait to see what the next 5 months have in store!!
