One thing God has definitely shown me thus far, is that everyday we need to choose faith, we need to choose hope, and we need to choose love. We can walk in discouragement, and fear, and anger, or we can walk by faith, being hopeful and loving.
It is definitely challenging for me to be in such a small tight community. Every night we have “family time” where we talk about the day, offer encouragment and any constructive criticism to our teammates. This is new to me. In my family, we all kinda do our own thing, and don’t always communicate that much. It is challenging, but also a blessing. We should not let the sun go down on our anger, so this makes sure we don’t allow anything to go unsaid. A lot of times, people (myself included, fasho!) allow the small things to build up, and create friction in relationships. Our conversations allow us to be real with each other, and not allow the enemy to get between our relationships.
Another thing God showed me during our Launch, is how important it is to speak truth. I was hitting a wall in worship, I just felt distant and like I couldn’t get close to God, and even though I didn’t necessarily feel like it, I just starting to speak truth. As I spoke truth, the wall came down, and soon I was free to worship.
I got some much needed rest this weekend. It helped me to have a fresh perspective on everything going on here. Honestly, we are so blessed by our contacts, our ministry, our team, and our location. We have everything we need, and although things aren’t always comfortable, we are making the most out of what we have. Not being comfortable is a great thing. It keeps me relying completely on God. I think I got a little burned out this past week, and it is cause I was relying too much on my own strength. I need to continually go to God in prayer, for HIS strength to back up everything we are doing.
Whats so awesome about what we are doing here in Antigua, Guatemala, is that we have the gospel coupled with met needs. We are meeting people’s physical needs, and also letting the love of Christ shine through us.
Anyways, my blogs won’t always be as organized as I like, more like random thoughts, because I am usually short on time.
I miss you all and love you very much!
~michael
This is the diffuser for the water filter! The nails through the concrete will make air holes for the filter.
Greasing the molds, preparing them for the concrete.
Riding in the back of a truck, the ride there was a LOT more crowded, because it was filled with the molds and equipment.
Hanging off the back of a truck, hitchhiking down the volcano.
