Ok, let’s really get to the good stuff, and why you guys are probably reading my blog anyways. You’re probably not reading it for my crazy adventures down to Charlottesville or Deerfoot; you’re reading to hear how we’re “living the Lord’s dream” (LTLD) down in Guatemala. And, trust me, we are.
Our squad left for Guatemala from Chicago last Saturday, and a week into this adventure, we are setting a pace that can only be sustained by community and intentionality. Let’s go! More! We arrived in Guatemala City Saturday night, and the next day woke up to some sweet hair (Squad leader, Carly, and me) and some beautiful views:
After some worship on the roof, it was on to Santa Cruz del Quiche, a few hour-drive from the capital city. Del Quiche is where we’ll be spending most of the next month in a variety of different ministries—prisons, orphanages, clinics, and even mounting a campaign to get a number of new ministry contacts.
Something special is going on with our squad. These are people that are not content for mediocrity or going half-way…I thought I was convinced of that after training camp, but after a week living together outside the US, I have no doubt. This past week, we have cried together and for each other, we have shared stories that have never been shared before, and we have fought for each other. I have been a part of some very intentional communities, and I have been blessed with an amazing family and friends; I have never seen men and women, together, be this vulnerable and this real. That vulnerability is leading us into a whole new place of what community and ministry can look like.
The joy our squad is living is pouring out in ways that are touching people and touching us. Yesterday was the kind of day I went on the World Race for. My team joined two other teams at a local prison, and spent a few hours singing songs, praying, and speaking life into men that have probably long thought they had no future. One of my brothers on the squad, Jake, preached a message from John 6 and brought it strong: that those men in the prison, through a personal relationship with Jesus, can be more free in that prison than a lot of people are outside of it. That truth set some men free, as men got on their knees and cried, songs were sung that carried far beyond those prison walls, and hope came to a dark place. Our teams left changed.
