(Written 2 weeks ago)
One month down. We have completed our first month of the World Race in Guatemala. It was bittersweet leaving all the people we have met and established relationships with. For our last night, all 14 of us, our host (Luis), and some of the locals worshipped together. It was wonderful. Luis said some words to us to send us off and thanked us for our time with him there. We sang worship songs and invited the Holy Spirit into the room. Luis wanted to pray over people and he asked me to go with him to lay hands on the people he prayed over. I agreed and it was powerful. I felt the Holy Spirit in and through me and I prayed joy over each person I laid hands on because I was full of joy and began laughing. And when I laughed others laughed too! I loved it! It was a special night. One of the ladies who was there that night is a World Race alum and she put her hand on my shoulder and said “Fill up. Pour out. Fill up. Pour out. Fill up. Pour out.”
With Guatemala behind me, I am pressing into Honduras. We arrived in Honduras on February 2 after a long 22 hours on a bus from Guatemala City to Honduras. It was only supposed to take 10 hours, but our bus drivers got lost and ended up driving for about 5 hours in the wrong direction. That’s the World Race for ya! After our first month we had a 3 day debrief. This was a time to talk about, process, reflect, and get ready for our month ahead of us. Our mentor Jeremy flew in from the states, along with our 2 awesome coaches Joey and Gary. I had the opportunity to meet with all 3 of them for one on one time. They asked me how I was doing, about my family, and my team. I had great conversations with them, and did a lot of laughing with Joey and Gary! They are our parents on the field and I couldn’t be more blessed! They love each of us and genuinely care about us as individuals. Gary is Italian and we bonded on that fact and I understand him so much more because of it. : ) He always has words of wisdom and gives strong, loving hugs. Joey mends wounds with her hugs and looking into your eyes. She is full of the Holy Spirit and has a tender loving nature to her. And she loves to laugh and be silly. When she and I are together, we cannot stop laughing! I love it! They both spoke into my life and encouraged me and blessed me.
Now the whole squad is together. All 47 of us plus our 3 squad leaders are together in Talanga, Honduras. We are staying at the same house, however there are only 16 beds….there are a sea of hammocks hanging all over the porch, and a spread of tents in the backyard. I am staying my tent this month, but I like it. It’s like my own room! I have it all set up with my “bed” (sleeping pad), “dresser” (packing cubes that have my clothes in them), a place for my shoes, and a place for my toiletry bags. I am able to retreat to my “room,” which will be necessary this month!
The 7 teams have been split between 3 ministries this month. 1 team will be working at an orphanage, 2 teams with be working with our hosts who run Aarons Mission Outreach, and 4 teams will be working with Heart of Christ ministry. My team is working with Heart of Christ, which focuses on rescuing young mothers off the streets who have been raped or apart of domestic violence, and kids who are disabled. We will be doing construction 3 days a week working on building a fence, 1 day a week we will be going out into 2 different villages and interviewing people looking for abandoned single mothers, or kids with disabilities, and 1 day we will be at the house where the mothers and children are living, playing with the kids and loving on them. This ministry is from Monday to Friday all day. Our bus will arrive at 7am to pick us up and we will be back “home” around 4pm.
I am excited for what this month has in store. I am looking forward to working alongside my team/family as well as with other members of the squad.
We have limited assess to internet this month (only about 2-3 times), so I will not be posting much. But no news is good news! It’s a good thing though. We will not have the distraction of going on the internet, checking Facebook, and Instagram, We will be able to be fully present where we are, and establishing relationships with each other, and with the locals. I am looking forward to not having that distraction.
Thank you for your prayers! Continue to pray for our safety, and for our hearts and the hearts of those we come into contact with. And for unity within the squad.
God is good!
