Hey everyone! 
The end of April marked the end of Y squads fourth month in ministry! I can´t believe it´s been four months already! Not only did it mark the conclusion of our first four months but it also marked the end our first teams.
My first teams name was Fire Starters and it was made up of six strong but light hearted people. For those four months, I was the team leader and it was one of the most difficult experiences I´ve ever had, but as a result of that experience I´ve learned a lot about myself and a lot about my faith (but more on those specifics later).
For the first month the Fire Starters served the community in Arecibo, Puerto Rico along side our host, Pastor Peter Q. We painted churches and houses, visited beautiful people in their home and made great friends within the church community. Our first month together was incredible and we have Christ, our friends/family in Puerto Rico, and each other, along with Team Salmo who we served with, to thank for that.
After Puerto Rico, we found ourselves in Lajas, Dominican Republic. There the Fire Starters and the rest of Y squad served the community and our host ministry, H.O.P.E. D.R., with manual labor, English classes, prayer walks, and a day of games, songs and dances with the youth. The Dominican was beautiful and a wonderful time of bonding as a whole squad of 47 people. It was also a sweet time of getting to know the Dominguez family, our host family, and all of the others who work with the ministry.
From the D.R. the Fire Starters went solo to Casa de Esperanza, an orphanage in Caranavi, Bolivia. To get there we traveled the notorious Death Road by bus from which we got to gaze upon the incredible jungle covered mountains. At the orphanage our two men dug a hole the entire month as the ladies helped the children with their school work and helped the house Aunts with cleaning, but primarily we played with the youth and let them know how unconditionally loved they are by our wonderful Father and by us. Our time spent in Bolivia has been the best but also the hardest ministry for me so far.
As we hopped in the bed of the truck that took us from the orphanage on the day that we left, I took a deep breath in and exhaled the heaviness that came with serving in Bolivia. Although the country was beautiful, is provided the greatest culture shock.
Next in our route was the country of Peru. In Peru we lived in Trujillo but served in an area called el Milagro, or the Miracle. From where we lived, which was more modern with running water and a 10 minute walk to the mall, the Miracle, which was only 20 minutes away, provided for another eye opening experience. Everyday, the Fire Starters along with our awesome friends, Team Radical, would walk the dirt, trash covered roads to the Kindergarten rooms where we would help the teachers with the children. We also taught in and attended the church in Miracle, did some light manual labor, and evangelized.
After our month in our respective locations, all of the teams of Y-squad came back together for four days of debriefing in the capital, Lima. During that time three new squad leaders were raised up from within our group of racers, all but one of the team leaders changed, and all of the teams changed.
For the first time during the race I am not in a leadership position and it’s wonderful. Also for the first time during the race, I’m on an all girls team and I love it so much.
God has and is showing me so much from my time with team Fire Starters. The race this far has not been a walk in the park by any means and at times I’ve questioned why I am here, but as the dust settles from the hustle and bustle of our first four months, I am starting to see clearly just how beautifully orchestrated this whole thing has been by my incredible Father.
This month marks my fifth month on the race and we’re in Quito, Ecuador serving with the ministry Inca Link. I’m starting it with a beautiful new team and new perspective. I’m so excited for what the Lord is showing me and teaching me and showing/teaching us as a new team. I can’t wait to share more with you all.
I can’t say this enough, I am so thankful for all of you who have been doing this thing with me even from your own homes. Thank you for your support both financially and by your encouragement and love. I pray that God blesses you all and continues to open the eyes of your hearts to just how incredible His love is as He has been doing with mine.
Oh, and P.S., my new Team’s name is Girasoles, which means to turn towards the sun. Girasoles is the Spanish word for sunflowers 🙂 As of right now we do not have a new team picture uploaded because we don’t always have internet access, but you can visit my other teammates blogs if you’re curious — Lydia Neumann, Benita Townsend, Cassandra Rios, Sandra Santiago, Liv Hess, and Christina Thompson 🙂
