“What do you think is the greatest need in Guatemala?” asked a world racer. Gary, an aim missionary who has served for years both in Bolivia and Guatemala, looks at us, and says in all honesty, “Right here. You guys are the greatest need. You guys – as a microchurch. It all starts here. If you are not in one accord, it’s pointless for you guys to even go out and try ‘to minister'”. He pauses, “Another thing – as a vetern, long-term missionary – in all reality we do not need you. You are here for a week and then leave. We do not need your ‘good works’. What the people need is you ‘to be you’. Let the love of Christ shine from you in everything you do, especially how you interact with one another in this room.” He repeats, “The greatest need in Guatemala is this community right here. If God is not flowing among you guys, he’s not going to flow from you when you ‘go out and minister'”.
It hit us right between the eyes. It was like the sword of truth peircing our hearts. We knew it was true, but now what were we going to do about it?
Two days before this meeting, the Lord spoke to us (Team Nessa) about team unity. This time it was through a vision that came alive. Back at training in September, one of our sessions was on team unity and forgiveness. The main message was about keeping the cross in the middle of everything. That we are to look at our brothers and sisters in Christ through the lens of the cross. It’s through the cross we are all washed clean. Through God’s grace and forgiveness, we are able to show grace and forgiveness towards others. This vision came true at the end of this last race when we held hands around a cross on the top of the hill that overlooks Antigua – Cerro de la Cruz. This image came alive. We were united because the cross was our focal point. Jesus’s love for us was our binding force…our unity.
Through that unity, we have been able to work through some potential ‘rough spots’ – one of them being the subject of food. Our team loves to eat. And we like to eat food that we like. So, we had a pretty lengthy discussion about this topic: favorite foods, budget, eating healthy, who likes to make grocery lists, shop, cook, clean, etc. I think that we have come up with a set-up that makes us all happy…at least for now! We are discovering how to live like a family. Linnea and I love to plan meals that are healthy and creative, yet cheap. We also like to go shopping and to cook. After input from teammates, Linnea and I planned our meals and went shopping. With only the two of us, everything ran smoothly and we actually enjoyed our afternoon strolling around the marketplace! And the others were eager to relinquish these roles to us. That evening, some of the girls prepared supper while Tana and I went on a hunt for fresh tortillas. And we found some – those hot, handmade tortillas completed the meal. We all had full bellies that night…and happy hearts!
The beauty of community. Such a simple, yet complex entity. From this night on, for me, tortillas will symbolize community and team unity. In order for our team to be effective ambassadors of Christ, we first need to be fed spiritually – both individually and corporatly. And be united around the cross…with Jesus as the head of our ‘microchurch’.
