My time here in Guatemala had been incredible!!
We are living in community where we are striving for deep intimacy with each other and the Lord. Experiencing unity, vulnerability and sacrificial love like I never could have imagined. We are being taken care of well; well fed through the long term missionaries here and our leaders.
Seth Barnes (the founder of the World Race) came for a few days and spoke life, encouraged, and challenged each of us in new ways, Matt Blair is here for two weeks and his job title is men’s discipleship for the gap year guys, so he’s done a phenomenal job of calling us up into the men the Lord wants us to be; also giving teachings on Mondays and Wednesdays. Kevin is a long term missionary who leads bible studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They just started a worship discipleship program for people who are seeking to learn more about leading worship, as well as activation in the city with our leaders. Stephen is the worship leader at Shoreline church in Antigua and he comes from time to time to lead us in worship. I’ve been incredibly blessed to become a member of the serve team at that church. The church feels so much like my home church, Austin Stone. Basically to sum this up, we’re being well fed by the leadership here, and because of it we’ve seen so much fruit.
I’m seeing each and every one of my brothers and sisters step into the role the Lord has called them to, whether that be using their gifts in worship to lead us, speaking their heart to the entire squad, or challenging each other with accountability.
For example, as I’m typing this in the common area, just now this girl walked up to me and said “hey I’ve been meaning to say this, but you have a lot of wisdom and I encourage you to keep using your voice because your words resonate with the squad.” And this morning when I was praying with Lissie Butler over Austin, she said the exact same thing. I’m blessed to have the Lord speak to me through my brothers and sisters, and His presence is so apparent here. And just how people are being given the gift of speaking life and wisdom into people, I am too.
As Gabe (another long term missionary) would say, we are getting equipped to see the end of the World Race not as a finish line, but as a launching pad. I’ve become more close to my friends from Austin and we’re able to meet several times a week as a unit and talk about how we plan to make Austin our mission field when we get home, interceding and praying on behalf of our loved ones back home.
I just wanted to type this up to say things are going good. I assumed that for the last 2 months of the race I’d just coast my way to the finish line and be comfortable, but the Lord is bringing so much revival and redemption into our squad as a whole. So thank you for everyone who has been praying for me and supporting me. This mission trip has changed my life and the Lord has truly been setting me apart from the world because in Him i’m a new creation.
Fundraising update: I’m $500 away from being fully funded, relative to $15,000 I’m so close, and I’d love to finish this year funded.
