There's so much more...

If you haven't already noticed or heard about the crazy weather that is happening in Sioux Falls, SD, let me fill you in a little bit (for those that have, bear with me). Tuesday morning started out with a steady rain, and a power outage in our house, along with 35,000 others without power in the city. It continued to rain, then sleet, then hail, throughout the day, even turning into snow around 7:00 that night. Each time I went out to my car I had to hack my way through the ice. I knew that there was a lot of falling branches and power lines (the falling branches sounded eerily like gunshot), but I really had no idea of the scope of damage outside of our Augustana bubble until one of my roommates and I ventured onto the roads. Huge branches lay in yards, having been cleared from the streets, and one car's back windshield was smashed through. Later that night as I drove down 26th St by McKennan park, half of a tree had fallen onto a house, and there was still so many more branches falling.
I will say that I was annoyed by the lack of power in our house because that meant we couldn't cook any food... or keep the house warm. But I barely thought twice about it when my roommate filled a bowl full of hot water in order to melt the ice off her car door so that we could go get food and coffee. Later, I asked another roommate if the toilets would work, and yes, they did. I went to a restaurant that night and then watched a movie while drinking warm tea. Last night I slept in the house, in a sleeping bag with a few blankets. This morning I brushed my teeth with running (albeit very cold) water.
And so, I'm just blown away by how blessed we are.
How the electricity going out is just a "minor" inconvenience for our house:

• Even though we don't have power, we still having running water and a roof over our heads to shield us from most of the cold.

• We have friends and family that will take us in and shelter us.

• We have restaurants and coffee shops and a college to buy food from.

In all reality, we personally (my housemates and I) really have nothing to complain about. The power will hopefully be restored soon and we will continue with our daily activities. Not having power made me not only realize how much I depend on it, but really opened my eyes to just how blessed I am to be able to use all these other things to get by without it. There are many, many people who don't have most of the things that I mentioned above, and have to make due with what they do have.
So my question is, what are we dependent on? So many times we fill our lives with things that we think will satisfy that ache within us, but really will only leave us empty in the end.

"The grass withers, and the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."

 -Isaiah 40:8

We get annoyed and complain when the things that we are dependent on are taken away from us, but God will satisfy our desires, not necessarily the way that we want or think, but according to His will and His steadfast love for us.

"Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."

 -Psalm 90:14

"Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name."

-Psalm 66: 1-4

We forget that our purpose in life isn't to collect these things, but to glorify God and praise Him for His wondrous and mighty deeds, and to see His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. He calls us to feed the poor, clothe the naked, bring water to the thirsty, and to proclaim liberty to the captives (Isaiah 58:6-11; 61:1-3). He tells us to go forth and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:16-20). Not for our own glory, but so that He would be glorified and that the peoples would praise Him.
I'm trying to learn how God is calling me to do these things, and it's been a difficult journey at times, but it's been so worth it. I pray that we rest assured that He is leading us onward and that we know that His ways are infinitely greater than our own. There's just so much more waiting for us...

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

-Ephesians 3:20-21

iObedece, no como Jonas en el barco!

Last Sunday I attended The Ransom church in Sioux Falls, a church I had been to once before. To be honest, I was more looking forward to going because I wanted to see a family that I knew attended there than I was looking forward to what I would learn while there. Well, the pastor was starting a new sermon series that day and his sermon that day was about Jonah. (I'll be referencing stuff from Jonah 1-3:5 if you want to read it first, but I'll also give a VERY brief summary.) He spoke specifically about the disobedience of Jonah, and how he was running from fear of what God was calling him to do. God was calling him to "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me." (1:2) Now, the pastor explained that the people of Nineveh are a pretty frightening group of people: they treated their captives horribly and killed them in some of the most gruesome ways possible. So, as most of us would probably be, he was terrified that the same would happen to him. So Jonah tried "to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord" (1:3), which is kind of a ridiculous thing to attempt, because the presence of the Lord is everywhere! But, nonetheless, he got on a boat, a terrible storm came up, the men threw him overboard, he was swallowed by a big fish, Jonah prayed to God, and then God had the fish vomit him onto land. So..."'Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.' So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord" (3:1-3).... "And the people of Nineveh believed God" (3:5).
This last summer as I was in Guatemala, my team shared this story with a church in the city we lived in. We emphasized the part about being obedient to what God calls us to do. Also, a big thing that God was laying on my heart this summer was that we're not always called to do easy things. Often times sharing God's truth requires us to step out of our comfort zones and to always rely completely on His strength. In Guatemala, we were often placed in trying situations that were out of our comfort zones and very draining spiritually and physically. But God gave us the strength to push forward so that all the glory was His. After coming back home to the states, I kept all this in mind, but still ended up in a situation  that was very similar to Jonah's.
Throughout the summer I had been praying that God would help me figure out what I was supposed to do about school in the fall. My freshman year I attended Augustana with an undeclared major. Throughout the summer I realized that missions is where He is calling me. I thought that also meant He was calling me away from Augustana to a school where I could truly devote all my time to learning more about him and different religions and cultures in the world. But I wasn't able to even think about transferring until I got home to the states in the first week of August. I prayed about going to Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN, and thought that was where God was calling me. It had exactly the major I wanted: Intercultural Studies and Spanish. I visited, applied, and was accepted all a week before classes actually started. But the real deciding factor about whether I was going was financial aid. If I didn't receive enough, I couldn't go. I knew God would make it clear either way about where I was supposed to be, but was sure it was Northwestern and prayed that He would provide the money I needed. I ended up moving to Northwestern, registering for classes, setting up my dorm, and finding out I couldn't actually afford to go, all in one day. I was a wreck that night: angry at God for having let me fall down so hard, even though I had been determined to be okay with wherever he placed me, and for not providing for me. I couldn't see what plan he possibly had for me and didn't see how I could benefit from going to Augustana. But He has constantly been reaffirming the fact that His plans are so much better than mine, and that no matter how perfect Northwestern sounded, this is where I'm meant to be right now.
I had been acting exactly like Jonah. God called me to Augustana (Nineveh) again for this fall. The reason I say Augie is Nineveh is because spiritually, Augie has been very difficult. There are a lot of people who aren't exactly for Christianity, and there is a lot of partying and  just a general disregard for "morals." And so, I reacted (unknowingly) in fear, thinking that my fear was just God leading me to somewhere else, and I kept telling myself the morning that I drove to St. Paul that I was not running away. So I fled to Northwestern (my Tarshish... though I wasn't trying to flee from the Lord... I thought I was going TO the Lord). But, just like with Jonah, God sent a big fish my way called "financial aid" to swallow me up. So I fought at God, wondering why he hadn't provided for me, but also praying that He would just pick me up again and just lead me where I was supposed to be. I spent three days and three nights (yes, ironically the same amount as Jonah haha) inside of "financial aid" at my house praying that God would just use me wherever He wanted me. Then "financial aid" vomited me onto the campus of Augustana.
God's given me so much peace in being back, and has really raised up a good support system around me (though a lot of them don't actually go to Augie...). He's also just really reaffirmed that I am not called to do easy things. Going to Northwestern would have been the "easy" option. Oh yeah, and remember how I was fighting with God about the whole financial aid thing and not providing for me at Northwestern? Well, He did provide, just not where I was expecting: He provided 2 new scholarships I was not expecting and more aid for work-study! I am still just completely amazed at how much He's done in the short time I've been at Augie.
And so I am anxiously waiting to see what plans He has in store. He's definitely opened my eyes to how important it is to listen carefully to where he is leading us, and not acting out of fear. Also, that even though He might be calling us to do things in which we are scared and weak, in other words to go to "Nineveh," that He will give us the strength to do His work so that He will be given all the glory. "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Hogar de los Ancianos...literal translation: home of the ancients. :)

Yet another of our opportunities for ministry was to go to a "nursing home" in Puerto Barrios. It was a really nice home with a beautiful flower garden and a place outside where we could sit with the men and women and worship. We would go there and greet them and sit down with them before worship, and then after our Pastor might say a few words, then we'd close in prayer. It was certainly one of our more difficult ministries, because not only did none of them really speak English, but it was at times difficult to understand what they were saying in Spanish. But they loved our visits, and would often ask when we were coming back, so we went quite a few times, bringing attentive (if not quite understanding) ears and a joy that could only stem from God.

The first time we went to this home, we had been singing for a while when one of the men asked why we were so sad. This was a shock to us, because we had been singing some of our more "passion-filled" songs that we thought were quite meaningful. Granted, some of them were in English so it was understandable that they could mistake our emotions during that song, but the others? Well, one thing we quickly learned/realized from that experience is that is where our cultures differed. In our culture, we tend to find our most "intimate" or even "spirit-filled" worship times when we sing a slower, more building song. However in their culture, they mainly sing upbeat, fast songs that allow them to shout and dance for joy. So, it stands to reason why they thought that we were sad! We weren't clapping, shouting, or dancing! We ended up closing out our worship time with a few "children's songs" that were more upbeat (or upbeat enough to clap to). Then we proceeded to pray for each one individually. We too were blessed as one of the older women stood up, called a few of us over, and began to pray for us as well. So not only were we able to bless them, but they blessed us with an insight into their culture and with prayer.
One of the most difficult things that happened to me personally there was during prayer one day. I was getting ready to go walk over and pray for a man sitting off to the side when two of the girls from my team called me over, asking if I could pray in Spanish because the woman they wanted to pray for didn't want them to pray in English. Now, speaking in another language is difficult enough, but trying to pray in another language is even tougher. But, I was willing to give it a try and prayed God would give me the words to speak. So I warned the woman that it might take me a long time to say things because my Spanish wasn't the best. But, somehow God got me through it, not without a lot of stumbles and pauses, but it was Spanish! It was definitely a learning experience and God certainly used it to push me way out of my comfort zone, which I am grateful for.  One thing this trip has taught me is that God doesn't just call us to do the easy things, but he calls us to do the hard things as well. Yes, He calls us to play with kids and love on them, and sing/speak in front of churches (and that's not saying those things are always easy...); but he also calls us to walk into bars and trash dumps, and speak out the glory of His name to people that may or may not have heard it before, to people that don't know they have an all-powerful savior that loves them to the ends of the earth. And even though it is difficult, He is what makes it all worth it. :)

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me,your anger turned away,that you might comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 12: 1-6

Mission: Love the Unloved

One of the other ministry opportunities we were able to do while in Guatemala was to go to the bars and minister to the prostitutes. We would make little cards for them with bible verses and have a gift to go along with it. We went at various times throughout the day and would talk to the girls and pray for them. There were also three rules that we stuck to while there: never go anywhere alone, pray with your eyes open, and always ask for permission to enter the bars.
The first night of prostitute ministry I was not able to attend because a family had invited me and three other girls to eat dinner at their house, so in order to honor that request and their generosity, we stayed behind and had dinner with them and then prayed for the girls that did go. Now, if you remember, my team is all girls, and as such it wasn't very safe for us to go to bars alone, so we enlisted the help of our pastor, our "uncle" who was also our translator and comedian, and one of the guys that helped run the radio station where we lived. They would often accompany us to the night bar ministries, but during the day it was usually just our pastor.
So that night when the girls got back from the bars we asked them how it went. Even now, I clearly remember their faces, the looks of shock and sorrow, and how overwhelmed some looked. Even so, their stories were amazing: they were actually able to talk and pray with prostitutes, to show love to girls who might not even know what real love looks like.
I was looking forward to the next time we went, but was also nervous, but then again, if Christ is for us who can be against us? So a week later we went around 8:00 at night, running a little late because our uncle wasn't there yet and another girl had to run to the hospital quick. But praise God we were late, because as we were standing outside one of the bars towards the end of the night, a man walked up to us and shared his story. Apparently he'd been clean from marijuana use for ten years, but that night he was looking for a way to let loose and give in to the temptation. Everywhere he went, however, was turning him away. And then he saw us standing there, a group of missionaries. He told us he knew it was a sign from God that He was still with him, still protecting him. He wanted to grow closer to God, to form a stronger relationship with him. So we prayed that God would protect Him, and continue to lead him closer to His heart, and then the man went home, a thousand times lighter than when he first walked up.
Of the many stories of the girls that we were able to hear, many were eerily similar. Many were from either Honduras or El Salvador. Most still had families back there that they were sending money home to. All of them thought it was the only way. And even a few wanted a way out. It was amazing that some of the bars even let us in. In the past, our contacts informed us that some of the bars we walked into would refuse them in the past, even other missionary groups. So we knew God had a purpose for us there, and even when we felt discouraged, we held on to the hope that He was somehow moving. And he certainly was!
Our last night of prostitute ministry we headed out with the whole team plus three men to accompany us. We were armed with our slips of paper and bracelets for the girls, and a few of my teammates even had bibles as presents for a few of the girls that they had gotten to know over the two months. We split into two teams and headed opposite directions, the other team heading towards a strip club that had only let us in once before. And by God's grace they were allowed in again! After those first two bars we joined together again and headed to a larger bar.
I stood in the entrance with a few others, watching as one of my teammates broke one of the three rules: she went in alone. I didn't have long to think on this because then a girl pulled on her shirt and came up to me and one of my teammates. We started talking with her immediately and were able to pray for her and give her a paper and a bracelet before we stepped outside. Behind a group of three of us, another group was talking to a woman who was listening very attentively. I watched as another girl hovered around the outside of the group, and I was worried she was going to interfere, but then she came up to us and asked if we could pray for her too! So we did, and then a man walked by and asked the same! He apparently had been a Christian, but had fallen away when his wife left him, but he wanted to return one day. Then we found out from the teammate that had went in alone, that she had been asking about one of the girls she was friends with. But, the owner of the bar said she was gone, that she had just left and was never coming back!
At the next  bar we went to, a couple teammates had a bible for a girl, but she was busy stripping so they were going to leave it for her with another girl, but then she stopped stripping (something that is very against the rules to do!) and came up and hugged them and took the bible. At yet another bar, a few teammates were talking to a girl who was also very open to hearing about God, and actually knew that she wanted a relationship with him. Right before leaving she told them that maybe she wouldn't be at the bar the next day, that maybe she would just leave.
I praise God for the mighty ways in which he moved in the hearts of the girls, and men, at the bars that night, and the other nights. Our uncle told us recently that the girls had been asking about us, about when we were returning, so we know that God really used us to impact their lives. Thank you Jesus for filling us with Your love so we could pour it out on others and touch their lives!

Solo Dios Puede Salvar...

Well, we have all arrived safely at home now, but I thought I'd write a few more blogs explaining each of the main ministries we did, so... here goes! One of the ministries we concentrated on in Puerto Barrios was the orphanages. We visited two of them: one a Catholic orphanage with quite a few kids, and then one with only seven. In this blog I'll focus on the second orphanage.
 There was only one worker who only cooked for them, there was no one to stay at night. There was no electricity, and the ceiling was falling in in places.The kids were all older, about thirteen to seventeen, and a few of them had mental/physical disabilities. When we first got there there were eight kids: four boys and four girls. One of the girls had down syndrome, one was deaf, one just hadn't developed properly mentally or physically, and one had heart problems. One of the boys had severe autism, was confined to a wheelchair, and often hurt himself  and others by hitting, biting, or scratching; and the other boys were "normal" but had been abandoned there by their parents. The three boys would often just stay in their room when we visited, but I made it my goal by the end of the summer to be friends with one of the boys. I'll call him Marcos.
Marcos is sixteen years old and has a hard exterior, but I was hoping to break through to see what was underneath. It wasn't until the second month that we were there that we got to interact with him and the other two boys. One of the girls on my team had brought a soccer ball to the orphanage and we were playing with it outside when the boys came out and started playing as well. It was a huge accomplishment to even see them for that long, so I left that day hopeful. I prayed that God would give us more opportunities to talk with them, and He did!
The second to last time we went to the orphanage we took five of the kids (at this time there were only seven because the girl with heart problems had been adopted, and the other two boys were working) to a pool in Santo Tomas. I was determined to make sure Marcos felt included and that he interacted with us, and just to make him be my friend! :P

So I spent the day playing soccer with him and doing dive tricks in the pool so he would stay involved. A few of the other girls had the same idea as me, so he was always involved in something. As we were heading home that afternoon, I heard him talking to our Pastor that took us around, and ask if he could go to his church the next day. I was very excited for this, and that night during our team worship, I spent the whole time praying for him. I was so expectant that God would encounter him the next day that I was sure he was going to show up to church. So when he didn't I started to question God. I wondered what He was doing, why hadn't He brought Marcos to the church? I was focused all on what I wanted, what I thought should happen, and not God's perfect plans. And He certainly had better plans in store than I could have imagined!
We spent our last day of ministry at both the orphanages, and went to the seven kid orphanage that morning. We were going to do some songs and dramas for them, but it was raining so loudly they wouldn't be able to hear. So instead we spent the first hour or so praying for the boy in the wheelchair. As I and a few other girls were standing in the entrance to the hallway to the orphanage, Marcos came out and stood with us, just watching what we were doing and listening. God was slowly stirring a hunger for Him up inside Marcos. Finally the rain slowed down and we managed to gather all the children inside the orphanage and performed the "King of Hearts" and "Lifehouse" dramas for them. After the lifehouse drama, our pastor spoke a little and asked if anyone wanted to accept Christ. No one did anything at first, and so the pastor spoke a little more. And then Marcos raised his hand and stepped forward by himself. I almost started crying from joy as he stood there with our pastor's arm around him, and then again when another of the boys stepped forward. We prayed over them, and then a few days later got bibles for them and wrote a message inside. It was just so cool to see how God not only answered my prayer for Marcos, but showed that he had so much more in store! I praise God for bringing those two boys into His heart, and pray that He will use them to reach out to the other boy.

But also, the orphanage they live in is slowly being shut down. Marcos informed me that at one time there were a hundred kids, then just forty, then some escaped, and now there are only the seven of them. Soon they will all be moved to different homes, whether that means to their own family, to an adoptive family, or another orphanage. Please pray for those kids, especially for Marcos, that they would be placed in a safe home where they can continue to grow closer to God. I thank God for His wonderful plans, and giving us the opportunity to love on those kids.

Searching for Beauty Among the Trash

 One of the ministries we've been focusing on here is the garbage dump just outside of Puerto Barrios. The first time we went there I was overwhelmed by everything: the smell, the trash, the bones/carcasses of dead animals,  and the fact that people were allowed to live in little shacks on the other side of the dirt "road" that curved around the dump. As many of you know, I'm a huge nature person. I love going on road trips and seeing the beauty of God's creation. I also love hiking and looking at trees and... grass! But at the dump the land was overtaken. It had rained that morning of our first time there so the path was really muddy.
So, in order to walk through it and talk to the people searching through the trash we had to walk on top of the trash. I just remember at one point having to step on a doll to avoid the mud. The thought that it once was probably a little girl's best friend broke my heart. I couldn't speak the whole time we were there because I was in such shock. All I could manage to do was smile at the people we met and shake their hands. When we got back to our house that day I was determined not to go back. But as the days passed I felt more and more like God was calling us back. I was fighting it at first, but as another day got scheduled for us to go I felt more and more ready.
So we went the second time on a Monday to walk around and invite people to a children's program we were going to do the next day in the entrance of the dump. It was still overwhelming at first, but then something unexpected happened. I was walking down the path when I saw a butterfly. I was so surprised to see something so beautiful in a place i considered so "ugly." Every time after that when I was getting overwhelmed another butterfly would float by. This was such a God thing because butterflies are very symbolic of rebirth and a renewal of life. So God just kept reminding me that he can make all things new, that His love restores everything. So my attitude changed that afternoon. Instead of only seeing destruction and death I saw the hope of new life and renewal.
When we left that day I couldn't wait to return the next day. I was worried no one would show up, or there would only be a few kids, but I knew God had something really good in store. So the next day it was 2:30 and we were heading out to go round people up, but we had to stop on the way to get another tire because we had popped a tire the before at the dump. So we ended up being 45 minutes late. Even though it's the culture to be late, I was really worried that they would've given up on us. But when we pulled in we were in for a huge surprise. One of the guys a few of us had met before at the dump was there with a welcome sign he had made.
And then as we continued up the road we drove past not just a couple people, but a mob of children. They started waving and yelling excitedly at us and we shouted back  back to them and they started to follow. And then we passed another mob of kids and the same thing happened. It was so amazing and sad at the same time because it was great how many were coming to the program, but also so sad because that many kids basically lived/worked at the dump trying to find enough things to make money for their families to be able to survive.
As soon as we stopped I hopped out and started shaking hands and greeting the kids. Our program consisted of a few songs, a skit and.... a pinata! The kids (and some of the older ones) loved it so much. We also passed out juice bags and cookies for the kids, rice and beans for the adults (they were packages so that they could take it home to cook), and some clothes for whoever needed them.

It was such an amazing day and one that I will never forget. It was such a tangible way that God used us to bless so many people at the dump and give them something that would help them not only physically, but spiritually too because they knew someone cared about them. We still have one more day tomorrow (Friday) there and I am so excited to see what God has planned and encounter people! Whatever happens, his plans are perfect and I am so grateful for how he changed my heart towards the dump.
           For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. -Romans 1:20
          The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. -Psalm 19:1
Even though in the dump it might be difficult to see the glory of God's creations, it's still there. You just have to search for it.

Six Girls. One day. $20.

This last Tuesday we were divided into two groups and set loose on the world. We were given a plastic baggie with a few cards giving us directions on what to do for the day, a blank piece of paper, and about 140 quetzales, which is $20 in USD, and were only allowed to bring a water bottle. The first card said that we were to take a bus to the market in Puerto Barrios, and from there go through the market and pray/talk with people and share two testimonies. The catch was two members of our group couldn't talk, and they had often led in the past. This forced the other girls and I to take a step forward and lead.
On the way to the market we hopped on one bus, but about a few blocks later smoke started coming out of the engine and we had to pull over. So we hopped on another bus and were finally on our way. About five minutes later we arrived at the market, paid 3 quetzales each (about $.42 USD) for the ride, and set out. We talked to two women for the first hour while the two girls couldn't speak. One woman worked at a clothing store and towards the end she and I shared testimonies. It was so interesting because as I said more about my testimony, she would say a little more about hers. Then we prayed and headed out again. The next place we stopped was a smoothie stand. The woman behind the bar was super friendly and gave us free smoothies as we talked to her. It continues to surprise me how open people are to giving you things when you take the time to talk to them.
After that we prayed/talked to a few more people, and then it was lunch time. We were only allowed to spend 46 quetzales on lunch, which is $6.57 USD, for all six of us. Even though most things are incredibly cheap here, it's still almost impossible to find anything that cheap for six people to share. Plus, the street stands aren't trustworthy to eat from, so that made it even more difficult. So we ended up getting seven flour tortillas and a watermelon for lunch. We got the seventh tortilla to feed a homeless man who was without a leg and missing an eye. We also bought two bottles of water just so we could use a bathroom in a local chain restaurant.
That afternoon we struggled with figuring out what to do. We ended up prayer walking around the bars, walking about a mile down a main street, and then stopping on a bridge to pray about what to do. One of the girls prayed that God would just smack us in the face with what to do. And he did. She and I both looked up and saw a homeless woman laying in front of a building. So we trecked back half a mile to a little restaurant stand thing where we spent 14 quetzales on a meal and a bottle of water for her. After that we walked a little further and prayed for some women in a laundromat and also talked for a while with a woman in a little tienda. Then we walked even further, praying for random people we encountered, and finally caught another bus back to the market for supper. We bought some bread for 20 quetzales and then walked all the way back a mile or so to where we had been before to cram on a bus that literally could not hold any more people. Then we spent our remaining 12 quetzales on crackers and bananas for the rest of our supper.
Even though we struggled a little with food, it still blows my mind that six girls caught three buses, had two meals, and fed two other people all for $20 USD. That would not even begin to be possible in the States. I just praise God for providing us with everything he did so that we were able to remain safe and healthy throughout all of that experience. It was definitely a struggle at times, but looking back, God really showed up a lot and worked through us to reach out to people in prayer. He definitely stretched us past our comfort zones, but God never said following him would be easy, and I thank him for teaching us how to step out as leaders and just listen to his voice and direction.