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.

Oh Guatemala...

Here are some things you should know about Santo Tomas, Guatemala:

1. Motos are very common here and at least once a day you will see:

• multiple grown men on one moto
• whole families riding on one moto, often with two smaller kids and a baby
• someone carrying a fan or a pinata on the moto (my favorite is the fan because it spins while they drive)

2. Traffic in general is very crazy. 

• There are rarely any stop signs, and the only stoplight I've seen was in Guatemala City.
• It is acceptable to pass at any time and on either side of the road, even when there are cars coming at you
• There are no speed limits... just go with the flow...
• People honk for seemingly no reason accept they like to.
• Seat belts are not even an option most of the time. (one time i was riding up front in the band we travel around in and the first time I got in I tried to put my seat belt on but our driver wouldn't let me
• If you have pale skin and blond hair it increases the amount of honking/staring/whistling/hissing received while walking
• Taxis will honk persistently behind you while walking until they know you know they're there
• Taxis also only cost 5 quetzales to go to the next town over (though the towns just kinda meet together so you never really know when you leave one and get in the other) and so a taxi ride only costs $.71 in US dollars.

3. It is perfectly normal for people to stare/shout things in English/whistle/bark/hiss at us. I'm pretty sure their policy here is as long as it's not physical or threatening then it doesn't matter.

• I'm pretty sure we are the only Americans here, besides maybe a few, so we are a commodity.
• If you have blond hair the amount of staring and noise making goes up by at least 50%.

4. Water is precious. At anytime we can we try to get a bottle of water from somewhere.

5. McDonald's is a high class restaurant. The only people you see in there are well dressed people.

6. It's unusual to not see at least 3 geckos in the house every night.

• One day I was in the bathroom and I moved the shower curtain and a "Jesus Christ Lizard" (the ones that walk on water) fell out. I jumped across the floor and squealed a little, then quickly headed out the bathroom door. Luckily one of the native guys that lives with us (he is our contacts' "son") was just outside so I made him get it out... Though that consisted of him getting a broom and sweeping it out, only to have it come hurtling towards me again... and then CJ (one of the girls on my team) grabbed it eventually and all was well.

7. We are all in an almost constant state of sweat. 

8. The power can go out very easily, especially when the house across the street has their church service.

9. Air conditioning and flour tortillas are precious treats that we savor as much of as possible.

10. It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen and I already know it will be very difficult to leave....Guatemala has a piece of my heart forever. (this is a video outside of our house we live in on a day that was very hot, and suddenly it started raining... enjoy!)

Que pasa?

So I'm guessing you're probably a little curious as to what we have actually been doing here in Guatemala... Well June 7 we arrived in Guatemala City, Guatemala around 8:30 and we didn't arrive in Santo Tomas until 6:00 AM the next morning. So far we have gone to two different orphanages, a children's hospital, a "retirement home", several "churches", a garbage dump, been bar hopping to minister to prostitutes, done several prayer walks around our neighborhood, hiked around a mountain to reach the "escobas" or springs, visited houses... and so much more! I'll just expand on a few of them though, because if I tried to explain all of it it would take days to read...
Like I mentioned before, Casa Verde is located in Santo Tomas, Guatemala, which is adjacent to Puerto Barrios (where we do most of our ministry and get our team name!), and it's a lot different than what I expected. I was expecting to live in huts in the jungle with dirt floors, having to make our own meals, take bucket showers... and much more. But God has blessed us with so much! We have beds, running water, a cook, and toilets that flush (though you do have to throw the paper away...). The only thing we don't have is warm water (which is perfectly okay with me!) or air conditioning (which I'm actually okay with because it would make going outside awful...). There's also a mall, a wal-mart type store, and a McDonald's all within walking distance. All with air conditioning! So my expectations were totally turned upside down about what we would find. I was actually sad that we were being so "spoiled" on the field. But one of the adventures we went on held all of the expectations I had imagined.

One day we headed to a church in the jungle with the wife of our contact, and two other locals in the back of a white utility van. I was able to ride up front on the way there so I could see the view while we were driving. Let me tell you, it was one of the most beautiful things I've seen at the time (I feel like things keep getting even more beautiful as time goes on...). When we finally stopped in the street near the church we got out and walked across a concrete walkway suspended over a stream/vegetation. There were lime-scented bushes alongside of it, so some of us picked the leaves to bring back to the house to try to alleviate some of the smell of sweat (which is another thing, it's super hot so we basically sweat constantly).
Anyways, so we got to the church and split up into different groups of five people plus a native Guatemalan. We ended up walking back down the road to different houses to tell them about a childrens' program we were putting on at 2:00 that afternoon. The houses were exactly what I had imagined we would be staying in. Most of the roofs were made out of dried palm branches, though I think a couple had tin, and all of the floors were made of dirt and were not level. The first house we went to another girl and I helped the family to finish getting dried beans out of the pods so they could plant them later. A few of the other girls helped to do laundry in the "pila" which is where they wash their laundry by hand. The third house we went to was where we learned what generosity really was.
We had to walk down a semi-steep slippery path to get to the house, which was mainly made of bamboo-type poles and dried palm branches. The family welcomed us in immediately and as soon as our guide saw that they were preparing tortillas for lunch, she told us to help. So four of us went and learned how to form tortillas. There were a few mishaps at first as we dropped dough on the ground, made very odd shapes, and just in general were not doing a very good job. But we eventually got the hang of it and made the rest of them. It took a lot longer than it would have for them to do it... And then the grandmother and mother told us to sit down because they were going to feed us lunch. We all stared at each other, wondering how to politely not accept because it was clear they needed the food more than we did. But in this culture it is very rude to not accept food when offered. They were even going to give each of us a separate bowl of soup, but we managed to convince them that we could share. And it was delicious. Corn tortillas (that had a light hint of... hand sanitizer?) with limes and avocado to put on top, and a bowl of vegetable soup. We felt so blessed by them because they were so willing to share with us.
And then the biggest, and strangest, surprise of all came. The ice cream truck drove by. So two of the girls in my group quickly ran up the path and bought ice cream for the family. As we were leaving they asked for us to give them a call sometime (they did have a phone, but that's the only electrical thing they had) and that we were welcome to go back anytime.
Every day it seems like my mind gets blown by how welcoming and open the people of Guatemala are. Where ever we go people are really willing to let us come in and pray with them. A good example of this is when we went to the Puerto Barrios market to pray with the vendors. In my group of two other girls and a local pastor that floated around between us and another group, only four or five people said no to being prayed for. The pastor informed us later that this was a special day because usually most of the people say no. This has really affected me because I have been praying since before Guatemala that God would open people's hearts to receive us and His message of Truth, and He certainly has! So I also thank all of you who have been praying for the people of Guatemala! This has certainly been an amazing trip so far and I wish I could share more with you, but that might be a little much for one blog! So I will say farewell until next Thursday! I'll just leave you with this:
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

A new journey is just beginning...

Well, ten days ago we arrived in Guatemala City, Guatemala. We spent five days just across the border of Tennessee at our training camp. Everyone arrived to training camp in Tennessee that Friday and we separated into our groups depending on where we were going. My team is called Puerto Barrios and consists of FIFTEEN other girls. At first I wasn’t sure how this would pan out, and I was a little worried… but now I’m not. There is a special quality about a group of women of faith that is so special. 

 We started bonding quickly the first day when they told us to go grab three things from our luggage and the other stuff we wouldn’t see till morning. We immediately started to plan who would bring what, and if someone only had two things, they volunteered to grab something for someone else. That night we sat around a camp fire eating banana boats. Let me just explain those quickly… You take a banana, split it down the middle, and then without taking the peel actually off you open it a little and stuff it with chocolate chips, marshmallows… and whatever else you want! You then wrap it in tinfoil and stick it by the fire so that the marshmallows and chocolate chips melt, and when it’s cooked you take it out and scoop out the insides with a spoon! I know it might sound a little strange, but it’s actually not that bad :). When we went to sleep last night we laid out on tarps with a beautiful starry night above us.

Throughout the last few days we have all become closer as a team and have often gathered together and talked about the Lord, or just chatted together. One thing that stuck out the most to me was how often someone said, “Oh, let’s pray about that.” This has really been encouraging to me because whenever something happened to a person we prayed for them about it. It really has opened my eyes to how to incorporate prayer not only into our daily lives, but also the conversations that happen throughout the day. It’s been so amazing to pray with this group of girls that I’ve been placed with, and I’m hoping that I will be able to bring that back home to my group of friends. There’s just something about gathering together in prayer with a group of sisters in Christ that can’t be found elsewhere. 

Phillippians 4:4-6 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Already I feel so close to my teammates and I pray that God will only bring us closer, using us to strengthen and encourage each other. I am so thankful for everyone that has helped to get me here to Tennessee (and tomorrow Guatemala!!) and also for all the prayers you have sent my way. I pray that God will continue to partner us together on this journey so that I can share what God has been doing in our lives, and hopefully impact yours. Once again, thank you so much!! God bless all of you, and know that I love you so much! –Laura Bane