Well, this blog post is a lot different for me than the last few because this time I am back at home in Gurdon, Arkansas. I cannot believe how fast the time flew during my 8 weeks in Guatemala. Honestly, I was not ready to come home and I am missing Guatemala very badly! I know though that it is the Lord's plan for me to return to Ouachita, and I am excited about that. It was just very hard for me to say goodbye to the people and the country I have grown to love over the past 2 months. I can honestly say that this has been the best summer of my life. Serving the Lord on the mission field is what I am called to do, and if I wasn't sure of that before, I am 100% sure now! Sharing the gospel and loving on people who have so little is my passion, and I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for me!
My last week in Guatemala was so special to me because I got to spend it with a team from my home church. Some of my best friends in the entire world were on this team, and I could not have asked for a better last week in the country. Waiting for them to arrive at the airport was torture--I was so ready to see them! But let me tell you, when my team walked out of those doors, I was so excited that I couldn't hardly contain myself. I know the people in the airport thought we were all crazy! Even though seeing them in the airport was special, it was nothing compared to being able to work with them sharing the Gospel and doing Bible school throughout the week.
On the first night with the team, it was so wonderful just to sit and visit with my friends. We decided that we would have a devotional just for us. I got to share the devotional time with Regan, Kayla, Cady, Trevor, and Beau. These people have become so special to me over the past years, and this trip brought us all even closer. The Lord placed us all together on this trip for a reason, and I loved every minute of working in Guatemala with them! During our devotion, we talked about how important it is to have Christian friends. Genuine people who love the Lord and only want the best for you are the people that we need to surround ourselves with. God has been so faithful to provide me with wonderful friends from home and at Ouachita. I would not be who I am or where I am without the people God has surrounded me with.
On Monday and Tuesday, we did two full days of Bible school in a church in Chimaltenango. It was so amazing for me to be able to sing silly songs and share bible stories with the children, and to be able to do that with my best friends working by my side was the best feeling. I am passionate about children, and I could do Bible school every single day if it meant that I could bring just a little more joy into a child's life.
While part of our team did VBS, the medical team worked upstairs to see patient after patient. They worked SO hard for the Lord, and over the 4 days, they touched around 1400 people's lives with medical care! Those 1400 people also heard the Gospel while waiting in the medical clinic. The members of the 2 churches we worked in were so intent on sharing with every single person who stepped through the church doors. I am not sure of the exact number, but several people made professions of their faith in Christ. They were not only given medicine to help their physical health, but they were also introduced to the Great Physician. He healed their hearts.
On Wednesday and Thursday, we got the opportunity to go door-to-door and share the Gospel. I could not have asked to serve in a better group. Larry and Sarah, Mitch and Lynsey, Noah and Tess, Lawson and Cole, and Regan, Kayla, and I made up our door-to-door group.
At the first door, Larry told me I was up. I shared with a lady named Maria. After visiting with her for a while, I found out that she went to the Catholic Church, but she did not know a lot about Jesus Christ. I shared the Gospel with her, and I asked her if she had ever made the decision to receive Christ into her heart, and she said no but she wanted to. Gustavo helped me lead her in the Sinner's prayer, and through all of this, I forgot that I had an audience. After taking a picture with her and her children and saying our goodbyes, I turned around to see my two best friends Kayla and Regan balling their eyes out! Of course I teared up too, and it was such a special moment for me because I knew that they could feel my call too. The Lord has taught me this summer how to let Him lead my conversations, and because of that I have become bold in sharing my faith. The fear of rejection still lingers, but the fear of seeing those people go to Hell is stronger, and it is for that very reason that I love to share the Gospel.
Thursday morning was really great too. We went to several houses to share, and it one home, we encountered 4 young women. Those beautiful women reminded Regan, Kayla, and I of the friendship we share, and it was absolutely amazing to be able to talk to them TOGETHER. After visiting for a while and sharing our faith, all 4 of those women made the decision to accept Christ as their Savior. That was one of the best feelings knowing that we did it together.
On Wednesday afternoon, our Bible school got rained out, and it was so sad to see the children running after our van in the rain! They wanted to come so badly, and it broke our hearts to see that. But on Thursday, we decided that we would have Bible school rain or shine! So sure enough, it began raining during our lunch break. But this time, we got our rain jackets, ponchos, and even trash bags out and walked down to the small field where the Bible school would be held. A few cows attended our Bible school as well as 150 children plus mothers! 3 of those mothers were the young women we witnessed to earlier that day. We sang, gave the kids tattoos, and told the story of Jonah and the whale to the kids. It was so much fun!
We got finished a little earlier than the medical team just because we couldn't really do our coloring sheets in the rain. While waiting for them to finish, we began to sing outside of the church. We started out just singing to occupy ourselves, but over time, a crowd of about 50 people gathered. A lot of them were children, so of course, we had to sing some of our cheesy church camp songs. I personally love to sing silly songs--especially those with motions :) The favorite song of the day was "Baby Shark." Even though we couldn't sing it in Spanish, the Lord blessed our hearts by allowing us to connect with the people and see their beautiful smiles!
As the end of the week drew near, I was constantly reminded of the fact that I would be leaving very, very soon. I had knots in my stomach on the last night because I was dreading the next day. Leaving Larry and Sarah was so hard. They have become like family to me. They served as both parents and grandparents for me--and I mean that in a good way! They taught me so much this summer about what it is going to take for me to make it on the mission field. They are truly an inspiration to me, and I hope they know how much they mean to me.
Even though leaving them was hard, leaving the people and the country was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my entire life. I had not realized just how attached I had become, but I left a big piece of my heart there for sure. The Lord blessed me so much this summer, and those blessings are greater than anything I could ever describe through a story I write on this blog or a picture I could show you. The impressions the people have left on me this summer will be ones that I will never forget.
Please continue to pray for the people of Guatemala. Pray for their health and safety and for work, but most of all, pray for their hearts. So many people still have no clue who Jesus Christ is. So many of them are hungry for God's Word but have no access to it. So many need to know their worth in God's eyes. Just pray please...
And pray for me. I am assured of my calling to missions, and I know that the road before me is probably not going to be easy. Serving the Lord is never guaranteed to be a smooth ride, but I am willing and ready to go where He calls me, when He calls me. Please pray for me as I return to Ouachita and search for the place I will serve in the future.
I want to thank each and every one of you who has read this blog and prayed for me faithfully over the summer. You have no idea how unworthy I felt in just knowing that so many people were praying for me daily. You are truly a blessing in my life, and I will be forever grateful for the support you have offered me.
Dios te bendiga.
God bless you.
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