This week has been my favorite week in Guatemala so far. It’s the first week that we’ve really done things outside of our little neighborhood in Puerto Barrios. On Sunday we spent the day at this amazing waterfall, we went there with our church for baptisms but afterward we hiked up the waterfall and swam and jumped into the current for as long as we could till he forced us down the river. It was by far one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. We visited the trash dump and the nursing home again this week, but the highlight of my week was definitely when one of the...

Hey everyone!  So this is our 3rd week in Guatemala. So far it has been incredible! However, it has been A LOT harder than I expected! The first 2 weeks really dragged on…We spent majority of the days playing cards and taking “siestas.” (Not what I thought I signed up for!) I have been on several mission trips that have been incredible! We where constantly doing ministry and really saw Gods work at hand! The culture here is very laid back…and getting to go out for 4 hours is a big deal! I’m really praying that this changes..But if it...

          Yesterday (September 20th…I wrote this on the 21st.) was my 22ndbirthday and God blessed me with the opportunity to celebrate it with my amazing team in Guatemala. Little did I know the celebration would start at 5AM.  I heard rustling outside of my bedroom door and then a round of firecrackers exploded as my whole team flooded into my room and began singing Happy Birthday. I have become accustomed to hearing those firecrackers around Guatemala and so my roommates were more scared of the firecrackers than I was. =P I...

  After a great free day last Thursday, filled with talking to family and friends and even an impromptu adventure to the beach, I was ready and excited to start another week of ministry. That excitement quickly went away and turned into feelings of wanting to go home, feeling like I don't have a purpose here, and a feeling of simply not wanting to be here. Friday and Saturday were difficult days. Our team no longer felt like a family. In addition to the lack of unity we were feeling, our team physically wasn't doing well. Thankfully I didn't get sick, but our team as...

Sunday I went to paradise.                 It literally looked like a scene from a movie. After riding up the side of the mountain for a while in our limousine (the old panel van), the scenery drastically changed from the failing infrastructure of the city to green life of a jungle. When we arrived, pictures can’t even describe how beautiful it was. The river was gorgeous, crystal clear with dense, green trees everywhere. We were there with the church for a special baptism service. Turns out one of my teammates, Erika, got baptized that day...

 Hey everyone! 🙂 It is already Thursday again. I seriously cannot believe it. Time flew so fast this past week. Crazy crazy stuff. This whole experience so far has honestly turned my world upside down about what missions really is and what god expects from us. I came here thinking I was going to change the world and be out none stop, But god had different plans for my group and i. It has been very still and quiet. God has taught me to be still in his word and trust him in what he has for me down here in Guatemala. I have begun to know Christ as a friend again and wow that’s an...

Hola!! 2nd week in Puerto Barrios!! So far, it’s been GOOD. The sun rises and scorches its heat whenever it pleases but we’ve had some occasional rains especially at night! Yay for showers in the rain! Honestly, I’ve been only getting showers every 2 days and man oh man. But God has really blessed us abundantly. Everywhere we go he had set divine appointments for us with these genuine people. We got the chance to go back to the elderly home but because a lot of us have been sick, only a few of us were able to go. Still, it was so much fun! We sang and dance and played...

Hola Amigos!   I haven’t written a blog in two weeks! I have been very ill for quite sometime. From rashes, parasites, a fever, ear infection… I know the doctor here by name. I was beginning to question why the lord even wanted me here in Puerto Barrios. I’d like to share an experience with you all. When I first went to the hospital here, I went to the free clinic (my choice). I was put into a large room with an assortment if different patients. The woman next to me was vomiting off the side of her bed, a lot. She had this pile of puke that was just on the floor....

Lately I’ve been trying been trying to pinpoint the moment on the World Race (life) when I stopped doing and started being. I think I found it. I think it was about the moment I decided just to be me. You can read about that moment here. The reason I’ve been pondering it is because I know what a difference it made. When I decided life was ministry (thank you Kathryn Gironimi), it freed me to just be. To stop striving and start abiding. It was such a radical difference that I’d forgotten until recently it took me nine months on the race for this shift to occur. I remember...

This week has been a slower week, with a lot of time spent reading, worshiping and getting to know my teammates more. I guess ¨longer term¨ trips are sort of like that. Not every day is packed with endless activities and things to do. It´s been interesting and different, but I do think God is using it for the good of our team. Time to know Him deeper. Time to really examine our hearts. I know for me personally He has used some of this down time for me to really come face to face with Him. It´s good, but scary too. I´m realizing that when God calls you to go deeper...

Its been hard to put my thoughts together that I may write a blog. So here are the thoughts that come to me as I type. It may look a bit scattered:  I am physically exhausted and spiritually tired. I haven't been spending enough time with my Daddy. I feel the weight of trying to cram everything I can in one day. I want to be the kind of leader that I would follow. I want to set an example of what a man of God looks like that is chasing after God. I give all I have and now I feel spent. I am also sick. It has been tough to find the resources to get all my duties done when I...