what does love look like?

“We ought to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3

This verse stuck out to me the other day, and it has become my prayer for this team as we continue to grow and learn more about each other. It is amazing to me how a group of almost 20 people can get so close in such a short amount of time. And it is so crazy how fast my heart attaches itself to a place, and to these people, so much that it feels like home.

We’ve had a fantastic week! Highlights have been: eating fresh pineapple, mango, and avocado, watching Elizabeth eat a cockroach, learning new songs on guitar, watching epic lightning storms, hiking up a mountain to a waterfall, and having a sweaty dance party. We're living la vida loca!

This week has been full of a lot of ministry, times of intense prayer and worship, and also lots of laughter. We visited the market to talk to people and do a few of our dramas. We were able to pray for many people; it still surprises me at how open the people of Guatemala are to receive what God has for them. We also went to the children’s hospital again, and got to visit the special needs school for the first time! Those kids were SO much fun. They have an incredible amount of energy, and so much love to give. As soon as we walked through the gate they were all over us. Endless hugs, smiles, and piggyback rides. Playing with those kids was such a perfect example to me of how love knows no bounds. Love has no language barrier, no limits, and no end. That’s what makes this so much fun – we get a glimpse of what God sees every day.

Me with Nacho!

Guatemala is teaching me that love can be given (and received) in many different ways. The way God loves us is very personal – He knows the best way to reach our hearts and He knows when we need an encounter with Him. Some people hear Him in the silence. Others need healing, or they just need someone to tell them that they are beautiful and important. The part we get to play is listening to what God says about someone, and loving them where they are. As hard as that is, we have the opportunity to show people who God is, and that’s so powerful!

It is my desire to see the way our Father sees. I want to be in tune with His heart, to hear His voice, and to respond wholeheartedly and with no hesitation. Sometimes it is really hard to wrap my head around what I’m experiencing, and sometimes I completely forget I’m in another country; it still blows my mind that I’m actually here. But I know that the things I am learning about who God is and who He says I am – that’s not just something for this place. My heart is learning a new song, and I will carry this with me for the rest of my life.