“How’s Guatemala? It looks like your having so much fun”. Those words ring through my head, and my text messages everyday. “What’s it like? Do you like it?” Oh, how badly I wish you could feel that little girl softly grab your hand with her cold fingers. I wish you could see her starving eyes look you in the eyes, and feel your heart want to give her everything you have. I wish you could see the joy on their face when loudly speaking in a American accent “Que pasa la calabaza” (what’s up pumpkin). I wish you walked about at the end of the day covered in mud from playing soccer in dirt fields. I wish you felt their childish embrace from all sides, with laughs echoing the room. I wish you made bricks out of mud with my best bud Esbean. I wish you saw the bed a whole family shares. I wish you saw the generosity in their hearts, while having so little. I wish you saw that entitlement doesn’t reside here. I wish you saw those little toes peaking though their shoes. I wish you heard them singing, and dancing louder then we can play the guitar. I wish you saw how thankful these they are. I wish you saw how dependent they are on God. I wish you saw the food they feed their animals, because they barely have enough for themselves. I wish you saw the twelve year old girl raising her baby brother. I wish you felt our homesickness here. I wish you could feel the parasites crawling around our stomachs. I wish you saw the dance parties. I wish you heard the crying at night. I wish you saw the little Christmas tree in our room. I wish you heard all the prayers. I wish you saw how blessed we are to have warm showers. I wish you saw how many times people think about going home. I wish you saw the things we really don’t need. I wish you saw that God provides for all our needs. I wish you saw the joy from having so little, but yet so much. I wish you saw that “it looks so fun” only because the joy of the Lord is upon me. Thank you Jesus. It is so hard, but God is that much greater. I wish you all could experience this, but until that day, know that it is good because the Lord is good. It is fun because this is where the Lord has called me. It’s an honor to be doing what we are doing, because for the Lord it is worth it all. There are days when it feel like this will never come to an end, but then I am reminded of what the Lord has done, and I simply do not want it to end. I know many of you would love to be doing this, but God has simply not called you here, so thank you for allowing me to experience it. So many people say, “it looks cool” and if that’s true then I’m doing it wrong. I pray that while doing this it encourages people to pray about ministries they could be doing, whether that is in the U.S or overseas, whatever it may be, there are always more ways to be sharing God’s love. If I’m doing this trust me you can share the love of Christ too, whatever that may be. I’m a potato, but God can use anyone who says yes to Him. So please say yes and see what He does :). I also wanted to portray to you the reality of being here. It’s not a cool thing I wanted to try, it’s not trendy, and it’s not to travel the world. If you know me you know my favorite holiday is the 4th of July, and I strongly believe there is no one more patriotic then myself (GOD BLESS AMERICA;)). The reason for being here is simply out of obedience to the Lord, and trust me it doesn’t feel cool lol. BUT I will say this, hearing the Lord is the coolest thing ever, and following where He is leading is worth it every time. What I’m doing is not cool, but what the Lord is doing is SO COOL. The Lord heals, He comforts, He listens, He’s worthy of it all, and He reveals Himself more and more to those who love Him. I love Jesus, and that’s the whole story I ever want to tell. I pray that the stories I’ll be able to tell are the testimonies the Lord is showing me. The character of God will never be fully learned on earth, so until that day I’ll keep searching. So when people say “what is it like?” this is the raw reality of what it’s like. Normally I would respond with “it’s definitely interesting, and the Lord is good” so I pray this blog gives you a little glimpse of life here.
Thank you for your prayers, I am praying for all of you, and praying that you all are encouraged to do one more thing for the Lord this Christmas. Sad to say this is the first year I won’t be in my Christmas Eve PJ’s but the Lord will fill the homesick hearts, and it will be worth it. Thank you for allowing me to do this, and I pray one day you can see this too.
“The Lord longs to gracious to you, blessed all who wait for him” (Isaiah 30:18).
{worship while you wait}
His love, nomes
—P.S I’m writing on my phone, sorry it probably sounds like I’m partly illiterate 🙂
