Guatemala week 2

Hello Everyone

Hi all! Sorry I am late with this post, there was a lot going on this last week and had not gotten a chance to compile it all nicely for you until today!

---

Life Update

Living with such a well connected and dedicated ministry organization like Reindom is definitely a blessing but the schedule takes some getting used to. They days are good but very long, our impact is big but very emotionally and physically taxing. My need for some personal time management has become evident so I dont burn out, though, it may prove a but trucky with such limited personal time. So I have started to try to plan for it for this week and hopefully it proves helpful. I am optimistic. My team is such a wonderful group of girls and I find myself looking forward to our hangout times, because they are such great people to be hanging out with. This team in this place is clearly God ordained as my team seems so well fit into the roles asked of us here.

A picture of my team when we got to Guatemala

 

---

What is God doing in Guatemala?

So much. Kids day is a holiday celebrating children (like we would celebrate mothers day or fathers day) that they have here and this year it fell on October 1st and let me tell you, they go big for the kids and it is so beautiful to see. But starting from the beginning of the week, My Sabbath was Monday so I will start with Tuesday ministry.

We started in the prayer room and the song Open the Scroll by Upper room played and it really moved my heart and showed up throughout the day. I did ministry at the small village house again and today I was doing kitchen work. I helped prep, cook, and bring down the food and drinks from the third floor kitchen. I served drinks to all the kids and then sat and ate with the little kids again but this time they knew me much better and had more fun with my presence. I played Jenga with a little girl only using three blocks because she couldn’t fin the others, and her joy in such a little and broken game was so beautiful and encouraging. Though, after, I had to help with dishes I learned the Kids learned Revelation 4 and 5 which the prayer room song had been about. At the end of the day with the kids I played hide the chicken toy with 3 kids and they thought me “trying to find it” was SO funny. I taught them the word “chick” as in Spanish it is “Pollito”(said like poy “e” toe. “Pollo (said like poyo) is chicken. And adding “ito” to a word means that the object, person or thing is little, so a chick would translate as little chicken. The boy who owned they toy had asked and giggled so much when I told him it was called “chick”, I imagine it would be funny to remove part of chicken and make it a smaller word to show a smaller bird and it sounds funny too. I also took turns swinging kids around and playing with them until the bus came.

Me playing with a kid outside the house

Wednesday is Kingdom table day in the mornings so we wake up and leave by 6. This time our team split in two and one half did sports ministry in the nearby villages while the other did Kindom table. One team member stayed home to get over a sickness she had been fighting. I was in the group doing Kindom table! We walked supplies over and met up with the kids and I was very happy to see my friend again. We were in the same group again for the walk and invite portion but I talked to his teacher most for the walk when she was not talking and inviting people. I helped serve food then ate with a very lovely woman, an older man with limited social manners but plenty of confidence, a young mother and her two kids who lived in the area and a quiet elderly woman with a cane till the kids had a graduation ceremony and got certificates and cheered for them. They could now choose to come back on their own terms as school ended some said they would. I said goodbye to all of them and helped the older woman walk all the way out to the street then cleaned up. We had a surprise pizza party celebration for the kids back at the house for lunch, with soda and pizza and they all were able to express their gratitude and show their language skills off a little bit and just have fun all together. Next we had to go to the village house for the oldest kid classes. I was asked to immediately start off with teaching the words for colors to the kids in English and it was hard because I had no idea what I was doing but it went over well. Alayna and Emma did their own classes after me and had time to prepare, so it all ended well. Then I was sent up to help with art class and we all painted the same picture and I worked really hard on mine and the kids were very impressed and I told them they could do that too with enough practice. The sports ministry team showed up and shared their day and stories with us and we shared ours too. As a cute note, I played tickle tag with the kids on the street, while waiting for the bus and one in particular loves it and tries to start it every time he sees me and it is just so cute.

Us after teaching

The Kindom table set up

My art from the class

 

Thursday there was no activation Bible study like there was the week before, because it runs every other week. So we did a fast. I woke up at 7, read my Bible for 30min then met everyone in the Prayer room for praying for Reindom and the people we/they reach and that was about two hours and Emma did some live music too. It was a really great experience and was a great start to our half day free.

The view from a coffee shop in Antigua and a picture from the Sushi place we stopped for dinner

Friday was supposed to be both rest and set up for Saturday. We got to honor the host and clean the house and prp things like name tags and snacks for the kids and I made little origami paper starts for the kids that were going to come to the big Kids day field trip we had planned for them the next day. Reindom had been raising money to bless all the kids by bringing them on a big fun trip to Guatemala City to go to a museum and the movies and was able to get all the funds to achieve it.

Saturday is the Kids day trip. We showed up with balloons to cheer the kids onto the buses and they were so clearly excited. Some kids told me they couldn’t even sleep the night before and a lit of the kids I asked said that it was there first time going to Guatemala City. It was a long drive but the energy re-surged as we got close. They were in high anticipation as we walked to the museum. I met my two other team leaders for the adventure and them and my 9 kids went in. The kids LOVED it, and it was fun for everyone. There was so many exhibits and games that the excited kids barely knew what exhibits to try. They got cotton candy as a gift on the way out and we stopped at a Pizza Hut for their lunch and both energy and hunger was high as the kids each awaited their lunch. I talked and laughed with one leader and the kids at my table and it was a pleasant break. Next was the movies and my soda and cotton candy filled kids could barely hold still to wait in line for their movie treats or to boldly try an escalator for the first time. They did really great all things considered and even the most timid of them gave it a go. The movie was Super Mario bros and it was a big hit. We gave presents to each kid and then got on the bus to go home. Bus rides in between stops were lots of hugs and goofing around but for the ride back the kids taught me a couple of games to play with them as they waited to get home and I played those and tickled and laughed and kept up spirits for the journey, occationally talking to the other leaders riding along as well. My bus number 1 of two had a problem and we had to switch out and were late getting back, but everyone got home safe and sound. It was clear to me how blessed by the love and patience given to them that day.

A couple of pictures from the Kids day outing

Sunday was Sabbath and I was blessed by my squad leader in our conversation on Biblical topics over trying a mint mocha from a local café.

 

Mocha and journal pic

Monday was usually a day of either rest or adventure for us but it was the last day of school for the kids in the main village and they were doing their own last day of school and Kids day celebration that we were going to be a part of. We got up at 7 am, and all did our hair in silly pigtails or buns then drove out to the village. We got silly glasses and headbands and danced, sang and played with the kids throughout the whole celebration. They did games with balancing plastic balls on spoons and two kids in one shirt vs another pair in soccer. We had pizza and soda and as each class got to hit their piñata, the others got a special ice cream sundae. They were very happy to see us and for the festivities and the day ended with many many loving hugs. I gave my headband to a little boy who asked (he was the one who loved tickle tag) he looked so happy to have such an easy gift for me to give. Blessing him blessed me. At dinner we got to talk some with Ivan and it felt nice to connect to our host and I think he liked the intentionally too.

Kids day at school in the yard

Tuesday I got to take a little break and find all the photos and stories I would need to right this and we sat in a coffee shop to do so with good Wi-Fi  so I could bless you with the stories of all God has brought about here!

Hot chocolate and journal for optimal focus lol

 

---

Fundraising Update

We made it to 60%! God is faithful to show that He put me here and will provide for me. He raised up a lot of members in my home church to fundraise on my behalf too currently and I am so humbled and grateful for them listening to God’s voice and God sending me the needed support through them. Definitely keep praying and I will keep trusting and praying as well!

---

Spiritual Update

Thursday I was faced with my pain in my past (as I did my testimony for team time), my pride in thinking I know best and control in wanting the things in my future to go as I want. I realized that in the surrender of my life that I had mainly given the things I could stand to lose, and were very outward physical things, but was still holding on to things that I wanted to control: my future, my desires, the person I am, my freedom, and my hope, so I was prompted to surrender all of my life and I said I would, so me and God have been working on figuring out what that looks like/will look like in my life. I am interested in seeing the good things God will bring into my life, and the person I will become, as I follow Him more and more.

---

Prayers

Please be praying for two members of my team having some health issues. Ryann and Kelsey have been having some possible stomach issues that have been stickingaround for about a week now. And although I can’t say everyone on the team has tummy issues are actually problematic, please feel free to pray for everyones stomach and health as well.

Please pray for Reindom, that they continue to trust and move following God’s lead as the are continually expanding and connecting. Pray for funds and people to rise up and join them in their pursuit of bringing the Kingdom of heaven to Earth and showing and sharing God’s love with all the people in Guatemala.

Please pray for the people Reindom, me and my team reaches. That the word of God sinks in and becomes real to them and that they grow in their relationships with God and good community.

Pray for Guatemala and the people here. Pray for a breaking of strongholds and generational curses and for a healing of residual anger or pain. Pray that God’s presence and love becomes clearly evident in their lives and draws them to the freedom, forgiveness, restoration and Love found in Him.

Pray for me as I am trying to connect across a language barrier to reach people in love. For knowledge, boldness and confidence. Pray that my relationship with God grows deeper and my heart and mind are renewed to look more like Him.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me in this journey! You helped make this possible and continue to do so! I have been able to help teach, feed and love on over 100 kids and help feed about about 25 adults with all the programs Reindom does here in Guatemala. And with every event the Gospel is shared in some way and people are encouraged in their walk with the Lord. It has been only about one month on mission and I have done so much. Praise God and thank you all. I look forward to keeping you updated!