Guatemala week 3

Hello Everyone

Hello Everyone! I am so glad you are back to read again and see what God is up to!

Life Update

My daily life has switched schedules yet again as political turmoil risises in Guatemala. I am safe and well with no real threat to me in any way, and the situation is being continuously monitored for changes. I have been only able to be out and about in Sumpango, so our ministries and programs are limited. But we still have stuff to do and help with and our team is actually using the time to connect with eachother, our host and city better witch is really sweet to see. Food will be more pricy and certain foods may not be available for a while but we still have plenty of good food to eat so I am fed and grateful. I am enjoying my time with God and my group through this.

What’s going on in Guatemala & what’s God doing in Guatemala?

Here in Guatemala “more than 120 roadblocks have snarled traffic and disrupted commerce as thousands of farmers and members of Indigenous communities demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and express their support for incoming progressive President-elect Bernardo Arévalo.” (ABC News report) and because our Ministries are in villages outside of Sumpango, we cannot get through the blockades to reach them. So the last couple days and this present week we will not be doing programs with the children. But while we are stuck in Sumpango, we have been asking the Lord what He has for us here and we have been reaching out to local people and working to love our hosts even better with our “free” time. We will be painting the Pila among other indoor updates at the ministry house and we also will still be able to do Kindom Table (in a more limited fashion) because that is a Sumpango based ministry. We are also taking this time to grow closer to God and as a team and are attempting to be intentional with the new “free” time.

Thursday was Bible study/activation day again. It’s every othe week. He did a teaching on healing and the will of God, then sent us out to go pray for people. My group met two lovely older gentlemen, one of which had a broken leg, and both of which loved Jesus and had a personal relationship with Him. We chatted about their lives and eneded praying for the man’s leg. They thanked us and we parted ways to go debrief. Everyone that day had found someone who had some kind of traffic incident, t pray for. We had team time and more testimony time that night as we continue to build internal relationships. That’s when our host told us the road blocks had gone up near us and ministry in the villages would be postponed.

Friday we decided to bless the host by cleaning the whole house together, so after our time in the prayer room we spent most of the day cleaning. Team time and testimonies were at the end of the day and then I watched a movie with Emma and Kelsey with snacks, on the couch, and it was very nice to spend time with them both.

Saturday had no set plans so I blessed my team by reheating a soup, with some for everyone, heating some beans for bean bread and making tea for everyone who wanted it for lunch. We did the food shopping for the week that day and ened with a team bonding movie night set up in the living room. We did a session of writing our hopes and dreams with the Lord and I made hot chocolate for those who wanted it before we sat down to watch the movie. It was really nice to spend time with everyone.

A pic of the market

Sunday was Sabbath and we did a team church on the balcony/roof with worship music by Emma, then prayer and what God has been teaching or revealing to us and prayer requests. We went out at one point to journal at a coffee shop and God blessed me with a weather anomaly and it was very sweet.

Coffee Shop fun pics

Monday was “Adventure Day” we met up and prayed about the day and we each split up to follow what God called us to. My instructions was “follow the water” and the rain was starting to come down a lot and we live in the mountains so I was like “Okay…Downhill I guess” then Emma said she wanted to go to the Dump and I jumped up and was like “That is down the hill! I think we are paired up for this!” So we decided to follow the streams of water outside the house and it led us to AND stopped at the dump. It was so cool. We talked to three women on our walk and prayed for them.

Fundraising Update

I am doing a fundraiser on social media today that’s a $10 on the 10th of October (the tenth month) to help keep up with fundraising and my heart was so warmed to see someone give $10 almost right away. It is so humbling to be loved so well by so many people. God’s goodness and provision is shown so clearly to me through everyone’s generosity. Please keep praying that I continue to move towards my goal, however God provides it. Currently I am 62% raised and hopefully after today we can make it to around 65%!

Spiritual Update

As I am given more time to spend with God and my team I have deeply loved our Biblical discussions. We had one at lunch and it is so nice to see into the hearts and minds of my team as we search the Bible and go to God for answers together. I am also trying to grow in my realtionship with the Lord as I make “hopes and dreams with the Lord” for the first time. I’m not gonna lie I was so deeply irrationally afraid of doing this that I almost had a panic attack, and struggled to do it because I felt it was a demand and also left space for injured expectations on my end, but God spoke to me some through the calm of my teammates and I wrote some but did not write many. Then at the coffee shop God sent me rainbow clouds THAT I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE and I felt God telling me in that moment that He already knows the desires of my heart and wants to give them to me and is actively working them to me. I don’t have to be worried or afraid and I can trust Him. I told my teammate and she said that God is “really after your heart” and she was very right.

Rainbow clouds!

Prayers

Please be praying for a continued healing and health for all my team members

Prayers for the political climate here in Guatemala. Pray that the people make a lasting point and the new president gets into office and handles the corruption as he says he will. And pray for the people here as food and product prices rise because of the road blocks. That it resolves quickly

Pray for God to help us to use our time wisely and in ways that glorify Him

Answered prayers!

My team is improving greatly in health currently and it is such a blessing

Thank you

Thank you so much everyone for your continued love and support in this journey! Please be praying extra for the country right now as me and my team will be too! I appreciate you all!