WE MADE IT! My squad arrived in Guatemala last weekend and have spent the past week getting settled at base & learning about the country & our ministries. It has been incredible and I already love this country and it’s people so much.
We live on an AIM base outside of Parramos, about 30 minutes from Antigua. Everyday I wake up in a room full of my teammates asleep in bunkbeds with handmade blankets on them & just get to be in awe of the Lord. His goodness and faithfulness shine through as I sit in my hammock on the patio and watch smoke come out of an active volcano while having my quiet time. Then we eat meals prepared by locals who work for the base and play with the base pets. Afterwords we head to ministry on chicken buses and spend hours pouring into the people of this incredible place.
Guatemala is a beautiful country with beautiful people and a beautiful language. They are interruptible, willing to listen to gringos who speak in broken Spanish who only know basic phrases and little bits of vocabulary(sorry Profe). They are generous, even if they have little to share they give it freely and joyfully. They are full of joy, constantly entertained by us and our American ways. If you want to be humbled try to help Guatemalan kids make origami boats or try and talk to a 13 year old girl through google translate. I pray I become more like the Guatemalan people, interruptible, generous, and joyful. All that to say that it’s still hard despite how easy it might be to romanticize this lifestyle. There are spiders in my bed, poverty is everywhere and so painful to see first hand, and the language barrier is really tough. I’ve been pulled out of my comfort zone so many times in the past week & it is scary. But I’m so grateful for it, there is so much freedom in walking the path the Lord has laid out for you, in leaning in closer to Him daily, in pouring out the love He’s shown you to everyone you can.
I can’t wait to see what He continues to do through my squad and my team as we get more involved with our ministries next week! Please continue to pray for us and the work that we are doing here!
All my love,
Grace
Love you Gracie! Sounds like such an awesome adventure except for the spiders!?? So very proud of you young lady! God is leading you through this journey. Praying for you and all the team everyday ! Keep being the hands and feet of Jesus. Sending lots of hugs and kisses. Grandma loves you so very much!????
Your updates are the most interesting read & I almost feel like I’m there with you. Sounds like you are experiencing a lot in such a short period of time. Actually sounds fantastic (except for spiders in your bed..ooh) You are such an inspiring young woman & I know that God is watching over you & your team. Continue your great journey & embrace this fabulous opportunity that has been given to you. Again, I so look forward to your updates. I’ll continue to pray for you & your team as you follow God’s calling. Love & hugs to you always Grace….Aunt Joyce
Keep trusting, keep leaning in & He will keep showing up! Stepping out of your comfort zone is hard & this is only the beginning;) If only you’d know where God was going to lead you perhaps that 4th year of Spanish wouldn’t have seemed so daunting. All my love & prayers always