This week was such an amazing week. Today is our last night in Guatemala and I can’t believe that it’s Saturday already. I really learned a lot at Guatemala. It really changed me a lot. When I first came to Guatemala, I was really excited and nervous because it was my first mission trip. I wasn’t sure at first if this mission trip would be a life changing experience for me, but now I’m sure it changed my life.
I learned the value of relationship. I didn’t know a lot of people on our team so I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy my mission trip. But I got to know every single person on our team. We had a small meeting every evening after dinner. We talked about what we felt and learned that day. We also played games at night which really bonded us together. We had a story time with about 10 people and it really helped me to know about others. Our team also got to know the Bantas and Carlos. It was actually them who taught us and helped us to learn more about God and see Jesus in Guatemala.
I was also really impressed to see the Guatemalan kids. They were so bright and full of happiness even though they are living in harsh conditions. I always think about and pray for myself at home. But meeting those Guatemalan kids, I thought that I should spend some time praying for the kids in Guatemala. I felt like I have been way more immature than the Guatemalan kids. I give up easily or ask my parents or friends to help me a lot when I have some problems. But those Guatemalan kids just never give up. They find hope for their lives through playing soccer. They never keep their smiley faces down. I was really impressed by the way kids are so happy even though they don’t have anything. They also really welcomed our team. They wanted to play with us. That’s all they wanted. I’m sad that we didn’t have more opportunities to play with those kids and plant hopes in their hearts. Hopefully next year (:
- Jung Yul
Hola Amigos!
This is Bob. If you don’t know who I am, ask your children in about 36 hours. With that said, our trip is coming to a close. We will soon return your student – hopefully changed by the exposure of the week and the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s difficult to consider all of the aspects of this week succinctly, however, our final day of ministry did help close our thoughts. Today was spent focusing on life beyond our week, beyond our experiences and beyond our own imaginations, but certainly not beyond our God. John and Amy spent the morning casting the vision of the future ministries that are ahead for GSM in the next few months. God has provided opportunities that only he can prepare with promising land and facilities possibilities. After a classic sandwich, chips and tang lunch, we moved on to Pinitos, a neighborhood in which the team last year worked. Being my first time, I witnessed the children of the neighborhood greet our team with broad smiles, big hugs and fresh memories. The team was incredibly encouraged to see the produce of the seeds that their labors and relationships last year, and even reinvest in the relationships via hugs, broken conversations and gifts of beanie babies, which is an equivalent of Christmas morning to the children whose parents earn their living by drying out cow intestines to sell as hotdog casings. In conclusion, the moral of the day: God is at work above and beyond our presence, our efforts or even our imaginations. A comforting thought as we leave our work and relationships behind as we trust God to work beyond us.
Bob
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