I was first getting up at 4 am to leave for the airport I had a gut wrenching feeling that I would lose parts of myself and gain a new identity. Before I left, I felt as if I was at a crossroads separating living for myself and my own selfish desires or would I allow Christ to take the wheel and let my life be selfless. Everyone knows there comes a point in time where you must decide who you want to be and what you want your purpose in life to be and then walk in that. Before I left, I can honestly say I had no clue of what I wanted or who I was going to be I just knew where I was and who I was "supposed" to be. It was disheartening because I truly felt the person I was becoming was not the person I endeavored to be rather the product of living in a selfish and confused world. So I left what I knew and I am thankful for the opportunity for I found a new identity in the small and sketchy city of Chiquimulilla.
When I first arrived in Guatemala I noticed right off the bat that this would not be like home. My surroundings was an oasis as if I was completely cut off from all that I knew and I would have to be open to new insights and new living quarters and a different lifestyle than I am accustomed to at home. Fe Viva, a missions base and foundation would be my home for the next ten days. The people we all first met were the associates and directors of Fe Viva. Lars and Lyvanne were true servants of Christ leaving their life in Brtish Colombia to serve and minister to the people of Guatemala. Their daughter Meaghan was also joining their new life in Guatemala and it was clear to me that even though it was difficult to adapt, they all truly loved their new home for they had a purpose and the call of God on their lives kept them from looking back instead turning their eyes to the future and living the now.
The first thing I learned when staying at Fe Viva was not running within the base especially when it was raining. Now you would think that it is common sense, but when it is pouring rain and you see shelter ahead the first instinct is to walk as quickly as you can towards the shelter and enter quickly so you can escape the rain. Ha! I learned that the floors are very slippery when wet and its impossible to catch your fall when you are wearing flip flops so of course I fell 3 times before I realized there was no way you can escape falling if you do not take you time and just deal with getting soaked or carry an umbrella everywhere you go. Needless to say, I just learned how to deal with being soaked. The others of my team tried not to laugh but I could tell they were thinking to themselves how crazy these ten days were going to be since I wasn't exactly like them.
I also took things too literally so when Carla was saying we were going to "pick up guys" in bars I literally thought they wanted us to go to a bar and meet guys. I knew once I said it aloud that it was not what they meant. "Pick up guys" in Guatemala in their context means to pick up the alcoholics from the bar floors and bring them to House of Refuge ( Casa Refugio) in the back of the pick up truck. Whoops! O well it gave everyone a laugh and I learned it would be a lot harder to not say stupiud things then I thought it would be. NOTE: There was no driving rules other than two people in the front must have working seatbelts. So I didn't even think picking up guys meant that. However, that was quite an experience especially since these men looked and smelt like they hadn't showered for a week at least and it was clear to me that they weren't very coherent most of the time. So ministering to these drunks and alcoholics about God's grace certainly gave me perspective and I knew that they needed to hear the message of God's salvation and grace even moreso.
I asked myself two questions the entire night: Why was I here in Guatemala? What was God wishing for me to learn and see? I know the next 9 days would help me answer them.
When I got home I was soaked because of course I couldn't find my umbrella before we left so I just dealt with being soaked. Actually it was kind of refreshing after a hot sweaty day.
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