Has the Lord ever called you to do something CRAZY?  Like get on a plane to a foreign country with a group of strangers, not knowing what you’ll do or where you’ll stay once your feet hit the ground?!  For this Type A, hyper-planning, uber-structured gal, this was a massive risk, and massively uncomfortable.  And I did this very thing, early in 2013.

After reading Wrecked by Jeff Goins and following him on Twitter (@jeffgoins), I saw a tweet come across about a Wrecked Vision Trip he was hosting in Guatemala. Even though the uncertainty of the trip frightened the bejesus out of me, I decided it was the PERFECT season of life to take a risk… and this became the first risk of many.

 

On that maiden trip back in 2013, I fell in love with a country and a people who desperately need the hope and love of Jesus.

On our first trip we…

• visited communities and precious Treasures who reside around the perimeter of the Guatemala City dump. Every day ~12,000 of these sweet people scavenge the dump, searching for salvageable items to resell.  Typically, they earn $2 a day.  On a GOOD day, they earn $5. To do this, we had to walk through some of the filthiest garbage and inhale the vilest scent imaginable.  Even after I got back to Texas, the stench remained on my clothes. Some of the homes we visited were basically 4 tin walls; other “nicer” homes were 4 cinderblock walls.  Interestingly enough, Guatemalans take SO MUCH PRIDE in their homes and treated us like royalty as we stepped inside. Their hospitality is second to none!

• loved on outcast children in a cerebral palsy ward who desperately desire to feel the loving touch and the kind, soothing voice of another human being.

• rocked and loved malnourished babies and children. Sometimes mothers feed their babies coffee because either there is no milk or they lack the education for proper child nutrition.

• went to a grandpa’s home and fell in love with old folks who have long been abandoned by their families. We played cards, fixed hair, painted fingernails, danced and simply sat with them and watched them chuckle with delight when we attempted to speak in Spanish. We laughed for days when the nurses brought around afternoon shots of tequila for all the residents to enjoy!

 

• played and played and played some more with children living in an orphanage. Interestingly enough, they knew EXACTLY how to work an iPhone! They navigated mine looking for “juegos” and took lots of selfies.

Here’s a short video about that monumental first trip. (Don’t hate on my southern accent game, lol.)

In addition to the missions work, our lodging pushed me WAY out of my comfort zone. I knew we were staying in a hostel (note: my first time EVER to stay in a hostel), but I had NO idea what I was getting into.  When we arrived the first evening, I remember being RELIEVED to see a sign that said FREE WIFI because SOCIAL MEDIA.  But I was less than relieved when I entered my hostel bedroom. It was MAYYYYYBE 8 x 8 with 3 twin size beds and a door that didn’t close all the way (leaving us vulnerable to peeping Toms).  I shared this room with 2 other girls.  Our mattresses were basically a three inch piece of foam on top of a piece of plywood.  There was NO air conditioner. We laughed for about 30 minutes straight at the utter shock of what we had gotten ourselves into.  Looking back, I think the laughter was to cover the sheer panic of our reality.  😛

And the bathroom…oh the bathroom…It was outside in a separate little area, a few steps away from our room.  And EVERYONE at the hostel shared the bathroom, not just peeps on our team.  (Oh and by the way, in Guatemala, you can’t flush toilet paper, so everyone’s TP goes in a basket by the toilet!)   Our “hot” water was generated by an ELECTRICAL showerhead.  (Did you see that?! ELECTRICITY… going to the SHOWERHEAD… to warm the water!) And we quickly learned of our impeding death should we touch the showerhead.  So we mostly suffered through cold showers.  I was NEVER so glad to get back to the states and take the HOTTEST. SHOWER. EVER!

It’s interesting because through our mission work and some crazy boarding conditions, I bonded with 20 other individuals and formed lifelong friendships.  I think it’s pretty common for mission teams to travel, exchange contact information with promises to keep in touch, and then never speak to one another again. But our team was different. It was obviously God-ordained.  Most of us are in regular contact, celebrating successes and grieving losses. We have supported each other’s additional mission trips, professional endeavors and enter into genuine intercession for one another.

In a nutshell, this trip changed my life.  I went back 6 months later and have been back to Guatemala every year since then.  And something interesting has happened each time I’ve returned. All these little inconveniences (lack of comfortable bed, little to no hot water, no air conditioning, etc.) aren’t really inconvenient anymore. Now they are really no big deal. Isn’t it interesting how the Lord adapts and changes you when you are fulfilling His purposes and bringing glory to His name?

This coming week, 7 of us will be returning to Guatemala.  We can’t wait to get to the Potter’s House, wade through the filth and stench to visit the home we built for a family on our last trip.  We can’t wait to be reunited with our sponsor children, seeing how much they’ve grown and matured and reminding them of the strong bond and love we have for them.  And THIS trip, we are delving into a new ministry opportunity where we will work with teachers!! How cool is that?!  I work with US educators every day and am BEYOND excited to share my knowledge and expertise with educators in Guatemala.

When I returned from my first trip, a friend asked me (in all sincerity) why I went to Guatemala when there was SO much work to be done here in the states.  My answer was simple.  When God calls you, you have to go.  Whether it’s Appalachia, inner city LA, Guatemala or the ends of the earth.  Even though I consciously CHOSE to take a risk and go to Guatemala, the Lord clearly laid it on my heart, divinely orchestrating the circumstances (leading up to my reading of Wrecked) and made a way for me to go.  It was an undeniable still small voice calling me to obedience.  And I said YES!  Guatemala holds my heart. My girl is there. I have precious friends there. And the Lord is mightily at work!

Would you please pray for my team and me this week?  Specifically, I will be speaking to a group of teachers who are weary from just finishing out the school year. (Summer vacation begins in October in Guatemala.) Please pray for our safety and also for the Lord to use us mightily for His Kingdom.

Have you taken a short term missions trip?  Where did you go? I’d love to learn more about your experience(s) and places that hold a special place in your heart.  Please share in the comments below.