Day 1

There is a breeze blowing and a chill in the air. In the distance I hear a dog barking and because Tuesday is holiday, someone is beginning the celebration early with fireworks. People are scattered around the house after a busy day either talking to their loved ones or sleeping. And I am here...feeling the need to blog, wanting to blog, but not being sure of what it is I want to say.

We made it to Guatemala yesterday. From the time the morning started, the Lord was clearly already working. I love those times when it is so easy to see His hand at work.

The two of us that did not actually have seats on the second leg of the journey and that had been praying we would be given seats received them. Because of that, our entire team arrived within minutes of each other. Both flights, with the exception of a few scares on one of them, went well.

We have all been praying about customs which has become hard to get through with many supplies. All bags have been being sent through xray machines, items (especially medication and medical supplies) aren't being allowed to be brought into the country and are being confiscated...items that we have a lot of. Not one of our bags was x-rayed...NOT ONE. And I was the ONLY person to even be stopped by customs. He searched 2 of my bags, saw all that I had and let me through without even charging me a tax. I walked out of the airport wanting to scream praises because this was such a God thing.

One of the girl's bags is lost. It holds some supplies, but mostly her personal items. She is here now with a couple of outfits and not much else. Not one time has she complained about this. Not once! I am in Guatemala with 5 women that are blowing me away and we haven't even done anything yet. Without hesitation I can say that this is the best possible group that could have been on this trip. There is no way that there could be a better group and I cannot wait to see them at work this week. They are such a blessing already...more than they will ever know...
I keep saying to Kori (an AAB board member and childhood friend) how happy I am to be here with this group...how at peace I feel just because they are making this so easy. Each one of us are different, but because we all love the Lord, are here for His purpose and genuinely want to do whatever we can to reach out to those in need, we are all exactly the same. I don't know why I ever worried about how women that have never met and some never even spoken to would get along. It could not be going any better than this.

We attended church with our friends at Servants 4 Him this morning. What a wonderful experience that was! During their praise and worship, as I stood there unable to sing because I speak so little Spanish, I was overcome by the thought of how people that are so different...living in different parts of the world, dealing with different life circumstances...are exactly the same. And I love that that was part of our conversation over dinner tonight because we were all feeling the same thing. It doesn't matter that we worshipped in a small church this morning. That we sat in plastic chairs instead of pews. It doesn't matter that we could not sing because we can't speak Spanish because we knew that even without our voices, he can read our hearts. It doesn't matter that the people that sat all around us have never and will never know what our lives are like...and we will never truly know theirs. What matters is that no matter how we live or what we do, we each have struggles. What matters is that because we are followers of Christ, every person in that room today are our brothers and sisters. What matters is Him.

Kori and I traveled to Parramos to meet with the pastor/children's ministry leader and his wife this afternoon. To some of the questions I have had, I received answers and I am so thankful for receiving such clarity today, along with unexpected opening doors.

Tonight we organized supplies, counted out vitamins and began really preparing for the dental/medical clinic that begins Tuesday in Pueblo Nuevo. I knew that the team had collected a lot of supplies, but I had no idea how much until I saw it all. Again, there is nothing I can say except what a blessing these women are.

Tomorrow was originally scheduled to be our "free day", but plans changed and instead we will have a free morning and go to the cross. Tomorrow afternoon we will be visiting a Mayan village outside of Antigua. There is a possibility of establishing an AAB program there and I am so excited about what tomorrow holds.

And all of that was in just over 24 hours.

June's trip was such a learning lesson for me and forced me to remember some things. Plans change quickly sometimes. God's way is always right. That none of this is about us. That what you think isn't always what is. That no matter what you want, if it isn't His will, it isn't going to work. And that when He calls you to something, you will go through obstacles...there will be difficulties...and there will be times when it would be easier to give up than to keep going, but He will always clear your path and make a way.

This trip is so much easier because some of the difficulties we faced earlier on and I am even more thankful now for the trials we have experienced. Of course there will always be difficulties...they never seem to end...but tonight, as I sit in the place that still feels most like home to me because I know that this is where I am supposed to be, I rejoice in knowing that He is here...He is great...and He is at work.