Guatemala 2010: 2010

Monday, August 2, 2010

Our God

Guatemala was truly an amazing experience. Amazing is a definite understatement. During the past 2 weeks I learned sooo much, had a lot of fun, bonded with amazing people, got out of my comfort zone, spoke broken spanish, cried, was broken down, had my heart broken over and over again, and was used by God. Going on this trip was a break through for me. Before this trip, I was scared, nervous, weak. Why am I doing this? Maybe this isn't for me. What if the people there don't like me? What if I don't fit in? It was then that God was saying "Do you trust me, do you trust me, do you reallyyy trust me, Michelle? take this step of faith and expect great things".
And boy did God do miraculous things! Through our ministry there, 2447 people came to know Christ. WOOWWWW. God is sooo good. Not only did he work through the hearts of the Guatemalan people there, but he also worked through my heart tremendously! Don't get me wrong, I'm still scared, I still get nervous, and at times I still feel weak. Oh how I need God! But knowing that God is there to lift me up and that I am strengthened and secure through Him brings me sooo much joy.

Throughout this year, 2010, God has been teaching me trust. I can't do things on my own strength. But through God's strength, I can do all things (Phil 4:13)! Everything is for HIS glory, not mine. I am here to serve, not to be served. One of the things I learned that really stuck to me on this trip is my identity in Christ. WHO AM IIIIII??? I'm a disciple whom Jesus LOVES! God's love is so powerful and overwhelming!!!

The people on this trip are incredible! There's just this indescribable but awesome feeling of being in the same room with people with the same passion and worshiping God with all of our hearts. I love my team dearly. Within 2 weeks, we've seen each other cry, revealed our weaknesses and insecurities without worrying how vulnerable we appeared to each other, learned each others' life stories, worshiped together, ate together, prayed together, laughed together, served the people of Guatemala together, and most importantly, served God together. My team leader was talking about how God seems to bring such strong unity among team members that serve God and love God. Pretty neat, eh? I feel like I'm closer to these people than with the friends I've known back home for years! I miss all of them dearly!

I am sooo incredibly blessed to have gotten to go on this trip! I want to thank my supporters! Thank you so much for your prayers and or for supporting me financially! This trip would not have been possible without the loving support I've received! God is SO good. ALL the time.

I left Guatemala CHANGED. I don't think I could ever be the same again.

Each time I think about Guatemala, the song "Our God" by Chris Tomlin plays over and over in my head:

chorus:
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

Monday, July 19, 2010

This is the awesome Team 1

Picture Summary Part UNO

I shall post some reflective blogs and pictures of our drama sometime later (:
WARNING: okay, so the captions aren't lined up correctly with the pictures and I don't know how to fix it! sorry!

This is the hotel we stayed at in Miami, FL for training! It's gorgeous and the breakfast there is delicious! haha.

These are the AWESOME roomies I had in FL. I was kicked out in Guatemala because you could only have 5 in each room. BUT I visited them so often so it was like I NEVER left! haha

Sheena & I getting ready for take off to Guatemala

I spyyyy GUATEMALA!!!

In the streets of Guate.

In the square area, I believe. Beautiful architecture!

At our hotel in Guatemala. We totally did not rough it out at all....hahaha. The only thing was that we were not allowed to flush our toilet paper and use the tap water to brush our teeth.

Our first dinner at the hotel in Guatemala. Delicious! The juice they have, especially the orange juice is just AMAZING! The best thing I've ever had!

On our way to our FIRST performance at a village!

boarding the boat to cross the lake to get to the village

WE'RE ON A BOATTTT

the view is STUNNING! God is an amazing creator!

AT THE VILLAGE!!! note: our performance went well!

Picture Summary part DOS

Walking in an orphanage

the kids playing FUTBOL with some kids from our team

This is Jose! I LOVE this kid! He is so sweet! and such a trooper!

Oscar, Jose, & I can't remember the girl's name...haha

on our way to a land given to a pastor there to pray for Him and the building of a church there

chickens!

this reminds me of the verse "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight". Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

I know it doesn't seem like it in this picture....but the leaves are BIGGG!

A huge sink hole on the land where the pastor wants to have a church built and so hopefully there will be some way they can fill it up with dirt!

While we were worshipping and praying over the land and for the pastor and his wife to have sufficient funding and supplies to build a church there, people from my team randomly donated money without being asked to.

This is the pastor!

OH and we're the winners of the talent show! We did a skit "A Day in Susie's Life" where we would act out what we think susie would do in her daily life. There's Susie in the middle with her favorite drink, COKE!