Guatemala sb14

I wasn't changed because I went to Guatemala; I was changed because of God. 

For eight days, we traversed around the state of San Marcos in Guatemala and ministered to and prayed over children in 9 different schools and churches. And my life was changed. 

I'm in school to be a pre-k through 3rd grade teacher, but lately I have been lacking in any sort of motivation. I've been struggling with my emotions and not enjoying anything. But on this trip, something clicked. I fell in love with teaching and children and God all again. 

It was only the second time we had ever done our program in front of kids, so I was still shy about it all - especially just going and praying over someone. But I looked around and saw a teacher motioning me over. My Spanish sucks, so it took me a while to understand that the young child she was asking me to pray over had a heart defect. I sat him in my lap and poured out in prayer over him. I will never know what happened after that day. I don't even know if he survived the night or if he'll outlive me. But I do know that God's got him... And I find peace in that. 

We were on the top of a mountain, actually in among the clouds. The children were shy and the moms were unfriendly. As we loved on them anyways, something in the atmosphere changed. When it came time for the children to be prayed over, the mothers started weeping. I've never felt so connected with the woman that I prayed over. It was almost like the Spirit in both of us connected and words can't really describe the empathy I felt in that moment. 

No matter where we went, I met a child who touched my heart. It never failed that I met a kindred spirit within moments of walking in the door. Her name was Selah and Alexandra. Selena and Kimberly. Maria and so many others. They stole my heart.

At every location, we sang some fun and sometimes silly songs, performed a skit that touched all listeners (I cried every time they did it), and then went and prayed over individuals in the crowd. The number of people who raised their hands for prayer didn’t make the whole trip worth it (although there were hundreds and hundreds, which is fantastic). The amazing food we ate didn’t make the trip worth it (and that stuff was freaking delicious). The work God did in me wasn’t even the sole reason this trip was worth it (and that’s saying a lot because a lot changed)...

Instead, it was each individual person I got to love on. The smiling faces, the tear-stained cheeks, the dirt caked foreheads… the little bit of God’s love I could share with them? To know that every tear I shed over one of these precious children and every word I prayed for the beautiful people of Guatemala made a difference? That made every penny of this trip worth it. Every sweat drop, every pain, every loss… it doesn’t even matter to me. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I mean, I still have a lot of heart left to give. And God's got a whole lot of love that needs spreading. Cause God doesn't call the qualified, He calls the available.

(all photos with me in them were by Adela, one of our translators. The first one is by me, though, before my camera died. haha)