Dates: 9/12/2022 - 11/17/2022
Team: Gloria a Dios (Mikahla Klug, Maggie Prokosch, Joana Quintana, Amy Scott)
Local Currency: Quetzal (1USD = roughly 7.5Q)
Favorite Local Food: Tortas and Street Tacos
Local Language: Spanish (Pokomchi in villages)
Common Phrases: Buenos dias (tardes/noches - or nachos for me the first few days)
Ministry Partner: Teams Commissioned For Christ International (TCCI)
Ministry Location: Chicaman and the surrounding villages
Ministry Host: Wesly & Katie Sanchez (Children: Hosanna, Annakah, Adian, Elena), Hans Juarez
Debrief Location: Antigua
What was difficult? The language barrier was the hardest part for me. I have a very small Spanish vocabulary so there were moments I wish I could have gone deeper with people but was unable to since I didn't have the language to do so. But the Holy Spirit speaks all languages and a smile ALWAYS translates! I also had an amazing teammate who helped in this department more than she will ever know!
What broke my heart? The house to house visits. First and foremost just the distance between houses and the struggle it took me to get to their houses. It reminded me so much of how far God will go to leave the 99 for the 1! Secondly, what I noticed was the children did not use diapers. Diapers are often not readily available for the villages and are expensive, so they are not worth it to most women. The mothers just have clothes that they change them when they are dirty. Another heart tug that came from this same experience was the lack of community in the villages especially among the women. We did a few Beauty for Ashes events to try to encourage the women to lean on each other which I pray planted a seed that God flourishes into beautiful friendships that are fruitful for His Kingdom! I just know how important community is in our walk with God and I just pray that these women call each other higher and love each other well within their villages in order to build each other up as the body of Christ.
What am I thankful for? A smooth transition into this crazy life of ministry. Our ministry host felt like extended family to me and Chicaman was the most beautiful and quaint little town. I am looking forward to abandoning more and getting uncomfortable and being broken into something even more beautiful but Guatemala was a sweet season for me of building up and learning. I was thankful for our little Cafe that we called home and being able to each find our own little space. So I am most thankful for a gentle beginning to this journey.
What did I learn about myself? I can forgive even the deepest hurts and when I do I can allow the Holy Spirit to fill me even more. I have a gift of teaching in God's confidence! And I can speak with truth and grace and be a peacemaker without being a weak tool. Iron sharpens iron so I am going to be leaning in to strengthening my brothers and sisters in Christ by affirming them in love and calling them higher to be more like Jesus with the gentle language that I have lovingly coined speaking "Amy".
What did I learn about God? That He will not let you miss things! We fell in love with Juanito, a park cleaner in Chicaman's central square. He was such a light and was so friendly. After a few interactions we asked our host if we could give Juanito one of the Spanish bibles that were in transit. When the bibles came in we only had about 2 weeks left in Chicaman but my team picked one and wrote a note in it and took it with us into town when we would go. We never saw him again... until the LAST DAY!!! We walked down the hill from our Ministry Host's house to say goodbye to our lovely people who we met in Chicaman. We were saying how we hope we would find Juanito. And wont God do it.... who was standing at the bottom of the hill?!?!?! Juanito! So we were able to share the physical Word with him and encourage him one last time to lean into God! It moved me to tears. You CANNOT miss what God has for you!! We are all made for such a time as this (Esther 4:14), and God orchestrates our steps to be in the path of the exact people we are meant to see!
Funniest moment? The first truck ride to the village. It gave me a full gamut of emotions. Excitement, then fear and then just humor! We were all 4 in the back of a pickup and the roads are ROUGH. I had a hip bruise from being thrown into the door from all the bumps. By the end of my time in Chicaman I was used to the roads but that first trip up steep inclines and over huge bumps was shocking! I spent the most of the trip with my eyes covered and white knuckled clinching onto the handle bar to brace myself. It was a source of some great laughs!
Favorite Ministry Moment? Preaching on the mountainside! Especially when I was challenged to try to not read my well written message word for word but to allow the Holy Spirit to move and give me words. That is something I need to grow in moving forward but God has given me the gift of teaching and I look forward to being used by Him and growing even more confident in that gifting and utilizing my heart and spirit more than my brain to share the Good News!
Favorite Travel Memory? About 2 weeks before we left Chicaman our host took us camping! We got to bust out our tents again and we had steak over the fire and roasted marshmallows. We also got to milk a cow in the morning which has been on my bucket list! I wasn't a natural but I sweet talked Shorty and got some out eventually! My favorite part of the whole trip was the freezing cold water we hiked to and getting to witness my girl Maggie (aka Magnolia) get baptized. It was a beautiful moment of her taking such a big step in her faith and getting to be a testament to the children in this family who didn't stop talking about it afterward!
Favorite debrief moment? Definitely climbing Acatenango! Ya'll it was my like 1 millionth "pinch me, is this my life?!" moments since leaving my home back in August. I hiked to 13,044ft on top (or almost to the very top) of a volcano!! And not just that, but I got to sit on Acatenango and watch Fuego, an active volcano, ERUPT!! We camped on the volcano all night and at 10:39pm we were literally shaken awake by an earthquake. My first thought was that the volcano I was on was erupting and what a cool (or very hot rather, haha) way to go meet Jesus! But it was just a 5.8 earthquake off the coast of Guatemala that we felt. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.
My heart is so full from Guatemala! I know its only my first so this doesn't count but its been my favorite country so far!! haha It housed a lot of healing and learning and laid a foundation for the rest of the World Race. I can't wait to see what Romania holds for me now!
