Our Ministry in Guatemala with One Way
This past month in Guatemala, both guy teams were privileged enough to serve alongside One Way Community. Something very special & unique to One Way is how the ministry hosts are mostly Guatemalan guys around our age, so while we get to pour into the children/teens of San Lorenzo & Palima, we actually get to disciple / be discipled by the One Way guys. These men – quick shout outs to Kenneth, Minor, Wilson, Christian, Brian, Pablo, Chris & woman Elizabeth, Lidia, Casey, Brianna, Cindy welcomed us into the One Way Community by letting us jump right into their flow of life whether it was coaching soccer, leading devotions or teaching english! It was a blast getting to partner with these talented gentleman as some were tackling school & work on top of ministry with One Way (they are very impressive)!!!
Before we started ministry with One Way, we asked the Lord what He wanted from each of us. The Lord kept bringing to mind how there’s only one way to eternal life & that’s knowing/having an intimate relationship with Jesus himself. John 17:3 says “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” We were called to pursue specific people with delight given to us from the Lord. The Lord gave me this revelation that if I, even before I start talking, recognize the importance of each persons’ eternal salvation, there would be breakthrough. Basically that lives would be set free from the yoke of slavery because the Lord will communicate His freedom through my willingness to share the Good News.
Below is an average day in the life of ministry at One Way Community w/ Team Selah!
6am – Wake up & spend some time with Jesus & sometimes the base cat:)
7am – Eat a yummy breakfast which consisted of pancakes y fruit – papaya, watermelon, cantaloup, pineapple – and pack a lunch for the day (PB&J)
8am – Leave base on a chicken bus to San Lorenzo. Insert the deep raspy voice of “Paramos Paramos Paramos”
9am – Arrive in San Lorenzo & start picking up trash on the field
10am – Gather back in the One Way base to head out for house visits
10 to 12 – House Visits (went to a house with just four generations of catholic women making tortillas for their family business, got to pray over them)! so so so so many more amazing stories. Sometimes instead of House Visits, we would jump in to soccer practice and lead some exercises/devotions for the team! Soccer ministry is so so fun!
12pm – Lunchtime, time to eat that PB&J for the 100th time in the past month hehe (if feeling crazy we would sometimes buy tortillas and gila ice cream from a nearby tienda / store)
1 to 3 – teaching kids english & bible stories or some more soccer ministry! Shared the story of Jonah while coloring a whale! Made several fun crafts & played multiple games of duck duck goose
3pm – head back to Adventures de Missions (maybe stop at a Christian coffee shop called Melendrez Coffee for a fresh mango smoothie!)
4 to 5:30 – usually shower & process that day by journaling… very underrated yet essential part of the day:)
5:30pm – Dinnertime which is typically this tasty chicken dish with veggies & yellow rice! We have team Selah dinner and one night Drew asked the very important question of… If you knew you were going to die very soon and could choose any meal to have as your last meal, what would this meal consist of??? If you’re feeling goofy comment your answer below.
6 to 9 – hang out with the squad which looks like worship, sharing testimonies, games, dancing, base chores, one on ones, maybe even a fire, all that wild crazy young adult community thriving stuff
9:30pm – zzzzzzzzzzzzzz ( but trust me I don’t snore )
SO yeah!
That’s a typical day serving with One Way Community & what it looks like to live in Guatemala on Gap K Squad! I forgot to add the occasional purple nurples that the One Way guys gave OH and the heavenly shoulder massages!!! For real though, getting to pour into the kids at San Lorenzo was a treat because the Lord gave me sight to see that these kids were in great hands even after we left with One Way staff & in the Lord’s warm, never ending, safe embrace.
Gap K Squad has officially landed in the USA and will be in the Gainesville area doing outreach until we serve with SharpTop Cove YoungLife Camp the third week of May (14th to 20th), then we will all come back to the AIM base in Gainesville once again to have our final debrief process (21st to 25th)! I am having this weird culture shock being back in the states but it’s a lot better to be surrounded by people who are also dealing with the same shock. Like even just seeing all these shiny new cars at the ALT airport after seeing run down beat up rusty 1970s pickup trucks for the past six months was overwhelming.
I thank God for giving me a heart that’s big for the states because a could see a lot of fear in myself & in our squad as we returned home with all the obvious distractions planted right in front of our faces. And I’m confident that with all the disciplines we’ve implemented into our lives these past months overseas, the devil will not interfere with our lives the ways he used to. I’m excited to bring this passion I have for the Lord that the Lord has built up inside me to the people in America. And to share these life changing testimonies with so many people oh man I can not wait:)
Another crazy fun fact is that I will be driving this month which to some of you is like… okay AND, but I actually have not driven in 8 months so. And with that I will leave you to you’re beautiful Wednesday afternoon:) thanks for reading about my life!!! No matter where you’re reading I love & appreciate you so much! And God loves you so much more too:) Peace out Girl Scout
