Wow!! I can’t believe that I’m
leaving. I’m sad to go but so very thankful and grateful for the new memories
that will forever be imprinted on my brain. God is so good and so faithful. Many
of us started this trip as mere strangers, then developed into friends, and now
family. Being out there in the mission’s field that no matter how much explaining
you do to others, they will never understand the experience. The emotional,
physical, and mental stamina that these trips involve is that of which that
only God can equip you for. I’ve learned how to love his people no matter what.
We are all the same in spite of our slight differences. Living missionally is a
lifestyle of living intentionally in all that you do. With God’s help, I will
change the world!
Guatemala Missions Trip
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
April 24, 2015 (Day 6)
Today was a free day for everyone to
do anything that they have not been able to do during our stay here in Antigua.
Many explored the city, while others like myself took this time to really rest
and enjoy this moment of being here, doing God’s work. What an honor
Our final debriefing commenced at
around 8pm and it was one of the toughest ones to make it through. It was the
last night that we would all be together on this particular trip so it was a
little emotional. Everyone started by saying what they gotten most out of trip
trip and what they’ve learned. It was just an amazing time of fellowship and
worship like no other. I left that debriefing knowing that my life would never
be the same as a result of my interactions with these people and the those
within Guatemala
April 23, 2015 (Day 5)
Many people want to do missions for
a "Facebook" status and "Instagram" picture but, it's not
all glitz and glam. This trip has truly humbled me in way needed. Our hotel
stay was not my first choice, but it was a necessary sacrifice to be where God
needed me to be at a particular time. Last night made me realize just how
blessed and "spoiled" we are in the United States.
After eating breakfast in the hotel,
we boarded a boat in Panajachel, which was actually formed from a volcano
crater, and made our way to Santiago. The boat ride was about an hour and a
half long but full of true beauty. There is no way someone could deny that
there was a God after all the beauty I experienced and peacefulness of the
waters. I used that time of solidarity to reflect on life and there are a lot
of things that I want to change and along with God, they will.
Santiago was another island
surrounding Lake Atitlan that captured both a city and country vibe. After
arriving, we went to a bead store for a tour and class of exactly how they
produced such beautiful and unique products. Beading is a major household
income provider for a lot of families in Guatemala. Diego, the owner of the
shop we were at, inherited the business from his mother. She was one of the
original ladies that start making beads and would eventually go into business
with her son. He makes it a point to employ women who have families to take
care of amongst other obligations, because they're able to work at home doing
this. He hires a maximum of 2 people from each household so that he can
continue to spread work out throughout the whole island. He is just awesome! He
is working on being able to travel around the world to sell the beads and help
his people but, the process for getting a visa is very difficult right now.
Although that is a fact, the truth is "Things happen when we pray,"
so we did just that. We prayed "Sweatless Victory" regarding his
visa, his business prospering, and the continued support he would be able to
extend to his community. It's a wonderful thing to know that he does what he
does to help others and not just himself. After traveling to a small village
and witnessing the women work to produce the jewelry while caring for their
families, in spite of their living conditions, we made our way back to
Panajachel.
After getting some food, we began
our journey back to Antigua. About 3 hours later we were back to what we knew
as "Home" for the week. The food in Panajachel wasn't our first
choice, so we were excited to have familiar food in Antigua. A group of us
separate made our way to the center of town when we ran into "Qwame,"
simply just asking him for food recommendations. After talking food, I asked
him how did he end up in Guatemala? He said he had been researching living in
foreign countries for about 4 years before moving to Guatemala. Originally from
Los Angeles doing work in the IT field, he knew that there was more to life
then waking up, committing to work, coming home and just making it. He made a
decision to move and has never looked back. He moved here alone and said would
never move back. He said it's just different. Life is just a better quality
there and he can do the same thing in a foreign land, making the same money,
and enjoy life even more.
April 22, 2015 (Day 4)
What a Birthday this was!!! Today I
woke up early to get breakfast and spend some quiet time with the Lord. He's
been wanting to talk to me but I did not bring a bible so review my Word and
the Wi-Fi connection is sometimey here. With that being said, those are
excuses. Excuses are a crutch for the uncommitted. Either I'm going to do
something or I'm not.
We left Antigua at 7am traveling
over 2 hours to Panajachel. The views that we have experienced are absolutely
amazing. To know that God formed such beauty and creation with His words and
this is what was produced is nothing short of amazing. As soon as we arrived at
Lake Atitlan (Panajachel), the locals began to flock to us with merchandise in
hand trying to sway us to buy their handmade goods. After taking care of all
the logistics, we learned that today would be a free day to explore the town
and get the most out of the experience. In the midst of walking and bargain
shopping, we were all getting to know one another even more. I'm so blessed and
thankful to have met every single person on this trip. All so humble and ready
to be used by God. We have all watched the behaviors of those who have done
these trips before and began to mirror their behavior regarding
"Missionally Living" and living intentionally in everything that we
do!
As
iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend (Proverbs 27:17). The
leaders on our journey through Guatemala have been so instrumental in
exemplifying boldness to all of us. We watch them just carry conversations with
believers and non-believers and not because they are trying to take something
from them, but get something to them, which is Jesus Christ. The conversations
are not forced but out of genuine care for their well-being and it just amazes
me because we don't see that often in the states. While exploring, I met two
gentlemen that were father and son. Bruce (Father) and JC (son) were minding
their business in a store when we randomly popped in there for local food
recommendations. Everyone else took their suggestions and started on their way
to the restaurant except Denzel and I. We all began sharing our backgrounds and
how we ended up in Guatemala. JC is originally from Los Angeles. He graduated
college and attended Pharmacy School for one year and decided that was not what
he wanted for his life. He and his wife are both currently nurses thy travel
all over from orphanages, churches, and different communities helping with
healthcare needs. He owned a surf shop in Guatemala, which was located in his
father Bruce's hotel. I asked them would they ever move back to the United
States and without hesitation they said "No!" JC then explained to me
that his old life wasn't worth it. The hustle and bustle of a 9 to 5 on top of
not enjoying life was not what he wanted. He now lives a life of purpose
serving people, while living in peace away from all the noise of the city. I
then asked them about church and did they believe in Jesus. Both of them said
absolutely. They've attended several different kinds of churches and had
friends who were Jehovah's Witness'. After jumping on the inside knowing that
these great people served the same God as I, I then asked if it was okay that I
prayed for them and their business and without any reluctance they agreed. I
prayed not only over their business and them but also for supernatural debt
cancellation of all their student loans (over $120,000), that their lives would
be examples of Jesus. After hugging, we exchanged information for possible
future partnerships with Adventures in Missions/Purchase Effect regarding
orphanages or utilizing their hotel when we returned back to Guatemala. We
walked away so full. It's crazy how giving of yourself by building up others
and placing their needs before you, can have an internal effect on you. At that
moment, I realized that God has graced all his children for this work. We are
all missionaries and it doesn't take leaving the four walls of your own home to
start.
Tonight's debriefing was beyond
words. We started by worshipping with God in song then everyone shared the
adventures of their days. One young lady in particular began to weep in
appreciation for the love and kindness that another missionary showed her. She
explained that at home she didn't have like-minded people around her who would
pray for her or just simply be there. She then explained that she would be
going home to a potentially negative bank account, no gas in her car, along
with having to find a new place to live in less than 60 days. This young lady
was here strictly in "faith." Immediately we all began to pray for
her and I felt a prompting of Holy Spirit to sow into her life. In the midst of
everyone praying, I ran down to my room and grabbed the exact seed Holy Spirit
showed me and slid it in her hands. If that moment didn't already
"slay" us all in the spirit, one of our leaders reminded the group of
my birthday and everyone began to sing "Happy Birthday." She then was
led by the prompting of Holy Spirit to allow everyone the opportunity to speak
whatever God put in their spirits for about/for me. So many words of
encouragement and it's always amazing day to have people share things that they
see in you especially in the brief period of time that they've known you. Just
when I thought all eyes were off me, one of the men had a tailored word from
God just for me. He asked me to stand up and look at him. He began to share
that there was one thing holding me back from a lot that God has in store for
me. It was a situation that I thought I had forgiven and moved on but, in all
actuality I had simply put it in a storage locker in the back of my head to
collect dust. I knew exactly what he was referencing and the person it was
regarding, after several attempts of try to mend a broken relationship, I had
simply given up.
Debrief was over and I was
completely overwhelmed by God's love just for me. Everyone decided to go get
ice cream or grab a bite to eat before we all went to bed but, a group of us
decided to pass and all went to one room to socialize. The four of us had
created an "unannounced" bond. We all laughed, joked, and always
found ourselves in one another's presence. As we all sat around and reflected
on the day, I opened up to them about the relationship with my father that had
been plaguing me most of my life. Three of the four of us shared the same story
regarding our fathers and there absence. It was absolutely amazing how our
stories mirrored one another's. As each person began to share, everyone realized
that they were speaking to themselves. Holy Spirit was not just using them to
help others but bringing us all into revelation about our own situations. God
says in (scripture regarding everything being placed in U.S. Pertaining to life
and godliness). We poured out our struggles and insecurities without fear of
vulnerability and judgement. The moment when I and the other guy began to share
the things we had to deal because the doors that our fathers left open and
never dealt with was unexplainable. As a father, you’re an influencer to your
wife and children. God has strengthened us to carry the weight of the world and
men that don't realize that don't know their true identity. "Generational
curses" have to be broken by U.S. Children now because our fathers didn't
want to deal with them. We made a vow that the curse ends with us. We refuse to
have children go through the trials, tribulations, and identity crisis that we
had to face. We left that room full of hope and gained accountability partners.
He and I made a commitment to lee and open line of communication and help each
other mend these relationships with our father. The fruit of our decision today
will be a priceless blessing tomorrow.
The awesome part about the situation
is that as I'm writing, I'm getting revelation that God loves me way too much
and has soooooooo much in store for me that he doesn't want this one thing to
come up again later in life and potentially destroy me. Jeremiah 31:3 says
"I've never quit loving you and never will......" He then goes on to
say that "He will build you up again." What a mighty God we serve. He
loves me too much to leave me in any mess but, He is a gentleman and will force
nothing on you. He gives us the opportunity to accept all His free gifts but
it's up to us to receive by them by faith. I have to forgive this person by
faith, regardless of the fact that their actions or lack thereof, have caused
me what seems like a lifetime of pain. With all that being said, I have to
simply "Let it go." Easier said than done but I have to trust God in
every area of my life without compartmentalizing Him to the areas that I'm
strong in. Israel Houghton has a song called "Moving Forward." It
goes...."I'm not going back, I'm moving ahead. Here to declare to you, my
past is over. In you, all things are made new, I surrender my life to Christ,
and I'm moving, moving forward."
It’s a new day!
April 21, 2015 (Day 3)
You ever have God just blow your
mind?............well that's pretty much what happened to me today. Absolutely
life changing experiences that have caused some new desires that I believe the
Lord has placed on my heart but we will get into those later.
Our first experience today was an
AIDS/HIV orphanage. The name of that is synonymously used with death but, I
received life today in my spirit. I was nervous about teaching the children a
little bit then having to use my Spanish in front of so many people but
sometimes you just have to walk it out. The first class we experienced was
preschool and I promise I would've taken "ALL" of their children
home. We all went around introducing ourselves by name and age. When it was my
turn, Connie told them my birthday was tomorrow and they started singing
"Feliz Cumpleanos" or "Happy Birthday" and one little guy
asked me to come back tomorrow for my birthday. It was just amazing to
experience the energy and freedom that they had as children. Our next group of
children would be the 2nd and 3rd graders which we had the pleasure of teaching
them the days of the week in English. These kids are soooooo sharp! The moment
we started teachings, they were like sponges soaking it all up. I was sitting
in the back of the room and 4 young men got my attention: Jorge, Anthony,
Kevin, and Johnny. They literally stole my heart. 2 of them were actually
watching us with the preschoolers and saw that we gave them flash lights so
they proceeded to ask me where we there's at. It was so comical because they
knew I spoke Spanish and they laid it on me thick. This was in between them
passing my sunshades around acting like they were famous people. It really
ministered to me the joy and carefree lives that they lived in spite of they're
circumstances. Many of these children have been abandoned by family, the ones
that are "supposed" to love us the most, diagnosed with HIV/AIDS,
aware of the possible consequences associated with that virus, yet still
enjoying life! Class was finished but the day was far from over for them.
Recess and lunch were up next and did we have a ball!! During recess I met an
amazing young man, that along with the other 4 I will never ever forget, Henry.
Henry was 11 and some both Spanish and English, so as you can imagine he was a
translator for many. This young man was simply amazing yet so gentle, loving
and compassionate. I remember just sitting on the ledge watching the children
pray and he put my foot on his knee and started tying my shoe. Read our
dialogue below:
Me: No you don't have to that.
They're fine I like wearing them like this all the time
Henry: No it's ok.
Me: OMG! You know how to tie a shoe?
Henry: Si (Yes)! (as he proceeds to
tie the other one)
Me: Gracias Henry!
Henry: De Nada!
The orphanage was an out of body
experience for me because I was trying to figure out why the young boys were
flocking to me. They would lay on me, put the head in my arms, wrap themselves
in me, play with my beard, and over all very affectionate. Our contact with the
organization later explained, these children rarely see a man and a lot of them
have never because they're parents did not want them. For a young man, it's
especially hard when you don't feel accepted by your father. From personal
experience I could definitely relate to them and this made me love them even
the more. I just cannot not explained to be able to be used by God to possibly
help them heal a wound or fill a portion of a void left that once was mine to
bear. These boys will age out of the orphanage by age 12 into another system
within the Guatemalan government that will then place them with their families,
if they are wanted or to another orphanage for older boys until they age out of
there at 16 or 17. One of these boys will be 12 in just 4 months and I'm believing
God His best on that young man’s life.
Leaving was one of the hardest
things to do but I had to trust that just as the Roman soldier understood he
could send a word and his soldiers obey, just like Jesus would do (Matthew
8:5-9), I can send the word and know that it shall not return void but do
exactly what I send it to do in these young boys lives. We were debriefed prior
to regarding what verbiage to use and you don't say "see you later"
because for many of them they believe you won't because A) the virus/disease
may take their life or B) you'll be just like any other person who has already
abandoned them. It's best to say "goodbye" but I couldn't even bring
myself to formulate those words.
After the orphanage we went to a
local village, where the community pastors would lead us to different homes to
pray for families, little did I know my life would forever be changed. The
poverty in this region is something that can only be explained with a picture.
I couldn't begin to explain the conditions that they have to endure on a daily
basis. The first house that we approach had a woman named Estella and her 4
children. Estella did not attend church but would send 3 of her children, the 4
was often sick. We walked into her concrete home (wall to wall, no carpet rugs
etc.) and they began to explain the purpose of our visit. As I am writing this
blog I am still in the moment as if it just happened. Estella began to weep as
she squeezed the hand of her child. She said (in Spanish)" I just called
out to God this morning and told Him that He forgot about me and my
children." From there I was moved with compassion and the tears just began
to flow. We all surrounded her speaking life, coming into agreement for God's
best on her life and her children's life. I remember standing behind her with
one hand on her shoulder praying in English and Holy Spirit quickly moved me to
put both hands on her shoulders and told me to speak in Spanish because she
needed hear me. I was the only male there that could speak Spanish. I spoke
"Strength into her body" for all of her days. I began to continue and
say that betters days for her family and herself were in front her and that she
was never alone. Jesus is always with her and she now has family in the United
States that would not be here physically all the time but praying for her every
day!!! Even after we all prayed and hugged her with continued encouragement I
continued to weep. I left her house and didn't say anything for about 10
minutes as the tears continued to flow down my face. The Spirit of God had
arrested me and began to reveal that this moment was as a result of several
moments before it. All of our decisions have consequences, whether good or bad.
We hear a lot that we are someone's answered prayer but to know in your know of
your knows that you were with confirmation puts soooooooooo many things into
perspective. Estella and her children have sparked a fire in me that I have
never experienced before and I know that there is no turning back. I am pissed
at the enemy for attacking what God said is His and refuse to allow him to take
anything else from me or anyone else around me without fighting the good fight
of faith that Apostle Paul spoke about in 1 Timothy. It's a good fight because
we "ALWAYS" win!!!
April 20, 2015 (Day 2)
5:30am wakeup call Lawd!!!! Today we will be hiking a volcano, Pacaya, some of us with horses. I'm glad my stomach has subsided because I'm determined to enjoy this experience. My prayer is simply "Lord, your will!" I'm honesty expecting to witness and perform a miracle on this trip. Jesus said He wants us to do "even greater works" and I want to walk in the supernatural every day.
After a 2 hour journey, with breakfast
along with way of course we finally arrived at the base of the volcano in
Pacaya. God is so intentional and purposeful on how he sets things up and it’s
just amazing. My tour guides name was
Amillio and my horse’s name was Muneca (Doll in English). Amillio had such a
calm spirit and we shared some small talk in Spanish. My horse was a tank on
wheels lol. She took the volcano as if she did it in her sleep. It was such an
amazing experience to see God’s beauty. As we descended from the mountain, the
Lord has shared with me to sow a certain amount of money as my tip for Amillio. I
simply agreed and after giving it to him, I learned that it was 7 times the
amount of what the normal tip would be. Glory to God! He loved that man so much
to put it on my heart to sow what I did for whatever need he had. He also gave
me specific instructions to say “This is not from me, Its from Jesus Christ!” I
get so excited about how much God cares for each one of us that he sent me to
Amillio’s continent and arranged on that specific day from me to come into
contact with him to meet a need. God is so good!!
Today has been awesome. Holy Spirit
is really dealing with me regarding living missionally for the rest of my life
and not just here. To watch Connie, Jennifer, and Jeff have "normal"
or "everyday" conversations with people then just politely ask to
pray for them has really spoken volumes to me. I'm taking in every moment of
every day of this new opportunity. God is just awesome. After being watching
the way of life they are accustomed to versus mine, I'm so thankful and
grateful. We take so much for granted that we don't even know. I remember
hiking or "riding" up the mountain/volcano and watching Amillio and
wandering his day to day life, concerns, family, financial situation and it's
just crazy you never know what someone else has been or is going through but
for the Spirit of God to lead you do something, shows the supernatural ability
of God to go through someone to meet a need of yours that they have no idea
what it's for but they are simply being obedient. It was an honor to not just
sow into my tour guides life today, but to sow on purpose. Giving him the money
but reiterating this is not of or from me, but Jesus. I am not here on my own
accord but on His. I remember simply seeing the post regarding this mission’s
opportunity and feeling the unction of Holy Spirit to sign up, with no visible
evidence of how I would pay for it. Not wanting to solicit donations because in
my mind I felt as if that was me "needing" someone or having to
"depend" on others which were a vow I made at a young age after my
experiences that I would never do. I was quickly arrested by Holy Spirit saying
this isn't about you and I simply said ok. I said "Lord if you want me to
do this, YOU have to make a way. I'm going in your name not mine." To now
be here experiencing something that 3 months ago wasn't even a thought just
shows how God can throw a wrench in our plans to get what He needs to us for
the next level. Trust in God is everything. I am forever changed and will never
forget the new thing He is doing in me. Philippians
1:6 says “being confident of this, that he who has begun a good work in you will
carry it out unto completion unto the day of Jesus Christ.”
The tour of the convent was also
another life changing experience for me today. Seeing the level at which women
sacrificed for God and reverenced Him to leave everything that they've know and
dedicate their life to Him further affirms that we have no excuse. These women
were so committed and had a "whatever it takes" mentality. A
relationship with God is a relentless pursuit that requires courage, boldness,
and commitment. My life is not my own, to you I belong Lord.
The random worship experience in the
lower level of the convent was unexplainable. God’s presence was so heavy when
Cierra and Jocelyn began singing. I sensed Gods spirit encompassing me along
with a rest of assurance that "All is well!"
April 19, 2015 (Arrival)
Since waking up this morning I've actually been calm. I keep wondering how God is going to use us and trying to figure out the details, as I do with everything else. The devil is in the details, all I need to do is be willing. Not by might, nor by strength, but by your Spirit Lord will I be moved.
This is such a surreal experience for me, first international flight and my 25th birthday is around the corner. I'm excited for what's in store and expectation of several powerful moves of God.
In this very moment at 12:48pm flying over some foreign land I'm am so thankful and grateful to be here. In this moment nothing else matters. In these clouds above houses, cars, buildings etc Holy Spirit has been helping me out a lot of things into perspective. None of it matters, it's what you do for God that will last!
Wow!! Today was tiring but amazing. "The Line Men of Indiana" experience in the airport was just the beginning of a wonderful day. Praying for somebody else is very fulfilling but when they turn around and pray for you, makes it even better.
The weather here is wonderful. I would definitely live here permanently if the opportunity arises. The air is so refreshing and the people are so welcoming. So many beautiful children or "young entrepreneurs" I should say. My stomach has not been a fan of the food though . The team is awesome!! We blended very well as if we've known each other previously. Already walking the streets and interacting with people as if this was home. I expect even greater tomorrow!!
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