Yesterday was the 4th of July and I'm hoping you all had a blessed holiday full of hamburgers, watermelon and lots of fireworks. For my Carolina folks, I heard it was a little rainy (: For everyone else, I hope you had plenty of sunshine and warmth. For us here in Guatemala the day started like any other, cold, dreary and rainy. Now for those of you who don't know, the 4th is my favorite holiday so my heart was going out to ya'll a little extra yesterday. But we didn't let the day pass without celebration. Last night we gathered with other American missionaries in town and had our own little 4th of July party, in the 60 degree weather and the hurricane rain and all. And let me tell ya, it was a blast. But that got me thinking, about missionary communities and the people that were surrounding me.
Acts 2: 42-47 reads
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts ..."If you can imagine a long table full of typical "American" food (as typical as it can get in a latino country), hands reaching across eachother, the low roar of the many conversations occuring, children yelling and laughing, and at least 2 dozen people gathered for the sole purpose of community then you have witnessed a small part of my holiday evening. At one point I sat back, just to observe the scene I was a part of and it hits me. This is what it's all about, this is what Jesus intended, this is love. This is what that bible verse is all about. It was so beautiful.
Every week these people warmly welcome teams with open arms to worship and have fellowship. They give them a place to belong, even for an hour or so, in a country where we can be such outcasts. They give them refuge from the outside, a place that can be sometimes scary and heartless. I've always said that if I could fly down to ChiChi every Sunday just for church, I would. And I stand by that. I have never been in a place so full of the Spirit. It's refreshing to sit in a simple room, with no fancy sound equipment, no fancy graphics, and to know that everyone sitting next to you is here for the same reason, fighting the same fight. It really is like a family. The closest knit family possible. They share heartache, fears, happiness, successes, but most of all they share the unknown. Here, in a foriegn country where you're lucky to speak a little of the native tongue and mighty blessed to find Pepsi products, the unknown is the scariest and most rewarding thing missionaries face. After all, it's what we're here for.
So as I sat back in that chair and watched people I have grown to love over the years or even just weeks I was filled with gratitude and humility. I was thankful that they welcomed me and allowed me to be a part of their missional family. I was humbled to see all these people that had given up their lives in the States to come and serve a lost people. I long to return to this one day, except maybe a little more permantly (:
So here we are, today. It rained all day long, even stormed really bad at one point. We went to the local school with supplies to pass out which was a blast and something new.
The night ended with lots of laughs and good bonding time with the "fam". It's amazing how many moments I have that are so bittersweet. This place has my heart and is such a part of me. In so many ways it saved me. It breaks my heart to know my days here are numbered and dwinding but all good things must come to an end. I just hope through my actions and works, I can give back to this country and these people a fraction of what they have given me. I love you Guatemala and I always will (:
Daily Shout Outs
- Matt- Happy Halfway Day! You are the best, I hope you kow that. Thank you, for everything and you know what I'm talking about. I love you, what more can I say.
- Mom-I had a horrible headache today, it made me miss you so much.
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