Here I (Becky) am sitting in the courtyard of our apartment looking out the door at Volcan Agua. Will I ever get used to this?! I hope not. Guatemala is a country plagued with tremendous poverty, yet the natural beauty that surrounds us every day is beyond comprehension.
So what have we done in our first month?
God has blessed us with a two-bedroom loft apartment overlooking a beautiful courtyard of houses and a majestic volcano in the background. It has provided a place of solitude and rest, as well as a place to invite the ministry team for meetings or just to hang out.
We also purchased a scooter to get around. It’s actually a lot of fun! (You just have to realize that shopping trips need to be planned in advance. There’s only so much you can carry on a scooter! Lol.)
Our weeks begin with a staff meeting and worship with our team. We take turns having each other over for a “family meal” on Monday evenings. What a great way to start the week! Tuesdays we have specialized meetings and prayer. The rest of the week tends to fill up with individual meetings and calls established from our team time, as well as us keeping contact with the U.S. base in Georgia.
Sunday mornings we hop on the scooter and make our way to the north side of town and attend Calvary Chapel (Just as a piece of background, CC is where our son, Ben, met his fiancé, Karina, while doing an internship with Potter’s Field Ministries. Funny how God weaves things together). Then, some Sundays we head on over to Shoreline to catch their afternoon service. This leaves the evenings to spend at home and rest.
Last week we were privileged to host a pastor’s conference here in Antigua. Pastors from 5 regions in Guatemala came together to support each other, vision cast and plan for sending Guatemalans to the nations as missionaries. The seeds have been sown, and we are seeing the fruit from their investment. We were blessed to spend two full days serving these pastors and their wives, carving out time for them to just “be” for a while. They give so much of their lives, 12-16 hour days reaching those around them, and needed a time of refreshment and encouragement. Bobby and I both felt they were a far greater encouragement to us than we were to them. I had an added blessing of helping provide a photo shoot for the pastors in a ruins/garden area of Antigua. It was not something they were used to, but they loved it!
Time for another step of faith. Tomorrow I start LANGUAGE SCHOOL!!
It is not a requirement for our position or time here, but Bobby is encouraging me to pursue the Spanish base I have from teaching our kids in our years of homeschooling. Now is truly a time when I trust that ALL things are possible with God!
Bobby and I find it hard to believe that this is our life right now.
Has it been easy? No. But has it been good? Yes!
God is teaching us so much about ourselves and Himself. Let’s be real, all seasons of life have their struggles and adjustments. That’s life! But in each one, we have the choice to ask God what it is He wants to teach us. I want to be a lifetime learner of what it means to walk as a daughter of the Most High God, and my Heavenly Father. Even when I don’t understand, I trust that walking in faith and obedience is the key. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
