Sunday, July 1, 6pm
Hello from all of us.
Veronica’s Thoughts:
Before the trip Mrs. Flores prepared us by telling us that some of us had to speak about our testimony in front of a small congregation. I felt deep down in my heart in Canada that the Holy Spirit was pushing me go out of my comfort zone to speak about my walk with God. I didn’t have anything prepared but I just asked God to place in my heart the words he wanted me to say. In the moments before, I could feel my heart just beating faster than it ever had before. But once I started talking I felt God’s hand on my heart to calm my nerves and it felt like home. The Guatemalan people smiled and I could feel their attention to my words and I am so thankful for the opportunity to tell them my testimony. The Drime was a way for us as a group to express God’s ultimate love for us through music and acting. My hope is that they could feel something from our …last minute prep. I think our singing really touched some hearts. When we all stood on the stage to sing and dance I saw a woman in the front who had her eyes closed and was worshiping the Lord even though she couldn’t understand our language. I think the most impactful thing I can take from today was how powerful God’s love is and how there will never be any walls that God can never overcome.
Kyra’s Thoughts:
Today I had the privilege to share my testimony in front of a group of Guatemalans and our mission team. I have always been shy when it comes to sharing about my faith in front of a group, but I felt like the Holy Spirit was nudging me to speak. I have no idea what anybody was thinking as I talked about how I came to faith, but I trust that it was a part of God’s perfect plan. I hope that God will continue to guide me on this missions trip, so that my trust and dependence on Him will grow.
Nathan’s Thoughts:
We had an amazing time today! After a lively church service in the morning, we all had some traditional Guatemalan soup for lunch, giving us the energy for running our evangelical activity in the afternoon. Our team organized and ran a session of worship, along with a fun “drime” and testimony sharing, which I had the privilege of taking part in. I’ve shared my testimony before, but this was a new experience. With the help of a translator, I was able to convey a piece of my story with a group of people I have never met before in a new country I had never yet visited. Overall, I had a really great time today, and I hope that God continues to help us grow and give us new opportunities to serve in Guatemala.
Myah’s Thoughts:
Throughout our first full, and fully immersed, day in Tactic I was able to experience such a welcoming hospitality everywhere I went. Between the Rio de Vida church service greetings or the home visit in the evening, each person we encountered was accepting of our stumbling Spanish phrases, ways of worship and singing, and dauntingly large group numbers. I was given a chance to witness God’s ways of intervention throughout each detail of our planning that came undone for his to show through. I hope to keep with me the hospitality and willingness that Raul, Marlaney, and their family showed to us through feeding us a full true Guatemalan meal, dessert, and lemongrass tea. Dios te bendiga.
Cam’s musings:
The team had a lot of fun today! We started the day by going to church and experiencing the Guatemalan church setting. It was incredibly lively and we all felt very welcomed despite the fact that we come from a different culture. Following the service we all quickly prepared for our evangelism activity. During the activity I was blessed to have the opportunity to both take part in the drime and share my testimony with the team and the Guatemalans. This experience was initially quite intimidating as I was unsure what God wanted me to share about. However, when called up to share I was moved by the Holy Spirit and encouraged to share about my walk in faith. This opportunity allowed me to be vulnerable with my team and discuss my struggles and how I came to comprehend the gospel and God’s everlasting and enduring love that consistently brings us to forgiveness. After sharing I was encouraged by my peers supportive nature towards my testimony and am looking forward to hearing more from them as well. Over the course of the next couple days I hope that our team continues to hear more from the Holy Spirit as we serve Christ.
