Sanmi:
What continues to amaze me is the love for God the Evangelical Guatemalans have. When they share their testimony or even just chat with us, they always say God bless you. But this isn’t the typical half-hearted “God bless you” North Americans may say. The Guatemalans genuinely care and believe when they say God bless you to others. They have such a strong faith in God, and they believe that God will deliver them and they firmly believe in His promises. I like what Les said when they have a child-like faith. Their faith is so simple, yet it goes down so deep. When they worship God with all their hearts, they give their all to Him, and this is not something we see in North America much. There is so much that has happened, it will take pages to talk about. But it finally struck me and broke my heart with the reality of what the children need to face each day at home. During VBS, we hugged the children and they were so sweet, but I saw scars or injuries, some indicating the abuse they must face. I saw their economic poverty, yet they were so rich in their hearts. They sang with so much joy when we worshiped God, it touched my heart, and it was such a joy to just be with them. I can’t wait to see what more God has in store for us J
Brianne:
Everyone I have met in Tactic has made me feel so welcomed. Throughout the past four days I have learned multiple things about myself and have been able to go out of my comfort zone, in hugs lines and prayer. The Guatemalans here have inspired me to leave all my worries and concerns to God. They have given me confidence and reassurance that my life is in God’s hands, and that through all the pain and sorrow I have in my life I can know that I’m not the only person facing these trials in life. In our first day of VBS we were told beforehand that these children come from homes where they are directly abused, witness abuse, yelling, and often don’t have more than one egg to eat a day. When walking through the doors of schools you could see that us being there brought the children joy and hope. All the children here are so small, and some even look malnourished, but their hearts for the Lord shine through them tremendously. I have never seen anyone praise and worship God more than these kids, and the fact that I get the privilege to server in Guatemala for a few days has made me feel so blessed. 
En:
These past few days in Guatemala have been an emotional journey for me as I got to experience so much more than what I expected. During the hospital visit I managed to pray for the children who were hurt or sick. One stood out to me although we didn’t get to pray for them. I saw a father with his arms around his child and they were sleeping together. This reminded me of the love that God has for us and how he is always there for us. From this trip, I came thinking I could give love to the children but instead it was I who received the love from the children instead. We hugged the children and I was so surprised at their willingness to hug us. I was overwhelmed with emotions. The worship session with the children was a great experience for me as I saw how much the children loved God. There were goosebumps all over my body when I heard how loud and passionate they were for God. There was also one statement that was shared with us which I will remember. It was that our presence and embrace that we give the children will be remembered by them for the rest of their lives. I am truly excited for the next few days that we are in Guatemala for.
Bryan:
The first few days in Guatemala has been an absolute blessing. From the worship of the children to the powerful testimonies of the people, the Lord has revealed himself. It is clear to me that he is alive, moving, and transforming the nation of Guatemala. My view of missions been immensely widened, and I am extremely excited to enter the process of equipping myself to serve the Lord in the future. I have been truly blessed by the stories and examples of the Guatemalan people, from Brother Raul and his wife, and brother Edgar, and the story of a boy named Joshua. God is real, and he is powerful. I see now how privileged I am to have the opportunities I have had, and I now see how God is equipping me to serve him in the future. Blessings, Bryan
