Bittersweet Goodbyes

Guatemala is coming to a close. What a great start to this trip! Time is flying by, and with that comes goodbyes. Recently we had to say goodbye to our ministry hosts and sweet kids. I’m not fond of goodbyes at all. One country down means we’re closer to being done with the race. That is so sad, but we’re not done yet! God is doing so much, and I’m so expectant for the following countries. Although it’s hard to say goodbye, I’m thankful for our time here. We had the best ministries and hosts, and I continue to thank God for it! I was blessed with the opportunity to love so many kids, and today, I want to share a couple of sweet stories and how many ways God moved!

It was such a blessing to work with little kids in all of our ministries. I want to be an elementary school teacher, so this was right up my alley. On Tuesdays, we helped with a soccer program, and I was with eight and under. These kids were so cute and good at soccer, but best of all, they had beautiful hearts. The way they love each other and look out for their siblings anytime anything is given out touched my heart. They were a little closed off at first, with is entirely understandable, but as time passed, they opened up. They started to run up to us at the beginning of practice and gave the biggest hugs! They always wanted me to spin them in circles and throw them in the air. One girl in particular always wanted to be around me. She was always playing with my bracelets, and one Tuesday, she took a couple of them. She returned the following week crying because they were broken, and she thought I would be mad. I told her it was completely fine, and she stopped crying. The following week she came up to me with a proud look on her face. She showed me the brackets on her wrist, which she had fixed. Her face was so bright, and it was so precious! This past Tuesday was the last soccer practice. It was a bittersweet time of field games and spending our last time with these sweet kids that we most likely will not see again. I spun the kids around, and we had a great time playing. Then we said goodbye, and I got hugs from everyone. These kids were so adorable, and I am happy I met them and got to build into them!

On Wednesdays, we help hand out books to kids in rural areas. The kids were so sweet and considerate! When we were handing out books, all of the kids made sure to get enough for their siblings too. It touched my heart how they didn’t just think of themselves but were also thinking of others.

On Thursdays, we have activation where we have a message and then are sent out. This past Thursday was our last one. They sent us out without translators. We prayed for where to go and what to do, and I got the word follow. I prayed about who to follow, and then we went. We talked to a bunch of people and prayed over them. We then went to one of the soccer coaches’ fruit stands and talked and prayed over him. He gave us free coconuts! We then went over to the park and spoke with some kids. Suddenly a little girl who I hadn’t seen before sprinted up to me and gave me the biggest hug! She asked if I wanted to play, so we played for a while until she had to go. I then went with some of the guys from my squad, and we went to a flower stand. I got the number ten in my head but didn’t say anything, and then one of the guys asked for ten flowers. How crazy! We then had kids come up to us and ask for pictures, so of course, we took pictures. I usually have a hard time speaking in Spanish and can understand it, but that day, I was able to talk to the kids and have a great time!

On Fridays, we have English classes. I was with the four-year-olds. They were the cutest ever!! They were so receptive and had great memories! I loved working with them! In my first English class, one of the kids opened up to me and told me his whole life story. It was hard to hear, but it was also a sweet compliment that he trusted me. Each week we played together and learned new words, and I was in awe of them each week. They pronounced things so well and were so eager to learn. They, indeed, were a blessing to teach! We also practiced singing silent night in English for a church talent show. On Wednesday, we had the talent show, and they did so well!! I was so proud of them! Then I had to say another hard goodbye.

On Saturdays, we help with a book club. This was a sweet time where we did Bible stories, a book, game time, and snack time. I was able to make popcorn, and it was a blast! A true gift from God! The kids loved the popcorn and returned for seconds and thirds, which was a huge compliment. The kids were so thankful and kind. I loved getting to serve them and play with them!

My ministries were so good! I am so thankful for them and all the stories that came with them! Saying goodbye to Guatemala is so hard but sweet at the same time. Praise God for Guatemala and the people here. I love Guatemala, and I can tell you God is moving big time here. He is the best!

On a completely unrelated note… Merry Christmas! This means that my 18th birthday is in two days!! God revealed something so cool to me the other day that I want to share! So when I was fourteen, God asked me not to get any presents that year, and I said yes and told my parents. The next day God said you’re good. I was confused at the time, but the other day, God asked me if I remembered that whole situation. I told him I did, and he explained that it was for this year, not when I was fourteen. He was preparing me for this at age fourteen, and I said yes. He wanted me to sacrifice my expectations and what I wanted in a day. He said that this was a big birthday. I was willing to sacrifice for him and give up what I wanted on my birthday to serve him, and he would bless me for it. I could have never pictured being in Guatemala on my eighteenth birthday on a mission trip without my family hiking a volcano. Wow, God is so good in all situations, even when we don’t understand or it’s not what expectations were. Praise God!!

*This was posted on missional life on December 25th while this website was being updated.