Walking with Open Hands of Celebration.

Coming to you from Paramos, Guatemala. We are one month in and one to go. This has been a hard, incredible, and joy filled month here with lots of tears, laughter, dance parties, and coming to the end of ourselves. Our ministry has been full of preaching, teaching, surprise parties, meals with sweet friends, intense fútball games with the kids and constantly being challenged with the language barrier. There has been an abundance of memories made and so many reconnections in this country. There have been days that feel like I’m home and there have been days when I feel like I couldn’t be any farther from it.  There have been days when I have begged the Lord for reasons of why I’m staying on the field and why I am not in the place I thought I would be. There are also more days than not that I am so grateful and in awe that the Lord has brought me back here to Guatemala. This is a country that holds so many testimonies of the Lords faithfulness in my life and in the life of others. 

It’s been so fun to be back here and invest in prior relationship and new relationships. I’ve had some really sweet moments meeting up with people from my time on the Race. A few weeks ago, we were in Los Encinos for the day and on our way out I saw a women that we had started our cooking ministry with when my team was here in 2019. She remembered me and we chatted for a little bit. She said that she had pictures printed out from that day and they were hanging up in her house. She wanted to do it again with us, so she invited us over! My team and I got to go to her house to cook atol (a hot sweet drink made around the holidays, usually made with corn or rice). We were able to just walk to her house through this little village that holds so many memories from the beginning of my race and reconnect with families and children. There were so many moments of connection on my Race that were left with not a lot of hope of ever seeing them again and so it was a huge gift to be able to reconnect. There have also been so many new connections. 

Our ministry over the last month has involved so many new relationships as well. We are working with a church in a city near by, where we have gotten to be apart of leading youth services, women’s bible studies, and English classes for the kids. We have been challenged in so many ways and digging deep into scripture to be in a place to give away truth that comes through Jesus.  

It’s been a blessing to be back in a country that I’ve dreamed about coming back to. The first week we were here I was in the chicken bus and I had a flash back to the the day I was leaving Guatemala two years ago. I prayed a prayer to the Lord asking Him to bring me back here, little did I know that I would be back here two years later rejoicing in what the Lord is doing here with another World Race squad. The Lord is so faithful and truly knows our desires before we do.  It’s an incredible opportunity to be able to live this life and honestly I’m sure that there are many that would choose this in a heart beat. It really doesn’t always come with the fullness of what is seen on the outside. With any season of life there are growing pains and the release of my own expectations. As hard as that is, it has left so much space for the celebration and joy that comes with following the Lord. 

The life of saying yes to the Lord. Being here in Guatemala has looked like a daily reminder of what my yes is to the Lord and in a visual representation; unclenching one finger at a time from the dreams that I have been holding for myself. It is an honor to lead a kingdom life style and do it traveling the WORLD!!, but there are days that I wish I could just know what the next 10 years of my life are going to look like and be in a place to seek worldly success, (whatever that means, you know.) I wish I could sit in the comfort of my home, the comfort of having a set plan and having a pretty answer of what I’m doing next and not fearing that people think I’m crazy for changing my plan SO many times. I’ve asked myself when I will get back to reality and start making plans that make SENSE financially and long term. I fear that the last few years and the things that I’ve done have been in vain. The Lord reminds me every time that He is grounding me, this is REAL LIFE! He has reminded me that these things will never be in vain when I seek him in it. Every season I get to step in faith and in every season I have been blessed financially, with community and in prayers. IT HAS NOT BEEN IN MY OWN STRENGTH. I want to be in a place to let go of control, fear and continue to give the Lord my yes even before the time comes. I want to press into the uncomfortable and discovery of stepping into situations where I get to see the Lord show up on a daily basis. Not that this couldn’t be my daily in doing college or working a job, but I get to step away from the comforts and constant back up plans that are so readily available to step into the celebration of seeing the Lord work in every future plan that I open up my hands to. In return He gives away in abundance. I get to approach him in honesty and authenticity. In return he meets me in my BURNOUT and insecurities. 

I have learned so much in this space of leading and as I have just been thinking about what I would like to update you on I just wanted to come to you with honesty about where I am at. This week I have transitioned to a greater role within the squad and I am now over three teams. These things have been on my mind a lot as I think about what is after this season and the things that I have said no to, in order to be here. These points are messy and some of these things are in the process, but I would not trade it for anything. I am thankful that I get to be in a place where possible set backs are right in my face. I get to press into the Lord’s desire for further healing and growing of my heart and soul. Lastly, I get get to give God the glory in it all, it really all comes back to him. May He be glorified in it all. 

 

Thank you for supporting me! Thank you for the prayers! 

If you would like to support me, I am still fundraising! 

If you would like to hear more of my experiences and where I am at, please reach out. I would love to catch up. Respond to my blog or text me on WhatsApp or any social media, we can set up a time!

 

I pray that in all of this that you would be encouraged to just release another finger in the process of leading a life of open hands, celebrating in what the Lord has for your future!!

 

With love, 

Anna