Taco, Taco, Taco!

Hello everyone! This week, my team and I got to lead the VBS classes by ourselves, and the title of this post pretty much sums up that experience.  No, we didn't eat a lot of tacos (although we did get to chow down on some authentic Guatemalan food), but we did sing a lot of children's songs, test out our Spanish, and learn about finding joy in the little things.  Here's some picture's showing what we did everyday!  We were working in Jocotenango, a city right outside of Antigua.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)
Starting off the day with a few fun songs. We sing “The Frog Song” a lot and for about three days I was singing “taco, taco, taco” during one part instead of “canto, canto, canto”… our translator Betsy kindly corrected me

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)
This week the Bible story was Noah’s ark so we had the kids decorate bookmarks with rainbows, animal stickers, and rainbow crosses. One of the kids with the finished product!

(photo by Brittany Watson)

Such sweet eyes!

(Photo by Brittany Watson)

Handing out candy after craft time. Probably saying “Ohhh muy bien! Quieres un dulce?”

Next is game time! We have a few of our favorites we like to play everyday...

(photo by Brittany Watson)

The t-shirt  relay race game!

Some of the girls waiting patiently for their turn.

(Photo by Brittany Watson)

(photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Playing a game like sharks and minos!

 

(Photos by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Playing animal charades to go along with the Noah's ark theme!

On our lunch break we had some time to sight-see in Antigua.. so beautiful!

(photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

The hill overlooking all of Antigua with a volcano in the background.

(photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

All the girls (including our translator Betsy) under the arc in Antigua

(photo by Brittany Watson)

Beautiful view of the streets of Antigua!

So that's been our week summed up with a few pictures! But the most important thing our team has learned this week is how to see God in our day to day routine.  We had new groups of kids every morning and afternoon so we did the same lesson every day. While we're thankful we got the chance to love on so many kids, about half-way through the week we found ourselves getting too caught up in our routine.  Thankfully, in our team devotional on Wednesday we read this by Oswald Chambers:

"I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty's sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ."

We were reminded that God is always near us and in everything we do even when we think it's just small details of life. On mission trips we often expect huge, life-changing moments everyday, but sometimes God chooses to work differently.  This week I've started to learn how to seek and find Christ in those every-day moments. I'm learning to trust that God is going to work in the hearts of the kids long after we've left. That even though I may not see any instant changes everyday, everything we do now is all part of God's plan for those kid's lives.  Again, I am reminded that this summer is not about what I get out of it or how I feel.  Each day is not just the same old routine, but provides me with two new opportunities to show God's love to these children and I can't take that time for granted.

First week here! (Part 2)

On Wednesday our first team from Buckner arrived! About 30 mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and granddaughters joined us, and we are so thankful that they are here! One of the main things we have done these past three days is get a chance to pamper the mothers/daughters of San Jose Pinula.  We massaged their hands, gave them manicures, brushed and styled their hair, decorated cookies, and made flower jewelry with them.  It was such an honor to get to serve all these women and teach them about how much they're worth to God.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

One of the girls with her hair done and the tissue flowers we all made together.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Brittany painting one of the mother's nails.

In the afternoons we traveled to the City of Children orphanage home and spent time with different girls there.  There are a total of about 800 kids living in this one orphanage, and, to be honest, I was not prepared for the effect it was going to have on me.  On Wednesday we set up the same stations and got a chance to pamper about 200 of the girls there.  It was hard not to get emotional thinking about all the times my mom and I had done that same kind of girly girl stuff together.  It's just difficult thinking about how those girls will never have that same kind of bond as I do with my mom.

Each afternoon we also spent time with some of the special-needs girls there.  I quickly formed a bond with one of the girls, Erica, when she insisted on painting my nails after I painted hers.  She ended up painting about half of my hand with magenta polish and was just laughing hysterically the whole time!  The next day I saw her again and we got the chance to make fruit-loop necklaces together.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Putting her necklace on.  A few minutes later we took it off so she could just eat the fruit-loops.. that's my kinda girl!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Erika!

We also all had a big dance party towards the end of the day.  So much fun!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

These girls wore me out! 

Yesterday, after working with the special-needs girls again, we got to spend some time with the little kiddos in the playground!  Check back tomorrow for the rest of this blog!

First week here! (Part 1)

Hello everyone! So it's officially been one week since we arrived in Guatemala and so much has happened!  First of all, welcome to our home here (ours is the one with the brown door)

Photo by Olivia Artusa

It's kind of like a town home, and we live here with 3 other girls our age from Guatemala City, along with one long-term volunteer Krista.  The first few days here were spent getting settled in and becoming aquainted with the city.

Yummy sweets from a nearby bakery! They definitely use way less sugar in everything here.

We are addicted to these desserts!  Fresh fruit drenched in chocolate... delicious.

Monday we started teaching our VBS lessons to kids in San Jose Pinula, a nearby town about 1 1/2 hours away.  Buckner has a community transformation center in this town which offers things like counseling, computer classes, affordable healthcare, english lessons, and more.  We got the chance to hang out with kids from the town's school for two days! Basically, each day started off with teaching the kids a few fun songs, telling them the Bible story for the day, making some crafts, then just playing games and having fun!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Teaching them our favorite songs! They are very sweet to put up with my broken Spanish instructions.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Using my favorite go-to Spanish phrase: "Cuantos anos tienes?".  When I had them guess my age they said 30 or 40... great haha

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

The kids LOVE bubbles!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Helping the boys put together the memory verse for the day.  It amazes me how eager and excited they are to learn!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Teaching the kids about creation.  Afterwards we had them pick their favorite day to color a picture of.  Again, I was so amazed at how much they remembered and learned so quickly!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Walking into the school in San Jose Pinula.  So many sweet kids!  We had a blast getting to hang out with some of them.

Right off the bat, my team and I were overwhelmed with how much joy and laughter these kids had to share with us.  We learned very quickly that sometimes it doesn't matter how much Spanish you know as long as you're willing to run around, act crazy, and laugh with them. It really is the little things, like hugs and smiles, that go a long way.  Already God is teaching me that He is more than just an emotion.  What I mean is that I don't need to hype up God and put on an awesome performance when teaching the Bible story.  The more I remove all that fluff emotion, the more I can get to know Him genuinely so that I can genuinely share his love. And these kids are such a great testimony to what genuine love and happiness look like!

Our new home!

So after a long day (starting at 3 am this morning!) our team has finally made it to our home for the summer in Guatemala! We are going to be staying in the Buckner home with another long-term volunteer, Krista, and three other women about our age who work at Buckner and go to college in Guatemala.  We're staying in a quieter part of Guatemala City, and our home is quaint and comfortable.  We even have our own kitchen!  So hopefully we'll be pros at cooking traditional Guatemalan cuisine by the time we leave :)

Although we are very thankful to have such a comfortable place to stay, something my team and I talked about this morning is how important it is to have our comfort be Christ, not material things or familiar places.  The passage in Luke 9:51-62 shows a man who does want to follow Christ, but only after he finishes doing some other things first.  I think a lot of times we put off going someplace Christ wants us to go because we're seeking comfort from things other than Christ.  For instance, we might say we'll go to another country, but only when we have the language down perfectly.  Or, we might say we'll move to a different state, but only when we have enough money to buy a nice house there.  But look at the apostle Paul!  All throughout the book of Acts he is recorded spending a few months in one place, then a few years in another, and so on.  To him, his comfort doesn't come from where he is, or his high-tech hiking shoes (cough cough chacos), or the familiar food he gets to eat.  It comes from Christ.

Now, I know that when I leave Guatemala I'll be going back to my home in Plano.  But what if I wasn't?  It's easy to put up with change when you know you'll be going back to your normal routine eventually.  But what if I was called to live my life constantly moving from place to place in order to do God's work?  Would Christ be enough of a comfort and shelter for me, or would I break down because I rely too much on other things? Thinking about this made me realize what other things in my life that I actually have let take the place of Christ as a comfortor.  I mean, there have been countless times when I've grown too attached to possessions, people, or habits in hopes that they would provide the comfort I needed.  But I don't like relying on temporary hope and fickel paths to happiness. I want to learn to live with my eyes locked on my steadfast Lord, trusting in His guidance and love while letting all other idols of comfort fall away.

And just in case you all were in need of some Jesus comfortin', here is a passage from the daily devotional we did today:

1 John 4:18 "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.  If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love."

2 Thessalonians 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.  The Lord be with you all."

"I want to be central in your entire being.  When your focus is firmly on Me, My Peace displaces fears and worries.  Let trust and thankfulness stand gaurd, turning back fear before it can gain a foothold.  There is no fear in My Love, which shines on you continually.  Sit quietly in My Love-Light, while I bless you with radiant Peace.  Turn your whole being to trusting and loving Me."


We start working in the orphanages on Monday so I'll be sure to let y'all know about that!

Currently Listening to: God of the redeemed by Bethel Live http://youtu.be/V-tGEaXLJUI

"I remember your faithfulness to me"

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

Today, as I began to prepare to leave for Guatemala, I became a little nostalgic about my time spent in Nicaragua last summer.  I put lots of things from that trip (sea shells, letters, pictures, notes and drawings from the children there, and my journal) in a box at the end of last summer, so I decided to spend some time sifting through those memories.  I started to read the journal I had kept those two weeks and it actually made me tear up seeing how FAITHFUL God had been that whole time!

That trip was really one of the first times I had handed everything over to God and lived by faith and trust in Him rather than in myself or my own plans.  Now, I'll be honest, one of the main reasons I handed everything over to him is because, for most of the trip, I had no earthly idea what I was supposed to be doing.  I didn't have a daily schedule to go off of, I didn't know the language at all, I didn't really know where I was half the time (I'm horrible with directions), I was a little worried about hiking all day (I am by no means naturally athletic), and I didn't know any of the people I was going with before the trip.  So pretty much my only option was to say "Alright Lord, my trust is completely in You".  And you know what? Not once did God misuse my trust in him or lead me in a wrong direction.  He pushed me out of my comfort zone the entire time, but never let me wander there by myself.

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." 2 Samuel 22:33

Two of the biggest promises he kept to me last summer were him giving me strength and fellowship.  I learned to really rely physically on him for all my strength because I certainly did not have enough myself.  One day I even wrote "Sooo I probably should have worked out a little more before I came here cause Lord, I am tired!  But I know it really doesn't matter what I do because if you want me to hike up that mountain to give this gospel to that family, you'll get me there.  So Lord, please be my strength cause we are going up that mountain!"  I know it might seem silly to some of you to ask God for physical strength, but God really does want you to surrender EVERY part of your life to him, not just a few things that you think you need help with. He is a big God, but he doesn't just want you to hand him your big problems.  He wants us to surrender everything to him daily! And in living by faith and full dependence on him, we are able to experience first-hand how trustworthy, loving and faithful our God really is.

The second thing that I was reminded about was the awesome bonds created between my team members and me. The Lord totally blessed me day after day with uplifting conversations, deep discussions, and so much joy and laughter between us all.  It amazes me how complete strangers can grow so close so quickly when they are united under Christ.  And this fellowship was even with the people of the communities, too.  One week at church in the town of los encinos, the members of this small mountain community prayed for our team while we prayed for them.  The presence of God was almost tangible in that one-room, dirt floor church!  It was just so powerful to know that, although we have completely different lives and don't speak the same language, all of us our living for and praying to the same awesome and powerful God.

Re-reading my journal made me reflect back, not only on my summer, but on my whole year.  I realized how many promises he's kept and prayers he's answered. Going into this summer, I pray that I surrender myself daily to Christ so that I can do his will for me there.  I know that he will be my strength and my guide if I just let him take over completely.  I'm not sure if this is exactly appropriate to pray, but last summer I also wrote "daily prayer: Lord, please let me not screw up your ministry just because I can be stubborn and selfish". I honestly want to pray that every morning this summer.  I pray that Christ will humble me and teach me how to be a servant to others while there, and that I continue to live like that once I'm back home in the fall.

"Therefore, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself. " Philippians 2:3


Currently Listening to: Jesus You're Beautiful by Jon Thurlow http://youtu.be/EQQMG93kxqM (yes, it's 13 min but it's so amazing)

Week Sixteen: A Study Break

Hello ladies! Is everyone excited for summer in THREE DAYS?!?! I know you are all probably worn out from studying super hard, so I thought you could use a little break (aka more ways to procrastinate) from school stuff! Here are just a few links to some cool videos, songs, and excerpts from some of my favorite books. Enjoy!

1. “What is the G.O.S.P.E.L.?” This is an awesome slam poetry video explaining the gospel. This guy is super talented and really lays down the truth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gb7n9B_8m8

2. One of my favorite hip hop dances to Trip Lee’s “Got No Worries”. If only I had these skills haha…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Zt5aHZne4


3. “The BIGGEST Loser” Brings up gluttony as a common sin in America today. Kinda funny but also pretty convicting and not something we think about as often as we shouldhttp://youtu.be/yV3K8NcVt2o

4. “When the Secular is Sacred” I love Mumford and Sons so I thought this article was pretty interesting. It’s about how some songs by this band, and others, are really addressing the ‘sticky’ areas of Christianity by being more  open about questions they may have and struggles they're going through. (Also a good site just to browse)http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/worship/features/22374-when-the-secular-is-sacred
 http://youtu.be/-NXWE6AC8ao

5. “Death: His sting and defeat” Another kind of poetry thing from LifeChurch. http://youtu.be/8rhwbcRqUgY

6. This is the introduction to the book The Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton. It touches on how we really are a part of God’s royal family. I just love to imagine Jesus getting ready to come back for us while we, on earth, prepare the way for Him!
    “Pauperhood is relegated to the children of a lesser god. It is the condition of slaves who have yet to discover their freedom on the other side of the river of baptism and find themselves still captured by the dark prince of torture and torment. He is the one who assigns them to a life of poverty, pain, and depression through a diabolical play of illusion. He hopes to conceal their true identity forever. This evil prince feeds his captives the poisonous rations of religion, convincing them they will fill their soul’s hunger for righteousness. These slaves, blindfolded by their sin, think that they are laboring for their own freedom and work to pave their way out of prison with bricks built from the miry clay of self-righteousness. Yet, unknowingly, brick by brick, they are erecting their own chambers of death. Worse yet, they birth children into the same darkness, ultimately creating legacies of bondage with mind-sets of hopelessness.
     But on a hill far away a Lamb-turned-Lion descended into this death camp through the portal of Golgotha. Crashing through the gates of hell, He met the dark prince in the mother of all battles. With three spikes and a thorny crown, the Captain of the Host conquered the devil, eternally disarming his destructive weapons of sin, death, hell and the grave. Sin could not tempt Him, death couldn’t defeat Him, hell couldn’t keep Him, and the grave could not hold Him. With watching witnesses and waiting warriors, He ascended through earth’s surface. The planet quaked to release its captives while Heaven thundered to receive its treasure. They weren’t just waiting for rescued souls to be redeemed, but for the crowning of the sons who were to be revealed. For with His blood, the Holy One of Radiance purchased rotten, ragged sinners and recreated us into His righteous, reigning Saints.
    We are not just soldiers of the cross; we are heirs to the throne. The divine nature permeates our souls, transforms our minds, transplants our hearts, and transfigures our spirits. We were made to be vessels of His glory and vehicles of His light.
    Perhaps we are better exemplified as the beautiful daughter who will ascend the throne through marriage, for she is betrothed to the Prince of Peace. The Bridal Chamber is being built, the feast is being prepared, and the Bride is making herself ready. Alternatively, we may be called the Children of God, the Engaged Bride, a Royal Priesthood, the Apple of His Eye, and a New Creation, but above all, one thing is for certain: We have captivated the heart of our Lover. Burning with desire, He has mounted His white horse, assembled a majestic entourage, and is making His way toward the planet!
    Meanwhile back on earth, God’s people are rising and beginning to shine in this present darkness. His Royal Army is spreading the Kind’s glory all over the earth as we take dominion of this planet back from the defeated one. Equipped with the light of the Father, His sons are finding buried treasure in the hearts of men that was once covered by rocks of offense, thorns of treachery, and relics of religion. Armed with the power of the Holy Spirit and commissioned to re-present the King’s Son, we are healing the sick, raising the dead, and displacing devils. Paupers are becoming princes as a result, and the kingdom of this world is becoming the Kingdom of our God!”

Alright y’all, that’s it! I hope everyone makes it through the next two days and does great on finals! Have an AMAZING summer, be safe, have fun, and I can’t wait to see you all next semester!!
4. “How He loves us: a story” Just a cool interview with john mark McMillan about why he wrote “How He Loves Us” and what it means to him. I just love his testimony to how God really does love us even when we're not crazy about him.

Week Fifteen: A Place to Belong

“Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as part of His body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut of toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?” Romans 12:4-5

Hello ladies! I hope you’re all enjoying this lovely day outside (ha, not). Can you believe that finals start this week? Seriously, where did this semester go?? It’s so crazy to me when I look back on the last 4 months and think about all that has happened. Personally, one of the biggest and best changes I experienced these past months has been really finding where I belong in my church. Even growing up, I never made it a priority to really be involved in church besides summer camps and mission trips. It wasn’t until recently that I realized what all I was missing out on. I know a lot of Christians don’t see why it’s so important to be involved in a church. I was like that too last year; I’d read my Bible, pray, and listen to worship music and thought I was doing just fine. Not being involved in a church doesn’t make you any less of a Christian, but it certainly isn’t God’s best for you. You are called to belong, not just to believe, and here is why. (This is based off my notes from a day in “A Purpose Driven Life“)

1. A church family identifies you as a genuine believer. You discover your role in life through your relationship with others. We are not the Body of Christ by ourselves; we need others to express that. When we accept Christ into our lives, we become part of His family, it’s not a solitary way of life. When people from different backgrounds come together to love as a church family, it is one of the most powerful witnesses to the world.
“By this, all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

2. It moves you out of self-centered isolation. Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the New Testament truth of being connected and dependent on each other. We learn what God’s sacrificial love (John 3:16) really means when we practice loving others like that through fellowship.
“If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor.” 1 Corinthians 12:26

3. It helps us grow spiritually. It easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are mature Christians if there is no one there to challenge us. Just like I said earlier, I thought my daily routine last semester was fine until I had a HUGE wake up call this semester.  It really is a night and day difference when you're pursueing God on your own versus when you're pursueing God with the support of a whole community.  We are kept accountable by surrounding ourselves with Christians who truly are seeking Christ and really want to encourage us and help us grow, too. We need more than just a Bible to grow, we need other believers who are there to call us out when we're on the wrong track. 
“As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Ephesians 4:16b

4. The Body of Christ needs you! We all have our own unique talents and abilities; Some people can sing, dance, play guitar, write, teach, fix computers, organize things, care for others, make us laugh, plan really cool parties, etc. Whatever it may be, God wants you to use your gifts for his ministry. So plug in to your church by doing whatever you’re already good at! Use your talent to help the Body of Christ because that’s why you have it in the first place.

5. A church family helps you from being overcome by sin. Brennan Manning says “A church is not a museum of saints but a hospital for sinners“. I love that! We all sin, and our church should be a refuge from that, not a place of condemnation. We need to “Encourage one another daily… so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13) Everyone faces temptation daily, and being surrounded by a community of believers gives us people who are going to be looking out for us when we fall. James 5:19 says “If you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them, get them back!”. Your church is full of people who will help you overcome temptation and keep your focus on Christ.

The church meets our five deepest needs: a purpose to live for, people to live with, principles to live by, a profession to live out, and power to live on. I started really plugging in to First Baptist this semester and am just amazed by the people I’ve met. I had never been around so many Christians who were so knowledgeable of God’s Word, so uplifting and encouraging, so focused on Christ, so joyful and filled with His love, and so honest about their own sin. Not only that, but getting to know some of you girls has been such a blessing! I’ve loved being able to talk during Bible Studies and go to church and paradigm with y’all.

I know this devotional is kind of bad timing since we’re all about to leave for the summer, but I encourage you all to get plugged in to a community of believers wherever you are. I know I’ve said the word ‘church’ a lot, but a church is not a place it’s a people. So whether you’re staying here or going home, find people who are going to uplift you and challenge you in your walk with Christ. You could even get a couple of people together and go through “A Purpose Driven Life” together this summer since it’s a 40 day devotional (perfect summer fit)! Just an idea. Anyway, I hope y’all have a fabulous week and try not to get too stressed out over finals!

Currently Listening to: The Outsiders by NeedtoBreathe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6xvpQYA94Y