Wow! Where do I even start?! This first week has been one to remember. If I were to leave after just one week, I can confidently say that I am a changed person. Thankfully, I’ve got two more months in this beautiful country that Guatemala is!

Launch day was an exciting but scary day. I met my squad at the Miami airport before we took off for our flight to Guatemala. There are 16 people on my squad and after just one week, I can’t begin to tell you how much love I have for each of them. When you have Jesus as a mutual friend, everything seems to workout pretty well.

This first week is what they call “training camp” where the staff here in Guatemala worked to pour into us, orient us to the country, culture and missions, and give us all the information we need to have a successful summer. We had many sessions on different topics like stewardship, forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, missions, etc. Each of these topics have helped to prepare me for the summer ahead. We’ve had some awesome time of worship and time to just sit and be with the Lord.

The weather here in Guatemala is beautiful. I do be sweating a lot hahah! When stepping outside, you can look around and see mountain and the volcanos. The first week we stayed at the Adventures in Missions base and this next week we are staying at our Ministry Houses. We’ve been eating lots of traditional Guatemala food which consists of lots of tortillas, beans, rice, chicken, eggs, fruit, and “spicy sauce.” Also, the coffee here is literally the best coffee in the world. That is a fact, not an opinion. You can catch me drinking cups of black coffee each morning and ACTUALLY enjoying it! I have been speaking a lot of Spanish and I am putting my two years of high school Spanish to use. A girl on my team is from Ecuador and she has been teaching me so much!

After a few days at the base, we got to catch the chicken bus and ride it into Antigua. Nothing could have prepared me for this wild, very crowded bus ride. When we got to Antigua, we explored the city with our teams. Like I said before, our squad is 16 people and each team has 8 people.

Saturday was my birthday! And wow, was it one to remember!! I woke up to the room decorated in balloons and steamers. My squad gave me a birthday sash and crown to wear! They sang happy birthday to me and all wrote me the kindest letters. I felt so loved! After dinner, they surprised me with a piñata! Seriously, the best thing ever! That night was one of the coolest experiences I have had all week. We had a session on the Holy Spirit and letting Him work both in us and through us. After, we went into a time of worship and prayer to give the Holy Spirit control over our lives and to walk in boldness. A life led by the Holy Spirit is a wild ride and that is what I want! A woman on staff prayed over me and I was overcome by the Holy Spirit. It was an immense feeling of peace. It reminded me of the song that says “a peace that makes no sense.” Not all things are about experience, but it was one of those experiences that deepened my faith and reminded me that giving control to God is the only place I will find true peace.

On Sunday morning, I helped lead worship with a few other people on my squad for squad church. It was such a fun way to use my gifts! Later that afternoon we packed up, said goodbye to the other team, and left for our Ministry Hosts for the week. My team is working with a ministry called Reindom. They are a non-profit ministry that serves in the villages of Sumpango and Santa Maria. We will be doing many different things from house visits, to working with children and teaching them English and music, to serving alcoholics and addicts, to serving mothers.

Tomorrow is our first day of ministry. I am not sure what to expect, but I know that God has some cool stuff planned!

I want to thank you for your continued prayers and ask for more prayers for the following things:

1. Please pray that I will allow the Holy Spirt to speak to me and that I will act in obedience and boldness to exactly what He wants me to do.
2. Please pray that my team works together well and that we may all act as God’s hands and feet
3. Please pray for continued good health
4. Please pray for the hearts of those we will be meeting, serving, and sharing with.

And here are a few things I’ve learning this week:

1. It is polite to greet other Guatemalans with a kiss on the cheek.

2. Guatemalans like to drink coffee in the morning and night.

3. I’ve learned how to hand wash laundry!

4. We cannot drink the water because it has too much bacteria that American’s immune systems cannot handle.

5. Guatemalans are some of the most friendly people!

I love you all, xoxo - Anna <3