Guatemala

I've been in Guatemala and El Salvador with the Northwestern women's girls basketball team the past 10 days on a missions trip and it was great. Our mission was to play basketball games and put on mini-clinics all the while sharing our testimonies and Jesus' love before, during and after our games. It was so good...the girls did fantastic. I was so proud of them. A couple of them had never flown before and or been to another country so watching them take in all the newness of the trip was so fun. And- watching them step out of their comfort zone to share what Jesus has done in their life was so fun and it made me so proud. Here are just a couple things that I was challenged with and will forever remember:

1. preparing.... missions trip take a lot of prep time- i am very thankful for Krissie, my co-leader. she was (and still is) super fantastic

2. On the Run; which is a gas stations where we encountered cross dressing prostitutes and the girls had no idea how to react. it was scary, sad and super hilarious all at the same time.

3. Lake Atilian (not sure i am spelling that right), one of the most beautiful places I've been.

4. Jaime...our leader, translator and faithful friend. He has a wonderful testimony of Gods grace and mercy and how God changed his heart and his life. He was everything we needed in a leader and translator. He brought tears to my eyes and I already miss him.

5. The National teams we played. We were considered the USA team...intense! we lost some, won some and got trampled on once.

6. The refs.

7. Kelseys testimony

8. The skit the girls did...again, it brought tears to my eyes.

9. My time in the word. It was good and re-energized me. I needed that. And am often reminded how important my personal relationship with God is.

10. The laughter at the ocean

11. The El Salvador and Guatemala children...they were so cute. it makes me wanna be a mom super bad. This little 4 month old girl already had a mom, which was a good thing...cuz if she didn't i would have taken her for my own.

12. The laughter in the van rides.

13. How many times i thought we were going to die in the those van rides.

14. the moth that attacked my head

15. spending time at the orphanage with kids that have HIV... and how i sow my team/girls step out and love on them. it was great.

16. Thelma, William and Emil: our other 3 faithful friends and leaders. Thelma is a fantastic cook. William is hilarious. And Emil has a passion for Guatemala like never before.
17. the village: and how little some people have and yet how happy they are. I fell in love with a little boy there and he gave me a red flower when we left. loved it! meetings like that remind me that i NEED to be so thankful for what i have and be more willing to give with a grateful heart. (oh, watching the girls use the bathrooms there was pretty memorable as well.)
*of course there are many other things that i loved about our trip, things that i will remember for a long time and that challenged me in my own walk with God. but...