So two weeks ago we had a huge team come from California! It was mainly families that came, so it was fun to have them here and acting like I was apart of their families too. :) It was the first team for us, so it was pretty exciting. The team came over thanksgiving, so we got to have a huge thanksgiving meal with them. Being away over the holiday's was a lot harder than I expected, so it was really nice to have thanksgiving with a bunch of families!
These people all sacrificed their thanksgiving to come serve in Guatemala, and that was kind of amazing to me. They spent their thanksgiving without the comfort of their homes and familie. They gave up something so special to come and serve God in a community of huge need.
Yeah, I sacrificed stuff to be here in Guatemala for the year. I sacrificed going to a real college, spending time with my family, a lot of freedom from living in the states, money. After thinking about these things, I realized these are the things I sacrificed for myself. But what have I sacrificed truly for God? Are there still things in my life that I don't want to sacrifice for him? Since being a missionary for this year, sometimes it's hard to remember I still need to spend time with God and try in our relationship. Just because I am serving in this community, does not make me better in any way than these people I am serving, because I know I have learned so much more from these women in these past 3 months than they have taught me, if I am being honest.
As I have mentioned in another blog, it is amazing how much these people rely so much on God. They lean on him with all they have. They have SACRIFICED all parts of their life for God.
One of the women I serve in my sight who I have gotten to know pretty well has demonstrated to me giving EVERY part of her life to God. Before she became a christian, she was with a man who abused her. But the problem was, she had two kids with him, there was no way she could leave him. One day she woke up and he was gone, with both of her kids. After this she fell into extreme depression, not even wanting to get up in the mornings. After a little while, she met a new man and had a daughter with him. Even with her new family, she still felt a feeling of hopelessness in her life.
A little while down the road, she got involved with our ministry, and gave her life to Christ. And ever since then she has been a new person. Not that she doesn't still struggle with her past and depression every once in a while, but she has given that part of her life to God. And that is what is most inspirational to me about her story. She has opened the door in heart, and given the most painful part of her life to God.
For me, it is so hard to give some parts of my life to God. Even living here in Guatemala, I thought that a lot of the pain I have from my past would somehow magically be healed, that I would magically turn into a "better christian". But the truth is, it is still so hard for me to open some of the painful doors of my past to God, it's scary. But the thing is, God is our safe place to God. No matter what has happened, he is always going to accept you and be there for you. And I think that's something that a lot of us forget sometimes.
So here's what I want to leave you with. Have you truly sacrificed all of your life to God? I know this is kind of an intense question, but it has been something really big on my heart lately. And it is a good reminder that no matter where we are at in our relationship with God, he wants ALL of us, not only the parts that we want to give Him!
Thanks to all reading this thing!! See you all in a week!
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