By: Courtney Hughes
Today was such a special day. This week has been such a special week. I cannot believe I will have the chance to say I went to Guatemala to build some stoves and sing some Spanish songs to the kids. I never expected the kids to have such beautiful faces, hearts, and smiles. The kids impacted me the most.
And if there is just one thing I want to tell my friends when I get home, is how full of love the kids are, when in reality, love is the only reliable thing they have. They do not have much material, or much of a home, sometimes, much of a family. However, they do have love. I was privileged to see that.
Nothing feels better when you see a kid light up when they see you, and they run to hug you. It does not get better than a little girl holding your hand as you get in line for crafts. But, it breaks my heart to see little children crying on the last day because they cannot continue VBS longer. God blessed me to have this opportunity and the kids made every second of stress more than worth it.
I was also privileged to have taken four years of Spanish and been given a love to speak the language. Having that experience under my belt was incredibly helpful. Although I need A LOT more practice, I enjoyed speaking Spanish everywhere I could. I cannot wait to get home and be conditioned to say things… not in English. I enjoy annoying my friends because none of them know what I am saying, hehe.
I am thankful for this trip on so many levels, but the biggest thing I am thankful for, is building my relationship with God. I was surrounded by astonishing people all week and got to work with them every day. I learned something new from every single person. They are all so kind and compassionate towards each other; I was fortunate to be welcomed into that family. The people this week allowed me and taught me how to strengthen myself with Christ. Now Is The Time to celebrate!
To end, I would like to thank Shawn and Damaris for organizing all of the trip and the other trips. I would like to thank my mom for coming with me and for being with me throughout the entire trip, but also being there for me when we both grew together.
A special thank you to Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church back at home for supporting my mom and I on the trip. And a TREMENDOUS thank you to the anonymous sponsor back at home for allowing me to come on this trip without worrying about a cost.
I could not have done this, or had such a life changing experience without everyone’s support, love, and prayer. I recommend a mission trip to any person, especially those who need to find themselves, who want a better relationship with God, and those who want to change lives.
Now Is The Time To LOVE.
