Woodlands Reflections

The other missions trip that came in March was from Stevens Point, WI from a church named Woodlands. It was a fun bunch of Juniors in high school who came to play kickball, help out at a children's home, and partner with the local youth group.  :)

Marie and I met the group the day of the camp. They were great from the beginning! They were very well-prepared, flexible, and fun to work with!

Going into it, Marie and I knew the schedule was going to be tight because of the nature of the culture of Guatemala and the school. The kids are rarely in their classrooms after recess and sometimes classes are not prepared on time as people from the United States expect. I prayed that the Lord would miraculously allow all the classes to complete the kickball camp since we had such a tight schedule.

He said yes! Throughout the week all the students in the school were able to play kickball. Praise the LORD!

The group also helped out at a local children's home by painting trees to keep away bugs and bagging donations of rice, beans, and powdered milk. Finally, they served with the local youth group by running their weekly youth group one night and partnering with small groups to visit homes to encourage local youth.

It is awesome to see how the Lord works through all. Praise the LORD, one of the youth that was visited accepted Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior and has now been attending Youth Group and church for the past week! Continue to pray for Him and the rest of the homes that were visited, that the Lord would be glorified and that they would continue to see the Lord's work in their lives.

Finally, as we visited homes, I was thinking about the practicality in the United States. I didn't see 15- and 16-years-old in the United States having time or hospitality to invite a bunch of people into their homes, simply due to the nature of the United States culture. However, the Lord confirmed in me that there are ways to encourage youth in the United States. Our small groups can take visit with students over coffee, invite them to our houses to play games and have a little chat, and I'm sure there are other ways too. What ways is the Lord asking you or your small group to encourage someone in your life this week?

I definitely can think of ways that the Lord wants to use me to encourage and challenge those I know, both those younger than me and the same age as me.

In conclusion, our God is amazing and is always working in our lives. Sometimes we just need to know what to look for, but He is always there!

Love from Guatemala <3