Woahhh we're half way there. Whoa OH! Livin' on a prayer!
To be honest, these past few days have been very painful. Why? Well, I remember after my first week here while walking back to the van after our street ministry, one of my friends said to me, "I don't want you to leave!" I literally laughed because I had only been here for exactly one week! Now, my heart is in agony every time I bear the thought of leaving. I do not want to leave those who I am serving nor those whom I am serving with!
This reminds me that we should never feel like we want to leave. If we are glad to leave, did we genuinely love those people we were serving? If we live and love like Jesus did, will we not be as heart-broken as He was when people walked away from Him? (Mark 10:17-22, specifically verse 21) Will we not be as devastated when someone leaves this Earth? (John 11:1-44, specifically verse 35) Jesus deeply loved everyone He came into contact with, and we ought to live like that. That includes those people who have hurt you, those people who have stolen from you, those people who disrespect you, and those people on the news who have done "terrible things." Jesus loves them all.
Recently, I have been lacking this attitude in the States. As some of my friends know, this past semester has been rough for me. I have been considering taking next year off for a multitude of reasons, one of them being a desired break from serving. I have honestly been dreading returning to serve. Last semester, I felt so discouraged, drained, and fruitless. I was reminded of this verse the other day that fits perfectly, and I thought it would be encouraging for anyone reading this who is feeling the same way. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." No explanation necessary.
As far as updates, my roommate, Anna, feels that the Lord is leading her to stay in Argentina for longer (so she is not half way there like I am). She is not sure if she will stay a few weeks longer or a few months longer, so please pray that the Lord will continue to guide her in His "good, pleasing, and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).
I have also acquired a second roommate. We received a sudden notice that a girl named Joann who was from Florida and serving with CFCI in Guatemala was going to join us for a few weeks. She arrived about a week and half ago and was planning on leaving later this week, but she is hoping to stay for a little longer (so she is half way there like I am). I am so glad that the Lord has brought her here so unexpectedly. She is so outgoing and energetic. She has also been very determined to learn Spanish ever since she began learning in Guatemala as of a few weeks ago. Anna and I were planning on taking on a week-long, Spanish-speaking-only challenge once Joann left. However, Joann wants to begin the challenge tomorrow. So, prayers for that! Speaking and understanding Spanish has remained a struggle, despite the improvement I have seen. I would love prayers for persistence, patience, and humility for all of us. Prayers for health would also be appreciated considering all three of us are sick! Thank you everyone for your support!!
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