Buenas!

As you might have imagined, my squad and I have made it to the mountainous land of Guatemala. We arrived on January 19th, and have been here for 2 weeks.

These 2 weeks  have been so long but so short at the same time.

My team’s ministry is teaching English at a local school. In the morning we split up - 3 teammates teaching 5 year olds and 3 teaching 3-4 year olds. In the afternoon we split between 2-3 classes, teaching 5 year olds all the way up to 35 year olds. Through these kids and adults learning English, it is much more likely that they’ll be hired at a good job and therefore break the poverty in their family. It truly is a blessing to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this way - serving the people that He loves.

Even still, our time here has been quite heavy for me. It’s been hard to be in a new place, not feeling like I have the heart to love these people well. I’ve been walking through releasing Malaysia and receiving a revitalized heart for kids ministry and opened eyes to teaching. Walking past countless tourists in Antigua has been culture shock and the religion here seems hard to evangelize to.

I cried out and broke before the Lord, asking why I’m here-why He has me in this specific place, in this specific season. He replied with, “ because I love My people.”

He truly loves the Guatemalans and desires their hearts. He wants to bring freedom to their religion just as much as He desires the hearts hidden under hijabs in Malaysia and the lives lived far from Him in the states.

Every Thursday is “activation.”  This means pure worship in the morning, followed by a teaching and a time of putting into practice what we’ve learned from Scripture. The topic of this past Thursday was intercession. Through that time of interceding for the people of Guatemala, I learned that to grow a heart for a people or a place, all it takes is to intercede. As you bring them before the Lord, speaking scripture over them, your heart begins to soften and your eyes start to open.  This really has been a truth for me over these last few days. He is opening my heart and walking me into greater understanding for this home He’s placed me in.

Our days are long here and it’s been hard. However, through all of it, I’ve learned to hold nothing back - to be completely and totally honest with the Father who already knows my thoughts and emotions. I’m learning that it’s okay to feel what I feel, but, beyond that, to surrender all of it in bold humility.

At first, being here felt heavy, but I now see that He is doing the new thing He promised and is ushering me into the next season He holds. Days can still be hard, yes, but having a tender heart towards what He’s offering changes everything.

You can choose in or you can choose out. I choose in.

Moral of the story, He’s already revealed so much to me in this season and I can’t wait to walk through what’s next. Some days that feels daunting, but everyday I know He is good and we are here for such a time as this.

“See You Right” has been the song of this season.

Specifically the lyrics underlined…..

“Every drip and every ounce

My alabaster emptied out

I might get a little messy tonight

I might dance or I might cry

I don't care what I look like

Oh, I just wanna see you right

Fear of man will leave tonight

I'm letting go of all my pride

I'll love you undignified

And make the Pharisee see you right

I'll pour out all my oil

I'll wet your feet with tears

You're the one we're here for

All we want is you

The fragrance of our worship

Is filling up this room

You're the one we're here for

All we want is you”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XdfMr97ry8U

Also, THANK YOU to every single person who has supported me financially and prayerfully. Just the other day the weight of your generosity hit me, and I realized that I could not be here learning the things I have without you. I realized that countless lives have been touched and the Gospel has been shared across nations because of you. Truly you will be blessed for blessing the nations and I pray you feel the weight of the impact you have had and will continue to have.

I love you all,

Rissa😊