Little Steps (Little Pasos) That Have Led Me Here
November 16th
It was in the slums of Nicaragua in 2019. I was walking the dirt path to a school, where I would see little boys with backpacks bigger than their bodies walk inside the blue and white doors, waving goodbye to their sisters. My eyes would follow to precious little girls with their notebooks as they sat in the grass. Curiosity filled me as I watched them open their notebooks and start writing. They were writing down all that they heard from the teachers inside. However, they couldn’t go inside. They couldn’t afford to.
It was in Battambang, Cambodia in 2018 when I was first introduced to teaching English as a second language. Although I had no idea what I was doing, I was told that children who knew as little as 3 words in English were given higher paid jobs. That rang true the longer I was there. Pronouns and nouns became our top priority.
It was in Aranda De Duero, Spain when I first set my eyes on artwork children had made, displaying their desires for missions around the world. I stood in disbelief. For some odd reason, it never occurred to me the importance of not only raising up disciples (missionaries) in the western world, but around the world in general.
These moments of impact have led me to where I am going now. To Little Pasos - a bilingual Christian school in Villa Nueva, Guatemala. Although Guatemala is different than Nicaragua and Cambodia, education is still lacking severely and knowing English can guarantee a higher paying job. Most of all, Guatemala is stuck in spiritual bondage, but is an open country and the gospel can be shared freely there. A missionary named Tara made it her mission to meet the needs of all 3 of these pressing issues in Guatemala, and I get to be a part of it too.
This past week, I got to hear more about the dreams for Little Pasos. There are dreams of having an after school program for middle school and high school students. There are dreams of expanding to 3rd grade. There are dreams of hosting teams. There are dreams of the lives of Guatemalan families being transformed in Villa Nueva. These dreams are being brought to life by God, who willed it all to happen. I am only hopeful for what’s to come. It’s one of my favorite things to dream. Will you pray and dream with me regarding this school?
Some updates on my end:
-I am only needing around 500$ in monthly donations now (look at what God has done in such a short time)
-I am hoping to be fully funded and start the move process by January
-the org has officially decided that I will be in Antigua, Guatemala for the first 6 months in language school and training (yay!)
-I’m working on releasing my heart from Nashville and fanning the flame of anticipation for Guatemala, it’s coming soon
I’m moving!
December 10th
How does one put into words the reality of the seemingly impossible. I’ve sat here, for entirely too long, thinking of the words to say. I typically don’t have this problem. The words have always seemed to just flow out, almost excessively at times, but not today.
Today, all I can seem to say is that I got the greenlight to move to Guatemala. All that follow after these words are tears. They haven’t stopped falling from my eyes.
For the first time, words just aren’t enough for me. To say thank you, to you, is not enough. To say “I’m so honored to be able to go” is too, not enough.
With my face on the ground and my palms in the air, I lay my life on the alter. The only words that utter out of my mouth are “yes Lord.”
It is finally time to go.
I am desperate for prayer in this season just as much as the last. I went from 0 to 100 in just a few seconds. There is so much to be done before I can depart and my head indeed feels as though it might explode. It’s so fun though and I’m learning so much.
Specific prayer requests:
-for joy and peace as I leave my home that I have come to adore to step into a new home
-for a double portion in Guatemala of what I have seen and held in Nashville
-for someone to take over my lease so I can book a flight (for divine appointments)
-for opportunities to be able to give everything I own away to people who need it
-for clarity with steps as I prepare to move and set a date for departure
-to be able to keep my eyes solely on Jesus in every aspect and in every way
Thank you Lord.