Walk with Me: A Week in my Life

    I have realized that my blogs thus far have given little insight into what I’m actually doing on a day-to-day basis. So, I’m going to try to remedy that by taking you on a walk through a typical week here in Candelaria. It’s a difficult task because there really is no such thing as typical on the mission field! But here goes…

Wednesday

    (I start in the middle of the week because it’s the start of my work week) All of my mornings start the same way… by sharing a french press with my three other coffee-loving teammates. Wednesday mornings we meet together at 8 a.m. for a time of intercessory prayer. We pray for the mission, for our youth, and for God to move within this community.
    The afternoons are generally quiet around the property. The majority of the teenagers attend school in the afternoon. While they are in school it is time to work on all the logistical work that needs to be done to keep the mission running. Currently I am working to schedule short-term mission teams and working with the “Adopt-a-Student” program. My afternoon is spent working on these projects, contacting supporters, running personal errands, and spending personal time with the Lord.
    Although the afternoons generally provide personal time, it is inevitable that one or more of the children or teenagers will come to the property needing help with English homework or needing a listening ear or advice. They, of course, are my priority.
    Wednesday evenings are the night that our youth group meets for teaching. We have begun a series of teachings. During March and April, we have been asking “Who is God?” We are studying attributes of God’s character by looking at the life of Jesus. After we learn more of who God is, we will be studying “Who We are in Christ” and “How to Walk with God Daily”. These are the things we want these teenagers to understand most in their lives with the Lord.

Thursday

    Thursday mornings start with team worship at 8 a.m. I love being a part of a community that comes together in prayer and worship!
    After worship I come to New Song’s English classes. New Song offers a free beginner’s English classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Julio, one of our translators, has been teaching these classes. Every Tuesday they are learning new topics and then on Thursdays the adults and teenagers can practice what they have learned in conversational groups. I love coming and practicing with them.
    Thursday evening at 5:00 we have a small group Bible study on the book of John. Every week a small group of teenagers come together, read from John, and discuss what God’s Word says and what it teaches us about God’s character.
    After Bible study, we have a church service. Our church family comes together for prayer, worship, and Bible teaching.

Friday

    Friday morning at 9 a.m. we meet with the women and teenage girls to read through the book Captivating. We are learning more about who we are as women and how God feels about us. This has been one of my favorite parts of life here in Candelaria. I love seeing God bring restoration to the hearts of these beautiful women!
    Friday nights are our fun nights with the youth group. This could mean movie nights, trips to one of the local parks, or playing games in the church. I love having this time each week to just enjoy being together. I love getting to teach the kids each week, but I also love to just laugh and play games with them. We have a great time hanging out and playing games together.

Saturday

    Saturday mornings we meet again at 8:00 for intercession.
    At 11:00 we have our second John Bible study of the week. We study the same chapter on Saturday that we study on Thursdays, but wanted to provide a time for all the teenagers to come (some study during the week, but the university students study on the weekends).
We spend Saturday afternoons with Tommy and Linda Gable. It is our time to be poured into so that we can continue to pour out to the community. We meet together to worship, to talk about things that are happening within the mission, and it’s a time for Tommy and Linda to check in and see how we are doing.
    Other than our time together as a team, I spend the rest of my Saturday hanging out with kids and teenagers or visiting families within the community. I love coming to homes, getting to know the families, and becoming a part of their lives.

Sunday

    Sunday morning we have around 100 kids on the property for Sunday school. The teenagers are beginning to teach the Bible to the younger children. I love seeing them growing in Christ and then teaching His Word to others. Lindsay and I will be working to develop profiles of the students who are actively involved in Sunday school for the Adopt-a-Student program.
    Sunday afternoons the property is swarming with life as children and teenagers come all afternoon to hang out, play games, and feel loved. I spend my afternoon with tiny arms around my neck or waist and kissing dirt-stained cheeks.
    Sunday evenings we have our 2nd church service of the week. We come together and dance, worship, pray, and listen to God’s Word.

Monday & Tuesday

    Mondays and Tuesdays are my new weekends. They are our staff days off. It is impossible to remain in the village and have an actual day off. Latin America is not really a culture that enforces or even has personal boundaries so if I’m actually going to take time off I have to get away from the village.
    We are about 1 1/2 away from the beach on public transport. I have been spending most of my free days relaxing on the beach, reading, swimming, and just enjoying some fun time with my team. I never thought I would live this close to the beach and I’m loving it!! We found a great cheap little hostel right on the beach that also has a nice restaurant. It’s become one of my favorite hang out spots.

    Now I know that this doesn’t really tell all that happens in a week in Candelaria. It’s hard to capture because the biggest part of my life here is my relationships with my team, with my teenagers, children, and families in the community. I know this doesn’t show all of my life, but it helps you to know what I’m doing and how to pray. Also, there is so much more happening on the property; ministries that others are leading. God is doing holistic transformation in this community and this is just the small part that I am doing here in Candelaria.