There and Back Again

 

Another place, another adventure, another tale :)

The Whole Faithwalking Group

For a week I had the coolest opportunity to be a part of a spiritual formation conference, known as Faithwalking, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras with people from all over North, Central, and South America as well as the Caribbean.  Missionaries and community leaders from all over the Americas and the Caribbean were there—quite an impressive group (so impressive that little ol’ me felt quite out of place)! The first three days were filled with intense sessions about delving deeper into our motivations and memories and finding God amidst it all, learning how to find Him in the past, present and the future.  After each session, we had time to share our life experiences with each other, sharing how through our struggles and failings we found God.  These sharing times were intensely personal and were therefore at times really difficult and uncomfortable but I really feel we all as a team grew closer together and to God.  At the end of the week, we participated in several meetings/presentations where we discussed both Faithwalking but also the different missions that each group was a part of and how we could combine our efforts to improve or embellish each site.  It was a fun time of listening and collaborating—Rachel, Guiss and I even got to present our project with the kids and the soccer court!  Everyone was very interested and encouraged us to write up a report sometime to share our experiences so that they can read and learn from them.  We learned that we are doing great things and that, yes, there are plenty of areas to improve in and now we have some ideas of how to do just that!  I cannot even begin to describe what a great time I had and how many new amazing friends I have.  Thanks be to God!



Chris, Me, Guissel, her cousin Samara and her boyfriend
(There are 2 volcanoes in the background btw)

On the way back home, Rachel, Guiss, Chris (Rachel’s boyfriend) and I took a couple days to explore Nicaragua.  Guissell is from Nicaragua and so she invited us to her hometown in Cuapa to meet her relatives and see where she grew up.  Though I had to use an outhouse and sleep in a house with dirt floors, it was one of the most exciting trips I’ve ever had.  We rode in the back of pickup trucks, went to swim in Lake Nicaragua (you can see volcanoes in the distance while swimming, I might add), climbed a huge rocky mountain thing (no handrails, no real path, and my shoes didn’t have much grip…), ate food cooked over a fire, sampled Nicaraguan rum (a great beach treat), met more people than I can remember, was told many times that I needed to find me a boy and get married already, rode in a boat (which I was so scared that it was going to tip or something), ate mangos picked right from the tree, watched tons of music videos (it must be a pastime favorite in Nicaragua or something… ), got woken up by loud music and pigs (yes pigs) every morning before 5,


Rachel and I on top of
La Piedra de Cuapa

rode a bus where nearly every part of my body was pressed up against someone standing next to me, and, of course, got really sunburned.  It was such a fantastic time (minus the sunburned part, but I did find an aloe plant on the side of the road and used that—thanks to whoever planted it there!)!!! 

So, in sum, these past two weeks were gift wrapped, big bow on top, addressed to Kelsey, express delivery from God himself.  What did I ever do to deserve it I wonder?  But I will give thanks, in all circumstances, and rejoice in the blessings He has given me.  And with that, I bid you adieu.  Stay tuned!