It officially hit three weeks in Guatemala, which feels both impossibly fast and somehow like we’ve been here forever. There’s already so much that’s happened, internally and externally.

Right now, my team is teaching at an English/Spanish immersion school. And if I’m being completely honest, when we first found out that would be our ministry, I was not thrilled. Teaching is not something I feel especially gifted in, and it’s not something I naturally gravitate toward. It’s felt at times like we’ve gotten the short end of the stick ministry-wise, and comparison has tried to creep in more than once but the Lord has been so kind in it.

He’s been gently walking me through comparison and into contentment, teaching me how to be where my feet are, and how to prepare for the future without missing what He’s doing right in front of me. I’ve slowly been learning to love the kids and their joy, energy, and curiosity. And I’ve been learning so much from the teachers themselves. There’s humility in being placed somewhere you wouldn’t have chosen but there’s also growth.

Another really sweet part of being here has been the staff at the base. There’s been a noticeable shift from Malaysia, where I often felt like I wasn’t being poured into, to here where there’s intentional discipleship. It’s shown me something so important about ministry: it’s not a one-and-done thing. You don’t just share the gospel and walk away. You stay, pour in and help people walk it out.

One of the biggest ways I’ve seen this lived out here is through our Activation Days. Every Thursday, instead of regular ministry, we have worship, a teaching, and then we go out and apply what we’ve learned. This week, we talked about the difference between living in the Spirit versus living in the flesh. It stirred a lot in me. It was a reminder that we are not called to complacency.

After the teaching, my team and one of our mentors, Philip, sat together. He had us close our eyes and ask the Lord where we should go. When we felt direction, we were supposed to point. When we opened our eyes, all six of us were pointing in the exact same direction.

We ended up in a town called Itsapa. There we met a woman named Esmeralda. She invited us into her home, shared her story, and let us pray for her. A huge part of her story was the heartbreak she carries for her son who has been sick. And as she shared, I felt something click.

When we first arrived in Guatemala, I was reading Luke and came across the verse about Mary storing things in her heart. The Lord kept breaking my heart for mothers, specifically mothers here in Guatemala. I didn’t fully understand why at the time. But sitting in Esmeralda’s home, hearing her heart ache for her son, I realized He had been preparing me. In a season where I quietly felt like the Lord wasn’t working, or at least not working in the ways I wanted, He was actually lining things up so intentionally. He saw my heart for mothers and He led me directly to one so eager for prayer and encouragement. I’m really excited to stay connected with Esmeralda and to hopefully continue minister to her. To not just have a moment, but a relationship. To not just pray once, but to walk alongside.

Three weeks in, and I’m learning that sometimes the ministry you wouldn’t have chosen is the exact place God meets you. I’m learning that comparison steals joy, but obedience brings peace. And I’m learning that being fully present right now doesn’t mean I’m neglecting the future, it means I trust Him with it. Guatemala is stretching me but I am expectant and ready for growth.