On November 11th, we, the YAVS of Guatemala gathered in the department (kinda like a state) of San Marcos in Guatemala. We had the privilege of spending four days on Finca Santa Elena where we learned to pick coffee, went hiking on the giant farm, rode in the back of a pickup truck standing up, talked about the two books we read (Silence on the Mountain by Daniel Wilkinson, and Never Again! Part of the REMHI project of the Catholic Church), Sang, ate too much, prayed, but most importantly (and enjoyably) hung out and shared stories!
I realized in this weekend together, the value of community, but also the impact of culture. All of us had stories of events that we didn’t quite understand or cultural behaviors that frustrated us but weren’t bad, just different. We talked about and truly understood each other as we expressed the difficulty, and yet desire, to build cross-cultural relationships. I had known that my life and experiences here so far had been stories in the making. I just didn’t realize how good it was going to feel to release all those stories to people who truly understood my perspective with open ears, who gave encouragement or challenged my ideas.
This year I find myself outside of comfort zones every day, and as a result, having a full weekend with four others who I hold near to my heart, truly brought me comfort and reminded me of not only whose I am, but who sent me here. It reminded me to be still and know that I am here—I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
Encouraging words for ALL of us - wherEVER we are - assurance that we are exactly where we're supposed to be!
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