I get that question a lot, whether directly or indirectly through the tones of peoples voices. Is it to get more passport stamps? Play with kids? Or as my Passport tank says: Feed the Hungry? Clothe the naked? Heal the sick? All of those things are great, but apart from God it's all just humanitarian aid. In the words of our contact Paul, "God is what makes missionaries different from the Peace Corp". [And don't get me wrong, the Peace Corp is doing GREAT stuff to help hurting people]. So, that being said, what is the point of being a missionary? To bring God's glory...

*Disclaimer: I wrote this blog last Thursday after Dump Ministry, but because my team was on a screen fast, I am just now able to post it. Also, this is my second time trying to upload it, so lets hope this works! Recently, as our time here has been winding down, I've struggled with staying present instead of thinking about life back home. I've been burned out and unenthusiastic. On the way to the Dump yesterday, I prayed God would bring me renewed joy and passion, and that he would help me to lay it all on the field, leaving with nothing left to give. And boy did he answer that prayer. It's...

For those who don't know, I attend Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA and I am a psychology major. Don't get me started about all the reasons you should attend MY women's college, because I could talk for hours. In addition to amazing academics, professors who truly go above and beyond, and resources out the wazoo, Agnes has a LOT of cool traditions! One of these is Bellringing. When a senior receives a job offer or grad school acceptance, they get to ring the ancient bell located in the cupola of Main Hall, and sign their name on the wall, joining decades of successful Scottie...

(If you're just now joining in on The Adventures of Guat Girl series, please refer to “Episode 6: The Niche” for backstory on this blog… You'll be glad you did.) She’s gone! Z—— is gone! A week ago, our team and I went back to the bar where Z—— had been working as a prostitute. And she wasn’t there! According to one of the other girls that worked with her, Z—— had left the bar that morning, just a few hours before we came to visit, to return to her home, her family, and her church in Honduras. When we asked further, we...

In coming to Guatemala, I thought I would be doing ministry three times a day, six days a week, only in Guatemala. But as is always the case on the mission field, God LOVES surpresas! Last Wednesday, my teammates crammed into the back of the Yukon again and went to Honduras. Yep, we went to another country. Nope, it wasn't on the trip description page when I applied. Was I completely stoked? You better believe it! Ministry in Honduras was definitely a lesson in patience among other things. God has definitely taught us patience here in Guatemala in terms of flexibility with schedule, but...

Just to give you guys some background, I have had some really obnoxious stomach problems for the last three weeks, that have made eating really wearisome, and have gotten worse as of late (yay late night sleep overs in the bathroom!). Having said that, today was probably my roughest day here. I went to the hospital for a seemingly pointless trip, felt crummy, and missed ministry at the orphanage. But God, loving as he always is, finally pulled me out of my pity party and into his arms, which is where I needed to be all along. Rather than try to explain everything he reminded me of, I am just...