A Bible on the Plane & the Gospel in the Garden

Buenas!!! 👋

Back to where we left off!

During our flight over, I had the chance to sit next to a girl who shared that she had been in the U.S. caring for her cousin who struggles with mental illness. As she talked, I felt this deep connection and compassion. I opened up about my own history with anxiety, and how Jesus has brought me real freedom and peace. We talked about what it means to truly trust Him and how He walks with us through every dark and overwhelming place.

She shared that she grew up Catholic but has felt distant from faith. Now she’s been searching for something to believe in. That opened the door for me to share what I’ve come to know: that this isn’t about religion. It’s about a real, personal relationship with Jesus. I explained the direct access we have to Jesus and that I also have a hard past with religion. What has helped me is not looking at the religion but having my eyes set on Jesus on the relationship I have with Him. Now I call myself a follower of Jesus instead of any religion.

We also ended up talking about New Age spirituality, including yoga and sound healing, which has been a huge part of my testimony. I told her about how I once leaned into those things for peace and healing, but instead found spiritual darkness and confusion. I shared how Jesus pulled me out of that and gave me a kind of freedom and clarity I never thought was possible.

By the end of our flight, she explained how moved she was by my testimony and how she never thought to have a relationship with Jesus. She also expressed interest in reading the Bible. I got to pray over her after we landed, and we exchanged info so we could stay in touch. She showed a lot of interest in the women’s study Bible I have so I plan to give her that when I see her before leaving Guatemala.

That conversation was a special way to start the missions trip! And I’m so thankful I got to be part of what God is doing in her life.

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Life & Ministry in Guatemala 🇬🇹

Our team is currently serving with a ministry here called Hope, and it’s been such a joy to be part of their work. Each morning, we start our day in their Worship Room. It’s a simple, beautiful space where we pray, worship, and dig into the Word together. It’s peaceful and sacred, and it sets the tone for the day ahead.

In the afternoons, we walk over to the garden, which doubles as a gathering space for kids in the neighborhood. There, we help teach English, practice soccer drills, bake treats, and jump into whatever gardening or cleaning projects are needed. It’s a hands-on, heart-filled ministry, and it’s such a gift to love on these kids and help meet practical needs while sharing Jesus.

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The Gospel in Color

One of my favorite things here has been the murals painted on the walls of the garden. These aren’t just art. They tell the story of the Bible, designed especially so kids can understand and retell the story to their families. What makes these murals even more special is that they were painted by my mentor’s sister, and you can feel the love and truth poured into each one.

What stood out to me most is that two of the murals are specifically about “going out to all nations.” That’s something I rarely see emphasized so clearly in the U.S., even though it’s one of the last commands Jesus gives us: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Here, it’s not just a suggestion. It’s foundational. It’s taught to kids from the beginning, because the expectation is that they’ll carry it into their homes, their communities, and yes, even the nations.

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This first week has already been so full. Full of God’s presence, full of joy, full of growth. From plane rides to prayer rooms, from murals to muddy soccer fields, I’m in awe of what God is doing. I can’t wait to keep watching the story unfold.

Thank you for being part of it.

Below are pictures of the murals!