GODS GOODNESS

Landslide:                                

These last couple of weeks, God has shown His goodness over and over! In North Carolina, we worked at Black Mountain Home for Children. Our tasks included moving bad wood to the dump, weeding and gardening, cleaning the school and offices, and assisting with the homeschool program. It felt so good being able to start ministry! Many of you know Hurricane Helen hit us on September 27. We were supposed to go out the day before, but we had to cancel due to heavy rain. We were also informed that our ministry was canceled for the next day because of the rain and wind.

That morning, we were woken up around 7 to move to the mess hall because they were worried about the trees, and the cabins were downhill, so we had to reach higher ground. In the mess hall, we played games, watched movies, and just hung out. One part of the building began to flood, so we moved to the center of the building, which was a blessing. Around 9 that morning, we heard a loud crack—it was a tree falling due to a landslide, taking out half the building. We were fortunate that no one was in that area.

We stood in the pouring rain for two hours while the campus staff found a way out for us. We crossed the river created by the landslide using a rope and then got on a bus that took us to a nearby school. They welcomed us and provided food and clothes from the thrift store that Black Mountain Home owns. The outfits were kind of funny; one girl wore a Christmas sweater and basketball shorts. That morning, there were already so many people praying for us and many didn’t even know why. God truly provided the whole time.

Adventures in Missions partners with a disaster relief team that had just worked on the Georgia campus where we trained. That morning, they were aware of the hurricane’s impact and began calling everyone they could to see where help was needed in Florida. No one answered, which is unusual. Then we were the first to call. They were able to get us out only by God’s provision. They needed to evacuate us from the school due to gas leaks and increasing flooding. They came to rescue us, knowing they had to move us to a new location quickly.

On their way, they passed a hotel that initially wanted nothing to do with them due to the extra 34 people, but they eventually worked it out. There happened to be a Christian singles conference at that hotel, so many men with trucks were willing to help. To reach us, they had to pass through a women’s prison because all other roads were blocked, which was another reason we needed to evacuate—those gates could not remain open for long.

We arrived at the hotel around 11, and they told us to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice because we would take any opportunity to return to Georgia. The hotel was operating on a generator, so the lights stayed on, making it difficult to sleep. My teammate Clara’s dad drove all night with their church’s vans; what should have been a 3-hour drive turned into 8 due to all the damage and alternate routes.

We left at 7 the next morning, encountering numerous fallen trees, which was heartbreaking to see all the damage. Yet we made it through. Through all this, one of my teammates experienced a breakthrough and came to believe that God is real, and another teammate’s dad renounced being Muslim after hearing our story. Even if all this was just for them, it was worth it! The following week was honestly so hard because, on top of everything, my grandma passed away. Despite that, God was still good. My mom was able to be with her until the last moment, praying and loving on her.

All this to say: God is still good even when you are going through the valley. He wants to meet us in our pain, but we can’t stay there. You can choose to focus on the good or not, but this experience showed me that it’s not about what I see, but how I see it. Although people lost wallets, phones, passports, sleeping bags, toiletries, and clothes, we were able to recover all our belongings and head off to Guatemala on time!

Guatemala:
I am currently in Guatemala, and it has been so sweet! I get to work with Hope Ministries, and our work includes soccer practice, house visits, English classes, and women’s ministry. From Monday to Friday, we have ministry, and on weekends, we get to explore and relax. Last weekend, we visited the markets in Antigua, which were so cool! Guatemala’s culture is very relational, which has been a joy because people genuinely just want to sit and talk with you.

A significant testimony from this past week is that one of the teams went out to evangelize, and a blind man’s eye was literally healed. They prayed, and when he opened his eye, the cloudiness was gone; he said there was no more pain, and he could see! God is so good!

Things I have learned:

• God is so faithful—He was faithful then and will be faithful now.
  ”Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
  ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭
• God is steadfast—He is consistent and predictable.
• Prayer is important and truly makes a difference! Ask, and you shall receive.“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬ ‭

Prayer Requests:

• For Guatemala: against alcoholism, dengue/sickness
• For boldness
• For guidance in deciding on a major after this

Thank you to everyone who read through this! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any prayer requests. You can contact me via WhatsApp or email!

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭