Bitter, sweet and strange.

I struggle with good byes.

I like closure so I do need to say good bye to people, but I really do not like drawn out good byes.

My preference would be to say all my good byes within a few minutes, hop on the plane and leave.

But I can't always get what I want.

This week has really felt like one long drawn out good bye. I am still happy to be here in Tactic, but everyday I have had to say good bye to someone I have grown to love over the past month and a half. This has been tough for me. There have definitely been tears.

Today I was at Chamche (the main Vida school campus) and I was saying good bye to some teachers who are incredibly dear to me and as I was hugging them TWO of them started crying.

Ahh-my heart. It aches.

To love is a beautiful, but very hard thing. Especially when you love someone so dearly, but then you have to leave and you are suddenly no longer a part of each other's lives.

I am just trying to remind myself that I will see each of these incredible people in heaven and we will get to worship our King for all of eternity!

This is a beautiful thing.

I leave Tactic tomorrow and even though my heart wants to come back to this beautiful place, I have no control over when I will return here.

My time here has been absolutely incredible. I am so grateful that God gave me this opportunity and provided me with the necessary resources for me to come here.

I am overwhelmed by how much God taught me and is still teaching me through the experiences I have had here.

I am in awe of the people God put in my path for me to meet. I have met so many incredible people over the past month and a half.

I have met people on teams who have encouraged me in so many ways.

I have met countless Guatemalans who are faithfully serving the Lord regardless of the hard circumstances they live in.

I am still trying to process all that I have seen here and I know that I will processing it all for quite some time.

Thank you for your continual prayers and support. I thank God each day for you.

I ask that you continue to pray for me as I have 2 and half more days in Guatemala and then I fly back to Canada all day Monday.

Please pray for my last few days in Guatemala that there would be good closure and that I would be able to continue to bless the people I interact with.

Please pray for safety and energy for me as I travel and that everything would go smoothly.

I would also ask that you pray for me once I am home as I only have a few short days at home in Kamloops before I return to Trinity Western University in Langley, BC for my second year there.

Thank you for everything. You are all so dear to me.

I look forward to seeing some (if not all) of you very soon.

Sending love and hugs your way,

Michelle

PS- You are ALL invited to drop by my house Tuesday, August 24 between 7-9pm for an informal report-back/get-together. As I only have a few days in Kamloops before I leave for Trinity, I will not have time to see everyone and give a report on my trip. So...stop by my house, bring a dessert or snack to share, and we can visit! I would love to see you all there and get time to share with you AND hear about how each of YOU are doing.

Humility.

As some of you may or may not know, I have been struggling with my health for the last week. By the grace of God I am almost completely better, but it has felt like a really long time to be sick.

I know that it's never fun to be sick, but I find it's especially hard to be sick when I'm away from home. All week I just really wanted to have my family with me, to lie in my bed, and to eat (North American) chicken noodles soup (please don't be offended Guatemala).

I also find that it's especially hard to be sick when I am really busy and have a lot that calls for my time and attention.

I also find that it's especially hard to be sick when you know that you are lying in bed (with a not-so-great attitude) while everyone else (or at least it feels like everyone else) is out doing something fun.

Those have been struggles for me.

I always struggle with God as to what He is trying to teach when I'm sick. Before I share what I think God is trying to teach me, I need to explain something about myself:

I'm kind of a slow learner (can I an "Amen" from those who can relate? Thank you).

Like it takes me quite a long time to learn something new.

Or at least it feels like a long time.

Maybe I'm just impatient...

Skip the last thought-keep following the slow learner thought.

For example: I clearly remember the first time I had to do laundry and my mom taught me how to use the washing machine.

Now you and I both know that washing machines aren't THAT complicated, but-oh wow-I know that it took me at least 5 loads of laundry where I had to ask my mom to re-show me how to use the machine before I could do it right on my own.

Don't worry though.

I know some of you moms were getting a bit stressed for a minute there so I just wanted to calm your nerves:

I have been a successful clothing-cleaner (with AND without a machine) for quite some time now. I CAN do my own laundry.

I just wanted to clear that up.

Anyways...

So I think my slow learner issue applies to the lessons God tries to teach me, because-man!-it feels like like it takes a lot of reminders and re-teachings from God before I really understand a concept He is trying to teach me.

So back to what I think God is trying to teach me (for at least the thousandth time):

humility

Hmm.

That's a tough one to swallow-hey?

When I am sick I am humbled in many ways:

1. When I am really ill I rely on others for almost everything. Getting me food, water, clothing, and sometimes even cleaning me up. That is very humbling for me.

2. I look disgusting when I am sick. Really-I do.

My face is pale (well, paler than usual), sweaty, and sometimes green looking.

My body just stinks in general because I don't have the strength or energy to stand for long enough to have a shower. (DO NOT WORRY. I did, in fact, bath more than once this week and I am now clean.)

My hair has a party that Organization and Order weren't invited to, so you can just imagine what goes on up there.

You get the picture.

3. I miss out on fun things. I don't get to be a part of everything. I don't get attention. (Or at least I don't get attention except for the attention people looking after me give me). I don't get to be included in things. I don't know what's going on in everyone's lives.

Now, all of those things aren't necessarily BAD things in and of themselves, but when my desire for them stems from the pride in my heart, then we have a problem.

humility

I'm going to need God to keep working on my heart on that one.

Thank you LORD for your grace.

Thank you LORD that you do not give up on us.

Thank you LORD for your patience.

Much love to you all,

Michelle

Como Estan Ustedes?

Hello my dear friends.

I hope you are all doing so so well.

I cannot believe that I have been in Guatemala for a month and that I only have 2 weeks left! Time really has flown by.

A lot has happened since I last updated you all. Sorry for taking so long- it has just been super busy.

I finished off with my second team and picked up the new team and we have now had almost a full week with this new team. This team is actually from my home-Kamloops- so it has been extra special re-connecting with people I already knew and also connecting with people that are connected with people that I know and love.

I am really really enjoying this team. They have a really neat spirit about them and a really great attitude. I am very blessed by them.

We have already done quite a few work days as well as we have done our children's ministry. It is so interesting doing children's ministry because we do it in a different church with every team and every church responds differently. God was definitely moving though and I was very blessed by our time there.

I had the privilege of attending a wedding here in Guatemala yesterday. It was a Canadian-Guatemalan wedding (the bride is originally from Alberta) so that made it really interesting. It was at a very beautiful hotel about 15 minutes outside of Tactic (where the ministry is based) and I really enjoyed being at it. I don't know either the bride or groom very well, but I am good friends with the groom's dad so that is why I was invited. I actually ended up playing piano at the wedding because Jessica Peters was singing a song and needed someone to play the piano and sing harmony with her. So that was pretty cool. I definitely didn't think that I would get to play piano for a wedding while I was here. It was beautiful to be a part of it.

The last day has been pretty interesting because about 6 members of the team (including me!) have had some sort of stomach bug. I spent about 5 hours last night struggling in vain to keep any type of food or liquid in my body. Praise the Lord for fantastic friends though. Arryn Bauder (from Kamloops-we went to Kamloops Christian School together) is living in La Casa Amarilla with me and the other girls while her parents are in Kamloops. Arryn took fantastic care of me and I am so so grateful for her. I am feeling significantly better together today- I just need to regain my stength now. Every time I am sick I am reminded of how blessed I am to have good health. I am grateful for my health.

Today we had church and I am really appreciating the heart of the church here. I was definitely blessed during my time there.

Thank you LORD for your body at work here on earth.

I only have time for one photo (because it literally takes at least 10 minutes to upload each photo) from my past few weeks.

This is Wilmur. He is 12 years old. He attends one of the Impact schools. He is the son of the pastor from the church where we did children's ministry with the last team. He is definitely a leader and he will draw many people into the kingdom as he continues to serve the Lord. He was SUCH a blessing to me. Such a beautiful heart.

This is a natural sinkhole that is located about 15 minutes outside of Tactic. It is actually used as a place for witch doctors to perform rituals because it is seen as a place where one can be closer to the gods because it is a "low" place. For years Impact Ministries has been taking teams there to worship the one true God. It is pretty incredible to worship there. The devil has had a hold of the sinkhole for years, but there is actually a rumour spreading that the sinkhole is losing its power. Praise the LORD!

That's all for now. I hope you are all doing well.

Thank you so much for all you prayers and support.

Prayer requests:

-My health. That I would regain strength quickly.

-The health of the team.

-Wisdom as I daily deal with learning how to better love people.

Thank you.

Much love.

Michelle