What an incredible 10 days! It’s been a little over a week and it’s taken me a while to figure out what to write. Belize is a place I love with my whole heart. It’s a place I’ve had the priveledge going to for the past 3 years. Why has God called me there? What’s the difference between spending money to go there and spending money in my own country? How do I know my team is making a difference? I could answer all these questions with long paragraphs, but the simple answer I have is that God is good. He has called each of us to a certain place to serve. The workplace, a different city, a friend, abroad, wherever it is, you’ve been called. I talked in a previous post about how missions can look different for everyone. Praying, funding, and serving are all ways to be on mission. Without those who pray for and fund my trip, I wouldn’t be able to serve where God has lead me. So thank you, for supporting and believing in me, it was an honor to go back home this year. I think at large, the most popular question I receive is “Did you have a good trip?!?” And I have a love, hate relationship with that question. While I appreciate people taking the time to ask, it’s a truly difficult question to answer. Of course I had a great time and it was incredible serving those kids and families with my team, but there are things that aren’t so good. The things my eyes see and my ears hear while I’m there are tremendously heartbreaking. Little girls being sexually abused by their dads and brothers, families of 10 living in a house the size of most kitchens, and so much more. Heartbreak is everywhere. It’s difficult to figure out how to process all of that when you get back here. What does God want me to do with that information? How can I make a difference with all the things I’ve just witnessed? It’s a question and a process that I’ve been dealing with for 3 trips now. I don’t know if I’ll ever really know the answer. Sometimes Jesus works like that. But I do know that the relationship I have with those kids is irreplaceable. They are true friendships that will last a lifetime. The tears we shed when we pull out of the village are genuine and heartfelt, from us and the kids. It’s been the biggest blessing seeing them grow over the years and listening to them sing “This is the day” in their sweet Belizean accents. There’s not much more that I cherish in life. God knew I needed those kids and I know in my heart he has called me back again and again for a purpose: His. The seed continues to be planted in those kids and it’s joy to watch it continue to grow. Itinerary of the trip: Friday- travel day, flight out of RIC at 7:30, arrived in the village around 4 Belize time which is 2 hours behind Saturday- set up the school for VBS, i pack all 27 bins. Reconnect with the kids, devotion and worship with the team Sunday- trip to placencia beach with the team, a time to relax and take in gods creation before a long week of camp, worship at the local church Monday- first day of camp!!! 135 kids in their best dressed clothes just for us! To learn about Jesus. Such a great morning, PHD which is the Bible study for teenage girls took place and construction started on a sidewalk at the school Tuesday- day 2 of camp, PHD, construction continued to progress and a night of worship with the team studying the book of Colossians Wednesday- day 3 of camp, PHD, clothing boutique for the village, worship and deviation Thursday- last day of camp:(, last day of PHD:(, a carnival for the kids in the village, worship and devotion Friday- a trip to salt water caye, the prettiest water you’ve ever seen in your life, a day to relax and take in gods creation and process the trip, 2 baptisms took place, worship that night and devotion Saturday- a day working with the medical team, I worked in the “eye doctor”, such an eye opening experience, packing up our things and saying bye to the kids Sunday- a long day of travel, arriving back home at 8:30 pm This is the first blog post I've written since my sweet Aunt Betty went to be with the Lord. She was and is the biggest supporter of this blog and always questioned when I would. write the next one. It is an absolute joy to continue writing knowing that she is still supporting me while being reunited with my papa. It is a great honor to be the niece of such a fearless and devoted christian. With so much love, this one is for you, Aunt Betty. -Sydney
2 Comments
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. It’s been a hard adjustment coming back into America. Talking to my roommates about dorm decor and spending money on meaningless decorations. Buying leggings I don’t need but think are cute, and not thinking twice about purchasing a pack of gum or pair of jeans. Even just 10 days in Belize changes everything. Coming back to a place where I am so fortunate to buy the things I need and even the things I want. I’m blessed. I’m blessed to know and to have loved on those people and blessed to come back to a home of love and support. I’ve been cranky and mean and life has been tough since being back. Acclimating isn’t easy. Being surrounded by Christians who encourage me and lift me up for 10 days and having them upon returning home has been the biggest gift. Friendships can make or break you and they have certainly have made me this summer. I’ve been encouraged constantly and pushed in my faith more in the past 3 months than I have in years. My friends and family and incredible people of great faith and I’m honored to be in their company. I’ve become accustom to my people. To walking across the street to see my best friends and cousins all in one and to grab ice cream with a dear friend who spent her whole summer serving. I’ve been able to have the deepest conversations in 10 minutes with the right people and God has shown his love for me through them. Belize offers a love like none I’ve never felt. They love blindly. As in, not seeing us by what we wear, how we speak, what we post, or what we look like. They love us because we love them and because our God loves them. There is no comparison, no hate, or judgement, only pure love that softens the heart more than I can place into words. I got to experience life with these people and for the first time it felt like I had to leave one family to come home to another. They changed my heart for the Lord and for the world. God and I were on a rocky road heading into Belize. My heart was burdened after a very tuff and exhausting first year of college. I hardly recognized myself or him so I pushed him to the side but still convinced myself that he was first in my life. I could convince anyone of that except for him. He knows my heart and I wans't fouling Jesus, only myself. I wasn’t sure if I should go to this place and serve knowing that my heart and mind weren’t in the best of places, but by the grace of God, the funds were there and so I went. I went hoping that he would reshape my broken pieces and make them beautiful again. That he would use me in a way that the kids and my team needed. I went hoping he would work on me but I wasn’t sure how or when. Belize was an incredible experience that I could go on about forever. Long story short, he softened my heart through those families and kids and gave me a passion for them like I’ve never felt. I got re-baptized in the Caribbean ocean in the clearest water you’ve ever seen and with the strongest presence of the lord. Belize has become home. It has become even more special than I could have imagined. I got through that trip because God has given me enough. Enough strength, enough courage, enough wisdom. I’ve seen with my eyes that having enough doesn’t mean money. If I could love on people half as well as those kids do without any money than I’d consider myself rich. They are a true testament of that. And God is teaching me that he has always given me enough. He gave me enough strength to get through my first year of college. He gave me enough strength to leave some friends behind who weren’t pouring into me and who were sucking everything out. He gives me strength everyday to get up looking at the world with all our self-made faults knowing good and well there are people out their in a world where there is no room for improvement. He has given me the strength to get through the tough times. He gave me enough strength to pour into girls and kids in Belize. I think for many of us its sometimes easy to see and comprehend that God is constantly and constantly giving us what we need and the right amount of it. For me the hard part is understanding how much is enough. I know that he gives me enough spiritually and mentally, but when is enough too much in terms of my spending. We live in a culture where buying things is almost an addiction and its true for me too. The amount of things I’ve purchased for my dorm room is crazy and society would tell me its not enough. So what is enough? Is it enough to have the newest iPhone or the nicest home? Is it enough to have a ’04 car or a book bag you’ve had or 6 years? What standard is our world holding us to? I can tell you its not the Lords. I am guilty of making purchases for things I have no purpose for, I just buy them solely because I want it. I sit here thinking about all the things I buy and if I didn’t buy it how much money I would have to fly and see my second family in Belize more than once a year. Its hard to comprehend just how much is enough is a world that is constantly asking for more. I’m learning to pray over purchases, not to impulse buy and not to buy things just because I think they’re cool. God does provide for us but maybe in a way we haven’t discovered yet. I encourage you to pray over what God has given you, how your using it, and how you could use. It could truly change the way you look at life. It's been a while since I lasted wrote, but I needed some time to get back in sync with Jesus. I felt so convicted when God laid this subject on my heart that i wanted to share with you all. Hope you enjoy!
God bless, Sydney |
Hi, I'm Sydney!Welcome I'm glad you're here! Categories
All
Archives
October 2021
|