Ephesians 2:10, New International Version

“For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

My name is Jenna, and I'm excited to share with you all about the opportunity I had to go to Guatemala to serve with my dad. We partnered with the James Project, a children's home in Monjas, Guatemala, to help in many different ways.

My main takeaway from this trip was that the joy of the Lord is not circumstantial. The kids and the environment felt so alive and happy because they centered everything in Christ. It was a crazy thing for me to experience, because just driving down to where we were staying, we witnessed the extreme poverty most people were living in. While we were there, we visited the market and purchased food and household items and delivered them to single women/families who didn’t know where their next meal was coming from. These people lived in literal shacks. It was hard for me to wrap my head around that this was where they ate and slept every day; it wasn’t a temporary shelter or campsite they stayed at. While that was hard to witness, it was always so cool to see the smile on everyone's face when we gave them baskets of supplies and food. These people were able to experience a little bit of joy and hope that came from God through what He was allowing us to do for these families.

Another area that led me to this takeaway was the children who were living at the James Project. These are kids who have been through very traumatic and/or abusive circumstances and have come to live in homes at the project. A statistic that was shared with us showed that 88% of crimes against children go unpunished in Guatemala. While we were there, we had the opportunity to lead a VBS for the kids. At first I did not know what to expect, but it wasn’t what I experienced at all. The kids seemed very happy to see us and greet us, and loved participating in crafts and playing with the sports balls. Although they had been through situations we couldn’t fathom before, they were experiencing joy and love through the James Project. Only the love of God could transform these kids' lives, and it truly left me in awe to see them like this. I was given multiple crafts that the kids had made, including bracelets, pipe cleaner flowers, and more. They are so incredibly creative.

I also met two little girls down there who have my whole heart, named Sofia and Lesvia. They absolutely loved to take pictures on my phone, and I have never laughed harder in my life. Although there was a language barrier, we communicated using my limited Spanish and body language. This was yet again another way I saw the love and joy of the Lord.

Another part of the trip that stuck out to me was the relationships I was able to build with my team members. Going into the mission, I barely talked/knew most of my teammates. In my mind, I was planning on sticking with my dad the whole time, but God had other plans. I spent a lot of my time either chatting on the rooftop with new friends, playing volleyball in the salon, or hacky sacking in the kitchen. (We knocked over a lot of things.) I was able to make so many friendships and even build new relationships with people older than me. One of my favorite memories I have was when Isaac (Or Osack, as we call him), Ashley, and I were throwing around the volleyball in the salon, which was like a big pavilion where we had church, VBS, and other things. Directly next to the salon was the goat enclosure, which had a lake for the goats to drink from. We tried and failed to keep the volleyball from going into the goat enclosure. Every time it went over, Ashley and I made Osack go get it and would yell “Osack, Cabrera Ball!” (cabrera means goat) “Rapido, rapido!!!” (Rapido means quick or fast) We brought out 2 volleyballs and got both of them wet with goat water.

If we weren’t playing outside or chatting on the roof, the whole team would constantly be talking and joking with one another. Long bus rides, restaurants, and work projects were always filled with laughter. Even though we were living very differently than we usually do in the States, it didn’t stop us from having a good time and spreading the joy of the Lord.

The last thing I want to share is the opportunity I had to lead worship while we were there. As we walked into the team house on the first night, I noticed the acoustic guitar case out of the corner of my eye. However, I didn’t pick it up until the third day, when one of our leaders, Sam, got it out and started playing. Then everyone who could play a little would take turns plucking and strumming the strings. One day, while I was playing volleyball, my team member named Dylan, who was doing the devotional that night, asked if I wanted to lead a song after the devotional. While I was distracted, I agreed. That night I led a song, and it was really great. People started asking me to do more, and so I also played another night after devotion. The last night we were there, I was talking on the roof with some of my friends. Together, we made a big set list, and we were planning on doing a night of worship on the last day we were there. That night felt so special, and it was incredible to see how God was moving as well. We prayed so much, and I really learned a lot from doing it. God really moved me and inspired me to just keep playing, and it gave me a sense that maybe I can do it.

The morning we left, I was sad I had to leave the great atmosphere I was surrounded by for the entire week. I didn’t want to go back to the mundane, unintentional world that it felt like I was living in. But I’ve learned the joy of the Lord is not based on where I am or what I am doing, but rather on the love that I choose to receive from God and show to others. So now I am here, learning to live with intentionality for God, having joy, and trying to spread love wherever I go. Last week I was at CIY, where I learned that Kingdom Work doesn’t start with big fancy mission trips, as it seems, but truly starts in your own home. And although it seems I have done it out of order, I can still share the love and joy of God wherever I go. This also means everyone can do Kingdom work, wherever they are. I will end this by encouraging you not to hesitate if you feel called to do Kingdom Work and spread the love of God, and to search for the joy of the Lord in everything you do.