Puerto Rico- Day 5

Today, after a failed attempt at waking up and going to the coffee shop, we drove to Guaynabo to meet up with the kids prior to departing to old San Juan to evangelize. We were greeted with smiles and parcha flavored icees (did I ever mention I developed a strong bond with a tropical fruit?). One of the members of the church, was a college girl, Ashley, made every one of the missionaries a coqui frog (native frog) necklaces. After consuming these delectable parcha related items and putting our handprint on the wall in one of the trailers we painted, we got into the party bus (literally!!!) and departed for San Juan. We stopped at an outlook and admired the beautiful landscape God created and allowed us to see before embarking on such an important mission (within a mission). After witnessing this beautiful landscape, we drove the remainder of the way to Old San Juan. We were partnered up with one of the kids and given tons of magnets that said "Jesus loves me and I adore him" in Spanish as well as some other informational cards about Christianity in both English and Spanish! We evangelized with the kids!! After a long morning of walking in the hot Puerto Rican sun, we were greeted with the familiar chant of "tengo hambre, tengo hambre (I'm hungry in Spanish)!!!!", we headed to Vaca Brava for some phenomenal steak, chicken, ribs and pork (paid for by the church!! :0). After this fantastic lunch, we walked around the area still and then returned to one of the old forts in San Juan and flew kites with the kids. It was SO bittersweet when we had to say goodbye. I learned so so so much from all of these energetic, smiling children. The rest of the afternoon/evening we walked around San Juan and happened to walk the exact path as marked with "God loves you" magnets! How crazy! God shows himself in so many unique ways! We headed home (Salvation Army), had another wonderful dinner, and relaxed before/after our evening debrief and worship. This evening I finally got the courage to walk up and tell the random guy I had been thinking and praying about that God wanted me to write this letter about trials and tests and give it to him. He was so so appreciative and said it was something he really needed and I couldn't have smiled even bigger.

 

 

Javier will always remember me because I am the background on his vetch watch :-)

 

Awesome meal at Vaca Brava!

 

 

Will and I killed it while serving the meat at lunch!

 

Walking in Old San Juan

 

 

 

Panorama at the fort in Old San Juan

 

Perfect kite-flying weather

 

 

Cemetery that surrounded the fort

 

 

Carlos!

 

Amanda and the pastor

 

 

Group picture at a scenic overlook en route to Old San Juan

 

Andrea!

 

Gabriella

 

Ashley and the coqui necklaces

 

Handprints on the wall of the trailer we painted!

 

At the fort

 

Walking to lunch

 

 

Puerto Rico Day 4

After an early rise with little sleep (living with chronic pain, lemme tell ya), my mom, Will, Carter and I walked to the same coffee shop again and WOW I love the coffee here. When we walked back to the Salvation Army, we ate breakfast and ventured with the rest of our team to Guaynabo to continue out VBS! I wasn't acting as such a strong leader today, and I was excited about what God was going to show me through this opportunity for others to lead. In the morning, I helped create visual aids for the kids to understand the story of the resurrection and then helped paint the outside of their new trailers (picture 6). After a great lunch (provided by the church), I helped with the vbs and we were able to visit the daycare across the street and minister to them as well. Our kids even used their own visual aids that they made and explained it to the kids at the daycare. All afternoon I had been carrying a little girl, Amanda up on my shoulders and it was adorable (picture below). We finished up around 3pm, like always, and of course all of the kids ran and gave us phenomenal hugs. After driving back to the Salvation Army, Will, Carter, my mom and I rode the public bus to old San Juan and were going to visit a beach there. We were given some incorrect directions and ended up on a beach with an infinity pool surrounded by hot tubs, next to the inlet where wizards of waverly place was filmed (popular Disney show). Praying for some happiness and I was BLESSED with this. Wow, how amazing. At worship tonight, we had a quiet, sentimental, personal worship. During the first part of worship, I was outside in the lobby, talking with Robin (the big, whole group leader) about how some of the things she said when she opened out night up, they really struck home and allowed a lot more to connect and to make sense and we talked for a while. I got a message from God to write a letter to this random boy (other missionary) and I was so confused. I have never talked to him before so ???? Why ???
And I was fighting it for the longest time and when I walked back into the chapel, he was sitting in the back, by the door, crying and I started writing. Weird. I didn't have an opportune time to give him the letter of inspiration and hope the same day I had written it, but said a prayer for the next day. During our debrief of the night with our team, we learned that one of the boys (Joniel/Darnell/Donut) who has been coming to VBS all week, lives in a household with people that all are part of an African Tribal religion and this was his first splash of God and His love. Powerful. Our team meetings always allow me to see things from a different perspective and learn new ways to go at things. Something else I realized is that being a Christian is completely a full time job. You shouldn't only minister and evangelize when you're on a mission trip in a foreign land, but at home in the grocery store, sitting in a baseball game, literally always. God is always good, trust him and keep the faith. Until tomorrow.

 

Amanda!

 

Donut!!!!

 

Creating the visual aid for the story today!

Puerto Rico Day 3

An even brighter, early morning, my mom, Will, Emily and I made our way to a quaint coffee shop within walking distance from where we were staying. The Puerto Rican coffee is SO strong and it was outstanding. I loved it! Picture below is a native speaker I asked to proofread the story of Jesus' resurrection I was writing in Spanish for vbs the next day.  After walking back, we thought we would be so late, barely make it and everyone would've already eaten when we got back. But when we arrived back to the Salvation Army, the food hadn't all even been made yet. After eating and finishing getting ready (around 8 am) we made our way to Guaynabo for day 2 of the vbs. we started with the story/skit of Jesus dying on the cross. I read the Spanish version of the story for this. After a craft and lunch, I switched to help with painting one of the new trailers. One great thing about today was the fact that it had been consistently raining off and on and Puerto Rico was/still is in a drought. God was putting on my heart to go inside the sanctuary (weird, right?). This was a different building, but I went in there anyways and in the sanctuary was the pastor's son and his young son as well as our group leader and the entire project leader. The leader and I talked for about an hour and she said that God put it on her heart to tell me that I was so strong and she said she could see it. She had some personal adversity that she went through, and that helped build her to where she is today and it's just phenomenal how much we related. After returning from Guaynabo, my mom and I snuck off to the beach (again) for some alone time. About an hour after we had arrived, other members from out church group came, and we played beach volleyball and hung out in the warm, warm, warm water (picture below). it was relaxing and much needed. After eating a typical Puerto Rican dinner, we had our nightly meeting (during which, about 8 previous things connected together with something my mom and I found in our bibles, what kids said, our devotional and everything really). It was amazing how soooo many things connected at once and it was great to see God work right within us. After reflection, we headed to bed.

 

Coffee shop adventures!

 

 

 

Joniel, who we thought was named Darnell, and ended up calling Donut all week.

 

Puerto Rico Day 2

After waking up at a bright and early 6:45 am, we ate breakfast and headed to Guayanabo for our mission work. When we arrived, the kids were peeking out of the trailer windows to see us. We were given a tour of the church, prayed over, and split up (half would do construction/home improvement work, and the other half would help with a vacation bible school, which, only thank to us were they allowed to put on). During class today, we talked about the birth of Jesus and I helped translate/ tell the story in Spanish.The kids were so sweet and I connected with them SO well. I was allowed the ability to stay with the kids all day (skipping the construction work) thanks to my Spanish skills. The last hour of today, we went on a prayer walk. After each kid was paired with a teenager or an adult, we walked around, praying for things and inviting kids in the neighborhood to come to the vbs. it was so touching! We head back home around 3 pm. After we returned back to the Salvation Army, my mom and I snuck away to the beach (fully clothed as you can see in the picture below) but beautiful. After an amazing dinner (provided by the Salvation Army), we had a phenomenal, moving worship session and I reflected upon how not only we are changing the kids' lives, but they're changing ours just as much. God is so good.

 

Dana!

 

Teaching the kids songs in English. I helped translate.

Featured:

I am a C. I am a C-H. I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N. And I have G-O-D in my H-E-A-R-T and I will L-O-V-E Him eternally!

 

Beach adventures!

My Mission Trip to Puerto Rico-Day 1

Day 1
After waking up at an excruciating 2:45 am, we met up at our church at 3:45 am to travel and prepare for our 5:45am flight. Flying from IND->ATL took a little over an hour and we had a very quick transition to our next flight. After arriving in San Juan, (my hair started frizzing up immediately), we boarded the Adventures in Missions vans and drove the short ten minute drive to the Salvation Army we stayed in. After lunch, we were allowed some free time. My mom and I roamed the opposite way of everyone else in downtown San Juan and met some very interesting people. As we walked down the street, we came across so many neat, little markets and bought some unique dried roots and fruits. A picture below is me holding my passionfruit drink (native to Puerto Rico), my dried yuka (starchy vegetable) and my parcha (type of citrus fruit). Another picture below is a small restaurant owner on calle tapia . He showed such abundant patience and gratitude for our patronage and business and we were so thankful! This entire time I rarely spoke any English (well, when I did, the residents didn't understand me). But, I got to practice my Spanish so much! And the best part, I was understood! On our way back from the shops, it started POURING rain (keep in mind, it never rains in Puerto Rico). After running/ shuffling/ hustling in the rain for ten minutes, we decided to seek shelter under a small cabana-like restaurant. Picture 3 is of a man that started up a great conversation with us and although he frequently switched between English and Spanish, it was such a pleasure meeting him. We got back to the Salvation Army and had dinner. I made lots of new friends (from Mississippi and North Carolina) and had so many great laughs before an evening church session and planning of the start to our entirely student-ran vbs we would be putting on in a church about 20 minutes away in Guayanabo. Until tomorrow!

Picture of the mission team from New Day Church!

Man that started up a conversation with us!

Patient, caring guy that helped us try new foods!

 

 My yuka chips, parcha and parcha juice!

coping

tears rush down my fair-skinned, freckle-kissed face

disbelief flows from my trembling body

what a caterpillar calls the end, others call a masterpiece

the analogy provides no solace

you aren't a bug 

& you've always been a masterpiece to me

coping is different for everyone

one part of me is scared, mortified, at the fact that I am grieving again, so soon 

the other part of me thirsts for the normalcy I had before this

my ill lungs take slow, controlled breaths

my supportive mother holds me until I have let it all out

my trustworthy puffs plus tissues support me through another heartbreak

and my heart continues to pump oxygen-rich blood into my body

so many times, I have caught myself saying I'm making no progress, and I never will

untrue

the little things

look at the little things 

the little things are what manifest into the big things

keep breathing

keep seeking support

keep letting it out

and keep living

(You got this!!!)