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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Plátanos

Bananas. I don't know why, but when I think about Central America, I think of bananas.  Maybe it's all the stereotypical books I read as a child, or the fact that I'm a native-born Ohioan girl whose only concept of tropical fruit is that it grows close to the equator. Right? It sounds right anyways.

Some of you guys know the fact that I'm a travel addict.  Like, obsessed.  When I returned from Québec after six months abroad in December, I remember feeling a little lost.  I felt like a chunk of who I had become was suddenly cut off from my existence, a part of me that nobody back home could completely understand. To be honest, I felt more culture shock coming home then when I had left.  My family can testify to the fact that I couldn't remember certain English words because the French ones came first. I kept comparing little things that were different, like the fact that the Québecois bought their milk in plastic bags and kissed with the "bisou" (cheek to cheek) in greeting. 

And I loved it.  I was living a different reality for 6 months, and coming back, I wanted my life to be challenging.  Not harder, but more stretching. I wanted a chance to live life outside of the little routine I so easily fall into.  Afterall, "life begins at the end of your comfort zone," does it not? ...And I tend to get bored easily. 

I remember coming home with questions.  Where am I going, God? What should I do?  Here I am.  You gave me Québec, you blessed everything about the entire journey, and I could literally write a book about how you used those experiences in Québec to transform my life.  But now that it's over, what now? 

Would you like to know the answer to these questions?  "WAIT."  Yeah, don't we all just love that response? Heh.  So I started to get a little bit impatient.  For those of you who don't know me well, I like having solid plans for the future.  I distinctly remember visiting my mom a few months ago, crawling onto her bed, and laying there explaining all my dreams, desires, plans.  "Cassie," she reminded me, "you can do so much... just make sure it's the right thing."

Okay God. I'm willing to wait. I want to do what You want me to do. 


“For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do."  
Ephesians 2:10

"Hey Cassie... so, did you know that you could go to Guatemala this summer?"  Guatemala?

"Yeah, the couple heading up the missions trip is having a party this Saturday, so you should come to meet them." I should? Huh.

So I met them. And fell in love with them. And was basically convinced in one night that God was telling me that I was going to Guatemala this summer.

DID YOU HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID!?  I'm going to Guatemala this summer!

That's right. It was as fast and easy as that.  On May 16 to June 30th, I will be embarking on an adventure with Hearts In Action, a missions organization that reaches out to Central and South America.  I'll be working with children and train teachers to share the gospel at the Jungle School in San Andres, Peten.  We'll be visiting orphans and poverty-stricken families,  participating in children’s nutrition programs in the nearby villages, and praying for patients in the hospitals which lack the modernization of first world facilities.


“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

Isn't God the coolest ever?  I feel like He likes watching me run around trying to make all these plans and do all these cool things, and then He laughs when He finally places something directly under my nose.  

I can't even begin to say HOW EXCITED I AM.  Also, my Spanish is non-existent.  It's kind of embarrassing.  Supposedly, French won't help me in this part of the world.  I'm going to start praying for the ability to roll my "r's."

Oh, and get this.  Bananas happen to be one of Guatemala's five main export items.