Playing on Pacaya

Hi friends! Our time in Guatemala was intense and God moved in incredible ways, but that’s nothing new. The Lord never fails to show up! As busy as our time was in Guatemala, we made sure to balance ministry and time together as a squad during Debrief. We had the opportunity to take a “squad fun day” and thankfully our logistics team planned an unimaginable day for everyone. Our squad day looked like black ash filling our shoes, laughing over hot rocks, and hiking in the dark. Where and what were we doing? As a squad, we hiked a volcano named Pacaya. This was an extraordinary and unforgettable day. 

I want to preface that this was a planned trip and yes, it was as wild as it sounds. We hopped onto a bus, rode two hours, and found ourselves playing soccer with a couple of kids on a basketball court. After hanging around for a bit, three pickup trucks arrived and we climbed into the bed of each truck. It was a tight squeeze and possibly a little questionable. Some of us were standing and others sitting, the ride was a little bumpy, to say the least! We rode from a small town onto a farmer’s land where all you could see was hardened lava, ash, and some brush for miles. Through many laughs and moments where I had people sitting on my feet to prevent me from falling out, it was possibly the most exciting truck ride I’ve ever had. Once we got to the trailhead, we followed the farmer up the volcano. The ground felt like walking on the type of sand where you sink in and we got to play “hot potato” with hot rocks. The whole experience feels like a dream now. Towards the end of our time at the top, we all stopped and sat in silence. Breathing in the air around and praising God from the top of a volcano, what is better than that? I was filled with peace and an overwhelming joy from the Lord. Having our whole squad back together and spending quality time together was so much fun. Playing on the side of a volcano and exploring another piece of God’s creation was more than what I could have asked for.

Check out the photos below and have a good laugh!

 Laughing and trying to tell the others to hold on tight while they stood during the ride.

 Views from the back of our truck… that left picture looks deceiving, the road was not that smooth.

 We rode in the back of the truck for a little over two miles; it was a hoot!

 Hard laughs trying to hold on! Pictured with me are Kevin and Jackie.

 Hiking up the volcano surrounded by incredible views!

 Justin came prepared and was ready for anything. We all came to the conclusion that our view reminded us of the elephant graveyard from The Lion King.

 Our whole squad, though missing two, had a blast together! We all got to celebrate our time in Guatemala, what a blessing.

Join me in rejoicing for fun and safe adventures! This was just a glimpse at what an unforgettable day this was. I would go back and do it all again. I ask you to come alongside me in prayer over my squad. Some of my fellow squadmates are “relaunchers” meaning they got sent home early last year from the World Race due to COVID-19. Many of them were not going to stay on the field for 11 months this year, but now the Lord has them staying the entire time!! Yay! Please pray with us as many of them are still fundraising and they have deadlines to meet soon. Thank you all for your constant love, support, and generosity!

with all my love,

PJ