As I write this final blog post, we are flying somewhere over Mexico. We have officially left Guatemala – a fact that is still not yet real to me. It is hard to believe that it was over a month ago that Rachel, Sophia, and I sat around a table at a hotel in Guatemala City with Greg, Tim, Bart, Dr. Jacobo, and Hector, preparing for the pastor’s conference. And it seems unreal that we are only hours away from returning to our previous life of tight schedules, school, work, bills, and numerous other seemingly meaningless worries of American life. For the past several days I’ve had the words “No quiero salir” (I don’t want to leave) stuck on repeat in my head. From our first few days in Achiland, I knew I was going to love every second of our time there, but it wasn’t until our last few days that I really began to realize just how much I love the Achi people, and the OR4 crew in particular. Over the past month, Hector, Eder, Marvin (guitarra), Marvin (tarde), Daniel, Evelyn, Karla, Adela, and Tanya, have become our family. You know you are truly united in Christ when people who live hundreds of miles away in a foreign country who barely speak your language (and you barely speak theirs) feel closer than family to you.

The last month working with OR4 has been one of the greatest of my life. I’m not sure if they realize it, but the OR4 guys have ministered to us just as much as, or more than, we collectively have to the Achi people. I have never met anyone who knows better what it means to fully trust in Christ – be it for their next meal, or for their next possible opportunity to show Christ’s love, for which any of them would gladly give up that meal. They live out the Gospel with every breath, and God is truly using them to spread His glory broader and deeper among the Rabinal Achi. Having the privilege to partner with their ministry was both humbling and edifying, encouraging and convicting, eye-opening and heart-breaking, and God has used it to change my life in a way I will never forget. To Him be praise, honor, glory, and power forever and ever. Amen.

Daniel, Evelyn, Alfredo, Karla, Eder, David y Maria, Marvin (viejo), Rachel, Me, Marvin (tarde), Sophia, and Marvin (guitarra).