Wow! That seems to be the only word that can come to mind. Today was filled with excitement, sunscreen and sharing from the heart. It seems so hard to believe that we arrived in Puerto Rico early Saturday morning! It feels like I have lived here my whole life due to the beautiful combination of the welcoming Puerto Ricans and our loving missions team. We had another relaxed, but eventful day today. Our wakeup call was 6 am this morning. Although we were all a little resistant to at first, we quickly realized that our early start was well worth it. Not many people can say that they climbed a mountain in Puerto Rico, but we can! It was quite an adventure this morning, dodging branches and avoiding the cacti, but we all made it and the view left us all speechless. We made a flag last night to let the world know that Spring Arbor University has conquered the mountain and we are loving our time here in Juana Diaz!
After our mountain adventures, we went to church. It was awesome to worship with the people in the Bario. Everyone worshipping in spanish to the one true God really brought us all closer together. After church we all went cliff jumping. If I am being honest, initially it was terrifying. There is something unsettling about looking down and realizing that you are going to have to jump all 30 feet until you reach the water. None the less, many took the plunge into the freezing water.
We all went on expeditions down the river, seeing God’s beauty everywhere we turned. Let’s just say it was well worth the scrapes and bruises. We went to an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant for dinner and I think we can all agree that it was so delicious. I tried squid for the first time.... lets just say that it isn’t my favorite texture. We finished out our night tonight with my devotion.
I didn’t really know what I was going to say, but God gave me a message to share. I spoke from my heart about my testimony and at first I was super nervous. My nerves were calmed when I realized that this team is so loving and so accepting. I don’t know if words can describe how much I love Puerto Rico, and especially this team. It may sound cliché, but we aren’t just a team, we are family. God has brought us together for a purpose and each day we find a new reason to love each other. That beats any mountain top experience we have had so far. I can’t wait to spend 7 more days in this beautiful island with these beautiful people. There is one word that can wrap up this experience so far - blessed.
Stay tuned for more pictures and updates! (we love your comments! They are a blessing to us! Thank you!)
Love,
Whitney
It's incredible what common purpose and experience can do in breaking down walls of protection we constantly hold for ourselves and ushering us into true community with others in love as God makes it at its core. And being surrounded with people who also understand it makes it that much easier and more fruitful. Beautiful post about what's going on among you all there, Whitney! Props to you for trusting God and stepping out even when you were nervous. Keep shining, girl; you're awesome. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, what an entry Whitney! You make a mama proud! What beautiful photos! The mountains, the waterfalls. Our God is so amazing! But seriously guys, where's the work? Somewhere I read this was a mission trip. Lol! Have fun & Enjoy every moment. Praying blessings for everyone! XOXO Mom O
ReplyDeleteThinking of your team this week! May you be blessed in the week ahead and open to how the Lord will work in and through you!
ReplyDelete-Emilie