A Week's Difference

One week ago, I wrote about arriving in Guatemala and beginning our journey. Today we are heading home, with healed hearts, after being broken numerous times, and renewed hope. As I reflect on what this week has meant to me, I am in awe and I am still not quite sure how to put it in words. Before this trip, my hope for a better world was incredibly dim. I did not see much of love, or of God. Now I see God everywhere and I hear God in every waking moment.

The difference this week has made in my life is unforgettable. I see love everywhere now. I see God everywhere. I see God in my peers, who wore their hearts on their sleeves and fully threw themselves into this experience. I see God in the medical team, who are fully committed to their patients and taught us what it means to heal and be healed through serving others. I see love and God in the Guatemalan people, who do not let the inequality they witness everyday harden their hearts. These are God's people, who always end their conversations with "Vaya con Dios" (Go forth with God). They are rooted in their faith and have taught me what it means to be completely reliant on God and trust him. They have taught me to love abundantly, without hesitation or resentment. They have taught me to readily forgive. They give without expecting anything in return, and in that way, they have taught me to be more generous.

I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to be a part of this trip, of this journey. We have all said that our hearts broke a thousand times throughout the week, but it was put back together much stronger and much more capable of genuine love. I am grateful because I met some incredible people who are now like family to me and I could not have asked for a better team to with whom to have this experience. I know this week touched my soul because when I woke this morning, my first thought was, "I want to stay home". I've found a new home in the Guatemalan people.

Aichetou Waiga