It all started on September 2nd of 2020. Still living in a COVID world, 30 of us eagerly got ready to meet a bunch of random people who would soon be “family?” (I don’t know, that’s just what they told me). I do this random thing where I do really exciting things the day I’m about to go do a really exciting thing so the morning I left for training camp, I thought it’d be a great idea to jump off a plane. So I did. The morning of my training camp, me and my best friend Anesa jumped out of a plane at 15,000 feet together as a goodbye for the next 9 months.
Then it started. The anticipation, the stress, the anxiety of what’s to come finally came. I showed up to a campus 45 minutes away from my house, ready to stake down a tent and live for the next 3 months. What I didn’t realize at the time was how difficult it was going to be. (bet you were expecting me to tell you how beautiful and rewarding and fruitful it was huh?) Don’t worry, it was all those things too, but it was also probably the most challenging thing I’ve ever done.
30 fresh out of high school/partially done with college 18-21-year-olds showed up with pretty much no expectations and said “use me”. We were all there for a reason. We know that now, I mean at least I do. I could get into the nitty-gritty of it all (let’s hop on a call or get coffee and talk about it) but instead, I think I’m just going to talk about where I am today because of my experience.
I can confidently say that today, I am a different person than the day I walked onto my campsite and staked down my tent. And wow, thank Jesus that’s the case. Jesus changed my life these past 9 months. He used my squadmates, the people I met along the way, unforeseen circumstances, and beautiful cultures to change my life. I get to sit here now and think about past situations that I was in pre-race and know for a fact that I would react/act differently if I were put in the same situation today, PRAISE JESUS for that!
The other cool thing is that I get to use everything I’ve learned overseas or even at training camp, and bring it to my community back home. I get to share the crazy stories about what happened along the way and this is the best part… I get to talk about how the Father was right next to me the ENTIRE time and I get to talk about what He had to say or how He moved in those specific moments.
We’re now a week out from heading back home (sad, I know). It’s time to leave the people I now get to call my family. Time to leave the beautiful country of Guatemala that now has a huge chunk of my heart. Time to leave the chaotic life of living with 30 people. It’s time to leave this experience and, safe to say, it kind of sucks.
It’s so incredibly sad, yet so incredibly exciting. In a few short weeks, I’ll be in Cumming, GA living my life without everything I’ve known for the last 9 months but I get to choose into intentionality in that. I get to choose into giving Payton a call to see how his summer camp job is going. I get to fly to Maine and have Katie show me around the place she calls home or go back to Colorado to see Wendy, Ellie, Elina, and Beth. I get to book a trip to go see JP, Gracie, Abby, and CJ in Arizona at GCU. I get to help Tay move into UGA and Josh move into UNG. And then I get to go and do CGA with Em, Reagan, Bri, and Kait. These are just a few examples but they’re all things I can feasibly do.
I love my squad. I love the memories that we’ve made. I’ve loved the dumb times where we’ve cried and then laughed and then cried again and then laughed again to the point of peeing our pants. I’ve loved the INCREDIBLE people I’ve met along the way. I’ve loved the spectacular food we’ve been fed. I’ve loved the countless dogs I’ve been able to see (but not pet). I’ve loved the nights sleeping on sleeping pads. I’ve loved all the bugs I’ve gotten to interact with along the way. I’ve loved watching lives being changed (ours or people we’ve encountered. But most importantly, I’ve loved how Jesus used these last 271 days to completely and utterly change my life.
This rocks. Jesus rocks. Praise Him.
I can’t wait to meet you in real life & be ur friend & know the Esther that has been changed from old to new in the past 271 days. Keep walking in freedom!!!!! & walking in all ur cool pants ????????
Bruh I forgot the emojis turn into question marks here. It’s the purple dancing disco man emoji, of course
Wow so proud of you and can’t wait to see you when you’re back home!!!
Great blog Esther! It’s going to continue be a crazy adventure from here! Love ya.
And I love that you’re a part of Gap E. So thankful for you, Esther. Thank you for sharing your heart in this. It’s been a journey and I’m so thankful for all God has done. LOVE YOU
Que hermosa mujer que eres , tu me enseñaste que Dios no ve mis errores, sino que el me perdonó y me rescató
Gracias Esther.
wow, proud of you & your obedience & your willingness to let the Father mold you, my friend. thankful I get to call you that & have been able to watch you grow from a distance (& I call first dibbs on coffee with with you;) )