What do you consider to be normal? Now throw that idea out the window and let me take you on a roller coster ride called Abby’s new realty. The definition of normal is “conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.” Well I have been learning to expect the unexpected. Transportation is an adventure itself, time management isn’t a thing, but freedom is welcoming me with open arms.

Buenos Tardis from Guatemala! Allow me to open the door and welcome y’all to the dance party! The first few weeks here have felt like freeze dance. What I mean by that is…whoop whoop start the music we are in Guatemala! Stop the music you tested positive for Covid your first week here. Music starts again because this time in quarantine is a blessing from God even if you don’t see it yet. Stop the music I am frustrated at my circumstance and don’t feel like dancing. Music starts again as I start thanking the Lord for slowing things down for me to appreciate the little things. Music stops because its hard watching others get to participate in ministry and leave the house. Music starts blaring because the Lord as gracious and healed me within a week!

My time in quarantine ended up being a time of rest and refocus I didn’t know I needed. I sat with the Lord and asked Him many hard questions, poured my heart out about my frustration towards Him for allowing this, and dived into His word for truth. The verse he pointed me to was Isiah 43:1-3 “ But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” This year isn’t going to be easy, but the Lord will be with me every step of the way. There will be days it feels like a slow dance, and others will feel like I am learning how to salsa dance. It will be uncomfortable, confusing, but once you dive in and learn the steps it will be so fun. I am thankful for teammates who pointed me back to Jesus during that time. I am thankful for all the card games we played. I am thankful for other teammates bring us cookies and Oreos. I am thankful for spending my first adventure day in quarantine. I am thankful we spent that day dancing in the rain. I am thankful for our host, Pastor Juan and Evelyn, and for their encouragement and outlook on life. They said this is life, and there will be obstacles, but the Lord is still good and is still working even if some of us are on the sidelines. I am thankful for the time the Lord allowed me to slow down. I am so thankful to be well and back with my team participating in ministry.

Transportation is wild! Drivers pass each other on the left on a single lane road. And by drivers I mean school busses and motorcycles with children hanging on them. When we go into town we ride in the back of a pick up truck..all 12 of us. Yes you read the right! Driving on windy roads through the mountains with the wind slapping across your face whiling standing in the back of a truck is quit the experience! That is living! I had my first ride in a tuc tuc the other day…I am surprised we didn’t tip over backwards driving up the mountain. A tuc tuc is a small red cart with 3 wheels, no doors, and 3 seats in the back. It was awesome, and did I mention that I was also raining! We also walk to a lot of places as well. I am thankful for all the walks up hill and down hill we have taken. It’s peaceful and I enjoy that time spent with my team.

I say that time management isn’t a thing because we are no longer on the USA’s time clock of go go … results results. I have noticed that people here don’t get in a hurry, they enjoy life. There have been many days we were playing soccer and people would stop on their walk home to watch us or join us. Somedays our ministry plans fall through, or some days our transportation is really late picking us up. Which is funny because Guatemalans drive so fast and impatiently, but enjoy the little things. We are on the Lords time which can humble you very quickly. We are washing our clothes by hand in buckets then hanging them on a clothes line outside. Well…it rains here…a lot. I washed my clothes the other day and right after I got done hanging them up it started to rain. I waited 3 days for them to dry because it kept raining. You would think I would have learned to check the weather or even just look at the clouds, but nope. I did it again today. Washed all my clothes, hung them up, and now it’s pouring. Now I get to be creative with my clothes since most of my favorites are in the rain.

Freedom. We all desire freedom from something. I desire freedom from society’s unwritten rules and expectations from how my life as a 21 year should look. I have always known there is more out there, and refused to give into the worlds standard of normal. Through dancing with the Lord I am gaining freedom. Freedom to have a dance party with my squad while brushing our teeth. Freedom to play like a child again. Freedom to try new foods. Freedom to mess up Spanish words. Freedom to try again. Freedom to laugh at myself through this roller coster of new things. And this is only the first month! WHAT?! I can’t wait to see what else the Lord shows me, and how He will continue to teach me about freedom.

Currently dancing in the mountains of Chichicastenango, Guatemala!

Abby Frank ;)))))))))))))