What Next?

So, maybe most of you know by now what I am planning to do next, but this is for those of you who don’t; or those who would like to know some background.

For those of you who would rather not read a long, wordy post explaining all the details, here is the short version: I am moving to Guatemala.

For most of my life I have had family living in Guatemala. When I was 7 or 8, my parents went there to visit my dad’s brother’s family. Before they went Mom listened to Speedy Spanish tapes and used the Rosetta Stone Spanish program on the computer. I grew up hearing about Guatemala and desiring to learn Spanish.

When I entered high school, I signed up for the Spanish course with the thought in mind of going to Guatemala as a missionary someday. I got my passport in 2010? with hopes of going to visit my cousins in Guatemala, but that didn’t happen right away. But, finally, in 2013, my cousin Connie and I went for a 16 day visit. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with our cousins in Guatemala! We helped Holly around the house, visited the school one day, and spent some time at the clinic. We also got to go swimming, zip lining, and shopping. Benj told us we could move there whenever we were ready.

Well, time went on and I wasn’t sure if God was actually calling me to Guatemala. Maybe that was my own plan and not what He had for  me. I decided not to push it. I had found my niche teaching school in Colorado. For the time being that was my mission field.

Then I decided it was time for a break from teaching. I tried, in my head at least, to have a plan laid before I said, “No.” I thought maybe I could stay in Colorado even if I wasn’t teaching.  I wanted to so badly!! Someone wondered why I would rather stay there than live in Virginia. I found it very hard to explain or put into words. Now I might be able to put it more into words. I felt like Colorado was where I truly found myself; where I could just be me and be liked for me. Not judged on how conservative I was or how well I could play sports or by what my family was like. I also love that there aren’t near as many people in the West. I love the wide open country, the beautiful mountains. It’s something I feel inside. I can’t really put it into words. But it is there nonetheless.

As is natural, when people found out I wasn’t teaching, they  wondered, “What are you going to do next?” My reply, “I don’t know yet, I am just waiting for God’s leading.” Sometimes I got tired of saying this. You know, most people have things more in order. They don’t just quit a job with no other job on the horizon.  I felt a little weird, but at the same time I was at peace with my decision. I knew God was leading. As the school year wound down, though, it was hard to still not know what was happening. I wanted to demand an answer from God but knew I could not. I knew He would reveal the plan in His own good time. But it was hard to have patience.

Things just didn’t seem to be working out for me to stay in Colorado, but I kept hoping, not really letting go of my desire. Then I heard of a mission opportunity. It seemed like maybe that was what I was supposed to be doing.  I prayed about it. I talked with people about it. I wasn’t sure about it, but it seemed like maybe God was opening a door. So, finally I checked into it. I kept praying. In the end, that did not work out, but it accomplished something for me. Through that, I was able to give up my desire to stay in Colorado.  So when I got asked to help my cousins in Guatemala I had already processed the thought of leaving Colorado. I still had to pray about it. Think about it. Ask people’s opinions. Find out more information. But in the end, I agreed to go. It felt so good to be able to tell people, “I am moving to Guatemala next.”

But then there came another question that posed a problem, “How long will you be there?” My answer, “Indefinitely.” Now, this does not mean I will be there forever. It just means I don’t know how long God will have a purpose for me there. I plan to be there until God leads me somewhere else.

And, as others have, you may be wondering, “What will you be doing there?” This is somewhat easier to answer. I will be helping my cousin Benj and his wife Holly and their 5 children. In Holly’s words, I will be her “personal assistant.”

People also wonder, “Are you excited about going?” This has been a little harder for me to answer. At first I was just getting out of school and trying to recover from that. Going to Guatemala was a distant happening that I had no strong feelings about. But, as the time draws nearer, Yes, I am excited. Excited and a bit apprehensive. I loved it there when I visited, but I know moving there will be different. I know it will present lots of challenges. Sometimes I wonder if I am up to that. But I know that I need stretched. That it will be good for me to get out of my comfortable little box.

So I have been trying to study some Spanish. Trying to get things in order here so I am ready to head to Guatemala the beginning of September. I feel like things are not coming together as quickly as I would like, but I am trying to not let all the things I want to get done pile up in my mind and weigh me down and stress me out. I am trying to stay calm and hand my problems to God. But if you don’t hear from me much the next while, don’t be surprised. I have a lot of things to get done and a lot of people to spend time with.

Another question I got tired of answering was, “When are you leaving for Guatemala?” I had to keep answering, “I don’t know. Maybe the end of August.” When I got asked to go to Guatemala, I told them that I was willing to go, but wanted a few months at home with my family. Some time to recuperate from the school year. A chance to catch my breath. And they graciously agreed. My summer has been fairly busy, but I have had some relaxing days. Some healing days. For which I am very grateful. I appreciate everyone’s prayers! I would ask for you continued prayer support as I go to Guatemala. I feel I have come to understand more about myself and how to deal with being overwhelmed, but I still covet your prayers! I decided when to go to Guatemala by when my cousins were coming for a short furlough. So once they had their tickets I had a more definite answer. I will be traveling back with them after they are in the States for a few weeks.

If you would like to do more than just pray for me, you can help support me financially while I am in Guatemala. If you are interested, you can email me at tropicslvr1992@gmail.com or my mom at kmsewsalot@gmail.com and we can give you more information about that.

Adios! Buenas noches!

-Raquel

P. S. 1 – I still hold a dream of possibly living in Colorado some day, but only God knows.

P. S. 2 – Did I ever write a blog post about my visit to Guatemala? I’ll have to check. Anyway, here is a picture from my time there.