Her palms were sweaty, knees weak, arms were heavy, there was mud on her sweater already

It has taken me a month to be able to write about my experience on the mountainside of Chicaman headed to the village of El Naranjo. It was an experience that tested me a lot, but that I will never forget.

The journey started like any other day, we got up early put on our skirts and were picked up headed to a village to share with the people. We were told this village was a hike to get to, and that my friends is where the plot twist began…

We didn’t eat breakfast that morning because we were told the village was going to feed us. So we started out just after sunrise on this narrow path on empty stomachs with high hopes and joy in our hearts. 

That lasted about 5 minutes or so, then after stepping ankle deep in mud in my chacos, I looked up and my first teammate slipped and fell. It didn’t take long for a second teammate to bite the dust and like clockwork down I went as well. I caught myself with my hand which then was caked in mud for the rest of the trip until I got to the village. 

The hike was about 3 miles or so and took us 1.5/2 hours going down, it was very steep and definitely trying. As the minutes ticked on and we neared the village my knees started to hurt (if you recall in July I sprained both of my MCLs), and my spirit began to break a little. 

What kept me going, you ask? If I’m honest, its because there was no other option, and I kept remembering that our host told us this village feels forgotten and abandoned and I started to see why. The pastor that preaches at the church we attended does this trek with his wife every week. That in itself is a testament to a call on someones life and the dedication to a “yes!”

We finally made it to the village and sat down for breakfast. The wind was taken from my sails when we were welcomed openly with a bowl full of snails and river fish soup. The fish still had its eyeballs in and was starring at me, and just below the surface of the soup were snails. We were shown how to suck them out. At first my reaction, especially after the trying hike, was a little bitter but if I’m 100% honest it wasn’t that bad! The snails reminded me of an oyster and the fish was pretty good. 

After breakfast we shared our word to the church and then helped with the children’s ministry. I shared on an insight God gave me on the word flooded (stay tuned for a full blog on that divine download). For the children, we enacted the story of Moses parting the Red Sea. There may or may not have also been a Red Rover, Red Rover game, Pharaoh-let-my-people-go style… 

After ministry we were fed eggs and beans and tortillas (a Guatemalan staple) and wished the best as we began the trek back up to where we left the truck.

The true challenge was the return hike, all up hill and once we got to the top it was back through the mud we went. With nothing but snail soup and eggs and beans in my stomach, I began to feel the exhaustion in my body. It didn’t help that I ran out of water about half way up. So my dehydrated body began to revolt against me. It peaked when both my calves cramped (you could physically see the muscles spasms) and I openly wept on the side of this mountain as my teammates who had preserved water graciously gave me the remains and one massaged my calves hoping to give me relief to get up the rest of the mountain. 

This was when I felt the most empty, devoid of everything. Physically weak, emotionally drained, mentally tired, and spiritually empty. I kept thinking I had not felt this defeated in a long time. I had come to the end of myself. But won’t you know, that’s right where God will take you to prove that His grace is all we need. And His power works best in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Although this hike took a toll on us all individually, I was proud of my team for our persistence. Our teamwork made the dream work and we truly rallied for each other. We all had weak moments, some physically, some mentally, but we each prayed for each other and verbally encouraged the others all the way to end. I can still hear Joana yelling to me that she reached the top before I saw the end, which propelled me to the finish line!!