Hi! My name is Layla Rumble, I am a student at Hope College studying Spanish and Religion. In August of 2024 I started an internship in missions at Central Wesleyan, and the trip to Guatemala served as the kickoff for that internship. I chose to go to Guatemala because I wanted an opportunity to practice my Spanish and witness life in a Latin American country.
The short amount of time that I spent in Guatemala was life changing. I continue to feel the trip’s impacts to this day. Seeing God work in another country is such an incredible experience that is difficult to capture in words. Witnessing a faith stronger than my own from people living in circumstances that are vastly different from my own helped put into perspective the omnipotence and omnipresence of our God. God works in powerful ways across the whole world, not just in our hometowns. He is just as present in Guatemala as he is here in the U.S., and seeing that firsthand is a beautiful experience.
What I loved most about Guatemala was the people. Their culture is one immersed in love and hospitality and kindness and care. Largely, the people in Guatemala live unhurried, intentional lives. Lives in which meeting new faces and building relationships is much more important than being on time or completing the next task. This way of life was hard to get used to, coming from a culture that is so heavily rooted in doing and moving. By the time we came back to the states, I experienced more culture shock here than I did there because our way of life is so intense. Guatemala teaches us the value of being still and connecting with others, no matter our differences. Whether you speak Spanish or not, I guarantee you will connect with the people you meet in Guatemala in a very special way, because it’s in their DNA.
Often you will hear that a mission trip is more about changing the life of the missionary than it is about the work the missionary does. I always struggled to understand that…and then I went on a trip. I was able to see and feel God in an entirely new way on this trip. I got to worship with new people, both from the church and from Guatemala, who I may never have pursued God with elsewhere. I got to practice denying myself consistently (which is never an easy task). Overall, I walked away from that trip with a revitalized faith, new friends, and a changed heart.
The short amount of time that I spent in Guatemala was life changing. I continue to feel the trip’s impacts to this day. Seeing God work in another country is such an incredible experience that is difficult to capture in words. Witnessing a faith stronger than my own from people living in circumstances that are vastly different from my own helped put into perspective the omnipotence and omnipresence of our God. God works in powerful ways across the whole world, not just in our hometowns. He is just as present in Guatemala as he is here in the U.S., and seeing that firsthand is a beautiful experience.
What I loved most about Guatemala was the people. Their culture is one immersed in love and hospitality and kindness and care. Largely, the people in Guatemala live unhurried, intentional lives. Lives in which meeting new faces and building relationships is much more important than being on time or completing the next task. This way of life was hard to get used to, coming from a culture that is so heavily rooted in doing and moving. By the time we came back to the states, I experienced more culture shock here than I did there because our way of life is so intense. Guatemala teaches us the value of being still and connecting with others, no matter our differences. Whether you speak Spanish or not, I guarantee you will connect with the people you meet in Guatemala in a very special way, because it’s in their DNA.
Often you will hear that a mission trip is more about changing the life of the missionary than it is about the work the missionary does. I always struggled to understand that…and then I went on a trip. I was able to see and feel God in an entirely new way on this trip. I got to worship with new people, both from the church and from Guatemala, who I may never have pursued God with elsewhere. I got to practice denying myself consistently (which is never an easy task). Overall, I walked away from that trip with a revitalized faith, new friends, and a changed heart.