This trip will be my 10th time serving in Guatemala. It is absolutely the highlight of my year, and I look forward to the next trip as soon as I get back! I've made dear lifetime friends with other team members and with those we serve alongside in Guatemala. Our primary goal on the trip is building several homes in very poor communities, but it's really about building relationships with the families we serve and planting seeds for Pastor Max and God to continue working with them. The country of Guatemala is breathtakingly beautiful, as are the people who live there. While the intent of the trip is to serve and bless the families we serve in Guatemala, my life has been changed, too - perspective, priorities, empathy, etc. While a week of building homes is the hardest work I do all year (I'm used to sitting at a desk!), we also have a lot of fun while we work and spend time together in the evenings. Every year I see God moving in the details that allow these mission trips to be successful. It's really impossible to convey what an incredible opportunity a short-term mission trip is...you really need to experience it for yourself!