Why?

So I was prompted to write a blog about why I feel called to A season in Guatemala. Well, for me, it’s hard to describe that without starting at the beginning. I was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania…. Just kidding, we’ll start from when I was born AGAIN haha.
As many of you know, God saved me from a life of drug and alcohol addiction about 4 years ago. About a year after I was saved, I went on my first week long mission trip to Haiti. We were setting out to do some construction and some medical care on this trip, and don’t get me wrong, that stuff got accomplished, but while I was there I was completely heartbroken for the kids that came to visit the work site every day and play clapping games and just laughing with one another. My heart was extra filled by these two young girls. I got to play with them every single day we were there. They did not know it was our last day in Haiti, but decided to each hold my hands down the mile long dirt road that lead to where we were staying for the week. As I walked down that road, dirty from concrete mix and dirt, tired from working and chasing and playing with kids all day, the sun slowly coming down on the beautiful Haiti landscape, I couldn’t help but notice that this was the fullest my heart has ever been. It was one of those moments where I felt God saying “Joe, I love you, and this is how much”. When we got to the end of that dirt road, it was time to say goodbye to my two good friends. Since neither of us spoke an ounce of each others language I could not communicate that I will not be coming back to see them the next day., so I just tried to give them the most heartfelt goodbye I could give them and hug them one last time. As I said goodbye, I couldn’t help but start to cry. These two beautiful children may not see the age of 15 due to starvation, disease, or just lack of basic needs, yet they were some of the happiest humans I’ve met.
That moment is when I knew I was going to be working with the lost and broken children of this world.
You may be wondering what all of this has to do with Guatemala. First off, while I was in Guatemala during the World Race, I saw that glimmer of pure joy in the eyes of the kids who were forced to sell clothing and other random things on the streets of Antigua. I saw the desire for Christ in the hearts of the locals, and came across an opportunity to be a part in coming alongside all of it. The Center for Global Action track in Guatemala is an opportunity for me to not only get an idea of what it would be like to be a full time missionary involving orphans, but it will be an opportunity for more growth and discipleship in my walk with Christ. I got to visit the base for this ministry and within 30 mins of being there I got such confirmation that I will be coming back to Guatemala for a season (maybe longer?). After getting back from the Race, I really did struggle with “well maybe I want to just dive into full time missions right away instead of doing CGA in Guatemala first” but after a lot of wrestling with God, He made it 500% clear that He has something big for me there for that time and that I will be able to learn and do big things there in my time spent there. God is faithful and God is so good and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead on this journey in Antigua, Guatemala.