Guatemala and Costa Rica hosted Encuentro June 30 – July 14. It impacted the lives of hundreds of people, from the communities where the teams ministered to the volunteers. Andrea, a fifteen year old from Guatemala, shared her testimony of her time serving as a translator in Costa Rica.
“When I was little, I dreamed of being a doctor, and for a long time that was my dream. Later, like all children, I changed my mind and decided that I wanted to be a teacher. Event though I changed my mind about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I was sure that in some way, whatever my job, I would help people.
When I wanted to be a doctor, I never imagined only being a doctor. I imagined being a doctor somewhere in the mountains helping people with few resources. When I wanted to be a teacher, I didn’t imagine only being a teacher. I imaged being a teacher for needy kids. A while ago, God began to move in my heart with the idea of being a missionary, but I ignored him because it scared me.
My parents are missionaries, and that means that I know how difficult it is to move to a different country, move to a different house, change schools and make new friends. That’s why every time I thought about being a missionary, it scared me. But I began to pray (which is the best thing we can do when we are scared). I prayed for a long time and in these two weeks serving in Encuentro, God answered my prayers and spoke to me through the testimonies, sermons and even the songs. In these weeks he confirmed what I already knew. That’s why I decided to accept the call that God has given me and to stop being afraid.”
