After arriving in Guatemala, my squad of 34 people split into four different teams. Each team is working with a different ministry and staying with different hosts. My team (Team Maranatha) is made up of four guys and six girls who have quickly become my ministry family.

We’re partnering with a ministry called Dar Para Dar (Give to Give), which serves the communities surrounding Antigua in whatever ways are needed—whether that’s working with kids, running prayer rooms, vaccinating dogs, mentoring youth, empowering single mothers, partnering with churches, providing essentials, and about a million other things.

Our specific assignment is with a branch of the ministry called Prayer Mountain. Dar Para Dar is building a retreat center in the middle of nowhere, Guatemala, designed as a place for believers to connect deeply with the Lord. It’s a space to encounter God through nature, worship, prayer, Scripture meditation, and fellowship with other believers. Prayer Mountain is not finished, so we were assigned to work on bringing it closer to completion.

While the other teams were placed at the World Race base near Antigua, my team was sent up the mountain. We quickly realized this was no vacation. The view is stunning, but living here has definitely come with its challenges. We’re two miles from the nearest civilization, which means an hour-long hike just to catch a bus into the city. There’s no air conditioning, no fridge, no hot water, no internet. We have to buy all our food for the week in town and haul it up the mountain. The six girls are squeezed into a tiny one-room cabin, and the four guys are tenting outside. We’ve also picked up an unwanted eleventh teammate: Hernando, the mouse. He only shows up at night, but he’s very fond of our paper towels and snacks.

Living on Prayer Mountain has definitely been refining. Things I once thought were “necessities” back home now feel like unnecessary luxuries.

We’ve been doing a lot of manual labor to help prepare Prayer Mountain for future guests. The work is tough, but it’s brought our team even closer together.

I definitely wasn’t expecting mountain life when I signed up for this trip, and every day brings a new challenge—but the Lord, as always, knows exactly what I need better than I do. Being so far from the noise of everyday life has created space to be with Him without distraction. He’s reminded me that it’s not about what I do for Him—it’s about simply being with Him. Away from all the usual comforts, I’ve been pushed to wrestle with Him, but also invited into deeper intimacy. He has called me into truer rest, greater reliance, and sweeter communion.  I never would have chosen the hard work and difficult conditions of Prayer Mountain. But in love, my kind, faithful, gracious Father chose it for me, and I'm so thankful He did.

P.S. I get to wake up to the most incredible view every morning! What a sweet Dad!