Waterfalls

“What is your favorite natural phenomenon?” Jillisa, a squad mate, asked me this question over our first meal together. I thought for a minute and I replied with “a waterfall, because man didn’t make it”. I will finish this thought at the end of the blog. 

The past few days we spent exploring the Northernmost part of Guatemala, a town called Flores, Peten. We swam in a beautiful lake that I stood in awe of for a few minutes, and we visited the Tikal Mayan Temples. 

We walked through miles of rainforest with tree roots sticking out of the ground making the most beautiful landscape and watched monkeys jump from tree to tree. I was in awe. A few moments later I find myself looking at the first of the Mayan Temples – it was tall and big but I was underwhelmed by it all. It was cool – people had to have been really strong to carry to bricks to the tops of those temples. They were built 300 years prior to the birth of Jesus – which is also cool. But I wasn’t amazed. We walk to the next temple, and I feel the same way underwhelmed at the grand structure standing in front of me. 

A few days after arriving in Georgia we went to the Atlanta Aquarium. I had a personal tour guide, thanks Jillisa, and we walked for hours around that place. We watched the penguins be called by name, the beluga whales swim against the glass, the dolphins play catch and balance people on their nose, and watched many schools of fish coexist in a coral reef. I was overwhelmed. I stood in awe and amazement of how this was all created. I watched a little girl stand in front of a huge glass wall taking in the beluga whales swimming around.

My favorite of it all (besides the beluga whales) was the Coral Reef. It was beautiful, so many colors and many fish. I almost cried watching the faces of people walk into the room and be amazed by the beauty of it all. We stood looking for the male fish of one species which was distinctly marked by a pink square on its back, in the midst of thousands of fish, we found it. I was, again, in awe of the creation. I could have stayed in this moment for the rest of the day. 

I thought back to these two specific moments yesterday while beneath these Mayan Temples and it all made sense, I had a reason to be severely underwhelmed by what man had created. We went on top of two of the Mayan Temples and overlooked the others and it was amazing. The fog moving across the trees and seeing mountains in the distant – I was in the moment again of almost crying watching the faces of people walk into the room and be amazed by the beauty of it all. The canopy of the trees was the most beautiful green, and sun peaking through the clouds – I was overwhelmed by all of what the Lord had created. 

“That’s actually really cool, because that is how you view God” Jillisa replied. 

Prayers for my team this week as we navigate another week of ministry. We are also starting a basketball and English ministry tomorrow in the Central Park so pray for that. If you wanna support a missionary my Venmo is @alyssanphllps or if you wanna support a different missionary let me know and I will get you in contact with someone!

I made a post earlier this week about our new blog platform – we are still working out some kinks. So for now I will continue to post here!

Love well,

AP