Learning My Limits - Paraguay Trip in Review

Edy and I wrapped up our Paraguay trip (which you can read about here if you'd like the details) a little under two weeks ago, and man did we learn a lot. 

It's good to be back home. I didn't realize just how draining living in another culture would be, and when we first got back it felt very strange that the majority of my conversations were in English—not to mention the sweetness of our reunions with family and friends. 

So how was it? 

The short answer is "good." There were very high highs, and very low lows. Some aspects of the culture we enjoyed, while others were a little harder to get used to.

Did the experience change us? Absolutely. 

You can't go to another country for any significant period of time without changing. Even if the change is small, or you didn't feel like the discomfort was paying off at the time—when you're forced to do hard things, you grow. 

When I announced the trip two months ago, I wrote down some prayer requests. I believe that God answered each and every one of them. 

We learned Spanish. We aren't fluent—we also learned that two months is not nearly enough time to manage that—but our language skills are vastly improved. And we stayed sane. (Mostly.) 

We were forced outside our comfort zones many, many times. From eating cow feet to leading songs I'd just learned at a VBS to performing a skit for Spanish-speaking kindergartners, we did things that I honestly would never have chosen to do on my own. And we grew through the experience. 

Our faith was strengthened. Many times, I realized that there was nothing left in me to give—no energy, no kindness, no nothing—and that I badly needed God's immediate help. And every time, he gave it. I saw how weak I am and how strong our Father is, and I experienced his steadfast love and provision. 

And we made memories! So many of them. The friends we got to know have incredible stories of God's power and care, and knowing them is a privilege that I won't soon forget. 

 

What did we learn? 

Aside from the obvious answer ("Spanish, duh") I think the biggest thing I learned was that I can do more than I think I can. And in another sense, I can't do anything.

I'm an introvert. A bookworm. I am most comfortable when curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and a new novel to read—alone. And I'm also terrified of bugs.

But over the course of the summer, we not only learned Spanish, did street evangelism, and survived third world traffic, but we also met hundreds of people, regularly encountered giant cockroaches that can fly, and got a parasitic fly dug out of Edy's toe.

(Not a joke! It bit her and laid its eggs, and we only found out about it two weeks later. But the ladies at church knew exactly how to get rid of it.)

None of this was something I'd thought I could handle. If I'd known what I was signing up for, it would've taken a lot more convincing to get me to come!

But we got through it. By the power and help of God.

And if we hadn't had God's help, we wouldn't have been able to do any of it.

This summer showed me more of what Philippians 4:12–13 really means. "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound," Paul writes. "In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

In the lowest points in my life, God has always remained faithful.

When facing heartache, he was there. When it felt like my world was falling apart, he was there. When I was staggering under the back-breaking load of life, and when I was faced with seemingly impossible tasks in a place where there was only one familiar face, he was there.

And I can do all things if it's God's will for me to do them.

Paraguay taught me my limits. Really, it taught me how far those limits can be pushed with the power of God, because on my own I really can't do anything!

But there's more. I learned just how sheltered and blessed my life so far has been, because I started to meet people who've had to live with so much less. 

We met people with the most amazing stories of faithfulness through hardship. And those same people serve the Lord sacrificially and willingly. All they have is Christ—but all they need is Christ.

How much more should I do the same? My struggles pale in comparison to theirs. I've been blessed with safety and possessions and education and freedom. So how can I complain about trivial things? 

I want to strive to be content. And I want to use the gifts God has given me to serve his kingdom. 

I'm extremely grateful for Edy's and my time in Paraguay, and I hope that the lessons we learned stay with us for many years in the future.