We have finished our first day in La Guajira. Yesterday, everyone got here safely—despite two students having to take a different flight than planned—and we were able to spend the afternoon at the beach together. We arrived, a little after the sun set, at the ranchería where we are staying, and we were able to meet some of the Wayuu community we are working with, as well as the missionaries who are coordinating our visit. We put our hammocks up, ate dinner, and had a short time of worship and introductions before going to bed, grateful to be able to sleep after most of us had gotten up by 3am to catch the flight that morning.
Our first full day began at sunrise with the sound of our lunch’s final bleats. The Wayuu students with whom we were planning to work did not get out of school until 2pm, so we were able to spend the morning planning logistics and having a time for worship and testimonies with the people who were at the ranch at the time. The day lived up to the reputation La Guajira has for being hot and humid. When the Wayuu students arrived, we played ice-breaker games with them and got to know one another, and we gave them a small gift. Each ECA student is partnered with one of the Wayuu high school students, and we are praying that these relationships can be impactful for both partners. After most of the Wayuu started going home, one of the boys led us on a short hike where we saw some baby goats and pigs on a farm and we were able to see where the Wayuu in this area get their water. The sky on the way back from that hike was gorgeous, with the silhouettes of the cacti accented against the pinks and purples and oranges of the setting sun. We were blessed that many of us were able to wash the day off of us with a shower from a bucket, eat dinner, and now we are headed toward bed, grateful for another day in which God provided for us.
Prayer requests:
- For the relationships between ECA students and Wayuu students to be fruitful and lead everyone closer to the heart of Christ
- For health, safety, and all of our attitudes as we each stretch our comfort zones in the heat without any running water, electricity, or bathrooms
- For God to be working in the heart of each student to draw them all a little closer to Him during this time.
