Written by: Allena Klamorick
 
The day didn't start at 8:30am as usual. For some, the day started when the clock struck midnight. Playing round after round of a game called Mafia, I seemed to convince everyone at 2am that we should play another round. We were ALL IN. The thought of getting up at 6am to run never stopped us as we cherished making the most of our time we have together as a group this week.
 
At 8:30am, Aly started us off in the Word talking about what it means to be in poverty. Not the, "your house looks different, we don't have nice things" type of way, but spiritual poverty. Spiritual poverty, as in, we all lack Jesus. Every single person lacks Jesus in some way. Some don't know Him at all, while others are still seeking to find what is missing. 
 
As we loaded into the vehicles to go to Iglesia de Cristo (Church of Christ), I made it a goal of mine to find what I lack in my spiritual journey. I did not think about this throughout the day, rather, I took in every moment and waited for the time when it stuck out to me on its own. 
 
When we got there, we were ready to go. As Mackenzie said, "Lord, please let the three hours of sleep feel like nine." Man, it did. The joy on every child's face when we walked through the gate was heartwarming and our energy sparked. From singing Taylor Swift songs to the girls, to giving hugs, the day was just beginning. 
 
Our mission for the day, like every day, was to paint with love. Quite literally, we painted all day. In bright blue, we painted the entire outside of the church. Every wall covered with love from all of our brothers and sisters. Every child, teen, adult was working hard to get this task done. 
 
As each building was being checked off when complete, the children began to play. Some of our team; Anna, Mackenzie, Liza and Aly began to make friendship bracelets, as the rest of us continued to worship while we painted the church. 
 
As lunchtime approached, we had one building left to paint. Gloria and a few of our friends kindly made us food to eat as a big group. We enjoyed Quesadillas with all sorts of toppings, guacamole, pico and salsa. However more importantly, we shared stories. Conversations with our tables intermixed between Lipscomb and friends of the church. These are the moments when you see people thrive. 
 
A few examples: Mackenzie, breaking the language barrier and learning Spanish, while teaching English. The group of Uno players laughing at every move played. Jesse and Nick having conversations with Israel, and the best of all, all of us sitting in one place together as a family. 
 
As 2pm hit, we had just finished the last building and it was time to go on our next adventure. Rounding up the kids from playing soccer and jumping on the trampoline, we piled into vehicles and headed to a volcano. 
 
Climbing up stairs is pretty easy, until you climb 79 flights of stairs. Yes. 79 flights of stairs up a massive volcano. Most people would have looked at it and said, "heck no," but Jesus carried all of us up every single flight we walked. The views were phenomenal, the conversations were authentic, and the laughter was rich with the Holy Spirit. He was moving in every single one of us.
 
As we made it to the top of the volcano, we roamed around looking at the view from every side. We saw Ocean, mountains, Camp Baja, Old Mill. Every one of the Lords creations was present and we were at peace. 
 
When we were on the mountain, we all played a game of signs, took pictures, admired the beauty that God has created, prayed and worshipped. We worshipped hard. Tears were flowing from many as we sang in both English and Spanish. The power of song filled the air and overcame every person huddled in the circle. 
 
Headed back down the volcano to the cars we all spent time with one another learning new things, singing, and having deep conversations. The beauty of this global church visit was coming to life, even more than it has the last three days. We joked, got giggled at for not saying something correct in Spanish, and continued to grow together learning new things about one another we never knew. 
 
When we left, we made our way to dinner where conversations consisted of figuring out which app you could most likely NEVER live without on your phone, what our favorite movies were and of course, after eating amazing food, watching Caroline and Logan do the tortilla challenge. 
 
Dinner didn't mean the day was over, and the lack of spiritual poverty had not hit me yet, but the night was just beginning. We made our way to the cozy hangout spot we have claimed to be our devo location for the week. We made a fire and settled in as we all reminisced on the day we all had. It was long, yet so rewarding and every single minute was poured into the community we are here for. 
 
We shared snapshots of our day, while laughing to the point of tears, seeing the good in every single person and what they have done through the Lord this trip. Personally, the snapshot that came to my mind was the bracelet my friend, Israel, made me to match the outfit I was wearing today. 
 
After snapshots, I got the privilege to tell a bit of my story to our missions team. With every word I spoke, I knew the Lord was right there. Tears came from many others and myself, goose bumps arose from the love of this group, I just met, poured back to me, and the presence of the Holy Spirit filled the room. In awe of how a group of people who just memorized each other's names three days ago, cherished my story, my feelings and my journey was the moment I had been waiting for since 8:30am. 
 
Unity. Unity in a group who loves the Lord as much as I do has been lacking in my life. And the moment I finished telling my story, I knew it was there. This group is incredible, and I am so excited to open my heart more to everyone as the week continues. It is only day four and there is so much still left to learn, love and grow as a family. 
 
For now, it is time to go play some more games.