The Crusade with the Pastors

Well, let me tell you, I thought I was a country boy that knew how to camp and do without! Blake and I went with the pastors to a village that seemed to be at the top of the tallest mountain in this area. We drove and drove and drove up a mountain for almost 1 1/2 hours before we reached the village. There was a pavilion there for the church. Another ministry had built that to be the church for the village. We slept and held the night services at the pavilion. We stayed there three nights and four days. It was really amazing to see what these pastors do to reach out to other communities and to help other pastors reach out and impact more of their people. (This is the same group of pastors that had the accident returning from one of these crusades.) A couple of their wives came along and another lady from the village was there to help cook the food for us. We learned how to eat with our hands because they don't use spoons or forks there to eat...only tortillas to get the beans and the food out of the bowl to eat. Thank the Lord they did have a outhouse to use for the bathroom but...don't think I'll go into that part of the trip and that experience. But it was better than walking over to the other end of the church area to do your business. Everyone there was following Blake and me and watching everything we did because we were the white boys there, and it amazed them that we were there and staying with them through the process. ONE day the pastors went to walk to a creek a little ways off to bathe themselves. The next day they offered to take us and show us where to bathe. We were ready, but they had a meeting and it lasted too long so we had no time. But later I thought it probably was for the best because the whole village would have all came out to see the white boys bathing in their creek. A COLD creek. Hahaha! But we had wet wipes and a bucket of water to wash our hair and face and body. That alone felt wonderful! We would walk for about 3 or 4 hours to visit the houses in the village and share the love of God with the families and invite them to the night services. This wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but there were several mountain climbing moments that, although very physically exhausting, were VERY beautiful experiences. It was amazing to see the mountains and waterfalls and how pretty everything was. The first night we were going to sleep, I rolled over at just the right time to see a big bug crawling up Blake's bed beside me. I flicked it off and then all the pastors started saying, "Kill that bug. It is dangerous." So we killed it. Then they started telling us the bedtime nightmare story of how those bugs carry a virus that will kill you if it bites you. Oh thank you pastors....We'll sleep very good now! They just laughed and kept on telling us things about the dumb bug! Then one of them sincerely tried to comfort us and said, "Brother Daniel, there have been several cases where the bug bites people and they don't die. Take it easy." OH thanks again for your soothing words. So I slept in the cocoon of my sheets for the rest of the night. And it was very cold up in those mountains!! We definitely weren't ready for that! So we froze during the night because we only brought a sheet to sleep with! Who would have known it could be cold in Guatemala!?
But I know that 8 people for sure received Christ the first two days of the crusade. The last night service, I never heard whether anyone received Christ or not, but God really used the music from a group that came to invite the Holy Spirit's presence. So in all, the experience and time at the crusade was life changing and powerful. I learned a whole new level of comfort in Guatemala. Usually I say, "It is wonderful to go to the capital and sleep on the beds in the hotels and take a hot shower." After the crusade, I couldn't wait to sleep in our bed at the house, and the first thing I did when I got home was take an amazing life-changing shower in our house! Well-learned level of appreciation. The pastors now are hoping that we will go with them on all their crusades and help them get there and back, help them minister, and be a part of their team. Pray for us!!! We are willing but the body is weak! Hahaha But who knows....that could be an amazing service for them and their outreach to the village communities.
Well....enough of that thought. Thanks for your prayers and support for God's ministry in Chiquimula. Continue to pray for our eyes to be wide open to His will and calling in our lives!! God bless!!

Daniel