Encouraging a pastor

I have had a certain pastor on my heart now for about 8 months. I thought it was because he needed help finishing his church construction in his village. I have been praying about helping him this whole time and even came up with a little extra money once that we could give him, but that fell through and was not able to give it to him. So I went up to his village last week to see him and the church and visit some families to pray for and invite to church. We arrived and saw the church structure which is basically a pavilion built by another ministry here in Chiquimula last year. He had already bought the block to close it in but lacked other material to finish. So we wrote down the materials he lacked to see what we could do to help. During our visit and talking with the pastor I began seeing how alone he was in his ministry and how difficult it has been for him. He basically had to take over a church where the previous pastor had committed an immoral sin and had left the church. So he started off with a very tough situation and because of what the people thought about what the previous pastor had done, they left which left basically no one in the church. He started off by going to the Biblical Institution from the denomination he is under and just graduated this past December. Which says A LOT because he only has a 1st grade education!! He basically had to learn to read and write again while in seminary college!! WOW!! But praise God he graduated and is now back in his village and with his family. But because he doesn't have much help from within his church, it makes it very difficult to get out into the community and make disciples and evangelize those who don't know Jesus. It is not being done right now. So I began to see that all this time God was putting him on my heart to encourage him and help him get a jump start again in ministering to his community. Which is the very purpose that I feel God started this ministry. Sometimes I can be really slowww and blind!! So I have a few friends that are pastors from our seminars that also work with me in the ministry who are going to go with me to visit and encourage him and help teach him some pastoral administration and tips on restoration of churches and communities which have passed through tragic situations like the one with the previous pastor. I have to call and set up the day and time to go and do this. I pray that he is willing to receive the help and encouragement because he also works very hard and everyday in order to provide for his family. But both the other pastors who are going to help me work the same way and are going to give him some advise on how to manage time with the job and the ministry! I am soo excited and looking forward to see what God has in store for Enrique and this community. Please pray with me that the opposition from the enemy will not prevail and that the Light will shine like the stars to reach the lost and heal the hurt!!

Working with the eye doctors

We had the privilege again this year to work with Dr. Rooney and his group of eye doctors. Some are still in their process of studying to be doctors while some that have been coming as students actually came back as doctors. They spent four days working with the people in two different places giving out glasses, medicine, and finding good candidates for the surgical team that came the week after they left. This group has been coming for the past three years, and we have made some friends and always have a great time with them! Bless their hearts...they have to rely on me to translate and help with the different drops and medicines. By now they already know me and are use to me but not the new ones this year! Ha! They saw, I think, over 1,500 people in those four days. It was very hot and the people never stopped coming. They actually had to say no more after a certain time or there would have been no limit. Some of the people from the town were there waiting at 4 in the morning! The doctors and students never stopped working and I never heard them complaining! Many people received wonderful medical attention and medicine to help with their eyes! I learn so much from Dr. Rooney and his team each year they come! What a humble group with a true heart to serve and love on these people here in Chiquimula. I look forward to seeing some of them again next year!

Salvation!!

Just a quick blog to say praise God for ministering to our friends and neighbors. We have a Bible study each Thursday in our home. These friends have been coming since the middle of last year. We have become good friends and really enjoy them coming each week to the Bible study. Well two weeks ago they made the decision to completely surrender and give their lives to Jesus! They both have been growing so much in the Lord and His Word and are even more hungry now to understand it all!! It was awesome to see the touch of the Holy Spirit that night on their hearts and minds! God is so personal with each of us and knows just how to love on us and reveal Himself to us. It was a precious moment to witness that in them that night. They are both very intelligent and will be used in powerful ways by God to serve Him and be His disciples in Chiquimula. Keep them in your prayers and the rest of the group as well. Also pray that God will continue to bring the folks into our home to minister to and love on! Good stuff!! Praise God!!

Bible Study with the Firefighters

We had a group come down from St.. Louis, Missouri from Summit Church to work with the local volunteer fire department. It was an amazing week of training and getting to know the firefighters. And now the doors have been opened to minister to the firefighters. The director of the fire station here in Chiquimula is a Christian and gave me permission to come every Friday to give a Bible devotion to the men and women before some of them start their work shift and before the others there from training go back home. We did our first week of Bible study together two weeks ago and had about 22 or 25 there. They received an emergency call and a few of them left before I got an accurate count. I also had another guy from our local church, Eduardo, who came with me to help teach and pray with these firefighters. We spoke on the house on the rock and the house on the sand. There are a few there that are already Christians and know the Word. They were adding comments and scriptures to help teach the lesson! I was amazed and encouraged! And Eduardo also was a huge help explaining things and praying for them at the end. I was thinking to take about 15 minutes to share a message and pray for them. But many of them were adding comments or asking questions that we ended up staying for almost 45 min. But it was wonderful!! I was not able to go this past Friday b/c we were finishing a week of helping a group of eye doctors. But Lord willing I am going to pick it back up this Friday. I also plan on giving them some type of food once a month to show our appreciation for their work, and so they can have a break of having to listen to me. Haha I also am trying to plan a night were I can show them the movie Fire Proof and give them the devotional book that goes with the movie to do at home. Please pray with me that God will continue opening the doors and continue blessing these firefighters. Also pray for their relationship with Christ to either start or grow deeper! God is good!!

Celebrating Easter with the pastors

Easter in Guatemala, like in the United States, has turned more into a worldly thing and about vacations and gifts. But it really is the most important event in our Christian lives....in any
body's life. Because Jesus left His throne in heaven and became a man and then endured the cross paying our debt for our sins then later resurrected and now sits on His throne in heaven we have the gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit dwelling in us! Wow! Something no one could have thought up or done themselves. So praise our God and savior Jesus Christ for His sacrifice and love for us! And also for my place with Him in heaven for eternity! Good stuff!! But because here in Guatemala that most people use this time as vacation and for drinking and partying...many Christians do not want to have anything to do with it. They say that the exact date is not known and the world has picked this date to celebrate the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus and because of this, we will not participate in Easter. They really reflect on these events every month and remember them. But I really enjoy putting aside one day to celebrate the things that happened that really changed everything about us. So we invited all the pastors and their families to come to our house this past Saturday and celebrate this event together with us. Many were happy to do so and came with their families! We had a great time! Pastor Carlos, from the church on the rock, gave a message about the Crucifixion of our Lord and how it impacts us today and how it should bring about action in us today! Very encouraging and was perfect in ministering to everyone. We sang songs and worshiped together as well. Their kids enjoyed swimming in the pool. For many of them, that was the first time to ever swim or get into a pool! They had a great time and our kids had a great time playing with them also! Brandi and Nancy stayed very busy that whole time in the kitchen cooing for 44 people. They cooked pork chops, mashed potatoes, tortillas, a salad, and banana bread for everybody! A lot of food!! And hard work! But everybody loved the food and actually left very full! When we asked if they needed anything else, they patted their stomachs and said that they couldn't hold any more. So we spent time after the songs and message just sitting around with them and talking and asking about their communities and churches. It was the first time since last year that I had seen some of them and really missed talking to them! They are a great group of guys and their families are awesome too!! We really enjoyed that time together and are very thankful that God made that possible! And for each of you that pray and support us to make it possible as well! Praise the Lord!