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!

Swimming Party!!

We were able to host a pool party for the same class I went to the week before. The teacher, who attends the same church, called and asked if they could come and swim at our house. Well, we have a pool in the back that is above ground and has no filtering system on it...so you just fill it and after a week or so you have to drain it b/c it gets dirty. So we never use it...so it was really dirty!! I spent all day cleaning and scrubbing it with Ajax and chlorine to get the algae and nasty off the walls and floor so it wouldn't turn green in one day. Well that afternoon when I had finished cleaning it and had put silicone down on some spots that leaked a huge storm came making the mud water in our drains back up and come up the pool drain and into the pool making it dirty again!! I almost called her back and said that it wasn't going to be clean and filled again in time. But I cleaned the floor again really fast and started filling it up with water from our well. This takes all day because you can't just turn it on until it is full or the pump would burn up so you have to fill it a little then turn it off so the pump can cool down. But praise the Lord it filled up in one day and the kids were able to swim and have a great time! I really think that it was a miracle b/c I have never been able to fill it up in one day. But there was like 19 kids that came and swam. We also took two breaks to talk to them about Jesus' death and resurrection and then later about obedience. They played games in the pool and had a great time! Zuly, the teacher, told me that this was the only time many of them would be able to get out and do something fun during their vacation this week. They never are able to get out and do this. So praise God for the opportunities to open up your house and make a difference in someones life and love on them. And thank everyone of you for your prayers and support to make this possible. You were just as much a part of that moment with the kids as we were. God bless!!

Praying for the Lost

I went visiting and praying with our friend/pastor at the church on the rock this past Thursday. His wife went with us too. We spent this day praying with the sick and for the lost. We are called to pray for the sick and see God's healing power revealed through prayer. The 90 year old man that was so sick that he couldn't get out of bed was dressed and sitting up eating when we went back to visit him. He was not coughing and had no problem with his sinuses. Wow! He was a totally different man. And another woman we visited had been struggling with depression and fatigue and through prayer and revelation was able to find out the problem and begin treatments to recover, Lord willing. And there were others that were sick that we went and prayed for, and we fully trust God to do His work there and love on them as well. But one thing that still confuses me is how easily we are deceived and blinded by the enemy. Everyone seems to understand that when there is sickness and suffering that you go to the Lord and ask for healing and restoration...but when it comes to surrendering and dying to yourself and LIVING in Christ...no one seems to understand that sickness and healing that is available to all. And the Necessity of it!! WOW! So much more than any earthly sickness or pain! And all I heard from the people that day was..."Maybe at another opportunity" or "I'm waiting for the Lord to convict me because it is from God and not from man so I won't let any man persuade me." I just want to pick them up and slap them around and make them understand and see!! But I don't reckon that would help any, huh? But to see how tender but yet strong Carlos and Mari are with these people really was encouraging and amazing. We simply spoke truth out of love and prayed for them before we left. We are called to go and obey in making disciples and teaching them to obey...the decision to do it is between them and God. We are called, really, to do the simple things and God is in charge of doing the hard and difficult things. I have to remind myself to pray and allow God to speak because He is a much better speaker and lover than I am. And also to trust God and keep praying for these people not just in Salfate but all over the world! So join me in interceding for the lost in the world so they can come to fully understand God's mercy and love that can bring them to repentance and salvation! Let us love them in this action and see God's power revealed in their lives! God is good and so faithful!!!