The first phase of our transition from the mission field in Guatemala to our mission field in the United States is completed. We sent out the announcement…and are responding to those who have so graciously responded to this shift in our lives.
At the same time, we are beginning preparations for moving - taking inventory of what we have and praying for someone to come to Guatemala who wants to move into a lovely, furnished home – and is willing to pay a fair price for the furnishings.
As we enter the short, transition period between now and our return to the United States, we will try to keep you updated on our progress, what’s happening here, and just some thoughts we have as we move into our new season of ministry up there. This is the first of those updates…
The news of our leaving Guatemala has now pretty much spread throughout the entire missionary community down here. Everyone is excited for us….for the new mission field we are going to…but they are also sad to see us go. We’ve done a lot here. Several of our friends have mentioned all that we’ve been able to do in just a few short years…how many different missions we have worked with; how many missions are still using some of the tools we helped create for them . Of course all of this was because of the Lord’s leading…and all the praise, glory and honor go to Him.
As He’s led us, we’ve helped a mission that has a school for special needs Guatemalan children; we’ve produced videos missionaries use in churches and bible study groups to help raise funds when they go back to the states; we’ve helped a mission that builds, refurbishes and provides wheelchairs for Guatemalan children with physical handicaps (some of these children grew up crawling around in the dirt because they didn’t have a wheelchair); we’ve helped a missionary who, weekly for 18 years, provides fresh fruits, vegetables and the word of God to a poor village near Guatemala City; we’ve worked with missions who serve in some of the most dangerous ghettos in Central America – La Limonada, Peronia, and populations who live on the dumps in Guatemala City and Sumpango.
We’ve helped with the construction of homes in villages; helped build and install water filters and high-efficiency stoves in Guatemalan’s homes in poor villages; we’ve helped assemble bunk beds in children’s homes and for a local YWAM base; we’ve used the little truck God provided for us to haul provisions to and help missionaries move, and haul 30 mattresses to the local YWAM base; we’ve provided financial support to missionaries who need gas for their vehicle, minutes in their phone, or cash to cover costs until their support check clears. We’ve produced signage and placed ads in local publications to help our local church increase awareness throughout the mission community, and we weekly upload the sermons onto the internet which are then used to teach in the church’s rehabilitation center in Nicaragua.
We’ve helped children’s homes feed the children; we’ve held babies who are awaiting surgeries in a charity hospital. We’ve provided emotional support and emotional & spiritual healing ministry to more than 50 missionaries, pastors and some of their family members, some of whom live in extremely dangerous parts of Guatemala, where the Mexican drug cartels are trying to gain a foothold in Guatemala.
We continue to meet with and provide spiritual support and insight with many of the missionaries who have no one else with whom they can confidentially share their feelings and thoughts. We’ve helped with dozens of mission teams who come here to serve. When we stop and think about it, we have done a lot in just a few years. Through it all, we have learned a lot…and we’ll be using all we’ve learned to continue our mission after we return to the states.
The bigger question is..... what has Father done in our lives???
The bigger question is..... what has Father done in our lives???
- stay tuned.... more in future posts.... :)
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