Photos from HOREB

The 6th graders like their new classroom (Ines, Lupita, and Delia)

2nd Grade girls: Maria, Diamaleth, Betsa, and Cristel

6th grade boys in their new classroom (Bryam and Kevin)

Enma teaches 4th graders Dionicio and Enrique how to sow

Posing with 5th grader Mayerly and no I didn't sow that!

Enma working with the 5th graders (Teddy, Adilia, and Eylin)

The Boys futbol team in training

Myrna, Bertita, Monica, and Enma

Leaving, Returning, and Everything in Between

When I found out that my dad needed open heart surgery, I had to make a decision.  The decision that seemed to make the most sense was to wait until after his surgery to leave for Guatemala.  I had already been waiting for nine months, what was one more?  But I felt a strong urge to go, so I did something that made less sense.  I left for three weeks, came back for two weeks, and then left again.  I was not sure on the wisdom of this decision, only following my heart.  The plane ticket was an extra expense and my fundraising total was low.  Being with the people of Cotzal for those three weeks and teaching at the school, I knew that I had made the right decision.  I was feeling settled and at peace with my work in Cotzal, but it was time to travel back for my dad's surgery.  Honestly, it was hard to leave.  Besides praying, I didn't know what I could really do to help as my dad went through that.  But I found that the way God used me the most was not necessarily in the United States but in the process of traveling home.  He had divine appointments lined up in front of me and through them He taught me and changed me.

The first one I have already written about.  Being able to pray with the person that stole my phone was something I will probably never forget.  I could feel God speaking to him in that moment.  When I arrived back to Antigua two weeks later, I asked about him to people that know him.  Nobody had seen him.  He had disappeared after that incident.  I hope he has begun to put his stealing ways behind him and has let God have His way with him. 

The second one happened on the plane from Guatemala City to Dallas.  I sat next to a woman who was traveling to Kansas to visit with a guy she had known from Panama, and with whom she had been chatting long distance with for a year.  She was stepping out into unknown territory and was unsure of what she wanted.  She believed in God and prayed often, but this guy did not.  She wanted to be closer to God.  As I spoke with her, I felt the Holy Spirit leading me, giving me words.  I shared with her the verse I was studying at the time from Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  When I connected with her upon my return, I learned that she felt it was God and not me speaking to her, and she felt that verse was for her.   We talked for three hours on the plane and upon arriving in Dallas, we agreed to do lunch together at the airport.  But after going through customs in our separate lines, we lost each other.  I waited for her upstairs while she waited for me downstairs.  I wondered if that was a sign that God wanted our meeting to be at an end.  I looked for her gate on the departure screen so maybe I could say goodbye before she left, since she was leaving over an hour earlier than me.  It said A21.  I looked for my gate.  It said A21.  I laughed out loud that God had put us not only right next to each other on the plane but also at the exact same gate in the enormous Dallas airport as well.  We talked a little bit more before she had to board her plane.  Two weeks later she picked me up from the airport in Guatemala City and drove me to Antigua.  We continued to talk and share our lives with each for many hours over those next two days.

At the Dallas airport I had another divine appointment over text message.  After that woman and I had lost each other, I received several texts to my USA phone from an old friend from my childhood.  He knew I was a missionary and asked me many questions about salvation.  I had been out of the country for three weeks, and my phone had been turned off during that time, but he had sent the texts only the night before.  We sent several texts back and forth in the Dallas airport. 

Through those three instances over those two days on my travel home, I felt God use me as never before.   I felt the Holy Spirit giving me words and I opened my mouth without worry or fear.  Once home, I spent many hours at the hospital with my family.  Watching my dad go through the aftermath of his surgery was very difficult for me, I felt useless.  But God watched over the surgery and it went “beautifully.”  So many people in the United States and here in Guatemala were praying for him.  My dad is a much loved man and I think he had more visitors than anybody else on his floor.  I watched as he, through the pain and discomfort, was able to still visit with his friends and crack jokes.  He wanted to learn everybody’s name that came in to work on him (and there were many).  He went through the procedure with so much courage and so much grace.   He is ahead of schedule on his road to recovery.

It was nice spending time with family and friends in Seattle but I also felt restless.  I was ready to go back and continue my journey here in Guatemala.  I have been back in the country now for almost a week.  I took several busses to arrive here in Cotzal from Antigua, which was an adventure considering I was lugging my guitar around everywhere.   Seeing all the children at HOREB this last Friday reminded me why I am here.  It has been great reconnecting again with the loving, hospitable people here in Cotzal.  We will see what else God has in store for me. I just hope I am able to get out of my own way and let God use me the way He used me in my journey home.  Thank you all for your continued prayers.

The Ancient Paths

Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16 ESV)

Each moment there are many paths you can take.  We need to take the time to look and ask God to reveal His way to us.  There are paths that lead to idols and paths that lead to God.  I looked at my own life and when I lost the way.  I realized shifts took place.  A path started out leading toward God but it took detours until something else was the end of the path in my mind.  Stepping out in faith and following God in a new relationship but then the relationship becomes the end in my mind.  Stepping out in faith to begin a new job but then my role, reputation, and success in that job becomes the end in my mind.  I thought of how when I seek my own happiness, my own anything, I become unhappy.  In this attitude, everything I do is a tool for “happiness” but in going that direction, I find no rest for my soul.

Every moment we are faced with decisions.  How often do we stand by all these possible roads and take the time to look and ask for the ancient path, the good way?  What do you seek when youchoose your path?  We are all seeking, we are all worshiping.  What is the end in your mind?  What are you journeying toward?  I think nothing in this life is evil in and of itself.  I think the journey toward the cross can take many paths.  A path of marriage.  A path of being single.  A path of being a missionary.  A path of working a 9 to 5 job.  A path of raising children.  A path of being competitive at a sport.

But sometimes we think the path is the destination.  I will be happy when: I am married, I am single, I have a good job, I have children, I accomplish my goals, etc.  We journey toward these things, we idolize them in our minds.  We use people to achieve them.  We try to use God to achieve them.  We use all our resources to achieve them.  And we get stuck and wonder why life feels so empty and we find no rest for our souls.  We have forgotten the ancient path, the good way. It leads to the Eternal.  It leads to the Everlasting.  We can follow that path through marriage, through being single, through all our relationships, through our work, through everything. 

Every moment we are faced with decisions.  We can love or hate.  We can covet or we can give.  We can use other people to serve our idolatrous paths or we can serve them as we journey toward the cross together.  Unlike idolatrous Israel did from this passage from Jeremiah, I hope you look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.

This is Guatemala: 2

Yes, it is another microbus story.  This one took place in my first week upon arriving to Guatemala in 2013.  It was a cold rainy day, I was crammed into the microbus, sitting on the wheel hub as there was nowhere else to sit.  As we were approaching a corner, the bus came to a fast stop and the ayudante jumped out and ran.  Everybody began clearing out of the microbus to get a look.  Another microbus had flipped over going the other direction and was lying on its side in the middle of the road.  It appeared that it had gone around a corner a little too fast.  Our bus was the first to the scene.  A traffic jam piled up in both directions.  A few ayudantes climbed to the top of the vehicle, which was now the drivers side door, and a few scaled a nearby tree.  They helped the passengers one by one to climb out of the van.  I only saw five come out and all appeared to be shaken but in good condition.  A bunch of men then got to the side of the van and pushed, rolling the microbus back upright.  They started the car and lo and behold, despite appearances to the contrary, it was in good enough condition to drive.  We all piled back into our microbus, as I reclaimed by wheel seat, and we were back off.  Just a minor delay on our way to Cotzal. 

Saying Thank You to Westminster Chapel

A Super God at Work in Antigua

We left at 3 AM Sunday morning from Nebaj on our way to Antigua.  Paul Townsend, the long-time missionary accompanying me, had a meeting that morning in Antigua and he was kind enough to give me a ride as well.  We arrived at 9 AM.  My flight was not until Tuesday morning.  So now it was just a boring time of hanging out and waiting, or so I thought.  But God makes things interesting.

I rested at my hotel for a while and walked around Antigua.  The Superbowl started at 5:30 but I was very tired and wasn't sure I wanted to watch it.  A church/café called El Camino was showing the game and so I decided to go on over and check it out.  The place was full and I sat on a couch near the back.  The place was filled mostly with Gringos like me.  A little Guatemalan guy who had been sitting nearby came over and introduced himself.  It was in this moment I met Juan.*

Juan did not understand our strange version of football and so I explained a little bit of what was going on.  But mostly we conversed about our respective stories.  Juan was an orphan and was homeless.  Juan had been attending the church for 5 years and the church body around us all recognized him and greeted him..  We talked a little about the Bible and God.  It was one of those deep conversations that felt good.  We came from completely different backgrounds and yet we could relate and praise the same God.  I felt for him that he had to sleep on the streets and I asked him about the street life.  I wondered how a church of God could have a person attending the church for 5 years and still that person slept on the streets.  I was ready to talk to the Pastor and ask him, "how could this be?"  I bought Juan dinner.  Before he left in the 3rd quarter of the game, I put my arm around him and prayed for him.  By this point I was so tired but I was determined to have a word with the Pastor about this guy.  Shortly after he left, I got up to leave.  The game was a blow out at the time.  The Baltimore Ravens were beating the 49ers 28-6.  I checked my pockets.  My phone was gone.  I knew what happened.  To tell you the truth, I had a feeling even before this moment.  I was extremely tired and there was a moment when I put my head back and mentioned "Tengo sueños."  At that time, I felt a movement in my right pocket.  But at the time I trusted the guy and did not check my pockets until after he left to be sure.  I checked the cushions.  Nothing.  But I still was not 100% sure he stole my phone.  Maybe I just forgot to bring it with me.

I went to my hotel room.  There was no phone.  That confirmed it.  The man with whom I had bought dinner, with whom I had a rich conversation with, and a man whom I prayed for, had stolen my phone.  I went back to the church during the 3rd quarter and let a couple church leaders know what happened.  It turns out this was not the first time.  Members of the church had been helping this guy for years, but he continued to steal, even from the people who helped him.  Suffice it to say, I did not speak with the Pastor that day.  The Church had been in fact doing an admirable job in helping this man, walking with him, and growing his faith.  But still he stole from people and took advantage of people who helped him.

Two ladies knew of places where Juan hung out.  We drove around Antigua with the Ravens still up 28 to 6 after a long power outage delay.  We looked for him at spots where he might be but we never did find him.  When we came back the Ravens were only up 28 to 23 at the end of the third quarter.  After the 49ers strong comeback, I had to watch the end.  The Ravens scored a field goal and the 49ers scored another touchdown.  The score was 31 to 29 with 8 minutes left.  I realized at that time that I had told Juan the name of my hotel and my first and last name.  I also knew that the guy currently working at my hotel did not know what I looked like.   I also didn't know how loosey goosey they were about security.  I briskly walked back to the hotel to tell that guy about what had happened and basically, told them I was me.  He had not seen anybody come by and I chatted briefly with another missionary that was there.  I came back at the 2 minute warning.  The Ravens had scored a field goal but the 49ers were in scoring position.  But the Ravens held them off and won the game 34 to 31.  After the game, the ladies told me to tell the people at the Refugio the next morning because Juan frequented that coffee shop.  That place happened to be literally right next door to my hotel.  A coincidence?

I got up early and waited for the guy that opens the coffee shop in the morning.  He had been at the El Camino during the game as well and recognized me.  I told him of the theft and he confirmed that Juan was a known thief and had stolen things at the coffee shop.  He said Juan was a good person, but he just steals things, like an addict.  The man that runs the Refugio, Jim, had tried to help him, and even gave him a job.  But he was not interested in working and stole his phone.  I washed up and came back to the Refugio to do my Bible study for the day and hoped to get lucky in finding my thief.

Jim came over and talked to me and I recounted to him the whole story.  Jim is a strong Christian and it was clear that the matter of Juan pressed strongly on his heart.  He could not understand why he continued to steal despite having help all around him.  So I finished my Bible study and we went out on a mission.  We walked to a store at which he sometimes hung out, but with no luck.  We then went to the park where he frequently sleeps at.  Juan is afraid of getting robbed himself and so spends his nights walking around and sleeps during the day.  We prayed as we walked, asking the Lord for direction and leading in this situation.  It was not about the phone anymore but about the man.  Upon arriving at the park, we noticed a few men sleeping in the corner.  We walked over, and sure enough, one of them was Juan.

We woke him up and immediately he felt his pockets and said ¨no lo tengo¨ or ¨I don't have it.¨  We asked him, "you don't have what?"  He replied "the phone."  Jim's phone rang and while he was talking I sat next to Juan and gently asked him why he stole my phone.  He didn't answer.  I asked him again and he stuck his hand in his pocket and handed me my phone back.  I told him "gracias" but still I repeated my question.  He had no answers for me, only teary eyes as he stared straight ahead, barely acknowledging me.  In his response I could see the tension between the person he wanted to be and the person he was in this moment.  I felt the Spirit strong with me and with Jim.  We told him that he could not hide things from God, He can see everything.  We asked him what he was not sharing with God and to repent.  We asked him if we could pray for him.  He said no.  But we prayed anyway.  We acknowledged the great plans God had for Juan, and asked God to show him the path.  He still said nothing, tears in his eyes, staring straight ahead.  We prayed for the other homeless sleeping there and then we walked back to the Refugio.

Who knows how God will use that situation.  But all I know is that God has paths for me to follow day by day regardless of my personal plans.  Even on the days that are supposed to be boring days of rest, God is always working and will use any situation, even theft, for His ultimate good, to share His love with the world.

*Juan is not the man`s real name.  It occurred to me after originally publishing that using the man's real name in this article was insensitive, so I apoligize to those of you that saw it.