Odds and Ends

It's been a while since I felt like I had much to say that would require an actual blog. I say a lot, but, it isn't always life-changing, earth-rattling, or even important! But, I have a few things on my mind and heart that I would love to share!

When we first moved to Antigua, I had a lot of difficulties with a few different things. I missed my family and friends, I missed cleanliness (you can't imagine), I missed the orderly way that things are usually done back home, I missed being completely understood when I talked, I missed so much! I wondered if I would ever feel like this was home. God is so good, because He has made this feel as though I'm home. We have a wonderful life here. I love my family, my church, my friends, my home, our ministry, my routine, and learning Spanish and laughing at the mistakes I make. I still miss some things, but, I don't LONG for them as I used to.

I enjoy the market. When I go to the US, it's fun to shop in a big superstore with everything clearly marked (so everyone pays the same!) and organized. It's fun to get around with my big shopping cart in spacious aisles that are free from debris and stacks of boxes. It's fun to find bargains and marvel at how cheap butter, milk, cheese, bread, and meat is compared to Guatemala. It's fun to find ice cream in our favorite flavors and candy we can't get here. But, after a week or two, I find myself longing to bite into a piece of fruit that is actually ripe and ready to eat when I buy it, or buy the freshest of fresh veggies to prepare for my family. I miss the taste of the beef and chicken here (it is different!). I long for "home".

This past week, our family lost someone irrepalceable in our lives, my Unlce Rod. He was someone who poured out his life for others, including us. He mentored my husband and worked with us as we were just starting out into ministry. He performed our wedding. He was there when Alicia was born and didn't at all mind when she threw up in his hair just before he had to do Bible Study on a Wednesday night! He was a wonderful man of God and an example to so many. I'm so grateful that I had him in my life.

It was tough being here when I wanted to be home with my family and comfort my dad and see everyone and celebrate his life. But, then I realized, the best way I could celebrate his life is by staying here and doing what he did. Pouring my life into others. So, in honor of him, that's what I will vow to do. I think about how he's looking down on Guatemala and seeing us right now and I wonder what he thinks? I hope he's blessed to see the fruit of what he poured into us. I hope we are worthy of not only his time, but, the time of so many others who have given so much for us to do what God has called us to do.

You all are special to us. We couldn't do what we do unless you were faithful to pray and give so that we could be here. It's a wonderful thing to be so blessed with so many incredible people. I hope we are always mindful of that and strive to make it count.

How?

“…how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14
It’s still good ol’ fashioned preaching that God uses to save souls, so since the beginning of October we have done some evangelistic programs in the streets and in a homeless shelter. A group of friends helped us out as we did dramas to draw crowds and then the preaching. Alicia and Bailey were a part of the outreach dramas and Christopher helped by translating the preaching.
On February 13th a couple of people responded to the altar call at the homeless shelter. Then that evening when we did a program in the street in Antigua about 8 people responded to the altar call. A week later we did a program in the street in San Miguel Escobar. A small group of youth responded to the call for salvation that night. Then a week after that we did a program near the market in Antigua. I talked to the crowd about how Jesus said that we need to eat His flesh and drink His blood. No one responded to that altar call that day, but when Jesus Himself preached that same message in John 6 there seemed to be a negative response as well, so I didn’t feel so bad.
During holy week a group of us went to the streets to preach. About 8 people prayed for salvation that night. My friend Dave got to street preach in Spanish for the first time. He and I got some big crowds with a light-show illusion, and then we would share the gospel.
God has provided opportunities “in season” and “out of season” to preach. On March 5th our family was in Mexico to renew our visas and I had shown an optical illusion to a group from a soccer team who was staying at the hotel we were at. Well, about 12 of them showed up at our door to ask to see another trick. So I showed them one and then preached to them, and some of them prayed there to receive Christ also!

The Whole Man

Over the last few months we feel that God has been leading us to minister to not only the spiritual needs of people (with evangelism and kids ministry, etc.) but also to their physical needs. The spiritual needs are by far the most critical because they are eternal, but meeting physical needs can open even more doors in people’s hearts to accept the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. We’ve been going out once a week to give soup or sandwiches to homeless and/or poor people in Antigua. In one night we can give away 40 sandwiches or more! One of our favorite spots to give food is behind the market where a group of people sleep out in the open, surrounded by garbage and a bunch of dogs.
Another “whole-man” ministry we were a part of was an evangelistic medical clinic in the community of Pastores on March 8th-12th. Dayle helped to cook meals for the medical workers and the kids and I were part of a drama team that shared the gospel with the people at and around the clinic. During the week of the clinic Alicia and Bailey and Christopher helped with language translation- the girls for the medical team and Christopher for the preaching. The team saw over 1100 patients and we figure that about 100 people prayed to receive Jesus as their savior!
On the first day of the clinic about 300 youth came to the clinic as one big group. They came walking toward the clinic wearing their white shirts- their school uniforms. I told our team that the fields were white to harvest, like Jesus had said in John 4:35. Because the clinic couldn’t handle such a huge crowd they had nothing better to do than to come and see our dramas (if they had come an our or two earlier we wouldn’t have been ready for them). So they watched our program, listened to the preaching and a group of them prayed to ask the Lord for salvation! If you would like to see a video of the clinic outreach go to iglesiadelcaminogt.com and look at the video posted under “Recent Activities”.