A couple of years ago our team met Kevin at Iglesia Jerusalen in Guatemala. He had just arrived at the church's daycare and could not walk or communicate at all. He simply lay on the floor trying to survive. The church had opened the daycare to help struggling mothers with child care so they could work to provide for their families. Many of our supporters, especially our "31 Ladies" have stepped up big time to support this amazing ministry in Guatemala.
This past week I took this photo of Kevin as he tried to sing the songs and do the motions to songs with a room full of school children from a nearby school! yes, this child who could barely survive is thriving in this environment of love and encouragement. The ladies of the daycare offer such amazing love and support to the children every day that even Kevin, severely autistic and struggling with all motor skills, has improved beyond belief. Later in the day after this photo, I watched as Kevin walked with his mother and brothers down the street toward their house! Amazed at what God has done, I am reminded of the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
Many of us walking this journey of faith have been made a new creation. Yet, we have not realized the dramatic difference in our lives that Paul is talking about. We have continued to live in a world trying to survive, just like Kevin. We have struggled to communicate and to do the simple tasks of daily life. yet all the while the potential for an amazing transformation lies at the root of our very lives as a new creation in Christ!
As we walked the road and paths of Sajcavilla this summer I was reminded of the vision God has been developing for the church in that Mayan community. Many people walking up and down those paths are in darkness simply because we have not shared the truth with them. Every time a team visits a home and shares the truth of the Gospel for the first time in a home, the response is the same...salvation is released on a life and the truth comes to life in their hearts! This is an amazing reality to watch right before your very eyes. Those of you who have seen it know exactly what I am talking about. The transformation of a life that takes place during the conversion of a soul is an awe inspiring event that forever changes us...or at least it should!
Guatemala has proven to be a place where we see God's hand at work every time we travel with a team. The work of the mission church in Sajcavilla as well as the support ministries of Jerusalen Church and the leadership of Pastor Morales continues to bring about change in these communities. The faithfulness of those who have been in the field working, like Pastor Juan of the mission church, is very easily seen with every moment we are serving along side our brothers and sisters in this remote village.
God has given us a huge vision for this community. The vision for this community is so big only God can bring it about. Yet, the amazing thing is He is going to use some of you to be a part of making things a reality in Sajcavilla and San Pedro and San Juan. You see the vision for Sajcavilla is a beginning point to reach the larger communities beyond them on the road. Sajcavilla is far enough out of the city and away from Jerusalen Church that a mission base needs to be established in order to launch further out. That is the vision for Sajcavilla.
The vision is to establish a mission outpost in Sajcavilla that will include many aspects of community ministry. Out of these ministries will grow evangelists, and teachers, and medical professionals who will carry the truth of the Gospel further out into the next village of San Pedro. San Pedro is a community of over 25,000 where there is, according to several missionaries and church leaders, "no good church." The goal is to establish a base of ministry and mission that could launch further into the Mayan community with members of the Mayan community!
To accomplish all that we see God leading us to do, we need your help. There are so many aspects to establishing a base of ministry that we simply do not know or understand. We need prayer warriors to begin now praying for land and open doors for the location of this base. We need workers to go with us into the fields and continue the work of spreading the truth and sharing the love of Christ to assist the church in reaching its community. We need teams to go and teach the Word to the children of the area so as to raise up a generation of leaders who know and live by the truth of God's Word. We will need workers to go and help build and develop a ministry base that operates as a refuge of hope for the community to be fed, nourished and strengthened. We need partners who will commit to long-term relationship with Sajcavilla and the church that God is raising up there as a light in the darkness of Mayan and Catholic confusion. We need you to join the mission outpost team and carry the Gospel to the nations.
Join us as we pray for the Lord of the harvest to send workers into the field. Pray with us for wisdom and strength as we follow His hand of mercy into the communities in Guatemala. Pray with us for His Word to reign supreme in a land with little to no nourishment from food nor from the church. Pray with us as we learn from His Word, "If my people who are called by name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 Pray with us for revival to break out among the Guatemalan church and spiritual awakening to spread across the region as the church follows His hand obediently into the community!
