We made it!!

Hola! Guatemala is wonderful. We arrived on Friday around lunch time. The local women at the church, Guerreros de Dios (Warriors of God), had cooked a wonderful, authentic meal for us. We've gotten to know everyone and are settled in to the apartment where we will be staying for the next 2 weeks. One of the pastors, Charlie, is our next door neighbor. Later that afternoon the church courtyard and part of Pastor Pablo’s apartment flooded from a heavy rain, so we 'bucketed' water for a few hours before going to bed early from a long day :) 

Yesterday we spent the day in Bajucilito, a nearby village. As my first experience in a rural village like this, my heart was broken. Sweetly broken. We were greeted by precious people and welcomed into their homes. A sweet mother, Maria, taught us how to make homemade corn tortillas and a teenager, Hilmar, showed us his family’s coffee plantation. We went into a particular kitchen where a young mother was taking care of her sick little boy. She shared with us how her son has been sick, her mother is sick, and her sister had just had a miscarriage. I have been praying for the Holy Spirit to show me where He is at work, and as this young woman shared, I felt tears well up in my eyes and my heart start beating faster. I knew this wasn’t a coincidence. So before we left their kitchen, we prayed over them. We prayed for physical, spiritual, and emotional healing. They don't know Jesus, but they appreciated our prayers, and we will continue to pray for their salvation. We spent the rest of our time in Bajucilito playing games with the kids and just hugging on them and laughing with them. It was beautiful to see the love of Christ completely tear down language barriers. As we drove back down the mountain, I felt the fulfillment that comes from obeying the Word of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 comes to mind.

All in all, it’s been a blessed trip so far. I am confident that it is a divine appointment by the Lord that I am here this summer. Please continue to pray for us and for God’s will over our time in Guatemala. Pray for the church and the villages we are serving and for the gospel to go forth. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.

Enjoy the photos!