October Trip to The Village

Front View of the Church in Santa Rosa el Rodeo

 Our trip back to Guatemala was rewarding and exciting. The weather was horrendous and many Guatemalans lost their lives why we made this visit. Apparently, there was a hurricane that made landfall from the Pacific. Besides the horrible wind and rain, the trip was one of my favorite times visiting the country. There was a small group of us from Bethel that went for ten days. The group consisted of Nick Meinhardt, Crystal West, Cadence Robinson, Jennifer Robinson, and myself. We left on October 8^th and returned on the 17^th.

We went down to hoping to accomplish three different tasks. First, we wanted to witness the first baptism service of some of the church members. Unfortunately, the candidates had not finished their discipleship requirements and the services were postponed. Second, we wanted to check on the church plant and the families in Santa Rosa el Rodeo. Third, we wanted to prepare Christmas gifts for the children of the village.

I will never forget the first day that we arrived in the village during this trip in October. We arrived in Guatemala on Saturday, and then we went to the village for church Sunday afternoon. We could barely open the doors of Max’s van when we arrived in the village. There was a mob of seventy kids screaming our names and trying to give hugs. We were excited to see all of the children and anxious to see how the church has progressed.

Initially, I was stunned to see the church property. I was beautiful. When we left in August there was so much left undone. However, the land was clean and gardens were planted around the front of the property. Those gorgeous plants couldn’t contain the beauty of a healthy church that we soon discovered.

I was shocked to see how well the church was doing! Bro. Max is doing a great job overseeing the church and making sure that everything is running smoothly. Pastor Guillermo and Erica are doing a great job of ministering to the people in the village. Their family moved out to the property in September and is trying to readjust to the new living conditions. They have truly sacrificed in order to minister in this area.

Currently, Erica conducts Bible School three days a week for the children. She does an amazing job. The kids are learning about three to five passages a day and then recall other verses from memory. Erica has a group of ladies that volunteers to help everyday. Each Sunday, they have children’s church behind the building during the main worship service.

The church is becoming very organized as well. The church meets every Sunday morning for worship and every Thursday night for ladies Bible study. I noticed a list that is posted that contains various women who have volunteered to clean the building. I also learned that various men are trying to keep the church property clean on the outside as well. It is exciting to see how far this church has progressed in such a little time.

The Team in Front of "Bags of Love"

Christmas gifts for the children were one of the main reasons that we made this trip. The concept was based on the “Christmas Shoeboxes” of Samaritan’s Purse. Unfortunately, Samaritan’s Purse does not currently give presents in this village. Jennifer had a desire in her heart to see this done in the village that we spent our entire summer. So we prayed and raised support to make 100 gifts for the children.

Our biggest problem was trying to decide how to back the gifts. When we went to the market we found some strong plastic-weaved bags. So we decided to call it “Bolsas de Amor” or “Bags of Love” in English. We bought items for 40 boys’ bags and 60 girls’ bags. Every bag contained various boy or girl toys, girls’ makeup, girls’ jewelry, soap, paper, pens, pencils, and a pair of shoes. We are so excited to think that 100 children will receive a pair of shoes for Christmas. I am sure that Christmas is going to be amazing for the children of Santa Rosa el Rodeo. I pray that God will use those gifts to show how much he loves them and will provide for them. I certainly wish I could see those kids when they receive these presents.

During the trip we also learned of some specific ways to continue to minister in the village of Santa Rosa el Rodeo. Here is a short detailed list:

            1. Feed the Children: We would like to start providing a hot meal for the children that attend Bible School during those three days of the week. In order to provide the food we need 40 people to donate $25 per month. Bethel Baptist has a separate missions account designated for the ministry in Guatemala. Every donation made will be a tax-deductible gift.

            2. Medical Clinic: In January, we would like to start a medical clinic that will be                         open once a week inside of the church, probably on Saturday mornings. We will need to only cover the supplies and nurse that will work the clinic.  

            3. Prayer:        Pray for Pastor Guillermo and Erica

                                    Pray that we will continue to have the funds to support the ministry

                                    Pray that God will continue to transform the hearts of the people

The New Chairs Provided by the Children of Bethel Baptist

The trip was amazing! We are thankful for Max and his family and the way that they showed love to us while we visited Guatemala. It was so rewarding to see how God is already transforming this village. Thank you for everyone that made this trip possible. I want to specifically thank Nick, Crystal and Jennifer for going on this trip. We had an amazing time and memorable moments (eating meet from the market). I am honored that you made sacrifices for this trip.

(We will post pictures of the children receiving the Christmas presents on the blog)

Transformation

The Farmers at Almolonga

Transformation. The thought and action of something being transformed for the better can truly be remarkable. The meaning of the word is, “a complete change, usually into something with an improved appearance or usefulness.” The first time that I visited the village in Guatemala, Santa Rosa el Rodeo, I immediately thought about the concept of transformation.

Santa Rosa el Rodeo is between two heavily populated areas. The colonial town of Antigua is towards the East and the city of Escuintla in further West. However, the village has more of the characteristics of a country area. It is very small and very populated.

The village has three roads that intersect with the main road. The first road or “first street” is where the church is located. It is known as the home of all the criminals. Most residents conclude that the drug dealers, prostitutes, and thieves live on this street. It is amazing that God decided that this is the place and exact street to start the church.

In the village there is a social cycle that takes place. The men of the village have very little work. They either work in a rock-yard or sugarcane field. The lack of work could be the reason for some of the conditions found among the people. Many men are alcoholics and physically abusing spouses seem to be very common.

The village is dirty. There is trash everywhere and it seems to point to a deeper condition that exists among the people. I believe the physical trash seems to point to the spiritual clutter that exists in the hearts of the people. The village needs to experience transformation. I believe that God is powerful and his transforming power can change this area for generations. 

Recently, a friend we met in Guatemala, Vivian Solares, shared a story with me. The story was about another village in Guatemala that characteristically resembled the village that we have been working. The following story is about a village that has experienced the transforming power of God:

"Almolonga, is a village in Guatemala with an encouraging story of transformation. Before being                        visited by God’s power, it was a place overrun by fear, demons, poverty, idolatry, and drunkenness. The main feature was the alcohol-induced slumber experienced by many of the inhabitants as a result of serving an idol called Maximon. This perverse idol was a figure created to connect with the Guatemalans by highlighting the smoking habits, liquor drinking and immorality of this creation.

Sign in Almolonga that reads, "Jesus is Lord of Almolonga"

God called a humble man, Riscajehe Generated, to fight against the power of darkness found in this village. Because of this man’s obedience, people began to experience the liberation and transforming power of Jesus Christ. It has been reported that 90% of the 18,000 inhabitants surrendered their lives to Christ.

Since the power of God began to transform the community, the crime has had a marked decline. The police chief testified, “Currently, we usually have 20 to 30 people a month in jail.” Before, crowds would gather just to witness the nightly drunken fights. The police chief wouldn’t have any rest. Before, the community had four prisons and they were not sufficient to accommodate all the prisoners.

Today, things are different. People have changed their attitude; the last prison was closed in 1988. Remodeled and is now called the ‘Hall of Honor,’ which is a place for weddings, receptions and do community events.

In addition to the decline in crime, a great social change has occurred. There is an absence of prostitutes and bars. The former bars have been converted into small shops with new names such as ‘Little Jerusalem’ and ‘Jehovah Jireh.’ Before the intervention of God, most men were alcoholics and their homes were untidy. Neglect and physical abuse were rampant. It was very common for men to beat their wives, sometimes with sticks. Today, there is more communication between families and the abuse has declined. The unemployment, beggars, drunks sleeping on sidewalk and other negative things have declined significantly due to the transformation experienced in this village.

Also, there has been an economic renewal. A phenomenon has occurred agriculturally in this village. The celery, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, radishes and other vegetables are incredibly larger in size that those grown in the surrounding villages. Agriculturalist from the United States has visited the location to study scientific principles that have allowed the production of better crops. The only logical conclusion is that God has blessed their crops and the farmers of Almolonga. Today, the people are selling vegetables in all of Guatemala, and exporting them to other nations.

Abnormally Large Carrots in Almolonga

The only logical conclusion is that this village has truly experience the transforming power of God. God has transformed the lives of people, the social influences, and the economy of this village."

My prayer is that the village of Santa Rosa el Rodeo can experience dramatic transformation. I long to see the people to come into a relationship with Christ and allow him to transform them through discipleship. I pray that God will transform the men of this village. Provide jobs for them and teach them about stewardship. I pray that the relationship between men, women and children can be transformed. How amazing would it be if the village appeared clean with very little crime? The clean appearance would point to the clean hearts and desires of the people.

I ask you to join me in prayer for transformation in this village. We met a Canadian woman that worked in this village for twenty years. She has started two schools in this area. However, upon meeting her, she was very bitter. I later found that she was an atheist and a humanitarian. I believe that she was trying to bring transformation in her own power. The truth is that I would be bitter as well if I spent twenty years reaching out to those people without in change. However, I am confident that the transforming power of Christ can bring a change in this village. They need transformation like the story about Almolonga!

Final Thoughts From the Summer Trip

I would like to begin this post by offering up my apologies. I apologize because I should have published this update and message upon our return to Citronelle, Alabama back in August. However, I must be completely honest, it was hard to face the fact that we were leaving Guatemala. It was so hard coming to grip with reality that I didn’t want to reflect on our time there. The following post is a summary of the summer we spent in the country, and the current state of the village and church when we left in August.

The past 12 weeks have been the most memorable in my entire life. I have had amazing moments before then such as memories of my family, the day I accepted Christ, the day of my wedding, the day our first child was born and other moments. However, it has been overwhelming to experience a sustained period of time that has been so memorable.

First Meeting With Roof and Last Service Before We Left

I remember the Sunday morning in April of 2010 that we had a defining moment and felt a call to go to Guatemala and minister longer than a week. We didn’t know when, why, or how. This past January we moved back home to Citronelle and realized that the when would be a few months later in May. We focused that period of time to grow in our relationship with each other, our family, and most importantly with the Lord.

During that period of time, we saved and raised financial support for our trip. I remember one day telling Jennifer that we need to have ‘x’ amount of money in our bank account and ‘x’ amount of money in our Guatemala fund. When we left at the end of May, both accounts contained double the amount that I set. I am thankful that God honored our desire to serve him and blessed us more than we could imagine.

When we arrived in Guatemala, the reality hit us hard. What now? We knew that we were going to focus on a village that we visited the prior summer. We knew that the goal for this past summer was to start a church plant. We knew that the goal for the summer was to build a church for that plant. However, we were unsure how or where to start.

Upon reflection of our summer, I realize that many of our decisions are counterintuitive to the mindset and patterns of most Americans. We left our jobs, benefits and insurance in order to live in another country for almost three months. We had no future plan after the summer to ensure us a salary or insurance. We took a baby barely 9 months to a foreign place. We went to a place without being proficient in the language or another viable option to communicate with people. All of these decisions would be considered crazy. At times, I even thought we were crazy, but God provided for us in tremendous ways.

I am excited to see how God is working in this one remote location in a third world country. It makes you fall in love in a greater sense and strengthens your faith in God. It helps me understand that God cares for every person no matter how insignificant that they may seem.

Baptisms in the River

We left the children and families in Santa Rosa el Rodeo in Guatemala with so many mixed emotions. We are excited because today there is a church that meets every Sunday. We loved teaching the children of that village about Jesus Christ. We were overwhelmed to see how God ordained a church to be built in a specific location, and built a certain way. Finally, we feel sad! The previous emotion is the heaviest of all the other emotions that we feel.

Our sadness is a combination of various things heightened in this one moment. We are sad because we know there is so much more that needs to be done in this village. We want to go meet each family and begin to build relationships with them. We want to continue to see the children taught and brought up knowing the Lord and binding his commands to their hearts. We desire to see the church become more organized and taught how to disciple the people. In the midst of all these thoughts is the reality that we are traveling home.

I want to be honest. It has been an honor and privilege to live amongst and minister to the people of Guatemala. We want to thank so many people who have supported us and prayed for us. We want to thank the congregations of Bethel Baptist, Cornerstone Baptist, Toxey Baptist, and Calvart Baptist. We also want to thank our friends, family, prayer partners, and the people that have followed this blog. Finally, I want to thank Pastor Max of Guatemala. There is not enough words in our English language (nor Spanish) to ever describe the character, love, support, faith, and work ethic of this man. Without him, there would not have been a vision to plant a church among the people in this village. We are thankful for him and I pray that God will use his example to mold me and direct my life to serve God wholeheartedly.

I want to conclude by requesting you to continue remembering the people in Guatemala and pray for them continuously. I hope to continue updating this blog with updates on the church plant, the community of Santa Rosa el Rodeo, and Pastor Max’s family. Again, I apologize that it took so long to post these thoughts and emotions. Thank you once again for your prayers and support for our family. God Bless.