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)