When our missions pastor reached out to Josh in the spring of 2023, and asked him to lead the summer trip to Guatemala, he was excited but hesitant. When he discovered the trip was focused on evangelism through children's programming, hesitance gave way completely, and he approached the preparation with enthusiasm - and lots of assistance from his helper most suitable!
While teaching is my wheelhouse, Spanish language Bible teaching is not. The planning process was both encouraging and humbling. The foundations of teaching and learning are the same, regardless of the content, but when Christ is the center of the message, the stakes are significantly higher.
The Lord used this time of preparation to teach me an important lesson. There is no perfect missionary, or even a perfect gospel presentation, only a perfect gospel, and that became the heartbeat of everything we did. Every Bible story, every skit, every song, and every interaction.
Our team was a blessing and an answer to many prayers. Josh and I were able to serve with our daughter and our future son in law, spending precious time with our "baby." In a season that has involved much letting go, this time of togetherness was a beautiful gift. We were joined by my sweet friend Taylor, and it was a joy to see a young woman live out a faith I saw take root when she was a high school student. Her husband, Trey, completed the team and brought peace to the adults and laughter to the children wherever we went. At over 6' tall, he was aptly nicknamed el gigante by the locals.
Before this trip, Josh and I were several months into the missionary development process with a mission organization. We knew God was calling us and equipping us to serve full time in ministry. On this trip, we individually received the confirmation that God had already prepared the place for us, and that place was Guatemala.
As we prepare, and as we go, our greatest need is partners who will pray with us and provide financial support for the work that God is doing in Guatemala. If you are interested in being a co-laborer as we carry out the Great Commission, please visit our giving page.
留言