Here’s a quick recap of my first 2 1/2 weeks in Santa Cruz del Quiche, Guatemala. Ministry has been the opposite of what I imagined I would be doing for my first month on the Race. I am using my head and my hands every day deconstructing the foundation of an old cemented building. I thought I would be doing something more discipleship or evangelistic oriented. Maybe teaching or sharing the Gospel with people who have not heard about the good news? Maybe starting and building a new relationship with a teenager at a school, a patient in the hospital, or a felon in prison? I ask myself how does the mission work I’m doing fruitful and impactful? How does this lead to changed lives? I am reconciling why God has me doing manuel labor instead of meeting with people and having spiritual conversations. I am good for other purposes than manuel labor. If you were to see me, you would see a confused and fustrated face.
Well, God was teaching me a lesson since I stepped foot on the Race. He has been leading me into situations where I quickly went through in my past because I did not learn what needed to be learned. First, He is leading me to a place of understanding that despite whatever I’m doing, He has a grand purpose for my life. This is a truth that has been repeated to me countless times and is in Scripture. I know it in my head well yet seldom has the thought of it traveled to my heart. I have to experience the fustration of grappling with this truth and arriving to a place where I am truly believing He wills my life daily with content and peace throughout my body, mind, and soul.
Second, He has thought for my work. So when I think about how the work I’m doing will impact others in the future, I discover I’m far too easily concerned about my wants and abilities and so near sighted in my vision. I choose to believe that my abilities should align with my wants, especially in the context of ministry. Yet, God is challenging my thinking here. I realize He is teaching me that my current mission work will one day become a blessing to many people. He is also asking me to believe in my work. So here’s the vision of the mission work: I am in the creation process of a future retreat center that will house multitudes of Guatemalans who will come and know God personally. What a statement. Pastor Arnold, who owns the land we are working, told us that ground will become a retreat center. Although I won’t be around to see the project completed, I am looking forward to pictures of the retreat center and hearing people’s testimonies! While this month’s mission work is a construction project, God is still glorified in it. His presence will be upon this place as I chip away and remove the concrete walls so the new building can be built.
My vision for this trip has become clearer since I’ve arrived in my first country. My vision is to follow God into these next 11 countries to win the world for Christ by shining His light so the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be heard and experienced through meaningful relationships in partnerships with local ministries and churches that are reaching out to their communities. Pastor Arnold and his family is my ministry this month as well. They were estactic to see my team and me. They were beyond happy to have extra hands available. They felt encouraged by our presence and our energy. They know God has sent us to give lift to their ministry and help expand God’s kingdom. I am to bring testimony of His goodness in my life and how my life changed when I accepted Christ into my life to them. My hope is God will speak through my story so people’s souls will be ministered to. An outcome I am praying for is for people to have Jesus meet their spiritual hunger, believers to press on in the faith and good deeds, and unceasing adoration for the One we come in the name of. I want to join in on winning the world for Christ.
Adventures in Missions has partnered with ministries that have continual impact on their communities by seeing changed lives and by helping to expand God’s Kingdom.
One of these changed lives happened in a young twenty-old man named Rene. I met Rene, son of a pastor whose ministry Adventures works with. The son’s life was changed by a World Racer. Rene did not walk with purpose or direction in his life before meeting the Racer. In fact, he walked through life passively and unattentive to what God was doing around him. Then, Rene met a Racer and was impacted by the dedication and holy fervor the Racer had for living for God and the Kingdom. Through conversations about the faith and Jesus with the Racer, Rene became zealous for God. He wanted to do big things for God, and the first thing he did was to choose to live for Him. Rene is now going back to the United States for seminary and ministry. He is also applying for the World Race at the same time. After speaking with him, I can sense he is passionate about reaching his community for Christ and seeing restoration happen in people’s lives.
I need help! I am in need of fundraising the rest of my trip! I am currently at the 55% mark, and I want to be fully invested in my ministries. My goal is to be fully funded by Christmas. I want to help with the fruitfulness of the ministries I’ll be part of. I want to impact people’s lives just like Rene’s. Right above this blog is a bar recording my support raising funds. To make a donation, there is a support link on the left side of my webpage. I invite you to consider partnering in on what God is doing in and through me by being part of my support team. Even though I’m out of the U.S., I would love to connect with you through Skype, phone call, or email! My email is [email protected]. To win the world for Christ through meaningful relationships in partnership with local ministries and churchs is my vision, and I want to invite you into sharing this vision and opportunity with me.
P.S. Here’s acool part of my life right now. I am breaking down cement walls and transferring the shards of rocks to a dirt path so that a road can be made, right? So why does this matter? Because in some ways, God has been asking me to break down walls within my heart and to make a path for Him to speak truth into my life. One of those truths He is speaking is freeing myself from reservations that I have about removing myself from connecting with silliness, fun, laughter, grief, and sorrow. Part of it comes from fear of getting hurt from others and what people think of me. God is teaching me to become less afraid of who I am so people can experience the real me. It is about building the confidence in living my life as God had intended and sharing my past life and my current life in Christ without holding back.
Thank God for revealing to me my reservations can be removed because God loves me just as I am.
(A picture of Team Magnetic Light and Team Warrior Bride with Pastor Arnold and his family)
