I stepped off the plane, glad to be back in Guatemala again. Ever since I lived there many years ago, Guatemala is a country that is close to my heart. The people are friendly; the scenery is beautiful; and the weather is like an eternal spring. Then, two years ago, my heart bonded with several of the people in the church where we worked, and I was looking forward to seeing them again. Yet this time it was even more special because Charlie was already there, waiting for me.
On the two-hour ride back from the airport to the small town of Cerro Alto, I saw the corn fields, tall, tasseled, and ready for harvest. We passed a market where the vendors tables were piled high with garden produce. I looked longingly at all the fresh fruit and looked forward to sinking my teeth into guava, papaya, and lychees. Flowers, ready for export, grew along the way. The abundant gardens gave tribute to a mighty God who was providing for the Guatemala people.
Yet along the way, Charlie told me of an even more important harvest that was happening. The previous Sunday, eight people had come forward to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. I was impressed. In a church of less than one hundred people, that it a significant number. I rejoiced at the wonderful work God was doing there and excited at the prospect of meeting these new believers.
I knew, from our previous visit, that newcomers to this church do not always realize that they need to make a decision to follow Christ. Their religious background has led them to believe that they are fine. After all, they were baptized when they were young, and they have tried to do right. Then, after attending for a while and hearing the commands of Christ to repent of their sin and follow Him, they realize that they need more. They need to surrender in faith and ask Him to save them. Eight of them had done this on a single Sunday!
If only those eight had accepted Jesus as their Savior, I would have been impressed by the rich and bountiful spiritual harvest, but God was not done. The following Sunday, the pastor preached a strong sermon about sin and the hold it has on people. At the end, he asked if anyone there realized they needed Christ's redeeming work to save them from the power of sin. Six more people walked to the front! Now the church was really rejoicing together. Warm hugs and hand shakes reached out to welcome these new believers into the family.
On the third Sunday, Charlie taught Sunday School. For some reason, the pastor thought he should follow the lesson with an invitation to receive Christ as Savior. This time a husband and wife walked forward and asked Jesus to save them.
On our last Friday night, we gathered in the home of one of the members instead of holding the usual Friday evening service at church. Their daughter was having a birthday, so they invited the whole church for supper. Once again, the pastor gave an invitation and a ten-year-old girl raised her hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a 9-year-old boy had done the same. He invited them forward. Then another four children came forward as well. The pastor spoke with them and they professed their faith in Christ to save them.
The last Sunday afternoon we were there, we traveled to a nearby town where a new church plant has started. A man arrived late to the service. Most of the seats in the small auditorium were taken, but there was a row of empty seats in the front row. Together with his little girls, he made his way up there and listened intently as Pastor preached. Charlie whispered to me, "He is not yet a believer." I nodded and began to pray for him. At the end of the service, Pastor asked, "Is there anyone here who is ready to ask Jesus to be His personal Savior?" The man stood to his feet. That night one more man was born into God's family.
It was amazing to watch what God was doing in this corner of Guatemala. I felt as though I was back in Bible times when it says in Acts 2:47, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Almost every time the church met, someone else was being saved.
On the two-hour ride back from the airport to the small town of Cerro Alto, I saw the corn fields, tall, tasseled, and ready for harvest. We passed a market where the vendors tables were piled high with garden produce. I looked longingly at all the fresh fruit and looked forward to sinking my teeth into guava, papaya, and lychees. Flowers, ready for export, grew along the way. The abundant gardens gave tribute to a mighty God who was providing for the Guatemala people.
Yet along the way, Charlie told me of an even more important harvest that was happening. The previous Sunday, eight people had come forward to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. I was impressed. In a church of less than one hundred people, that it a significant number. I rejoiced at the wonderful work God was doing there and excited at the prospect of meeting these new believers.
I knew, from our previous visit, that newcomers to this church do not always realize that they need to make a decision to follow Christ. Their religious background has led them to believe that they are fine. After all, they were baptized when they were young, and they have tried to do right. Then, after attending for a while and hearing the commands of Christ to repent of their sin and follow Him, they realize that they need more. They need to surrender in faith and ask Him to save them. Eight of them had done this on a single Sunday!
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| The birthday girl |
The last Sunday afternoon we were there, we traveled to a nearby town where a new church plant has started. A man arrived late to the service. Most of the seats in the small auditorium were taken, but there was a row of empty seats in the front row. Together with his little girls, he made his way up there and listened intently as Pastor preached. Charlie whispered to me, "He is not yet a believer." I nodded and began to pray for him. At the end of the service, Pastor asked, "Is there anyone here who is ready to ask Jesus to be His personal Savior?" The man stood to his feet. That night one more man was born into God's family.
It was amazing to watch what God was doing in this corner of Guatemala. I felt as though I was back in Bible times when it says in Acts 2:47, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Almost every time the church met, someone else was being saved.
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