A Guatemalan Harvest

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.

The birthday girl

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.

So Little Time - August newsletter

Dear Faithful Friends,


We returned to our home in Georgia after a 10-week trip. During that time, we travelled by car through the upper Midwest, Canada, Maine, and back home. We also flew from Boston to Peru and back again. We give thanks for God’s grace for His protection and enablement. Even though we felt constrained by our limited time in each place, we are thankful that God, who is not bound by time, can multiply our short time and our meager ministry to do great things to glorify His name.

Four years ago, we met Daniel and Sonia Araujo who are investing their lives in making disciples in Arequipa, Peru. It was good to walk into their church on that first Sunday morning and see some familiar faces and new ones as well. Many improvements have been made to the church building. In addition, their son Junior was only beginning to be fully involved in the work of the ministry four years ago. He is now an integral part of their team. In fact, he is largely responsible for a new church
plant in Majes, a desert town about two hours away.

We arrived in Arequipa on June 20. For the next two weeks, we taught every night. Charlie taught a course on Hermeneutics where more than thirty people attended, and nine completed the course The following week, Joan taught on Christian Education. Forty people attended her course, and ten also completed the course work.  On Sundays, Charlie preached in various locations.

On our second Monday, we traveled seven hours over the mountains to a remote village in the Ubinas district. More than a decade ago, God placed this area on Daniel’s heart and he began to make the long journey over the mountains to win people there to the Lord. The growth has been slow, but now several of these villages have a small church. On the day we were there, six small local assemblies gathered for a big celebration together that included a baptism, a feast of alpaca stew, and a combined evening service. Charlie also had the privilege of preaching that day, and our nephew, Jeremy, who joined us on the trip, was his interpreter through most of those days in Arequipa.

The Araujos feel the pressure of time. What pastor do we know here in the US who is pastoring one church, filling in as pastor for another, planting a third church and working as a missionary in a district of multiple towns where there is no church?  So many people to win and disciple. So little time.

From Lima, we flew to Iquitos, the largest city in the world that is unreachable by road. Pastor Giovanni Avendaño, IPM’s Latin America director, met us there. From there, we took a boat down the Amazon River to the town of Mazan. For the next three days, we met with four men who are interested in becoming missionaries with IPM. Charlie taught classes that would help the men in their respective ministries – Communication; Dealing with Anger; Church Discipline; Marriage and Divorce; etc. Joan gave an introduction to IPM’s Children’s Ministry. Brother Giovanni went over IPM’s Policy and Procedure manual. When we were done, the four men were very appreciative. One of them told us as we were getting ready to leave, “Thank you for coming. I was so discouraged that I was ready to give up on ministry and go back to secular work. Now I feel ready to go back. I know I have made many mistakes simply because I did not understand God’s way of doing things. Pray for me and my family as I make the changes we need.” With limited resources, these men are struggling to make a difference in their areas for Christ. Pray for them.  On the Amazon River as well, there are so many souls, and so little time.

Peru has many children and often we were enchanted by their smiles and friendliness (some of the Mazan children are pictured on left).  It was obvious that Peru is an area where children’s ministry is needed. One night when we were sitting in a restaurant in Mazan, we saw four teenagers carrying a
stretcher to the hospital. The form on the stretcher was small and covered by a sheet. The restaurant owner told us, “He died this morning. He is the second ten year-old boy to die this week. The other one drowned on Sunday afternoon.” So many children. So little time.

We came back with hearts burdened for Peru, and especially Mazan and all the needs there. Please pray for IPM as they determine the best way forward to help these men.

In October, we are planning to go to Uruguay for IPM’s regional conference. We want to connect personally with IPM’s missionaries from all over Latin America and inquire how we can best help them. Joan is hoping to have a sample copy of a VBS curriculum for them to look over. Pray that God would help her complete that in time and that we would be able to get it translated as well. Pray, too, that God would supply the $3,000 we need to make this trip.

Thank you for your prayers for us. We felt God’s enabling grace on this trip and we saw His hand redirecting our steps.  Without Him, it would have been a disaster. It would have been so much time, with so little accomplished. Instead, because of God’s work, we believe that much was accomplished that will last into eternity.

Co-laboring together with you,
Charlie and Joan Farley

The 26-Hour Day

The sleep of a labouring man is sweet.  Ecclesiastes 5:12

At 2:45 a.m. I heard it - an alarm going off in another room.  We lay in bed, waiting for it to stop, but its owner did not respond.  After about ten minutes, it finally stopped.  Now we were fully awake, on about three hours of sleep.  Five minutes later our alarm sounded.    

At 3:45 a.m., we climbed into the back row of the 12-passenger van. The pastor’s family climbed in after us.   Four-year-old Abigail slept through the transfer from her bed to the van.  Junior, the pastor’s only son, drove to the first stop where we picked up a mother and her seven-year-old son.  They joined us in the back row.  After several more stops, the van was stuffed with twelve adults, two children, and miscellaneous bags at people’s feet.  Another car, also filled with passengers, started to follow us.  At the gas station, Junior filled the van’s tank as well as a five-gallon jerry can.  One of the men climbed to the roof to tie the jerry can up there with some other luggage.  Now it was 4:45 a.m., and we were finally on our way out of the city.

The van sped up when it arrived at the highway.  I settled into my seat, leaning against Charlie, hoping for some more sleep.  After about five minutes on the open highway, we turned off and started the ascent up the mountain on a gravel road.   Twists, turns, and bumps in the road kept sleep away, but eventually I dozed a little.  

A couple hours later, at the entrance to a tunnel through part of the mountain, we stopped to wait for the other vehicle that had fallen behind.

“Can we get out?” I asked.  Charlie’s knees were bumping up against the seat in front of us, and my legs were longing for a stretch.  They let us all out, and the men made a beeline for the bushes.  “If you need it,” I was told, “the tunnel up ahead will provide privacy.”  

Around us, the sun continued to rise, casting shadows on the mountains, slowly reaching into the valleys.  Misti, the volcano that guards Arequipa, was showing off his beauty, and the passengers’ cell phone cameras were capturing the scene.  

Before too long, the other car caught up with us, and we reloaded into the vehicle.  

“Is it possible for Charlie to sit somewhere else?” I asked.  His legs were really too long for the back row.  This time they let Charlie and me sit up in the row behind the driver.  The change in seating turned out to be a greater blessing than I realized at the time.

A couple hours later, Charlie asked them to stop.  The twists and turns of the mountain roads had finally caught up with him, and he was sick to his stomach.  Junior quickly stopped and yanked open Charlie’s door.  He got out just in time.  Sonia, the pastor’s wife, prepared some tea with hot water from a thermos and gave it to him.  It helped settle his stomach, and we were once again on our way.  On and on we traveled, bumping and turning.  Eventually I dozed again. 

By 8:30 my stomach was growling, and I wondered if there would be a stop for breakfast.  But we kept going.  On and on we rode, winding our way up to the 16,000-foot mountain pass, high above the tree line.  

“Look!” someone shouted pointing to one of the volcanoes in the distance.  Volcano Ubinas had just burped.  A cloud formed above and grew larger and larger as steam and ash rose into the sky.

Bumping over the gravel and feeling my stomach lurch, we continued in a descent over the other side of this mountain pass.  Trees, birds, and insects reappeared.  Mile after mile of terraced farming hugged the sides of the mountains.  Our van hugged the mountain, avoiding getting to close to the side where it dropped off into deep canyons.

I kept thinking we must soon be arriving at our final destination.  After almost six hours of travel, we rounded a bend.  A crowd of people stood on the side of the road with large bags of goods.  They were members of the church in that town.  Junior stopped to greet them and began to talk to them about how to get them to our ultimate destination.

“Junior,” Sonia called out to her son.  “Why don’t some of us get out and they can ride?  They have been waiting a long time for you.  Some of us can wait here for you to get back.”

I welcomed the idea of putting my feet on the ground to allow my stomach to settle.  We got out.  They got in.  After they left, the eight of us started walking down the road at a leisurely pace along the river gorge.  I stopped frequently to take pictures of the blue skies, desert hills, and the green valley below us where the grey river sparkled in the sunlight.  After about an hour of walking, we saw the van approach.  Junior turned around and picked us up, and we drove on for another half hour to the village of Cadagua.    

“Breakfast is waiting,” we were told when we arrived.  It was now 1:00 p.m.  

We followed our hosts to the back of the house.  A corrugated metal roof and a small tarp provided shade.  There people sat on benches, boxes, and a few chairs.  Steaming plates of noodles and a red sauce with mystery meat came out of the kitchen.  Since we were surrounded by guinea pig cages, it was no surprise when we later discovered that most of the meat in the sauce was guinea pig.  I should have known when I discovered the small head in the sauce.  I did not eat much.  My stomach was still turning after all the hairpin turns, so one of the young men in our group finished my plate for me.

Evidently, both Charlie and I looked a little green.  One of the women from the Arequipa church came over.  

“Would you like a cup of tea and some soda crackers?” she asked kindly.  

That sounded like just the right thing for our upset stomachs.  We leaned back into the wooden bench and waited while she found cups and prepared us some tea.  As we sat quietly drinking our tea, the women   One man stood next to a table and sawed his way through the bones of an animal, adding the chunks of meat to the pots as well. Children played, swinging from the rafters of the corrugated awning and teasing the guinea pigs.

swirled around us, cutting up vegetables, and adding them to the large pots on the fire.

“It’s time to start the program,” Junior called to everyone.

We joined him in front of the house.  There to one side of this town’s Main Street sat a truck-tire  tub overflowing with water.  Junior began the service, leading the group in singing with his guitar.  “He decidido seguir a Cristo.”  (I have decided to follow Jesus.)  Our voices filled the mountain air.  A few people emerged from neighboring houses to join us to see what was going on.

After singing several songs, Pastor Daniel Araujo stepped forward.  Carefully, he explained what baptism was and why this teenage girl had decided to be baptized.  

 

 “Please share with this group why you have decided to obey the Lord in baptism today,” he instructed her.  Joy flowed from her while she reverently shared her faith in Jesus Christ.  Then she stepped into the frigid water, sat down in the tub, and was baptized in its confined space.  When she arose shivering, we sang again.

When the baptism service ended, Junior once again shouted out instructions. “If everyone would head to the community center, we will be showing a Christian movie,” he announced.   

He drove the van over to the community center and began to set up the computer projection system for the movie.  Men hung a white sheet on one wall of the community building.  People rearranged chairs to face the “screen”.  Soon we were all watching “Facing the Giants” in Spanish.  I went to see if I could find a place to sleep in the van, but someone else had already thought of that idea, and I was afraid to wake them by opening a door.  So Charlie and I sat against the back wall, and I dozed for a while, my head on his lap.

By the time the movie was over, the huge pots of stew we had seen over at the house had been carried to the community center kitchen.  We dragged our chairs from one side of the center to where tables had been set up on the other side.  

Apparently we were the honored guests because our table was served first.  Charlie and I insisted on sharing a bowl since we knew we were both still too queasy to each much.  Several varieties of potatoes, huge pieces of squash, sweet carrots, and alpaca meat were served us.  Delicious.

The conversation in the room lulled as people began to enjoy their food.  An alpaca feast is a rare and welcome event, and the whole community had been invited.  When the last plate of food had been served, those of us who had received food first were done.  Women went into the kitchen to wash up metal plates.  Men washed down wooden table tops, folded their metal bases and stored them in the corner.  They quickly stacked the blue and white plastic chairs in another corner.  When the work was done, the last event of the day was announced – a church service.  Everyone moved back to the other side of the room to enjoy that event together.  

Singing and testimonies were shared as the various churches represented took turns to give testimony to God’s blessings in their lives. This gathering of believers represented people from five of the surrounding villages as well as those of us who had come from Arequipa.  In addition, many of the people from town had come for the feast and to see what else was happening.  Charlie was invited to preach, and our nephew, Jeremy, translated for him.

When it was all over, it was 9:00 at night, and I was anxious to go home, but there were still people who needed to go home before we could leave.  Junior loaded the people from the nearby villages in the van and left.  Charlie stretched out on the floor to get some sleep before the long arduous journey home.

“I can’t drive,” Junior said, when he returned almost two hours later.  “I’m dead on my feet.”  Roberts, one of the men from the church, took over and we left.  

Away from the city and few lights, the full moon shone almost as day.  Stars seemed close enough to reach out and touch.  This time the bumps, twists, and turns did not keep me awake, but they did for Charlie.  He was sick to his stomach the whole way home, and trying to sleep only made it worse.  

When we finally got home, it was 5:00 a.m.  I crawled into bed, grateful  to be able to stretch out and glad that the ground under me was solid.  I cannot remember the last time that I have been so glad to get to bed.  If I felt that way, I am sure that Charlie felt the relief even more than I.  How grateful I am that God gives us the gift of sleep.

August News

Dear friends and family,

What a wonderful month we had in Guatemala.  

Giovanni Avendaño, IPM’s missionary church planter in Guatemala, asked us to come for a month because he knew that the module format that we often use would not work well with his people.  Instead, we would teach a series over the course of a month.  Charlie taught on Biblical counseling for two hours on Tuesday nights in their Bible institute.  Joan taught on teaching for two hours on Wednesday nights following prayer meeting.  We also taught in the monthly men’s and women’s meetings.  On weekends, Charlie preached, we both taught Sunday school, and we were both involved in the teen meetings.  It was a busy, yet rewarding schedule.

But the main question we want to answer upon our return is not “What did the Farleys do?” but “What did God do?”  While there may be things we will never know about, here are some of the things we do know.

• One child asked the Lord to save him.  He talked to his parents during the week, and the on Sunday asked the pastor if he could be saved.
• Four people were baptized.  Three were adults, and one was a teenager.  It was a day of joyous celebration.  As Giovanni said, “I want to make a big deal about the important things in people’s lives.”  So we spent the afternoon together as a church family.  After the baptism in a swimming pool, the children went swimming and adults played soccer.  The rest sat around and shared stories.  Then one family, whose child’s birthday was that day, passed out bags of candy to everyone and hung up piñatas, one for the girls to break and one for the boys.  Then we all sang “Happy Birthday” and had cake.
  
  
• Another church has been started since our last time in Guatemala.  According to Giovanni, it is taking a lot more work to get this one up and running than the other two he started.  Yet he is confident that the Lord led them to do this, and that the Lord will build his church in San Raymundo.
• God granted safety and health throughout our trip.  While Joan battled a couple minor things while we were there, she was able to teach whenever it was her turn.
• God opened the door for us to teach in the public school.  The principal, one of the new people in the church, asked if we would go teach English and the gospel.  Charlie used English sentences to talk of the gospel with the older grades, and Joan used colors and then taught the wordless book to the younger grades.  The following Sunday ten children from the school showed up in church.
• God used us in our teaching.  Over and over people thanked us for what they had learned and talked of how they were already applying it in their everyday lives. 
• We saw obvious change in one young woman’s life after a brief time of counseling with her.
• God is building a strong church in the small town of Cerro Alto.  Three new couples recently started attending, and Giovanni is taking them through discipleship classes. 

Thank you so much for your prayers for us while we were gone. 

Your co-laborers in the Gospel,

Charlie and Joan Farley

A Walk through the Village

This afternoon Charlie and I took a walk through the village.  Along the way we greeted the people we met and stopped and talked with a few.  When they asked why we were here, we told them we were teaching at the local Baptist church, gave them a tract and invited them to attend one of the services.  Join us on our walk through the village.

As we leave the house, at the top of the driveway we can see the mountains across the valley from this village.



Flowers abound.



We pass the catholic church.  Every town in Latin America seems to have one, usually in the center of town.  A strong majority of people here will claim Catholicism as their religion.



Children peer out open doorways to watch the “gringos” pass by.  Others call out to us.  Some even try to use the one or two words they know in English.  “Buenas tardes,” I call to a couple girls who respond in kind, and then go running away, giggling.



Anyone need a Laundromat?



Wheelbarrows are put to good use here.  Doesn’t this look like fun?



Eventually we arrive at the church, about a half mile from where we are staying.  No one is here today, but tonight it will be bustling with activity.

On our way back, we walk through the main intersection in town.  In reality, it is the only intersection, though many small roads, wide enough for only one car at a time, are like fingers off the main roads.



We pass dozens of little stores like this one.  This one is larger than most.  Besides the actual stores, many houses have baskets of produce in front of their homes ready to sell to passers by.



The white picket fence, the only one in town, lets us know that we are back at our hosts’ home.



Thank you for taking this walk with us.

Guatemalan Blessings

Midway through our time here in Guatemala, I want to lift up my voice in praise to God who allowed us to be here and who has granted so many blessings along the way.  Rather than give an account of the things we have been doing, I thought I would just list some of the blessings that have come our way.

• Celebrating sixteen years of marriage here.  Charlie found an “I Love You” card in Spanish.  I had brought one from the U.S.  Our hostess went to the trouble to prepare special meals for us, and we had a full day of ministry.  Then our host family took us out to dinner that night.  The following day the church sang a “Happy Anniversary” song to us.
• Flowers.  Instead of paying the proverbial “arm and a leg” for flowers, flowers are inexpensive here, so Charlie bought me some to celebrate.  I’m hoping to get some more while we are here.  Fresh flowers often adorn the front of the church as well.
• Village sounds.  Even now I can hear roosters crowing, dogs barking, the wind blowing through the trees, and birds singing.  The modern sounds of buses, horns, air compressors, and generators are here too.
• Mountains.  Mountains surround us here, and they are a constant reminder to me of God’s care.  “I will lift up mine eyes unto this hills.  From whence cometh my help?  My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1-2
• Salvation.  How often I give thanks to God for His saving power in my own life and in the life of the believers around me.  Yesterday that power to save was demonstrated once again when a 9-year-old boy asked Jesus to save him from his sins and surrendered to His control.
• A vibrant church.  This church where we are teaching is only seven years old.  It is filled with the enthusiasm of new believers and families growing together in the faith.  Seven years ago, most of them did not know Jesus, except as a name.  Today they are His followers.  The church has become a magnet for young families looking for answers because so many of the families have a very positive testimony of family harmony and closeness.
• A vital ministry.  The missionary pastor and his family are busy.  Everyday except Thursdays they have something scheduled. In the ten (or so) years they have been here, they have seen one church firmly planted and two others get started.
• Being able to serve this ministry.  During our time here Charlie has done a fair amount of teaching and preaching, and I have been teaching teachers, women, and children.  Our days are full, and we feel blessed to be able to share the things God has taught us. 
• A close look at a close-knit family.  It has been a privilege to live with the Avendaño family while we are here.  They have been gracious to us in every way.  When you live with someone for an entire month, you get to really know them, and we have been very pleased to see the closeness they have. 

I could add more, but I’ll stop here.  We are blessed!

Our First Week in Guatemala

 

“Will you be ready to teach on the Wednesday night after we arrive?” Charlie asked me about a week before we left.

“Yes,” I replied, as I put finishing touches on the lesson for that night.  Fortunately, I had been asked to do a teacher training seminar in Chicago for a Spanish church there not too long ago, so I had this lesson almost ready.

We arrived on Tuesday night, well after midnight by our morning rising time, but only a little after 10:00 local time.  The next day we sat down with our host to discuss our schedule for the time we would be there.  We found out that it was similar to their normal schedule, only they were adding a few things because we were there.

Wednesday night prayer meeting is taken seriously. Except for a brief devotional from the Bible, the rest of the time is given to prayer.  Several times during our weeks there Giovanni said to me, “We really enjoy praying together.  I know we are a small group, but that is fine because the ones who come really want to pray.”  One Sunday he told the people, “If you know there is sin in your life, I am asking that you not come on Wednesday night to prayer meeting.  Your prayers would be a waste of our time and God’s.”

Kneeling on the hard, tiled floor with heads bowed and arms resting on the seats of plastic stackable chairs, we prayed around the circle.  When it was my turn, I found it difficult to really pray as I groped for the right words in Spanish.  How I longed to pour out my heart to God the way the rest did, but as I stumbled, I was grateful that the Holy Spirit would take the requests of my heart and make them known to God.  As prayer continued around the circle, I reveled in the fervency and emotion of each person praying.  At 8:00, Giovanni dismissed those heading to my class, while the remainder would continue praying until 9:00.  As I walked toward the classroom, I knew that God had heard their prayers and would act on their behalf.  How glad I was to have this group of people praying for me and for our class as I taught. 

We began the class with nine people.  At about 8:30, another five people, whose jobs ended at 8:00 p.m., showed up.  I was encouraged by their commitment.  I taught on “Basic Questions to Ask Before Teaching.”  At the recommendation of the Avendaños, I had made 15 copies of my outline.  (The next week that was not enough, and by the fourth week, 22 people attended the class.) 

The next day was a “free” day, we were told.  Of course, I knew that on Sunday I would be teaching the ladies on “Teaching Young Children,” so I needed to spend my time getting ready.  This was brand new material for me to be teaching in Spanish.  I desperately needed large blocks of time to get ready, so I spent the morning working.

Lunch, the main meal of the day, was ready by 2:30 p.m.  We sat down to a delicious meal of stewed chicken and vegetables, rice, tortillas and limeade, made from freshly squeezed limes grown on the Avendaños’ property. 

After lunch, as it was considered a free day, we took the Toyota station wagon into San Juan Sacatepéquez, the nearby city.   Charlie was looking for an anniversary card for me, and he eventually found an “I love you” card that fit the bill.  Barbara needed some supplies for home school and for the children’s ministry.  They also wanted to buy flowers for a church member who had just suffered a miscarriage.  I was intrigued by the market, especially the flower vendors who had stacks of flowers to sell.

We made our purchases and left for Laura’s house.  She was in bed recuperating.  The doctor had told her she would need a week of rest, but it was her emotions, even more than her body, that would need recuperation as she mourned the loss of her child.  The flowers were lovely, but she barely noticed them.  After talking with her and kneeling around her bedside to pray for her, we left and returned home.

As soon as we returned home, Barbara left to take her very sick mother-in-law to the hospital.  Later that evening, Giovanni headed out to disciple a new couple in the church, so we stayed with their three delightful children while they were gone.  When they both returned home, we enjoyed a light supper and then retired to our room where I resumed studying.

The next day dawned bright and clear.  The only thing on the agenda for that day was the evening service at church.  That allowed me more time to work on my lesson for Sunday.  Both of us worked since Charlie would be preaching that night.

On Saturday, there was a men’s meeting in the morning and a teen meeting in the afternoon.  Charlie spoke at both.

On Sunday, I taught my class on teaching little ones to the ladies, and Charlie taught the men’s class.  Giovanni preached that morning.  In the afternoon at 4:30, Charlie preached at the service in the new church plant. 

On Monday morning I was back to studying because my lesson for Wednesday night would be a new one.  Not only was it material I had not taught since before I was married, but I also needed to do it in Spanish.  I would need lots of hours to prepare.  Charlie headed out with Giovanni and Otilio, one of the men from the church, to buy boots.  He had heard they were inexpensive there, and Otilio wanted to buy him a pair.  He returned with a beautiful pair of brown boots which had cost about $39.  The same boots in the US would have cost about $150.

Tuesday night was Charlie’s night to teach.  Bible institute started at 8:00 and went until 10:00.  By this time, however, Giovanni had become quite ill and there was no one to translate for Charlie.  Although my Spanish is hardly adequate, I was the only one available.  So with the help of a dictionary and lots of patience on Charlie’s part, we muddled through.

When we went to bed that night, I said to Charlie, “It’s hard to believe we’ve only been here a week.  It seems like a lot longer than that.”  It felt like the longest week we’d had in a long time.  Now that we knew the schedule, though, it would be easier.   

I had to admire Giovanni.  Yes, this was a more intense week for him because of illness (both his and his parents), but this is not much different from normal.  Every week, he prepares for all his meetings and he disciples three different couples.  He has three churches he is trying to lead, one of which is strong and healthy.  The other two are still in their infancy.  He is also the regional director for IPM, so missionaries in other countries report to him.  He has his aging parents living nearby, and he has a young family to take care of as well.   

Barbara, too, amazed me.  She is an excellent children’s teacher.  Every week she was teaching children’s Sunday School and she traded with another woman to do children’s church during the afternoon service.  There is also children’s club twice a month, and she directs that. She also directs the women’s ministry.  In addition, she is an always-ready hostess.  Several times people showed up at mealtimes.  We added plates, scooted chairs closer, and she served them with a heartfelt welcome. People come to her for prayer and counsel.  And, of course, the work at home takes up much of her time.

It was a huge blessing to be in Guatemala.  We look forward to future visits, and now we have a better idea of what a week will hold.

Similarities Between Three Nations

 

Mexico, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. How are these three nations alike? Here are some interesting features that unite them.

First, they are united by a common language. They all speak Spanish. Yet that is like saying that the Australians, Brits, Indians, and North Americans all speak English. Yes, it is the same language, but the accent and many of the idioms and expressions make them quite different.  

A group of believers in the Dominican Republic

On our first visit to the Dominican Republic, I was lost.  I had been out of Latin America long enough that my Spanish was very rusty.  Added to that difficulty, the Dominicans blend their words together and speak rapidly.  When I was surrounded by the locals, I understood very little.  Mexico, on the other hand, was the easiest for us.  Was that because we've become more accustomed in the last couple years?  Perhaps.  But I think it's also because I hear more Mexican Spanish spoken here in the US than I do the other accents.

Second, they are all in the Western Hemisphere.  This is helpful to us since it does not cost as much for us to travel to these nations as it does to those on the opposite side of the world.  We can make two or three trips for the cost of one trip to Asia.

Third, we hope to visit all three of these countries this year, and in all three of these nations, IPM's missionaries are church planters.

Morning service in Cuernavaca, Mexico

We were privileged to visit Cuernavaca, Mexico, for the first time this year and see the church plant that Sergio and Alejandra Herrera have planted there.  As you see from the previous post, we were quite impressed by that church.  When they came together, they were excited to be there.  At night, the pastor had to shut the lights out in order to get them to leave.  On Sundays, they spent almost the entire day together.  Eagerness abounds in learning new things about God and in sharing those truths with others.  Although they will miss the Herreras when they return to their homeland of Chile, they are looking forward to the process of becoming completely independent.  

Teaching the children in Guatemala

In just a few days, we will be heading out to spend a month in a little town called Cerro Alto, about two hours outside of Guatemala City.  There we will be working with Giovanni and Barbara Avendano.  Giovanni is a Guatemalan who came to know Christ while he lived in California.  He has gone back to the town of his birth where he planted a church.  That church is vibrant and strong.  On a typical Sunday morning, there are over one hundred people there.  We know we will be involved in multiple ministries while we are there:  teaching teachers, training leaders, preaching and teaching on Sunday and Wednesday, and anything else the Avendanos need from us. 

Giovanni has a deep desire for his people to know Christ, so one church plant is just not enough.  When we were there, he had begun meetings in another town nearby.  A smaller group of about 30 were meeting there.  Then, sometime during the last two years, He has begun church plants in another nearby location.  His desire, like that of Paul’s, is that all men would come to know the truth.   

Students taking a quiz in the Bible institute

In October, we hope to head to the Dominican Republic to work with Enrique and Solanlly Mejia.  They have also started a church.  One difference with Enrique Mejia, however, is that he also has a thriving Bible institute where pastors and future pastors gather from all over the island to increase their knowledge and ability to use the Word of God effectively in their ministry.  

Fourth, our ministry will be in Spanish.  I will do all of my teaching in Spanish.  Over the past couple years, I have become much more comfortable doing this, but I still feel very inadequate.  I would greatly appreciate prayers for fluency, especially since I am often teaching new material every time I go.  

Preaching through a translator

Charlie teaches through a translator.  In Mexico, the translator that was available had never translated before.  His command of English was good, but translating in front of a group of people, some of whom also have an adequate command of English, was intimidating.  In the Dominican Republic and in Guatemala, the missionary men themselves do the translating.  Their command of English is excellent, and they do a great job of translating.

We are looking forward to the next month in Mexico.  There is still much to be done before we leave, but we are eager to go.

After Mexico

We are seated in the airport in Mexico City, waiting for our flight back to the U.S.  It has been a full week, but we feel blessed to have been a part of the life and work of our coworkers, Sergio and Alejandra Herrera and their family.  Sergio and his family, Chilean nationals, moved to Cuernavaca, Mexico, eleven years ago to plant a church.  We were witnessing a miracle of changed lives over the past decade.

We left the house on April 24 at 6:00 a.m. and arrived in Mexico City in the afternoon. Sergio met us and after a snack, we boarded a bus for a two hour ride, arriving at the home of our hosts at about 7:30 p.m. They had a meeting at church, so they left us in the house and headed out while we unpacked.

Friday morning and afternoon I studied while Charlie went to the church to help with construction.  Then on Friday night, we headed to church where I taught a class on “Training Warriors.”  In the meantime, Charlie hung out with the men and was present when Brother Sergio led a man to Christ.  On Saturday, we returned to church where I taught once again.  This time the subject was “Creating a Bible Lesson from Scratch.” 

After supper (at about 4:00 p.m.) we rested briefly and returned to church again that night.  The evening was for married couples, and Charlie taught on marriage with the help of Armando, a young man who translated for him.  It was his first time to translate.

On Sunday morning Charlie and I both taught Sunday School.  He taught the teens and adults and I taught the children.  When it was time for him to start teaching, Armando had not yet arrived, so the pastor’s daughter, Priscilla, was recruited to translate for him.  It was a good thing.  Had she been asked, she would have refused because she did not feel ready.  But since no one else was available, she did it. 

Right after Sunday School, it was time for lunch.  The families of the church take turns bringing lunch for everyone else.  After lunch, it was time for the main service. 

At the request of the Herrera’s, we brought Bibles.  Thanks to the generosity of the children of West Hampden Baptist Church and BEAMS, we loaded 56 Bibles into our luggage.  Sergio asked all of those who did not have a Bible to come forward, and we were surprised by how many came.  What a blessing it was to see them receive something essential for their spiritual growth.  (Charlie figured it out.  In the US, on minimum wage, it would take about two hours to have enough money to buy a good Bible.  In Mexico, it would take 2-3 days.)  In addition, we took a small Betty Lukens flannelgraph set as a gift for the church. This was purchased from moneys raised by the children of West Hampden Baptist Church at their Vacation Bible School last year.  Charlie preached that afternoon on “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.”  By this time, Armando had arrived and was ready to work.

On Monday, Brother Sergio took us and two men from the church to a town nearby that had a small pyramid on top of a hill.  We climbed the hill, took in the view and returned to Cuernavaca for supper.  That night, Charlie taught on the role of the deacon.  At the end, Charlie asked for questions and several questions were asked for clarification.  Then one of them said, “We don’t have a lot of questions yet because this is all new to us.”

We have been so blessed to have person after person tell us how our teaching helped them.  Several of them asked when we would return.  “When we are invited,” we responded.

And now we’re headed home again.  We look forward to being there again when the rest of the building is finished and that part is also filling up.