Hello from Guatemala!

I write this slightly in jest because I am currently sitting at my computer in my home office in Cascade, Iowa on Friday afternoon.  However by the time you read this on Thursday (or after) I will be in Guatemala City, Guatemala serving alongside brothers and sisters in Christ.  I have my packing nearly done and am ready to fly out tomorrow morning.  The more I think about it the more excited I get.

Guatemala, which is in Central America, was at one time the heart of the ancient Mayan civilization.  It is often called “the land of eternal spring”.  This translates into us most likely having a very wet experience while there according to the weather report.  Guatemala is known for its mountains, active volcanos, and many earthquakes (an average of 3000 per year).  It is a geographically rich and captivating place.

I look forward to learning more about the country and experiencing some of its beauty while there, but none of the above is why I go to Guatemala.  I also don’t go to have fun, to play with poor children, to hand out toothbrushes or to see poverty first hand.   Will I experience some of this while there?  Most certainly, but if these activities were my focus and my reason for going I would be sorely misled in my walk with Christ and disappointed in whatever results I was hoping to achieve while there. 

The only reason to go on a mission trip is out of obedience to a call God has placed on your heart and in order to proclaim his name through the testimony of the gospel.  All we do must be centered on Christ (Colossians 1:16) and for his glory and not our own (1 Corinthians 10:31).

We want to be like those from the church at Macedonia.  They were sending gifts to be given to those in need.  Paul was commending them to the Corinthians.  In 2 Corinthians 8:5 he says, “and this not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”  The order is very important here.  We must first give ourselves to the Lord, being fully his and at his disposal for usefulness.  Then in obedience to him, we give of ourselves to others.

If our focus was to just “do good” the best we could hope for would be to place a Band-Aid on broken hearts headed for destruction.  We then would walk away back to our lives of comfort feeling smug about our “goodness”.  Our “help” would be fleeting, forgotten and utterly pointless.

However, if we go to share the undiluted, unadulterated, and straight from the Word of God gospel of Truth to those same hurting hearts we can make an eternal difference in their lives.  Let me rephrase that, God can use us as conduits of his powerful Word as he changes those hearts into hearts that beat for him for eternity.  Then all glory goes to him alone.  We return home humbled by what God has allowed us to be a part of, deepening our love for him.

Guatemala is a country with many confused people in it.  Many claim to be Christian yet have no idea who Jesus is and what he did for them on the cross.  Most have blended Mayan traditions with Catholic practices making for a very unique worship style that is not God-honoring.  The Devil has had his way, twisting the word of God and making Guatemalans think they need to earn God’s favor instead of it being a free gift.

This angers me and saddens me.  There is only one, true gospel.  Jesus proclaimed it himself, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.  Only through Christ can we be redeemed and it is “not a result of works, so that no one may boast” Ephesians 2:9.  We go to Guatemala to boast in Christ alone, to point others to his perfect gift of grace.  To speak the true gospel of Jesus as Paul did, tolerating no other teaching.  “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8

We are blessed to be able to share Christ in homes, schools, and garbage dumps while in Guatemala.  The team and I appreciate your prayers so much.  In doing this you share in what God is doing while we are there. 

Ladies, wherever you are, I enCOURAGE you to give yourself fully to the Lord first and then allow him to use you to share the one true gospel with others.