God Moments all around the volcano
Cherene, Kaleb, Savanna, and myself flew to Guatemala on May 31st and will be in Guatemala the month of June.
We arrived two days ahead of our first short-term mission team of the summer. Always good to see old friends and ministry partners. We were able to see and connect with many of them over our first week.
The first week was full of adventure, surprises, God-moments, and full-circle moments that can only be ordained by our Father.
The group arrived late Saturday night, and we started off our week with an early worship service at a new church plant in a community near Antigua. After the service and lunch, we took off with the team to visit with our longest pastor / church partner. While we were on the way to this other community, the cloud of ash from the volcano eruption began to spread and eventually caught up to us. It was a crazy experience to go through. Two older Guatemalan friends, told us they had never experienced such a wide spread of ash, and for it to fall from the clouds like mud. The Lord really protected us, and we were quickly able to turn around and make our way back to the mission house.
It took most of the rest of Sunday for us to learn the full extent of the damage caused by the eruptions, and to clearly understand the areas in greatest danger. We knew we were in a safe area, but the news kept coming in on the severity of the damage and the communities in the path of danger.
(Let me take a break in the update to let you know, we were safe from great danger, we are safe from danger, and we were able to and will continue to as opportunity allows to serve those affected by and displaced because of the eruption.) "Is it missions or disaster relief?" After these last 12 months, I don't know if I know the difference.
The affects of the eruption had a big affect on our schedule, but as the days went on we found out that each change in the schedule turned out to be a God ordained plan full of God Moments.
Because we could not reach Pastor Apolinario on Sunday, we re-arranged our Monday and Tuesday to spend more time with him in his community. We were able to prayer walk, make home visits and spend time encouraging Firemen who were called out on Sunday to go into the heavily damaged areas to look for survivors. Mid-day Monday our ministry host and pastor partner (Luis Castillo) was asked if we could come serve some of the displaced families in an evacuation shelter on Wednesday.
Because we were invited to come to the evacuation shelter with our ministry partner, Luis, we were able to drive right up to the community hosting many displaced families, and the community that the government was using as the command center for the disaster planning. This is also the location of the largest distribution center that the government established. (Three days after the eruption, families who lost everything were still being brought in and were being processed into the shelters). The little town of normally 10,000 people was now overflowing with 30,000 including army, volunteers, and government appointed coordinators for the disaster. It was a crazy scene.
Our team was allowed in, and we spent the morning playing with the children and praying with the adults. The team helped serve lunch to everyone in one of the shelters. While we were waiting for instructions regarding lunch distribution, Cherene ran into a group of Americans that came to work with YWAM that was asked to help through the afternoon and evening hours. It turns out that their leader is an old friend of mine from Ponchatula, Louisiana. He and I did ministry together over 19 years ago in school assemblies and youth. I believe he may be a connector for Luis who ministers to schools in Guatemala with Gospel centered character classes and needs people to help. Wow what a surprise for both of us, but we will see what God ordains from this "random" meet up.
After we left the shelter, we went to check on a family who works with one of our ministry partners in the dump in Guatemala. We found the family at home, and introduced ourselves. However, after talking with them for a few minutes we discovered that they had been without supplies and food for a few days. I remembered that a pastor friend of ours in a church nearby was collecting supplies for volcano victims. The church was full of supplies so we loaded up three boxes full of food and supplies for this family.
(God connection with a full circle surprise.)
*Remember our schedule was altered because of the eruption, instead of spending Tuesday and Wednesday with our friend/ministry in the city we were now going to spend Thursday with them. And because of the schedule change we were able to gather supplies for this family who works part-time for them. My friend who we would now spend Thursday with, is the first person I worked with in Guatemala so many years ago.
*As we were asking the family about their needs for supplies they mentioned to us that someone in the ministry had passed away. We were unaware at the time that it was the son/nephew of the people with whom we were originally going to serve with the beginning of the week.
*The pastor in the community we got the supplies from, years ago used to teach the son of my friend. He knew the connection to this family in need and our friend. He told us about the accident that the son had, and let us know that the funeral for the son was on that very day. This pastor also happens to be a great friend of our family, and one of the reasons the youth pastor of this group had brought his team to Guatemala, because he served as an interpreter for many of our teams in past years, all of whom spent time with the friend who's son had just passed.
*From that first trip years ago, now through a church partnership through our host Luis, to the former interpreter/teacher now pastor. To the youth pastor for this team, and to this family in need of supplies and love. All the way back to my friend who helped introduce me to so many friends in Guatemala who just buried her only son. God was in control through every step, and put together a better schedule for the team that would allow the right encouragement for the right people on just the right day.
(Let us give thanks and praise for the full circle moments)
On Thursday we took the group to Guatemala city to work with our friend. It was a great day of loving on kids, singing with them, sharing scripture with them, and encouraging the teachers. Of course we took time to pray over all of them. Savanna even assembled two cabinets for the bed baby room. To our great surprise, my friend came to work that day. (The day after the funeral of her son) We all hugged on her and prayed over her. It was a good day, a very emotional day. It was evident to all who were there that the Love of Christ constrains all of us to do things beyond our own abilities.
The team's last day was Friday, we did home visits in the community of Luis church plant, and we were all encouraged though conversations and out time of prayer with each person. We ended the day with youth service at Luis church together with the team. It was a wonderful worship service and a good time of fellowship with the students of this growing young church. A great way to end the week for the team.
God is doing great things for Kingdom Footprint and through this ministry of encouraging the pastors. You are a huge part of this ministry. Thank you for encouraging Cherene and I as we listen to the Father and follow Him to the next relationship/partner of impact that will leave an Eternal Footprint for the Kingdom.
