"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9)"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." (Mark 16:15)Well, I'm sitting in Guatemala City International Airport waiting to fly back to Houston, Texas. These mission trips never get old. I took my very first one at 20 years old to Brazil back in the year 2000. Wow, how so much has changed since then. I was still single, no kids, evangelized, was in a lot better shape, and was still trying to find God's path for my life. All I knew is I wanted to give my life to serve him. This trip was a bit different in that I have a family of my own now and I missed them very badly. I will be as transparent with you as to say I cried on my pillow my fist night in Guatemala. There is not enough space to write about all I saw and experienced. I literally have hundreds of pictures so I will just try to give you a quick recap of each day.
Day 1I left Monroe Airport with Michael Lewis at 6:30 A.M. to fly to Houston then to Guatemala City. Then we drove 5 hours up a mountain to get to San Cristobal, Alta Verapaz Guatemala. Now, this wasn't a very relaxing drive because the driving there scares the living day lights out of me! I was just glad I didn't find myself at the bottom of a mountain! Hello! Brakes people! We got to "El Meson" (The Inn) after dark where we settled.
Day 2I got a tour of the place then had a 9th grade Guatemalan kid work the living day lights out of me. I got a piece of what thier maintanence crew does. I pushed mowed (with a very poor mower) the entire property then the side of a mountain! Now Michael called it a big hill. I'm sorry-it was a mountain! That evening had a couple of Guatemlan youth take me to town for sight seeing and other things. Had a great home cooked Guatemlan supper that night. What I like about these people is that they are very family oriented. Son, is out working hard, mom and daughter working together in the home, and eating lots of home cooked meals. Sadly, a sight we don't see very much anymore in our culture.
Day 3Mike and I drove to the mountains to see a man who pastors one of his village churches. This is where it got me. I could not fight back the tears as we headed up a muddy road and saw first hand the poverty. I've been to Mexico numerous times, Brazil, Venezuela, Canada and I've never seen poverty like this. It broke my heart. I saw little girls my daughters age walking around bare footed in the wet, cold dirt. This particular day a got flu like syptoms and got chills and aching bones. We ate at the pastors house. This pastor grew up in the mountains and didn't have a pair of pants until he was 7 years old!!! His wife and daughter served us some nice soup, chicken, and mountain coffee. I froze the whole time! After a few hours, Mike took me back to the place where I could get into a hot bath. I was running fever so I really didn't need to do that but I was absolutely cold! I had time to check my email in his office and every part of the sickness began to leave me and it never came back! That night was the church service and Mike spoke out of Genesis. He talked about Kimmie's engagement to Ryan Walker. Since my Spanish isn't the best I understood very little. I heard it was good though! :)
Day 4I turned 30. (I know it hurts) There's nothing quite like waking up at 5 in the morning to singing and fire works. I walked outside to a herd of youth with a cake singing me Happy Birthday. Of course we invited them in and partied until 6:30 that morning.
I had the honor to minister to about 40 of Mike's staff from the school and church. I spoke to them about "Giving their lives to God, Family, and Others". It was an honor.
That night I went to a home where Guatemalan youth came and we had a bonfire. Man, I wish I knew you could have good ministry around a camp fire. God really moved. I shared from my heart through an interpretor for a while. God then gave me certain things to speak into some of thier lives. They each asked me a question and I answered. I then asked them each "What do you think God wants from your life"? I then asked the adults, "What is the greatest joy of parenting?" and "What is the greatest struggle?". A couple there poured out there heart. I felt led to pray with them so we did and the tears ran. They then came out with a homemade birthday cake with a candle on it. Such precious people. What a memorable birthday.
Day 5This just might have been my favorite day. I have a heart for the poor and that's who I got to go minister to. We loaded a small team and drove a ways up into the mountains. In Guatemala they have over 22 different indigenous tribes. We drove to where a particular tribe lived up in the mountains then hiked a short ways down a trail. The church I ministered in had dirt floors, pine benches and walls you could see through. I ministered with tons of kids in the church, doors opening and shutting because of the wind, and breast feeding momma's! Hallelujah! I spoke out of Matthew 11:28-30 about coming to Jesus with your burdens. I spoke on rest that he gives. There had to be two interpretors I had to go through. One in Spanish and the other had to speak a dialect they could understand. I prayed for the sick after I preached then we went to the church kitchen down the hill. Now, there church kitchen had dirt floors, a campfire they cooked over, and wood planks as walls. The Indian ladies cooked a soup, tamale's, and it was kickin! We had no utensi's or anything. We ate on a wood table and the kids found a place some where on the ground. After I ate, an Indian man provided me water out of a bucket to wash my hands. It was very humbling.
That night I bought some things for my wife, daughter, and nephew then jetted to the church for a youth service. I spoke to them about being examples and pursuing God with a passion. We had a very good service! Afterwards I went around with a brother dropping off the youth.
As I got ready for bed I thanked the family for taking such good care of me. The mother's statement to me touched my heart when she said, "Thank you for leaving your family and country to come to Guatemala." What a precious soul!
I had a good week just seeing the Lord during the morning hours and parts of the day. Trying to hear his voice and allow him to speak into me. His always willing to speak if we are always willing to listen.
Day 6Up at 4 A.M. and will leave out at 5 A.M. to make the long mountain ride. Right now I am sitting in the Guatemlan Airport ready to see the two most important people in my life-my wife and daughters.
Inn Ministries is the ministry Michael and LaTonya Lewis founded over 20 years ago. It is a church and a school that provides Christian education. I can't tell you how many times I heard the parents tell me they came to know Christ through thier kids coming to know Him first through the school. They run a church, have three other sister churches, outreaches, a school, and have over 50 paid staff that runs on a budget of only about $160, 000 a year! We will never be able to comprehend the price the Lewis's have paid to see this work happen. Missionaries are my hero's and they have always been. What great treasures await the Lewis family in heaven! Thank you Mike for allowing me to come with you on this memorable trip! I was able to get your ministry in my blood a bit more through this week. The relationships what were built, the sights of the enourmous mountains of Guatemala, and to be able to share the simple gospel of Jesus Christ with another people. They are apart of the body of Christ. They are a portion, they are our brothers and sisters!
Thank you for praying for me this week. I'm ready to see my family now and the youth I love at Family Church.
Be blessed,
Beck
