From the field in Guatemala!

Hola from the beautiful country of Guatemala! La Paz de Dios! May the peace of God be with you!

Well, I cannot speak Spanish, but it is fun learning a little here and there as we go. Practicing helps connect you to the locals, as they appear to appreciate when one tries, even if it is poorly!

So far we have been very blessed on this trip. As you may know this is a special place to my wife and I to visit since we have a son that lives down here as a full time missionary. On this particular trip our son Bruce was also able to join us.  As administrator of your Foreign Mission it is good to visit countries so I can report back to the Foreign Mission Board of the happenings on the ground, as well as to get the know the people from the heart that I am in constant contact with from my office.

I would just like to share with you briefly what the typical weekend here is like for Ryan,  Lynn Wirkkala,  Pastor Solomon,  our faithful translator Vivian Salguero, and other church members. On Saturday, after getting ready, it is off to Peitro Azules for a church service.

This place is about an hour or so away. The travel there is not too bad, much better than some other countries I have visited.

However, since several are making the trip, the truck or trucks are usually so full that the box is also full of people. It is best to get to the location of the church early enough so one can walk through the village and ask new people to come to church. The village that the church is in is very poor, and walking along the cement or dirt paths, leads you from tin hut to adobe houses, and maybe an occasionally block house. These are usually one room with blankets hung for dividers inside.


These treks through the villages are an experience all in itself. Here one learns that happiness does not depend on possessions. In these poor environments there is all manner of people, and they cannot be lumped into one group. One thing is for sure, when walking through the poor villages here or anywhere in the world, do not go as one would in a zoo; to see what you can see, but rather go as Jesus would, looking to share His love!

Once the service begins, (which may or not be on time, as exact timing is more of an American phenomenon) the service if very similar to what we are used to in the USA.

The singing is seldom accompanied by an organ or a keyboard due to lack of money for such, and lack of players. Usually a guitar is used since this is the instrument that is available more people know how to play. There are the prayers and a sermon or two. On this particular Saturday, I had the sermon which Ryan translated and then one of the very old pastors from the village had a message also. Afterward, 95 year old Pastor Ernesto had the prayer and songs at the end.

We then packed (instruments, speakers, etc) into the truck and were off to the next service. We stopped at a bread store along the way for a quick hot piece of bread. The church at Juan Ponce is twenty minutes away. The church is currently just a thatched roof which is now inside the future ALC church in this village. It is off the main road a few minutes on very poor village trails. Here the process of unloading and setting up starts all over again. The service here has the same format except Vivian translated.

After the service, load everything up again and head back to Zacapa. After this kind of a day one is exhausted. Once a year is hard work, but these faithful servants down here do it week after week all year long. Believe me; faith is being lived out here in Guatemala.

On Sunday, Sunday school starts at 9:30. When Ryan showed up at 8AM to pick us up, I thought he was crazy. Boy was I wrong, because by the time the multiple trips with the truck to the villages were done, the last of the children arrived exactly on time at 9:30. They have several classes into which the children are divided. Sunday school is similar to ours in the states and lasts about the same length of time.
The Worship service begins at 10:30. The format is the same as above. There were about 50 or so people including the children. The text was Isaiah Chapter 12 but a lot of the sermon was about Jesus and the woman at the well. I pray that the people were fed and nourished, and that our Lord was glorified. After church starts the returning of the people to the villages and homes.

This process is finally over about 1PM.

I know that this article is too long,  but at the same time, if ones gets tired reading this, imagine how tiring this work is week after week for years on end. Please pray for our missionaries down here in Guatemala. Lift them up and encourage them. Do not discount what they do, and do not think these souls in Guatemala are not worthy of hearing the Gospel.

Jesus loves each soul here in Guatemala and around the world! He died for them! Please help the Foreign Mission to continue the work in His Kingdom! Your prayers and action are most coveted as the FM endeavors to be obedient to the word of our Lord when He said “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Remember, this is just a two day snapshot of what goes on every weekend. The weeks are very busy as well with other church events and other acts of love that must be done because that is what Jesus would do!

May God Bless you and thanks for reading!

JR