Faith in a Foreign Land

Hello all from Guatemala! We’ve already been here for a week and time has surely flown by! This is my second cross-cultural missions experience and it has really opened up my eyes to the fact that there are spiritual needs wherever we may go. It has been fulfilling to see my fellow LIFT brothers and sisters, as well as the Students International staff show the love of Christ to the people that they are serving. I pray that God will continue to allow us to display His love to all we encounter after this trip.

There are four of us (Tim, Matt W., Marcos and me) staying at the home of Augustine and Maria here in Magdalena, and they have been amazing hosts so far. Augustine and Maria run a bakery out of their home, which helps provide their income. Staying with them are their daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. Their beautiful home is like no place I have stayed at before. Most of the interior of the house is an open area with no roof. On the perimeter of the house, there are rooms for the kitchen and the living room. Upstairs are a few bedrooms as well as the bathroom and shower.

On the weekdays, we have worked at ministry sites throughout the community. I have been lucky enough to be a part of the tutoring site, where I help out with a vacation bible school program, since this is summer vacation time for school children. This consists of songs, bible lessons, crafts, and snacks. My group consists of the 3^rd and 4^th graders, who have a good amount of energy! Though I speak little Spanish, I have gotten plenty of hugs and high-fives. We also get to take part in home visits, where we visit the homes of our students to see how their families are doing, as well as getting the chance to pray for them. Our site leader, Raquel, really has a servant’s heart full of love for her students as well as the Lord. I am so blessed to have worked with her and I know she will continue to do great things.

Since we’ve been here, we’ve been going through a study on Daniel and his life in a foreign land. His example inspires us to remember that while we are miles from home, we still have a duty to serve and glorify God and that our sovereign Lord is in total control. I pray that the Lord would continue to open our hearts and lead us to be who He has called us to be. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

-Luke Warner