July 2019 Newsletter

The past two months have been a whirlwind for us.  We ended our school year in early May and the next day flew to Virginia to attend a homeschool conference.  When that ended we flew home to Mississippi for a few weeks of vacation.  We returned to Guatemala in early June and four days later hosted a volunteer team from South Carolina.  Four days after the team left we flew to Panama for a time of training with our fellow IMB colleagues who serve among indigenous people in the Americas. How is it July already?  Our first prayer request would be for some much needed rest before we start another busy month of ministry. We had a wonderful time serving alongside this team from First Baptist Church Mount Pleasant, SC.  This church has been partnered with the Chorti work for the past seven years.  This was their first team to work in a different location.  We spent two days in the Mazatenango area and one day near Retalhuleu.  We did door to door visitation and children's ministry.  We had a great week and the gospel was shared with many.  Pray that God would continue to work in the hearts of the people there and draw them to himself. Shortly after our team left we flew to Panama for some training.  We spent the week learning how to better share the Gospel with those we are trying to reach. Our focus was oral chronological Bible storying. Our theme for the conference was taken from John 14.6.  We learned stories specifically focused on the way, the truth, and the life.  Pray for each of us as we return to our work areas and begin sharing these stories with our people.  Pray that God would use them to touch the hearts of the people and show them their need for a Savior. Pray that indigenous workers all over the Americas would be spirit filled as they enter communities and proclaim the truth of the Gospel to those who need to hear it. We are so thankful for the IMB and the way they provide solid training for us and guide us in the missionary task.  We are thankful for fellowship times with our colleagues and being able to share our stories with each other and learn from each other.   It was a great reminder that we are not alone and we all serve together.  You, as Southern Baptists, make that possible and you serve alongside us as well through your giving and prayers.  Thank you for the great way you support your sent out ones. While the adults were in training sessions every day our kids were blessed by a group from Immanuel Baptist Church in Shawnee, Oklahoma who led VBS for them.  They poured into our kids helping plant seeds of the gospel in their precious hearts.  What a blessing they were to not only the kids but the parents as well. It is refreshing for the MKs to be with other kids who speak their heart language and understand their role of living cross culturally.  The bond that they have with each other you just cannot describe.

It was our first visit to Panama so we went a few days early to do some exploring with the boys.  One of our highlights was getting to visit the Panama Canal.  We studied canals in school this past year so I could not pass up the chance for them to see it in person.  It was way more exciting than I had anticipated and I am thankful that we had the opportunity to experience it together as a family.  We will host two volunteer teams in July.  Our first team will be from LifePark Church in Mt. Pleasant, SC, July 7-13. This is another church who for the past four years has worked with us in the Chorti area.  This will be their first team to go to a new area.  We will be partnering them with a few Baptist churches in the Antigua area working alongside national pastors doing evangelism and community outreach.  Pray for a fruitful week and that we would leave the national pastors and congregations with a greater desire to share Christ with their neighbors. We will host another team from FBC Ozona, Texas, July 20-27.  This team will be lead by retired IMB missionaries Mark and Debby Fricke.  They will be working in the Departments of Zacapa and Chiquimula doing evangelism and school outreach.  Pray that we would be an encouragement to the pastors that we will partner with.  Pray for the church leaders to be strengthened and for a spirit of unity to fall on these areas.  Pray that God would touch the hearts of the school kids and teachers and that many would give their lives to Him. Want to serve with us in the future?  We would love to talk with you about ways your church can be on mission with us here in Guatemala.  We will be kicking off our new school year at the end of the month.  Pray for me over the next few weeks as I get things prepared and ready.  It will be our fifth year of homeschooling.  I praise God for his faithfulness in equipping me in the task.  Many of you have prayed me through these years and I ask your continued prayers as we begin again.