During the day traveling home, team members who hadn't yet blogged this week took time to reflect on all the Lord did and taught them throughout the week in Guatemala. You can see the powerful ways He worked in and through and around everyone in their responses below. It is also worth it to go and read from the first day of the trip through the end of this post to see the many ways God was working throughout the week!
Also, a big thank you to all who prayed along with us on the trip! We praise the Lord for His faithfulness and for the opportunity to be part of His work among the nations! May His name be glorified to the ends of the earth!
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
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| Gerry and Pat |
From Gerry – HCS Admin, Trip Leader:
God provided another great and encouraging mission trip. My encouragement came from seeing many people sharing the good news of Jesus as we went to many homes in the village. In the homes where there were believers, it was good to share testimonies of all that God has done in their lives.
It was exciting to hear people asking people if they are going to heaven or not, and then sharing Bible verses on how a person can go to heaven. When everything is considered, there isn't any question more important to answer than this question.
How I pray that each and every person on the team will continue to talk with people about the good news of Jesus in the mission field in Bozeman that we call home.
From Pat:
What stood out:
- Our plans are not always God's plans, evidenced by Gerry and me getting to Cuilapa two days later than planned.
- Fears, heartaches and sorrows are universal. It doesn't matter if you live in a four bedroom suburban home or a one room tin and wood hovel on a hillside. Fear because, while your husband is in Atlanta looking for work, you're struggling through a difficult 6th pregnancy. Heartache because your son disappeared a week ago and no one knows where he is. Sorrow because your mother died last month and you've been quite sick.
- Being able to speak God's truth into those fears, heartaches and sorrows.
- Having the privilege of sharing the reason Jesus came to a man who said he had never heard.
- Realizing anew (as we should every day!) that there are people daily stepping into eternity without Jesus. And no matter where we are - in a mountainside village in Guatemala or on our own city streets, we must show them Jesus.
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Mr. Stomprud and students doing song
motions with the kids!
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From Marc - HCS Admin, Trip Leader:
While in Guatemala, God reminded me that ministry and life is about people. We get so caught up in tasks and busy-ness of life. Jesus, however, was always intent on touching others. I want to be like that and seek ways to serve others and share Christ with them.
I loved getting to know the students, parents, missionaries, and translators. They all showed the love of Jesus to others. Our students and chaperones served with joy. They played with and loved little children. They used Spanish as much as they could. They shared their testimonies with strangers.
All this to say, God is showing me and challenging me to continue to get out of my comfort zone and focus on loving others.
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| Landa |
From Landa - HCS Spanish Teacher, Trip Leader:
I am blessed to be on my 5th mission trip with Heritage students. Guatemala has been beautiful, colorful, and culture-rich, in many ways very much like Nicaragua. The villages in which we had the opportunity to minister, Los Chilitos and “The 46”, were hidden in the hills among the bougainvillea bushes and dusty dirt paths. Children and their toddler siblings ran free up and down the rocky hills, looking for the Gringo students who would play with them. For me, these trips have become somewhat easier as there is a certain pattern to how our days go, and yet the Lord always has a new lesson for me, for all of us. This trip reminded me that the Lord has deep love for all people and we are so blessed to be able to tell people about it. But it also showed me how unpracticed I am at the art of sharing the good news in a logical, consistent and effective manner. It was good for me to be reminded that the Lord is the One working, His Spirit is the One working in my imperfect delivery of the good news...but also that I need to be faithful to know the Word well enough to share it responsibly, with clarity. It is also beautiful to see how the Lord takes a team of people with their different gifts and puts them to work together in unity, bringing out the words an individual needs to hear by way of team effort...through both translators and Gringos. It is a gift to be invited into the lives and homes of strangers and to share stories together and to bring God’s love to one another.
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| Amber with Guatemala Trek-X missionaries Cathleen and Tim |
From Amber - Former HCS AD/Now Serves Full Time with Trek-X:
What a privilege to reunite with Heritage students and families for this mission trip! Such a tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness and weaving different relationships together over time in ministry! :) I am also so thankful for the Trek-X missionaries, translators, and believers we served with in Guatemala, as well as the many people in the villages who we were able to get to know and to share the gospel with. It was my 9th time to Central America and God is always growing and stretching me with each opportunity to serve Him.
From the many opportunities to share the gospel this week, to conversations with team members, and during devotion times, the Lord brought a constant theme to the forefront. I have been recently studying the book of Acts and the Lord constantly brought to light on this trip that we are given the Holy Spirit for the divine purpose of being His WITNESSES to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). We talked on the trip about how "If you aren't fishing, you aren't following," based off of Matthew 4:19 where Jesus says, "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men." There is no evidence in Scripture of a Christian who isn’t making disciples. It should be the natural overflow of all who walk with Christ, not just on a one week trip but every single day of our lives. My prayer for my life and everyone who served on this trip is that our lives would be worthy of imitating as we follow Jesus, and that we would make disciples who make disciples who make disciples until He returns or calls us home!
What a privilege to reunite with Heritage students and families for this mission trip! Such a tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness and weaving different relationships together over time in ministry! :) I am also so thankful for the Trek-X missionaries, translators, and believers we served with in Guatemala, as well as the many people in the villages who we were able to get to know and to share the gospel with. It was my 9th time to Central America and God is always growing and stretching me with each opportunity to serve Him.
From the many opportunities to share the gospel this week, to conversations with team members, and during devotion times, the Lord brought a constant theme to the forefront. I have been recently studying the book of Acts and the Lord constantly brought to light on this trip that we are given the Holy Spirit for the divine purpose of being His WITNESSES to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). We talked on the trip about how "If you aren't fishing, you aren't following," based off of Matthew 4:19 where Jesus says, "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men." There is no evidence in Scripture of a Christian who isn’t making disciples. It should be the natural overflow of all who walk with Christ, not just on a one week trip but every single day of our lives. My prayer for my life and everyone who served on this trip is that our lives would be worthy of imitating as we follow Jesus, and that we would make disciples who make disciples who make disciples until He returns or calls us home!
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| Alex (on the guitar) |
Alex - Senior, Student Leader:
This trip was so amazing, I learned so much and met so many incredible people who are just on fire for the Lord. This was my second year in a row where I had the privilege to go to Central America and spread the Word of God. This year in Guatemala, Taylor, Stephen, and I took up more of a leadership role which was an amazing opportunity. We could see many different ways that the Lord was working during this trip. I grew personally in my walk with the Lord and I could also see many of the Juniors on the trip become more mature in their walk with the Lord. Most of this trip was spent at the churches doing VBS, and also door to door Evangelizing throughout the villages that were nearby. Door to Door was my personal favorite thing that we did. Knowing what happens to us after we die is so convicting and I don’t want anybody to be separated from the Lord Jesus Christ for ETERNITY. Door to door can be scary, but we have to do it, everybody needs to know the truth. The hard part about trips like this is that we have to be willing to come back and continue spreading the Word. What a lot of people do not realize is that people in the states need God just as much as in third world countries. We have so much more then they do, but all of our possessions have no meaning when we are talking about eternity. This was such a blessed trip, and God worked in so many amazing ways. We just ask for your prayer for the people that we came in contact with because most of them did not react immediately, but the Word of God has been planted in their hearts. Please pray that God will grow that seed in their heart and that person will come to know the Lord, and eventually go out and encourage more people to come to know God. Thank you for all of your support and prayers while we were Gospel Bombing in Guatemala!
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| Stephen |
From Stephen - Senior, Student Leader:
This year’s trip to Guatemala was really special, and Christ did a lot in my heart and relationship with Him! I was super encouraged by the translators and pastors who helped lead us along the way, and I know God will continue to plant seeds and work through them in the future. My biggest takeaway from this trip is all of the evangelism we got to do door to door and in churches! God truly spoke through us in sharing the gospel with the people of Guatemala, and it was incredibly encouraging to see two people accept Christ as their Savior, and I’m sure others were convicted and saved along the way. God has really grown my heart for missions over my last few missions trips, and this trip was a real eye opener for me. Wherever it may be, I believe God has called me into full term missions to share His gospel with the world, and I am excited to see where He leads me in the future. When I get back to the states, I plan to be more intentional about representing Christ in my life wherever I go, and I pray that I will take advantage of the doors God opens for me to share the good news with people in Bozeman. As it is my last year in high school, I plan to look into long term overseas programs such as Trek-X to hopefully get more involved in sharing the gospel with those who have never heard. I don’t know where or what God has called me into yet, but this trip has encouraged me to be a more active Christian and has opened my eyes to the desperate need for Jesus all around the world. This was a very fruitful trip, and I know God will be faithful to work in the future heritage missions trips! ... El Fin.
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| Avery |
From Avery - Junior:
The trip to Guatemala was such a learning experience for everyone, full of growth and love. I enjoyed every aspect of this trip, but there was one moment in particular that stood out to me.
On Monday, the last full day of the trip, we went to Los Chilitos in the afternoon, in order to continue sharing the word of God to the villagers. A small group of us were assigned to go to the water well in the village and talk with the women and children there that would be continuously filling up their water jugs.
As we were there talking with one lady, I noticed a woman standing to the side of the group, listening intently, but not joining into the conversation. After we had finished our previous conversation, we went up to this woman to chat with her about Jesus. She was interested in what we had to say, and was really engaged in the conversation. Amber and the translator asked her about her life and about what she believed. The woman had believed that good works were the key to getting into heaven. We asked if we could show her what the Bible says about it being only through Jesus.
After we had explained this to the woman, we asked her how she felt like the Lord was leading her to respond to His Word. She said she knew she needed to follow Jesus and to trust Him. We were so happy for her, and overwhelmed with joy. As a group, we prayed with her and she prayed as well.
This experience was truly amazing to witness. It is so awesome to see how the Lord works in the lives of those around us, even when we don’t notice.
From Eli - Junior:
Wow! What an amazing trip! The Lord really grew me over the course of it. Starting in the village of Los Chilitos, I saw how almost all of the kids where very impoverished. But, to them, it didn't even matter. The amount of joy and energy that they had blew me away, and when we talked to them about the gospel, the same joy and energy carried through. On the following day, the team visited another village known as "the 46." Here, we did some door to door evangelism. This was my first experience with this concept, and I'll admit, I was nervous. But by the second house, I was all in. I could feel the Lord working in me to take away the doubt and nervousness I felt. It was pure joy to be able to share the gift of eternal life to the people of the villages.
The trip to Guatemala was such a learning experience for everyone, full of growth and love. I enjoyed every aspect of this trip, but there was one moment in particular that stood out to me.
On Monday, the last full day of the trip, we went to Los Chilitos in the afternoon, in order to continue sharing the word of God to the villagers. A small group of us were assigned to go to the water well in the village and talk with the women and children there that would be continuously filling up their water jugs.
As we were there talking with one lady, I noticed a woman standing to the side of the group, listening intently, but not joining into the conversation. After we had finished our previous conversation, we went up to this woman to chat with her about Jesus. She was interested in what we had to say, and was really engaged in the conversation. Amber and the translator asked her about her life and about what she believed. The woman had believed that good works were the key to getting into heaven. We asked if we could show her what the Bible says about it being only through Jesus.
After we had explained this to the woman, we asked her how she felt like the Lord was leading her to respond to His Word. She said she knew she needed to follow Jesus and to trust Him. We were so happy for her, and overwhelmed with joy. As a group, we prayed with her and she prayed as well.
This experience was truly amazing to witness. It is so awesome to see how the Lord works in the lives of those around us, even when we don’t notice.
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| Eli |
From Eli - Junior:
Wow! What an amazing trip! The Lord really grew me over the course of it. Starting in the village of Los Chilitos, I saw how almost all of the kids where very impoverished. But, to them, it didn't even matter. The amount of joy and energy that they had blew me away, and when we talked to them about the gospel, the same joy and energy carried through. On the following day, the team visited another village known as "the 46." Here, we did some door to door evangelism. This was my first experience with this concept, and I'll admit, I was nervous. But by the second house, I was all in. I could feel the Lord working in me to take away the doubt and nervousness I felt. It was pure joy to be able to share the gift of eternal life to the people of the villages.
Overall, I thank the Lord for the work He did through and in us on the trip. There is always a "spiritual high" when one comes off of a missions trip, but I pray that I may be able to ride that "high" for the rest of my life. Being able to share the gospel and my testimony to strangers on this trip has really knocked down the walls I had put up for myself when it came to sharing the gospel with strangers here in the states. I thank the Lord for what He has done and I pray that I can take what I have learned and apply it to life here at home.
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Hudson (black shirt) fellowshipping
with other team members
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From Hudson - Junior
In Guatemala, I saw God working in many mighty ways! I was very blessed to hear the testimonies of the pastors and missionaries there. It was amazing to see how God brought the pastors out of a life of sin, drew them to Himself and completely turned their lives around! It showed me the immensity of God’s power and that He is working all over the world. It was also inspiring to see how God brought the missionaries to Himself, drew their hearts to missions, and sent them to and provided for them in Guatemala. God worked in a different but amazing way in each of their lives, and I can't wait to let God use my life in whatever way He chooses! I saw God work in the hearts of the team and the people in Guatemala. There were two locals who were saved and many who heard about the gospel! Also, I grew in my friendship with team members and most importantly, was drawn closer to Christ through this trip. One thing God has shown me through this trip is contentment. Many of the people there didn't even own shoes. They were poor, but they were still extremely joyful. Another thing God showed me is to trust His plan. We had a number of things not go according to the plan. The first day our flight was delayed a day, and we had multiple bus troubles on Sunday. But from this trip, I have become better equipped and have an urgency to share the gospel. As a result of that, I will share the gospel with family and friends who are not saved and reconnect with old friends to see how they are doing spiritually and ask how I can pray for them. I will also seek out opportunities to be mentored and mentor other people. I will be a witness for Christ wherever I am and seek to give Him all the glory!
In Guatemala, I saw God working in many mighty ways! I was very blessed to hear the testimonies of the pastors and missionaries there. It was amazing to see how God brought the pastors out of a life of sin, drew them to Himself and completely turned their lives around! It showed me the immensity of God’s power and that He is working all over the world. It was also inspiring to see how God brought the missionaries to Himself, drew their hearts to missions, and sent them to and provided for them in Guatemala. God worked in a different but amazing way in each of their lives, and I can't wait to let God use my life in whatever way He chooses! I saw God work in the hearts of the team and the people in Guatemala. There were two locals who were saved and many who heard about the gospel! Also, I grew in my friendship with team members and most importantly, was drawn closer to Christ through this trip. One thing God has shown me through this trip is contentment. Many of the people there didn't even own shoes. They were poor, but they were still extremely joyful. Another thing God showed me is to trust His plan. We had a number of things not go according to the plan. The first day our flight was delayed a day, and we had multiple bus troubles on Sunday. But from this trip, I have become better equipped and have an urgency to share the gospel. As a result of that, I will share the gospel with family and friends who are not saved and reconnect with old friends to see how they are doing spiritually and ask how I can pray for them. I will also seek out opportunities to be mentored and mentor other people. I will be a witness for Christ wherever I am and seek to give Him all the glory!
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| Kami (on left) with Taylor |
From Kami - Junior:
During this trip God truly showed me His grace, patience and love. God longs for all to come to Him so that they may know Him, be saved, and have eternal life with Him. He patiently waits for us. He loves us even though we don’t deserve it. And He is gracious when we come to Him; no matter what we have done in life He willingly accepts us.
Mitch, one of the missionaries, told us his testimony and talked on Matthew 25 about the separation of the sheep and the goats on our last night in Guatemala. It truly convicted me. One day we will stand before God and our sins will be judged. What we do in this life matters, the decisions we make matter, especially the decision of accepting God into our hearts. That decision will decide whether we will have eternal life with Christ or be eternally condemned. That is why it so important to go and share the Gospel! These peoples lives are at stake. I realized if we are not willing to go share with people who have never heard the gospel they will have no chance to have eternal life with God. I thought of people in my life who I loved so much that have not accepted Christ as their Savior, and it made me so sad. I couldn’t bear the thought that I might not see them in Heaven one day.
The passion Mitch had about the importance of sharing the gospel convicted me and made me so much more passionate to share with those around me the amazing gift of salvation we can have in Christ. Mitch told us that two people came to Christ while we were there. It filled me with such joy. And made me realize we have such an amazing hope in God. There is still time to share with those who haven’t heard the Gospel and there is time for them to come to Christ. We need to go and share that with them!
I am so thankful we were able to go to Guatemala and share the Gospel with the people there. This trip has made me more passionate to share the Gospel. As I go home I want to show Christ’s love, and share the amazing gift he has given us. I look forward to what God has in store!
During this trip God truly showed me His grace, patience and love. God longs for all to come to Him so that they may know Him, be saved, and have eternal life with Him. He patiently waits for us. He loves us even though we don’t deserve it. And He is gracious when we come to Him; no matter what we have done in life He willingly accepts us.
Mitch, one of the missionaries, told us his testimony and talked on Matthew 25 about the separation of the sheep and the goats on our last night in Guatemala. It truly convicted me. One day we will stand before God and our sins will be judged. What we do in this life matters, the decisions we make matter, especially the decision of accepting God into our hearts. That decision will decide whether we will have eternal life with Christ or be eternally condemned. That is why it so important to go and share the Gospel! These peoples lives are at stake. I realized if we are not willing to go share with people who have never heard the gospel they will have no chance to have eternal life with God. I thought of people in my life who I loved so much that have not accepted Christ as their Savior, and it made me so sad. I couldn’t bear the thought that I might not see them in Heaven one day.
The passion Mitch had about the importance of sharing the gospel convicted me and made me so much more passionate to share with those around me the amazing gift of salvation we can have in Christ. Mitch told us that two people came to Christ while we were there. It filled me with such joy. And made me realize we have such an amazing hope in God. There is still time to share with those who haven’t heard the Gospel and there is time for them to come to Christ. We need to go and share that with them!
I am so thankful we were able to go to Guatemala and share the Gospel with the people there. This trip has made me more passionate to share the Gospel. As I go home I want to show Christ’s love, and share the amazing gift he has given us. I look forward to what God has in store!
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| Nathan |
From Nathan - Junior:
I spent the past 6 days of my life in Guatemala. Here I learned and grew a lot. I even grew much closer to the team than before the trip. I learned about the culture and a lot of Spanish. I also learned a lot about God and grew spiritually. He showed me what a grateful heart and good attitude looks like. He also showed me how I can love Him even more.
The people of Guatemala were all so grateful for what they did have. Some children didn't even have shoes but that didn't stop them from having a great time playing soccer or any other activity. The kids were also all so much fun and ended up putting so many smiles on our faces. The translators were also so much fun and I will miss them all very much.
I grew a lot spiritually this trip and love God much more than before I came. This came mainly through the pastors and hearing different testimonies, even testimonies from people on our own team. Many of the believers in Guatemala had difficult childhoods but still grew to love God and have a great attitude. The pastor we listened to on Sunday was very engaging and powerful and really made me think about my faith.
I will miss Guatemala very much, including the warm weather. I'm so glad that I went on this trip and can't wait until next year. This trip had such a big impact on my life and I have grown in many ways.
I spent the past 6 days of my life in Guatemala. Here I learned and grew a lot. I even grew much closer to the team than before the trip. I learned about the culture and a lot of Spanish. I also learned a lot about God and grew spiritually. He showed me what a grateful heart and good attitude looks like. He also showed me how I can love Him even more.
The people of Guatemala were all so grateful for what they did have. Some children didn't even have shoes but that didn't stop them from having a great time playing soccer or any other activity. The kids were also all so much fun and ended up putting so many smiles on our faces. The translators were also so much fun and I will miss them all very much.
I grew a lot spiritually this trip and love God much more than before I came. This came mainly through the pastors and hearing different testimonies, even testimonies from people on our own team. Many of the believers in Guatemala had difficult childhoods but still grew to love God and have a great attitude. The pastor we listened to on Sunday was very engaging and powerful and really made me think about my faith.
I will miss Guatemala very much, including the warm weather. I'm so glad that I went on this trip and can't wait until next year. This trip had such a big impact on my life and I have grown in many ways.
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| Chris |
From Chris - HCS Parent:
As in Nicaragua when I served there a couple years ago, God challenged me - you fly across the globe to share the Gospel boldly with strangers and yet many of those I love the most, don’t know Him. In my extended family, only my sister-in-law knows Christ. I must pray more diligently for them and profess God's Word to them in a loving respectful way.
When making the move to Billings as a family, we need to honor God with our choice of a home. To those who have been given much, much is expected. Joy comes from spreading God’s kingdom, not material things. The opportunities to serve and support those who have dedicated their life to sharing the Gospel where it is rarely available is such a beautiful thing. Galatians 5:13. Thank you for the opportunity to serve Him!
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| Jason |
From Jason - HCS Parent:
What a trip! I feel that God truly blessed our experience. We were able to celebrate as new believers were welcomed into fellowship with Christ. We were challenged to stretch ourselves through language barriers, new opportunities to share our faith, and uncomfortable heat. We were able to trust Christ to bring us safely home in a bus that was overheating and draining water out the bottom as we poured it in the top.
What a trip! I feel that God truly blessed our experience. We were able to celebrate as new believers were welcomed into fellowship with Christ. We were challenged to stretch ourselves through language barriers, new opportunities to share our faith, and uncomfortable heat. We were able to trust Christ to bring us safely home in a bus that was overheating and draining water out the bottom as we poured it in the top.
I personally haven't shared my faith door to door since college. It was challenging and fun to do it again. While the kids and translators did much of the sharing, I enjoyed praying for them and thinking through what I would say as they shared.
I have been personally challenged to be much more intentional about sharing my faith in my day to day life. It is so easy to justify not offending people or jeopardizing my relationships with people or even my position in a company. If we truly believe heaven and hell are real, we should be terrified of the eternity people around us face.
It's easy to talk about conservative politics instead of the Gospel. This trip has challenged me to make life about the Gospel. It was so fun and encouraging to hear how 6 different missionaries and local pastors were saved and called to serve in Guatemala. Their passion for the Gospel was exciting and invigorating. I think the impact of this trip will last a lifetime.
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| Lonnie |
From Lonnie - HCS Parent:
There are more lessons from trips like this than are possible to write. I think the challenge for all of us in writing is “how do we take others there with us in our written words?”
How do we recreate the smells, the laughter, the joy, the openness from our new friends? The smell of antifreeze in the bus that’s limping along towards Antigua? We can’t of course, but we can give snapshots that will hopefully bless those who didn’t go, and who might go in the future…
Impact: Hearing Mitch, from one of the US families who lives in Guatemala permanently. He nails the essence of the gospel the last night with his own story of Christ. “I’m not very strong, but I’ll use what strength I have for telling people about Christ”… “I’m not all that intelligent, but what gifts I have, I’ll use them for telling people about Jesus.” He humbly reminds us of the shortness of our lives, and the moment we stand before Christ. The reality of what Jesus did that informs every decision we make. He reminded me of how Christ pressed that very fact on me when I was 15. My thought at the time was: “If this is true... I mean really true... why would I be ashamed of Jesus? If it’s true, wouldn’t it change everything? Wouldn’t it make me want everyone to know?”
Snapshot: Transformations. Hearing the stories of a previously cruel husband. now gentle, kind and serving his neighbors. Meeting a man who was previously a hitman who worked the drug trade... Changed, giving his time and money to his neighbors. Building them a place to meet to hear about Christ. He shares, quietly. Not loudly. Not with eloquence. No radio ministry, no staff, no YouTube page. He’s the closest I’ve seen to what the Apostle Paul was. He’s hoping to find enough money to finish the tin roof for his family’s house.
Snapshot: Laughter. With the dads and moms. At ourselves. With our kids. With our friends’ kids. Laughter mixed with tears. Laughter at silliness. Laughter at broken schedules.
Snapshot: Singing until 11pm with new friends I met 12 hours before. Different language. Same chords. No sound system. Just a guitar and a common joy of singing to and about Christ. They teach me new songs. I teach them new songs.
Seeing Christ in each of the snapshots …
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| Loren (top left) |
From Loren - HCS Parent:
This week has flown by so quickly! There's been so much to see, do, and process in such a short amount of time. Our long day of return travel is giving me additional time to reflect on the trip, think about our experiences in Guatemala, some of the things God has shown me there and how I might respond moving forward.
Before leaving Bozeman, I found that fear began to creep into my mind over safety concerns and leaving part of my family behind to join son, Owen, and the rest of the group. Trusting God for His protection was important.
While in Guatemala, reminders of the provisions and amenities we so easily take for granted back home were everywhere. Most impactful, though, were the places we visited and people we met where I could clearly see God's presence. Testimonies shared by people such as Rony, Caitano, and Mitch were inspiring examples of God's power to transform hearts. Vilma told of His healing power when doctors had no further ability to help.
It was such a joy to see the Heritage students interacting with the village kids. These little ones loved the handshakes, high fives, being held, playing games, doing crafts and watching skits that shared the gospel message. God's unconditional love was witnessed many times as students hugged, held, comforted, and hoisted village kids to their shoulders, regardless of appearances that, in American culture, might suggest, "Don't touch. Unclean." It was a beautiful sight.
For myself, I felt God convicting me and challenging me throughout the trip in a number of ways. As we travel home, I find myself energized to read my bible more diligently, in true study of His word, so I can be a better helper to others for where to find applicable scripture passages quickly, based on individual need. I want to learn more about other denominations or religions that may not believe in salvation through Jesus Christ, in order to better relate to others and foster conversation that can lead them to a relationship with Jesus. And finally, I feel challenged to learn to speak Spanish, so I can more effectively communicate next year! Having interpreters was great, but there were several times I felt that I would have liked to have one-on-one conversation for greater impact.
All-in-all I feel blessed with the opportunity to have gone to Guatemala!
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| Tess |
Tess – HCS Parent:
I am so thankful to have had this experience in Guatemala. The Trek X missionaries took such good care of us and welcomed us with open arms. We did several house visits with the people in the 46 and Los Chilitos villages. The people were very welcoming to our groups as we went out to share the word of God, pray and to encourage them. When asked, everyone had a need for prayer. Some were even brought to tears as they were prayed for. A group of us spent an afternoon at the village water well. These women and young girls are amazing. They haul 5 gallon buckets of water...on their heads....all day long. And the way to their home is definitely not flat! Whew! Lots of hills in these villages. We (ladies) had offered to help....thank goodness another team of boys was coming up the hill! They hauled the water, which was a blessing in itself, because men don't haul water in the villages. I was also able to witness two women accept Christ there. I have learned from some of the wonderful women on our team how to be gentle, loving and encouraging when sharing the gospel. This is something I will be taking home to practice in my own life. God is doing wonderful things in these Guatemalan villages. I thank the Lord for this wonderful opportunity he has given me.
I am so thankful to have had this experience in Guatemala. The Trek X missionaries took such good care of us and welcomed us with open arms. We did several house visits with the people in the 46 and Los Chilitos villages. The people were very welcoming to our groups as we went out to share the word of God, pray and to encourage them. When asked, everyone had a need for prayer. Some were even brought to tears as they were prayed for. A group of us spent an afternoon at the village water well. These women and young girls are amazing. They haul 5 gallon buckets of water...on their heads....all day long. And the way to their home is definitely not flat! Whew! Lots of hills in these villages. We (ladies) had offered to help....thank goodness another team of boys was coming up the hill! They hauled the water, which was a blessing in itself, because men don't haul water in the villages. I was also able to witness two women accept Christ there. I have learned from some of the wonderful women on our team how to be gentle, loving and encouraging when sharing the gospel. This is something I will be taking home to practice in my own life. God is doing wonderful things in these Guatemalan villages. I thank the Lord for this wonderful opportunity he has given me.
