We’re Here – Recap from Day 1 and Day 2
May 7th. Day 1-We arrived in Guatemala! This is the time when my heart is pounding so fast in anticipation to see what God has in store for us. Our brother in Christ, Rudy, was waiting for us in the airport It was so good to see his face. He is a great example of Christ-like humility, patience and kindness. He had a surprise for us! On the back of our ministry van was a phrase with our logo that reads “IN GOD WE TRUST”! Little did we know that God was going to teach us to do just that. So our first day in Guatemala seemed to move in slow motion due to lack of sleep and the stress of months of preparation for this trip.
Cesia
Day 2- By our standards, this day started off on the wrong foot. We overslept so our plans were all behind schedule. But God had other plans for us. After a great breakfast meeting filled with updates on what God is doing in each of our ministries we went to our rooms to get ready to check out of the hotel. When all of the sudden, Jackie experienced this incredible sense of fear that seemed to come out of nowhere. So we started to pray. At that moment we heard music and it sounded like worship music. It continued to get louder and louder so I went to see where it was coming from. I asked an employee what was going on and he told me that the hotel rents space to a church. We decided to check it out. The worship was so beautiful and believe it or not, the message was about fear! So, with joy in our hearts, we headed off on our 5 ½ hour drive to our mission site. As we were driving, we passed multiple broken down cars sitting by the side of the road. I thought about how great it was to have a ministry van that is in very good condition and wouldn’t leave us stranded in the middle of the mountains. I was asking God to reveal His hand at work in our lives as I prayed and listened to worship music. Oh how faithful is HE!!!! We continued up the mountain about two hours from our destination when our van started to smell like smoke and came to a dead stop because Rudy couldn’t switch gears. While Rudy went to see if he could get some help from the people of the little village, Jackie and I began to pray. I confess. My heart almost stopped in fear when I realized that it was almost dark and we had a bus full of supplies for our missions and a blonde haired, blue eyed, gringa with us!!!! We prayed and asked God to help us to see His hand at work and to trust Him in that moment. Rudy came back with news that we can’t get it fixed there. So he called Samuel to come to pick us up. Rudy made arrangements with the insurance company to send a tow truck. Jackie and I went to the Word. I am reading the Chronological Bible. What do you think the reading of the day was? Psalm 23!!! “…Even though I walk through the darkest valley I will fear no evil for you are with me…”
He is quick to comfort us! Then Jackie was reading Jeremiah 18:1-12. The part that caught my attention was “…so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”
He is shaping us, as it seems best to Him. We need to trust Him as He places His hand upon us. He is showing us He is in control over ALL our circumstances. We need to be completely surrendered to Him.
After 45 minutes of sitting on the road, Rudy tried to start the van and drive it. It worked! ‘Wow! When we are at the end of ourselves, God shows Himself powerfully. I started thinking that we are on the road again not because we have a good working van, but because God used this situation to remind us in whom we should put our trust. Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”
We arrived to our destination around 9:00PM. As we went to open the back of the van to unpack, we all read aloud the words that summed up our day: “In God We Trust”!!
Cesia