I am currently sitting at the Hotel Torre Fuerte in Zacapa Guatemala. A few of the SWO Team members and I are serving Christ here in Guatemala for about 9 days alongside Real Love Ministries Guatemala. Check them out at https://reallovegmala.com/ I encourage you to go to their website and read the Conevisa story. it is an incredible story of God's provision and grace.
I have have had the privilege of going on numerous international mission trips and so far this has been incredible. We are partnering with a church called Shalom Baptist Mission in the city of Coneviza. It was started and built by the generous efforts of Real Love Ministries. (read their story in the link above) Coneviza is a small town just up the hill a few miles from Zacapa Guatemala. It's about 86 miles north east of Guatemala City. We have spent time sharing the Gospel message door to door with the very welcoming people of Coneviza. Tuesday I got to have "The Talk" with about 25 local teenagers about Godly Dating and sexual purity. That was fun.... At the end I shared the Gospel message and 4 girls responded and accepted Christ. We have held special meetings already for the youth of the church, the ladies in the town, and today we got to love on the school teachers that teach at the k-6 school across the street from the Church. Guatemala is the most illiterate of the Mid-American countries. Only about 20% of the children go beyond the 6th grade. At the Conevisa School that they averaged about 50 students each year in the first grade, but by the sixth grade they would have only about 12. So there is a great need in this community and at the school. It was a great time of loving on and encouraging the teachers along with feeding them a home-cooked meal and showering them with gifts. There is a quote that my wife Brandi has in her classroom that says, "The future of the world is in my classroom today." That is SO true! I will be the first to say that if it weren't for the incredible grace of some teachers in my life I wouldn't be where I am today! So Please Pray for the Coneviza School!
I posted this quote in an earlier blog, "When it comes to missions (local, national, or international) we can either: Go, Send, or just be Disobedient" We are seeking what all opportunities the Lord has for us to grow as a ministry in the future. Our team as SWO is choosing to Follow Christ wherever HE leads us. So, this month it is Guatemala.
We at Synergy World Outreach Inc. WILL be planning trips back here to Guatemala in the future. My prayer is that YOU reading this post will either GO with us on a trip, or help SEND someone on a trip or help sponsor one of our efforts here. There are so many needs that this little town has! One huge area of Concern is the well that was repaired a few years again this town has quit working. Please make that a matter of Prayer!! Pray that God would open the doors for the well to be repaired and functional again or that God would just provide what is needed to install a new well! These sweet people need clean water and right now they don't have that. Our team here has been to the Pharmacy several times to get some basic meds for the children that are suffering from common sickness issues. Yesterday we held a ladies event where the ladies got to sew and make some beautiful necklaces with scarves and marbles. There was one mom that told us that she would be there but shared with us today that she couldn't make it because she was out trying to find medicine for her sick baby. It's so sad when people don't have the basic necessities of life especially when it comes to taking care of their children.
To sum all this up, serving in third-world countries like this can be somewhat overwhelming if you haven't done it before, but we have to realize that God can use ALL of us in ways that we never imagined! He has called us to preach the gospel. There are countless ways that we can do that! Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” God will show ou things as he has already shown me this week.
My prayer tonight is that YOU will seek God and ask Him what he wants you to do. My encouragement is do something!! Prayer is the starting point.
Pray now and ask God to show how you can partner with Synergy World Outreach. We would LOVE to serve alongside of you in any capacity!
Dios Bendiga Buenas Noches - Good Night God Bless!
