Hello, readers! Since starting my time as a missionary, I have been blessed by those who have reached out to me to let me know that they are praying for me and want to stay in touch throughout the next year as I serve God’s Kingdom around the world. God has also continued to show Himself as a true provider, as there is continual progress toward reaching 100% funding (separate fundraising update blog: Here). If you have additional questions or would like to chat, we can schedule a video/phone call. God has been working so much in my life, and I would love to share more with you.
In Guatemala…
It is hard to believe that I have been living and serving here for about a month and a half! I love that I have settled into a routine and flow here so quickly. There is much about the culture in Guatemala that I fit in with very naturally, and in many ways, it feels like home. My teammates have joked (but also not really joking) that they could see me coming back to live here. I have no idea if that’s what God is calling me to do in the future, but I can see exactly why they say that. I know I am so blessed to be raised in the United States of America, which, for all its flaws, is still a very beautiful, free, and safe country. However, the Guatemalan people have many admirable qualities in who they are as people and the way that they live. Some of the things that I appreciate in them are, for example…
Kindness and generosity: Poverty is extreme in much of Guate, but it doesn’t matter how much they have or don’t have, if you are native or gringo (foreigner), or if you are friend or stranger; Guatemalans are generous and giving at their core. They are an open and friendly people who value community and don’t withhold anything, even if they have nothing. Even their youngest children will always share whatever they have. Beyond that, they are a loving people who easily accept new additions with open arms. There is an honesty in them that makes me feel very safe as I walk the streets and ride the buses, etc., knowing that I will be watched out for by almost anyone around me.
“Pedro” – A homeless man who lives in Santa Marta and hangs out near the school where we do kid’s ministry. He doesn’t speak much, but he really appreciates when we take the time to say hello to him and recognize him.
“Guatemalan Time:” Guatemalan’s don’t live by a traditional clock. It has been interesting to watch our ministry hosts exemplify this, as they (we) often have commitments in ministry that are set at specific times. They value being honorable with being on time, but also “on time” could mean almost anything inside of an hour window. They are not stressed about getting where they need to go (unless it’s trying to catch the bus, ha-ha), and no one ever values the time they arrive over the person coming. Of course, they have routines, and life still has important schedules, but there is a peace about going/doing everything that reflects in a laid-back, community-focused society. Businesses often close for large portions of the day in the afternoon (similarly to Mexico), and street vendors cover and leave their stands. Mealtimes are slow and social events. “Family time” is important to the people here and it is usually during lunch and dinner. It is common for meals to be eaten slowly while large groups sit around chatting, laughing, and sharing each other’s company, and for the social time to continue well beyond when the food has been eaten. When the schedule doesn’t go to plan, we often light-heartedly say that we are on “Guatemalan time.”
Community: Community is a big deal to Guatemalans. While there are some big cities, like Antigua, the towns and villages are usually smaller, or the cities have smaller communities within them, where people know each other and value their neighbors. This is expressed in big ways, but also in small ways like passing people in the street – Here, when you pass someone in the street, even if you’ve never seen them before, it is almost rude not to look them in the eye and greet them with “Buenos!” It is common to greet a stranger on the street or in a tienda (store) and strike up a conversation like you are old friends – even with a gringa and her poor Spanish. They also care deeply about their children and assume that everyone else does too. Children often interact with strangers independently in both private and public spaces, and Guatemalan parents/families assume safety and best intentions. It is culturally acceptable for just about anyone to interact with your children, touch them, hold them, talk to them, play with them, etc. and no one is concerned. They value family highly and the nation as a whole emphasizes the hope for the future brought by their children. Children often live with their parents until they are married, and sometimes after. Girls look forward to being mothers and homemakers, and small business owners, and boys usually work with their fathers when they are done with school, especially in small villages.
Cultural Tradition: Deep cultural tradition and Mayan influence form the heart of Guatemala, blending ancient beliefs with modern faith in vivid color. This heritage shines especially in handwoven huipiles (pronounced wee-pee-lays)—traditional blouses rich with bright colors, patterned with birds, flowers, and sacred symbols that often reflect a woman’s village, status, or beliefs, like a woven fingerprint of identity. You see it too in incense rising beside Catholic altars and processions where saints are honored alongside Mayan deities. (This fusion creates blurred lines between Biblical Christianity and ancient custom. Many still mix prayer to Christ with ancestral rituals, showing how deeply the Mayan worldview shapes worship today—a reminder that Guatemala’s faith is vibrant but calls for discernment between heritage and truth, and it is important for missionaries and ministers to understand and address.)
Simplicity and Gratitude: Guatemalan’s are content with very little – certainly out of necessity and poverty, but I think it also has to do with generally recognizing what is truly important. They are content with little and therefore need little. They are so comfortable with doing without, that in living with them and doing without as well, it is easy to forget that it isn’t normal everywhere. When the people are blessed with more, no matter how small or “insignificant” the gift, they show deeply honest gratitude, and small things can bring them so much joy!
Powerful Faith: When you meet Guatemalan Christians, you realize that they practice faith on a whole different level! They are so serious about prayer and connection with the Lord. For them, it is not just something that they have or do, it is something they live and experience. When they pray and worship, it will sound like a waterfall of sound as everyone in the room/group speaks to God individually at the same time. They will cry out to the Lord with intimacy and honesty. They will sing across each other as the Holy Spirit speaks to them personally. Often this all happens with multiple languages, all at once. It doesn’t matter if you are in a church meeting or around a kitchen table, or in the street with a stranger. It is not a chaotic sound, but a unified one, as the people of God share their deep connections with Him and have personal conversations with the King of Kings – their dearest Friend. And when they pray, they pray for a long time, spending most of it on gratitude and recognition for who God is and what He already has done. Their reverence and dependence on Him is plainly evident, and when they do ask for things, they ask big and boldly. They pray about everything and in full faith. It is a beautiful inspiration that I have never seen the like of in America.
Reindom In Santa Marta…
I am working in a ministry called Reindom (a combination between the Spanish word for Kingdom – “Reino” and the English word “Kingdom,” referring to raising up God’s Kingdom on Earth today). Reindom lives this out by spending every day pouring into the children of a nearby village (Santa Marta). This also reflects the general Guatemalan focus on their youth as the future and hope for the country, especially now. The people of Santa Marta are desperately impoverished. They lack most of what you would consider necessary for living – in the whole town there is no clean water, little to no electricity, no plumbing of any kind, small amounts of food and often what exists is also very unhealthy, taped-together shacks for homes filled with large families, etc. As a result, sickness is common, and while dad’s work where they can and mom’s care for their homes with their best and most humble effort, children have very little adult supervision. Education is capped at sixth grade, and once they complete the grade children begin to live as adults, taking on huge responsibilities. As they get into their teens, this leads to all kinds of trouble for the kids, especially teen pregnancy for girls, and addictive coping skills like alcoholism for boys. Reindom provides Food, Bible clubs/classes, and English education to these children almost daily. We are so blessed that in this small village there is Christian leadership who welcome us and the impact that we have on their children! We also have opportunities to give the children experiences that they would otherwise never have a chance for. For example, for the holiday “Dia del Ninos” we were able to take appx. 80 kids, most of whom never leave the village, to an amusement park in Guatemala City. The funds were raised by generous people who wanted to help Reindom invest in these kids, and it was a special privilege to watch them experience roller coasters, bumper cars, and water slides for the first time! I love spending so much time with these special, loving children, who are hungry to know God. Their sweetness when they excitedly call my name and jump into my arms for hugs fills me with joy and compassion. And when they pray it is with such reverence and honesty (Reindom has done a fantastic job teaching them how to pray!) and when they sing to “Yeshua” I am always inspired.
Reindom has a wonderful leader and team who sacrifice huge amounts of time, energy, resources, other life opportunities, and more to give and serve constantly – and they do it with amazing HUMILITY. Loyda, Oliver, Daniela and Lilli, Kevin, and Marvin as well as other volunteers serve God and Guatemala deeply and need your prayers too. By the way, they are all in their early twenties! They are such an inspiration for young people changing their communities with the love of the Lord. They don’t just talk about doing something but meet the needs of their community and actively take part in growing The Kingdom!
Partnership With El Puerte…
Once a week we partner with another mission in the town we live in, Sumpango, called El Puerte. It is run by a couple originally from Canada, named Gerry and Barbara. On Wednesdays we run a feeding program for widows and alcoholics. We cook a meal, teach a Bible lesson, and serve a meal in separate areas for each group. Our team splits between the two groups, and I, so far, have always been with the women. I was talking with Gerry about the needs of the city, and he spoke to me in depth about how the widows are treated by their families. It is common that generations of families live together, but once a woman is widowed, many families cease to care for her or pay any attention to her. She will still live with them but not be cared for by them. He said that the food is good, but when they come to us, often what they need most is love and compassion and to know that they are not forgotten.
Rest…
We have a good bit of rest time built into our schedules, which is needed. At first glance it seems like a lot, but it never feels like it. On On Sundays we are privileged to attend an English/Spanish church meeting in Antigua. We have loved going there and can only do so because many people generously donated travel funds so that we can get to and from the city on Sundays. We go to church in the morning, then spend the afternoon in the city, with an ATL (“Ask the Lord”) mindset about how our time should be spent. We are also usually able to meet up with fellow squad members who are stationed in other ministries in Guatemala on other teams for a while, which is very restorative, and we return home in the evening. Mondays we do not have scheduled Ministry, and originally it was meant to be a cleaning and preparation day that the house, but one of our other squad teams has a ministry called Prayer House of Antigua on Mondays, which we have been able to arrange to attend most weeks, during which we spend an entire day in musical worship and prayer, and learning about aspects of God while pouring into our relationships with Him and interceding for others. It is ALWAYS a time of growth and deep spiritual connection with God and with other believers/friends.
Prayer Requests…
I am so thankful for all of you who are prayer warriors! Those who have chosen to partner with me in prayer can remember that prayer is able to move the Hand of God, and you are a huge part of the ministry that I am doing. You can continue to pray for the following.
Pray for Myself and the Individual Members of Our Squad.
Everyone is dedicated to growing in our relationships with God while we have this time set aside for God in our lives. Pray that we would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and He would continue to develop gifts for ministry in us. My team has had struggles with discovering how to be unified as we enter difficult situations with people that we are just getting to know, but we are growing in this area. Also, for our families. We all have family who is far away from us right now, and many of us have family members who are not walking with God. (Names of the members of my team: Sydney, Alicia, Grace, Shania, and Julia)
Pray for the Separate Teams.
We need protection from illness, any dangers around us, weather, spiritual warfare (we are on the frontlines and are active targets for the enemy), and we pray for team unity, that our labor would be useful and effective.
Pray for Mobilization of Ministry Partners.
I am still seeking ministry partners to actively engage in this mission with me. Pray for God to bring those people to me.
Pray for Complete Funding.
I am currently at 45% of total funding and continuing to seek and see God’s provision for what He has called me to do. Pray for more people to be moved to use the funds He’s given them to steward to support my mission work and that they would receive the promised rewards and blessings for giving joyfully.
Pray for Guatemala.
Guatemala is a nation that is hungry for relationship with God, and it is a privilege to be part of the discipleship process as they grow in love for God and passion to bring God’s Kingdom to all the nations. We pray that God would be preparing the hearts of the people we meet to be tender and soft for the Truth.
Pray for Language.
We can easily get by in Guatemala in English, but I am trying very hard to pick up as much of the language as I can, building on some knowledge that I already had of it. The other members of my team are also trying to learn. Pray for my mind to be a sponge and that I would be able to speak to the people in their native tongue.
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