First Baptist Church, Greenwood, Arkansas, is in a partnership with La Iglesia Betania, San Maurico to reach Conrado de la Cruz. They planned a Vacation Bible School in both this village and Bolivia for the last few days before school starts the 2013 year. As planning began back in the summer, they were seeking their team and finally six members were in place. Knowing that there could be as many as 300 to 400 children attending, they placed their trust, not in people, but, in the Lord.
In late October, we were contacted by email that a Baptist Association in Alaska was interested in a mission trip to Guatemala. Since our work is not in facilitating volunteer teams but rather developing a long-term partnership with a national church, we wondered what God had in mind. In talking with the Director of Missions, several things were discovered.
1. Many years in the past, the DOM and his wife had worked in another area of Guatemala with another missionary and national worker.
2. Though for the last several years they had been working in another area of the world, the Lord closed the door to return there this year.
3. So they had a small team, still planning to go on mission, but just didn't know where they were headed.
4. Remembering his great love for Guatemala and her people, he wondered if perhaps, here in Guatemala is where they would be going.
5. Hearing the dates for their proposed trip, David shared that the VBS team from FBC, Greenwood, Arkansas was coming during those same dates and their joining with them might be a possibility.
6. "That's it!" he said, "just the place God has for us!"
So by email, phone conversations, the teams prepared. Meeting each other in the Guatemala airport (even God-ordained arrival timing - landing just a few minutes apart), their hearts and vision began to mesh together. Then later that afternoon, packed into a van and our car, as we took our "three hour tour" down to the hotel where we would be staying, more of that "meshing" took place between the 6 team members from Arkansas and the 4 team members from Alaska and the 3 translators and van driver from Guatemala.
God was gracious as the two days of VBS in Conrado de la Cruz were great and laid the foundation for the next two days in Bolivia as well. Teachers were already at the school preparing their rooms, schedules and curriculum for school to begin on Monday. Several of the team members were/are teachers and often spoke to the principal and teachers of how much they appreciated their profession and the dedication these teachers show to their students. Most of the teachers live about an hour and a half bus ride from the school, leaving their homes at 5:30 every morning to begin their teaching day at 7:30 before returning in the late afternoon. With little materials and no frills, they invest in these little ones. In most classrooms, there is only one textbooks and the teacher writes everything on the white board for the student to copy in their spiral bound notebook, if they have one. One of the team members is already beginning to plan to return in June for teacher appreciation. Her team will spend time with each teacher in an exchange of teaching ideas. I look forward to seeing the plan unfold. But I degress...VBS...
VBS in Conrado de la Cruz ministered to about 120 children and their moms. Some of the moms (in their teens) attended and enjoyed the stories, games, crafts, and refreshments as well. This is the area where the local church has told the people that if they attend the evangelical meeting they will not receive the beans and corn from the food distribution. I noted its impact as a trio of sisters arrived and were quickly summoned by the father to return home. One the second afternoon, we visited in several homes sharing the message of salvation and ministry. With one family where the baby had been sick for three days with fevers, vomiting, and diarrea, we were able to take the mom and sick baby to the pharmacy to purchase medicine and pedialyte as well as pedition heaven for healing. As we left the aldea, the door had been opened wider for the ministry of the local believers.
And VBS in Conrado de la Cruz was preparation for VBS in Bolvia for on the first day, they came...and came...and came...all 340 of them! What an awesome team as they continued to pour out teaching and blessing and ministry as though each one was the only student there! The lesson for the day was Jesus feeding the 5000 with 2 fish and 5 loaves...what a very appropiate lesson for that day in particular. Jesus meets ALL our needs!
During the picnic lunch for the national team and US team, the national pastors each shared their testimonies. What a time of heart binding and family unity as together we praised God for His salvation, available at any age, for any who will repent and turn to Christ alone for forgiveness of sins and a sure hope for the future.
Elder is the pastor of Iglesia Betania, the partner church, reaching these two aldeas for Christ.
Oscar is the pastor of the mission church in Conrado de la Cruz.
He and his family have been working in this area for 2 years.
Daniel is the pastor of the mission church in Bolvia.
He and his family have been ministering here for a year.
Both families live in San Maurico and travel to their ministry areas several times each week.
Walter is the associational promoter (much like a DOM in the the states).
He lives about 3 and a half hours away.
When he comes to this area, he must take several buses and travel 5-6 hours.
That evening, plans for the next day were massaged and reconfigured and they launched outthe next morning, ready to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus. The attendance was back down about 175 due to intense soccer games being held on the field beside the school and some other children's activites held elsewhere in the aldea. But again the message of Christ went out in strength and power as a real life Zacchaeus climbed the tree on the soccer field of the wall, settled carefully on the limb, and listened intently to the story Jesus calling the biblical Zacchaeus to himself. May those same words bring young Zacchaeus to the Truth.
Dividing into several groups, nationals and internationals invested in several families as we visited and shared the love of Christ. It was so good to see God bind His family together and share in ministry. Guess it is only a foretaste of the family gathered together in heaven for eternity.
Thanks Jacque for your planning, facilitating, and reflecting Christ
in your ministry and your sweet smile.
Looking forward to the next time!
