As I am writing this I’m sitting on a rooftop surrounded by volcano’s and looking at the beautiful lake in the city of Panajachel in Guatemala. I see the work of God’s hands everywhere. As I reflect on the few days we already spent in Guatemala, I ask myself what have I learned about God or what have I experienced. At first I thought to myself I haven’t experienced God or learned something about Him until He opened my eyes. Being the financial guy of the team I realized that we really don’t have money to buy a lot of food and we are just going to stand strong and hold on to God. Not one day have passed that we didn’t had any food or water to drink. Everyday God provided and He is still providing for us. Although the finances are tight we still have God in our lives and He is the real Bread of life.
God gave me this Scripture for the year to hold on to when things get tough and it certainly helped wYw as a team:
We don't give people any opportunity to find fault with how we serve.
Instead, our lives demonstrate that we are God's servants. We have endured many things: suffering, distress, anxiety,
beatings, imprisonments, riots, hard work, sleepless nights, and lack of food.
People can see our purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives, our sincere love,
truthfulness, and the presence of God's power. We demonstrate that we are God's servants
as we are praised and dishonored, as we are slandered and honored, and as we use what is right to attack what is wrong and to defend the truth. We are treated as dishonest although we are honest,
nas unknown although we are well-known, as dying although, as you see, we go on living. We are punished, but we are not killed.
People think we are sad although we're always glad, that we're beggars although we make many people spiritually rich, that we have nothing although we possess everything.
2 Corinthians 6:3-10
This year we will have hard times and it will feel like there is no way out, but God is ALWAYS there ready to help us. We own nothing but yet we have EVERYTHING…!!!
We were walking one night from church back home at 10 o’clock in the evening and we found people selling food for money to survive and the worst of all the little children are sitting with their parents doing their homework and some sleeping because they are so tired. I realized how blessed we are back home and that we work Your way are also blessed because how God is providing for us even though we don’t have money for food. God sent us here to be the change, to be the hope for these people.
God gave us the gift to do even bigger things than Him and yes He has faith in us to do it, that is why He chose us. I learned that if we want to honor God, we have to honor the gift He has given us which is the Holy Spirit to do mighty things like being the hope for the people trying to make money 10 o’clock in the evening to survive and to change their lives forever through spreading the Gospel and just to tell them simply the “God loves you”.
Not only are we trying to help people but we as Global Challengers are also growing in Christ and our lives are also changing. On 19 March 6 guys of work Your way decided to get baptized with the Holy Spirit and is was one of the most profound moments in our Christian walk with God. For it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life which I live in the flesh I now live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20
What a privilege it is to die in ourselves and letting God take over our lives and to let the Holy Spirit work within us. Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare,’ Rivers of living water (Holy Spirit) will flow from his heart.’ John 7:38
Here are some photos of us working on our different projects:
This is my brothers and my team work Your way.
We mixed a lot of cement to build a wall and also to lay a floor of a house.
Here we are at Crossroads café having a coffee and it’s so nice it smiles right back at you.
Here I am at the supermarket and the food is just amazing.
This is just us having fun in Guatamala.
Africa, our hearts are still with you, we mis you like crazy!!!
This is a photo of the beautiful Guatemala.