In February I went to Guatemala and I cannot believe that I have not written about it...I thought I did. :)
It really can't be summed up in any other way other than "AMAZINGLY POWERFUL AND LIFE CHANGING!!!"
Ok, I know what you are thinking....Ya I hear that from people that come back all the time. I dragged my feet the week before leaving and wondered why me? Why am I going? I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave my family, my husband, my home, my "comforts" and I was like moses dragging his feet saying NOT me Lord, I think you have this all wrong!!! It was awesome to hear on Moody radio that week, When God calls you, what can you do? lol I couldn't believe it! Jesus left us with the instructions:
Matthew 5:13-16Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorifyyour Father in heaven.
Just a little salt can go a long way with food right? so can ONE person help spread the gospel with the faith and power of the Lord Jesus Christ in them!
I had absolutely NO idea what to expect, what I would see or do, I just knew that in my heart God called me to go to guatemala this year and I said yes and there was no going back.....
I traveled to a desolate village and built homes, seeing the pride in the father of his new home. A new life, not just physically meeting the needs of the people but spiritually praying with pleading and earnestly to God to open their eyes and hearts to accepting a new life with Christ. Giving them new hope that could completely change their lives in SOOOOOOO many ways.
We prayed for an hour over every home....5 of them! I thought, oh my goodness, I don't think I have ever prayed an hour let alone 5!!!!! What am I going to pray about? This is going to take forever! This is so not me, this is WAY out of my comfort zone, I have no idea what I am doing here....
Do you know that our flight was missed and we were forced to stay another night in Atlanta and I didn't take one single book with me....I was in a book store and one stood out....Becoming a prayer warrior....I bought it and read it that day and on the plane and it was like God speaking Life right into me.
Little did I know that this book was a gift, to start the fire of my prayer life and when praying over the village and homes, for the people that couldn't even speak my language, GOD filled me and allowed me to lift them up to Him. I SAW God answer prayer. I had this amazing LOVE that I really cannot describe other than it was Gods love filling me and pouring out of me for people that I didn't even know, that I couldn't even speak too, and yet we were ONE. We felt the love and power of the Lord and flow through us. NEVER have I felt anything like it. Made me think.....WHY don't I love those around me that DO speak my language with the SAME love for those I don't even know!!!! Think about that.....
My Guatemala man was completely broken and accepted Christ, crying and I got word from Paradise bound last month that he is now going through their pastors in training program to continue feeding the village with Gods word. Isn't that awesome!!! Tears of Joy were pouring from this woman.
We had medical clinics helping their basic life needs (ear infections, yeast, rashes, eyes, motrin, vitamins...) something that we can run to walgreens or any other corner and get. They lined up by the hundreds. An appendicitis would kill you there. Going to the doctor isn't possible. Going to the hospital they are told means you are going there to die so many WONT go.
In the end we showed the Jesus film and prayed earnestly that God would touch just one, Lord, just one! The spark needs to start to get the flame going!!! We were invited to give our own testimonies and I did.....I told them about the night I got out of my car in 2007 and asked God to show me if He was real....the SAME stars they look at, the same God can come to them like He came to me. I don't know their names but whats so awesome about God is that HE does and He can call you at any time but you must be listening!!! In His word we are told to Go to Him in times of need and He promises to answer! All we have to do is ask!!! God will become real through the miracles He is performing in our lives, but we must be looking for it!" This is just a glimpse and short version of what I prayed that night in 2007.....
I want to Trust in the Lord
He WANTS and LONGS to have a relationship with me, I ignore Him and reject
Pray- I can and have the gift from Jesus to do this at any time. Our God is a God that wants more than a list of do's and don'ts...He wants my hearts
Open the eyes of my heart Lord....
It didn't happen instantly but GOD DID answer and continues to answer in sooooooooooo many ways, thanks be to God! Thru the valley of sickness and near death (09-2011) Jesus saved me....Now that I see Him and know Him I don't care about anything else. All I say and do to bring Glory to Him.
My favorite part of all the trip was: nightly bonfires with singing and devotions. I could feel the power of the Holy Spirit. He walks with me and talks with me along lifes narrow way....Faith is always tested and refined, and we have the greatest Love to lead us through sanctification to become more and more like Christ.
Meaningless meaningless.....We are searching for ways to fill our souls in all the wrong ways here in america. The trip made me GRIEVE america and how we have it all wrong. Here we think that Guatemala is in need!!! Ha!!! WE are the ones in NEED!!! We have all the "stuff" we need but we are in GREAT SPIRITUAL NEED!!!! Don't believe me? Come to work with me sometime and I can show you the list of pregnant young teens, suicide attempts, overdose, withdrawls, hiucinations, witchcraft, look at the divorce rate, the marriage recreation (something that was created to be in the image of God and around for thousands of years is something that the world suddenly thinks needs to change!) Satan is the king of the earth and seeks to devour us in any way that he can and he is seeking to lie, deceive and he is winning and destroying families, marriages, children, we are not living as godly wifes and husbands, we are DISTRACTED WITH SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH STUFF!!!!
We think that all this stuff is a blessing but it is a curse b/c we don't focus on what truly matters. Satan says YES!!! I am winning!!!! PRIDE, ENVY, LUST, GREED.....
oh man....I just feel in love, not just with Guatemala but with God all over again and it was awesome!!!!
There is power, power wonderful working power!!! In the blood of christ! Prayer! God is JUST as active here in america and in hudsonville as He is in Guatemala we just CHOOSE not to see or hear Him.....How distracted are we????
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 43:10
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
