My week-long trip to Guatemala at the end of June with a group from our church was very successful in so many ways, and I do thank you all for your prayers! As with any overseas visit, it had some obstacles and challenges, but God guided us all through them! We had a team of 16, including four teens – one of whose new passports was lost en-route, requiring her mom to have to drive to Buffalo, NY, in order to pick up a replacement the day before we left!!

On this year’s visit, we had a clear vision of wanting to develop the relationship between Real Life and Pastor Julian’s church (God of Covenants Church) in Santa Clara. With our team of 16 people (half of them returning for their 2^nd visit), we were able to spend 2-3 days there with the construction team helping Pastor Julian and his two workers, and two sessions with about 25 kids in his church. Pastor Julian is an extremely hard worker and insisted even on continuing the work in the rain, which commonly begins every afternoon. But he was greatly blessed to receive the supplies we gave him for his kids’ ministry and to learn that Real Life is “adopting” his church’s Happy Tummies program.

It was amazing to see how quickly the team connected with the children despite lack of the Spanish language. We served them lunch; played bible-based games; shared a brief message about what Jesus did to save us; and then gave the kids opportunities to have faces or nails painted, play with slime, and color a page with the memory verse (a favorite activity). I was once again very impressed by how quickly the whole group of kids memorized the bible verse of John 14:6, which they had never heard before.

We visited two other Happy Tummies groups with bible activities in line with their lesson plans; we had a session with the elderly Abuelitos group in San Juan; and we all took part in 1 or 2 home home visits in Panyebar and San Juan to deliver groceries and pray with the families. In addition, this year, the ladies helped teach a group of 10 women in the Stitches of Blessing sewing class – making cute dresses out of pillowcases. Here are some pictures of the homes we visited, which are so typical in communities all across the country and shows the extreme poverty that millions of people there still experience. You can see a short video of our trip via this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GFU0wpMhFt52Ipx8IOMTdyjPMSjsiqRS/view?usp=gmail

But it was also a wonderful opportunity to spend special time with the Lord on an individual basis. Early one morning I found a quiet corner to sit and contemplate the absolute beauty of the lake and mountains sparkling in the rising sun. In my heart I was praising God for His awesome creation and my mind wandered to other spectacular landscapes I have seen…. then I thought of all the many aspects of magnificent creation – tiny, wondrous creatures, the intricacies of so many living organisms….. I realized God thoroughly delights in His Creation – it is an expression of HIS beauty, and He loves it when WE treasure it too! It somehow binds us closer to Him.

Then I caught sight of the small fairground on the edge of my view – it was a carnival for the annual celebration of St John the Baptist, after whom the town is named. I was immediately aware of it being an expression of Man’s focus – to make money; experience thrills; to have “fun”. The culmination of months of preparation and anticipation, I saw it as in a way the “best” that the little town could humanly produce – yet it seemed so paltry in comparison to God’s magnificent creation!

It was as though I heard God say: “I have given everyone the choice – to choose my way or their own way”. And of course, that is exactly what Jesus bought for us on the Cross – the opportunity to make that choice! But it’s not just the one time of choosing Jesus as Savior and Lord: every day we have opportunities to choose God’s way over our own human way. We can work so hard and get excited over our own little plans – and all the time God is offering us His way which is so very much greater and more glorious!

Then I realized that as God’s people all over the world, every day we can give up “our” choice in preference for God’s choice in our life. This allows the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us all in such a way that GOD’s purpose is accomplished that day! What an incredible opportunity we have, to be used by God, networked together, and become a part of accomplishing His will and plan for Creation! I pray that each day we will continue to make that choice to serve and be used by Him. Blessings, Shirley.

Pastor Sika in Togo – He recently held a large teaching conference for leaders on marriage with the international minister Bill Boggess of Equipping Leaders International. It was in the plateau region of Togo, close to the hospital where Pastor Sika had surgery on his finger – and they were able to visit there afterwards. This photo shows the many pastors and leaders who attended and were blessed by the teaching and testimonies – so important in a nation still entrenched in polygamy! Pastor Sika was exhausted after the conference but planned on visiting the Joseph Project Orphanage soon to encourage the orphans and the church there and organize more evangelism. We pray for the Lord’s healing and strength as he continues this important work.

Finally, I just received a request from Bill Boggess to use one of my resources as a basis for a Bible Survey course that he wants to use with his ministry in other areas of Africa! I wrote the Old Testament survey teaching course (of 17 lessons) over 20 years ago to teach a small group of Nahuatl pastors and leaders in Mexico who had never had any formal Bible training. I had shared it with Pastor Sika and Pastor Honoré years ago and they helped get it translated into French. It has been available on our website ever since, but it is amazing how God has now opened up a use for it again after so many years. Bill Boggess wrote: “ELI has a Bible Survey course but it is WAY too detailed to be of use to African pastors.  I am looking for something much more simple to give to the pastors when I teach the Bible Survey course.” Sadly. it confirms that there is still poor understanding of how best to teach many in 3^rd world countries – Western ways are not always the best!!