From Ben:
Last year I went on an incredible mission trip to Guatemala where I really got a chance to be a part of God’s work. I also stepped up in my own faith. I really saw God at work in a very different way than I have ever seen. For example, God drew more than a thousand people to Himself as a result of the service projects and drama performances we did. It was an amazine experience and I’m excited to share with you that I think God is calling me to go back again this year.
During last summer’s trip God showed me how awesome and alive He could be both in me through me. Working with the others on our team and learning from the powerful speakers we heard each night changed my life. From the first day in Guatemala which was my team’s service day, I knew I was in for something that was a lot more than I expected.
Our job was to clean out a school that had been flooded when the nearby river overflowed. The flood had washed a layer of mud about six inches deep on to the concrete floors of three classrooms and the bathroom. Equipped with brooms and one hose we began to work, soaking the ground then pushing out the excess soil. After hours of tedious work we were all ready to head back to the hotel and collapse. We were tired, but it felt good because we were able to help.
The next couple of days we performed a drama that we had learned in Miami before flying down to Central America. The drama explains the gospel; how we are fallen and in need of savior and how God sent Christ to save us. The characters in the drama are toys, who represent us as people, and the Toymaker who represents our Heavenly Father, God. In the drama the Toymaker sends his son to restore the broken relationship with the toys. Sound familiar?
One of the days we were scheduled to perform the drama in a park. When we got there, the local police could not find any paperwork and, as a result, did not allow us to perform. So we moved to another park where at least four other teams had already been. We were a litte discouraged thinking that nobody would want to see yet another team present the same performances, but we went ahead and did the drama. At the end, when we asked if anyone watching would like to pray to become a Christian, almost no one raised their hand. But, when we invited people to give us their contact information so a local church could get in touch with them, we had so many come to us that we both ran out of paper slips and we ran out of Bibles! It was clear that God had plans for us to be there.
I’m looking forward to returning to Guatemala this summer and would appreciate your prayers and any support you can send to help cover our expenses.
Ben