God's Continual Protection

Last night after church we were giving a ride home to some church members when suddenly I saw in front of us a man sprawled on his back trying to drag himself with one foot. I slammed on the brakes and Carlos and I got out and helped him over to the other side of the road. I chewed him out telling him that he needed to stop drinking or it would be the death of him. But I am sure he didn't understand anything or, if he did, he forgot it by the time he sobered up. Mind you, here in Guatemala the roads are dark. There really are no lights to illuminate the roads, and most of the people wear dark colors. Thankfully, this man was wearing some white so that I was better able to see him. Not only are the roads dark but a very large percentage of cars and motorcycles do not have front or back lights (some have neither) or, if they do have lights, they are on high beam so as to blind you. Shortly thereafter, there were two successive incidents of drunks walking in the road and swerving toward our car as we were approaching them. Praise the Lord that He protected them from death and me from a lot of unasked for and unnecessary problems. The lesson that can be learned is that sinners are oftentimes the beneficiaries of the grace and mercy that God shows toward his children.

God's Protection

The last week or so we have been experiencing sporadic shaking of the front end of our car. I was fearing what the cost would be as well as what the problem could be. I wanted to ask a knowledgeable friend about the possibilities but had forgotten and/or didn't have the time. Today on the way to teaching at the Institute, I hit a small pothole in the road and my car started shaking violently, significantly worse than ever. I slowed down and started to pull over and it returned to normal. This happened twice on the way to church, which is about 2 - 3 miles away from our house, and once on the return trip. I pulled into the yard and made a sharp turn to back into where I normally park and my car stopped dead. As I got out of the car, I saw that my tire had essentially fallen off as soon as I made it to our yard! I immediately thought, "Praise the Lord! What would have happened if I was barreling down the highway at a high speed? Death, disaster, etc. because it was on the left front and would have pulled me into oncoming traffic. Or, what would have happened if it would have fallen off in the middle of our road (that is only about one car width)? What a bother to the neighbors (and quite embarrassing too!)." Well I took a closer look and found that there are two bolts that hold the tire on and one of them had fallen out. So the tire was hanging on by a "thread." There was no damage other than a rubber boot that was probably torn when the tire fell off. I jacked the car up and put the tire back in its place thinking that I could possibly drive it a few kilometers to a repair shop. However, another part fell out where the rubber boot was which made it impossible for the car to go into gear. I think maybe God was trying to protect me from my own stupidity!? Then I started thinking, "What about tonight? I was going to go visiting. And much worse, what about tomorrow morning? I have jail ministry. That will be a huge pain without a car." We prayed that God would guide us and help us get the car repaired. I then began my mission to try to find a tow truck. I had a business card with the number of one on it, so I called that number. A man answered and told me, "My tow truck is no good." Okay?! I then thought of the tow truck that is almost always parked at the entrance of our road blocking our view of oncoming traffic. I walked to the end of the road but there was no tow truck. Just when I finally need one it is gone! I walked to the nearest tienda and asked if they knew of a tow truck service. My neighbor told me that there was a tow truck about four blocks down the road, so I walked there. I found someone and explained my problem and he gave me a ride to my house and looked at my car. He started to temporarily fix it so that he could bring it back to his repair shop. I kind of got the impression that he wasn't the most organized guy in the world. He had a box in the back of his pickup that had an assortment of a few tools, nuts and bolts, broken car parts, and other miscellaneous garbage. He eventually found a bolt that would at least hold my tire on until we got back to his shop. His shop was no better as far as organization goes. I kind of wanted to leave, but I also wanted to make sure that he put all the parts back on (and didn't lose any!). So I stayed. He sent me to buy the part at the nearby parts store. When I returned, he said, "Oh I forgot to tell you that I don't like the metal bands (which hook the boot to the shaft) I like the plastic type." So after he hemmed and hawed for a minute or two I offered to go back and buy a plastic band. I returned with a band that was too small, but it was the biggest they had. So he started to put it back together. He slipped the boot on the shaft and I asked him if he needed to put the metal band on first and he said no. So I curiously looked on. A few moments later a puzzled look came over his face as though he thought, "What am I going to do now? The gringo was right." Then a look of genius came over him as he remembered the plastic band that was too small for the other end. He used that one. We still had the problem of the other end. He put the shaft back on all greased up and everything but without a band to hold it on. I thought, "What is he going to do? I suppose I can always take it somewhere else to have them put a band on." Then he started looking around in his shop. Finally, he found his treasure: a long plastic band. He got down under the car to put it on but as he tightened it, it broke. It was too old (and brittle) he told me. "Now what?" I thought. I told him we could put the car back together and go to another parts store farther away. But he said no. I then showed him the large metal band and asked what was wrong with it. It looked the same to me, if not better than the plastic band. But he refused with an explanation that I couldn't understand. Then, suddenly, I remembered that I had a bunch of those plastic bands in my trunk. I tried jimmying the lock to my trunk as it is next to impossible to open anymore. Thanks to God, I got it opened and found my plastic bands. We were able to hook two together and it worked! It took him overall about 2.5 hours to fix it but now it is working. I didn't think I would have a car for tonight let alone for tomorrow. Praise the Lord!!! Although I don't know if he overcharged me, the cost was very reasonable compared to what it probably would have been in the States. He charged about $30 which included the part. I think what happened is that a few months ago I had some work done on my front end. I think that when they replaced those two bolts, they didn't tighten the one tight enough. I just want to praise the Lord for His protection and His help and guidance and I want to thank all those of you who lift us up in prayer for protection. We REALLY can feel your prayers!!! Thank you.

Specific Prayers

About three weeks ago while out soul winning on a Saturday, my friend, Maynor was witnessing to a barber at his barbershop. The young barber seemed very attentive, but before Maynor was able to finish, a customer came. I told Maynor that we should stop and come back another day and we left the barber on that note. The next two weeks we arrived at his barbershop but he was busy with customers. Last Saturday, while praying, I asked God to make sure that there were no customers when we got there and that we would not be interrupted by customers while witnessing. When we arrived, there were no customers. Praise the Lord! I took that as encouragement that God had indeed heard my prayer. So I started witnessing to the barber (Marvin) this time. After a few minutes, he seemed to be nervously looking outside for a customer. I stopped my witnessing and told him, "You don't need to worry about any customers coming until I am finished because I asked God that He would not let any come until I was done telling you what God wanted you to hear." At that I finished witnessing, taking about an hour in all. Finally, I asked him if he would like to be saved and he said yes. Praise the Lord for answering prayers and for answering specific prayers so that we can know that HE deserves the credit, the honor, and the glory for answering them. Please pray for Marvin to have a desire now to grow spiritually. He normally works every Sunday from 10 am until the evening. I am praying now that God will not send any customers to him during the normal hours of church so that he will KNOW that God wants him in church. :)

Sumpongo Kite Festival November 2012

A small group from our church went to the annual kite festival in Sumpongo that happens every November 1. This is a festival called "Day of the Dead" where they send up kites into the sky to send prayers to their dead relatives. We took approximately 2000 gospel tracts and had the opportunity to witness to several people about their eternity and how to be saved. There were sooooo many people there I could hardly believe it. We went 2 years ago but I don't remember there being so many people there. I estimated there were AT LEAST 20,000+ people. It was wall-to-wall people. Next year I hope to bring at least 10,000 tracts and get there in the morning instead of the afternoon. Anyway, once again the kites were fabulous and beautiful. It is always fun watching them try to fly such huge kites and see the crowds quickly scatter as they come crashing down. I have posted a few pictures of the event on this blog.  

October Nebaj Conference...

Last week I went to Nebaj with Jonathan and Angel. We got there Sunday evening and returned Thursday morning. Hermano Cesar Soto and Hermano Beto from Retaluleu met us there and helped us in the work. Hermano Soto preached three nights and stirred the people to seek after Christ and not His miracles and benefits... Although the attendance was not what I had hoped, we had 21 on Tuesday evening. During the day I had planned to teach classes in Bible doctrine. However, those that had said they would attend, didn't. But Tuesday Tomas came and sat through the class on Repentance and Faith, Security of Salvation, and 15 Means God uses to Keep us in the Faith. After the first class, I asked him if he wanted to be saved and he said "yes." PTL! Probably the most exciting time, and perhaps the most productive, was in the park. I preached open air three times and Brother Soto preached once. The crowd was very receptive to the message and seemed to be attentive as well. One day Jonathan and Beto went into the Catholic church and began witnessing to the people inside. Jonathan said there were people crawling around on their hands and knees inside apparently trying to pay for their sins or earn salvation. Beto witnessed to a lady that prayed for salvation and then told him, "I don't know why I came here." Apparently, the Holy Spirit drew here there to hear the message of grace. One evening after the service, we were eating in a literal "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant. This restaurant is about 12' x 15' in size and is open to the street in the front where the owner stands and cooks the meals just outside the restaurant. Suddenly, someone that we didn't know pulled up in front of the restaurant on that very narrow road in a fairly fancy car and tried to get my attention. It was raining out and there was the usual noise inside and I couldn't tell what he was trying to tell me. Finally he opened his car door and stepped out into the rain and stated a bit louder, "I paid for your meals." I felt bad that this man had to get wet to tell me that after he had made such a kind gesture. A day or two later while we were singing to try to draw a crowd together, Jonathan pointed to a man on the outskirts of the crowd and said, "That is the man who paid for our meals the other night." So when we were done singing brother Soto began preaching and I went to thank this man and find out who he was. He asked me if I knew who he was and I told him I did. Apparently, he is a pentecostal preacher and was in a hurry that night. He was interested in joining together and doing social outreaches. However, I tried to politely tell him we have enough to do within our own circle of Baptist churches. When he asked again, I stated more bluntly that we usually do not hook up with other denominations because they believe differently than us. I told him for instance that we believe that Salvation is eternal and that we can't lose it. I told him that we also believe that tongues and prophets were for only a specific time and purpose during the first century and that now that the foundation is finished (the apostles) and we have "that which is perfect" (the Bible), we no longer need tongues nor prophets or apostles for additional revealed truth. He said that he was familiar with Baptist doctrine of which I was a bit surprised. I got his name and number in order to possibly contact him in the future since he seemed open to discussing Bible truth. Please pray for this man, Gerson Fuentes (pr. Herson).   

USA Sticking its Big Fat Nose Into Guatemala's Business!!!

I got home this evening and what did I find? The USA is not content in policing the world across the ocean. It feels compelled to stick its nose into Guatemala's business according to an article published today in the Huff Post. The last time we "helped" Guatemala, it "led to 36 years of war that left 200,000 dead, mostly indigent Maya farmers." According to the article the USA finally pulled out in 1978. The country of Guatemala has suffered through numerous years of civil war and does not need this intrusion into their sovereignty. This help only reminds them of their painful past. The "drug war" is not something that can be resolved with force. That was tried with alcohol and the Prohibition. We are using the same methods with a different drug and expecting different results. Someone once said that the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over expecting different results." I am beginning to think the USA is insane. Or at least, it is run by the insane. Or maybe, just maybe, the leaders of the USA know exactly what they are doing and are not stopping or changing their methods because they are benefiting financially from the insanity. One comment to the story is listed as follows:

"Tell it like it is. Those 200 marines are an invasion force. The president of Guatemala threatened to legalize drugs in his country. Before you know it marines are on his shores proping (sp) up prohibition. Funny thing is...a year from now a good many of those marines will be driving REALLY nice cars."

While I don't agree with the last statement, I do definitely agree with the first part. Why is the USA flexing its muscles over all of the world? Get out NOW!

Church Services in a Third World Country

Brother Wilder recently asked me to be the head usher in order to make things flow a little more orderly in the services. Why is this needed? Well, first of all, here in Guatemala the people have not grown up in churches that typically have ushers. Secondly, we have moveable, plastic chairs and not the nice heavy wood benches that are fastened down like in the States. So, it is very normal for people to take a seat from one location and move it to another that is more agreeable to their liking. They may want to sit towards the rear door or by a close friend, etc. This can be a little bit distracting, especially when they are arriving late to the service, etc. Because of this, there can not only be distractions to the service but also they may place their chair in an area that blocks an entry or exit or an aisle. The third reason that we need an educated usher program is that sometimes there is a young person or maybe an older person who leaves the service and wanders around in the back yard of the church. Our pastor has lost more than a few material items due to this. Of course, another reason to have educated ushers is that sometimes (not as much as in the past), but sometimes, a baby will cry or a young child will get up and wander around and distract everyone else. The parents here many times are not accustomed to removing the child and putting it in the nursery or making their child sit still. Sometimes, it is also necessary to ask the adults to not talk during the service. And of course, there is the usual usher stuff like passing out offering envelopes and other papers, etc. Now, don't think that we have not had ushers. We have always had ushers. It is just that we have not had someone to coordinate the program and teach them what an usher should be doing. They need to know what the expectations are and what they should be doing as an usher. Needless-to-say, Brother Wilder has seen the need for a head usher for some time but has not had anyone that could actually train the others, or perhaps who wanted to train the others. So I have agreed to help in this capacity with the hope that I can train someone to take over at some point in time. So far it is going well.    

Close Call in Nebaj!

While we were in Nebaj recently, we were walking down the street going back to the church. Why were we walking in the street you ask? Because, the sidewalks are usually either too small or too broken up, etc. to walk on. It is just plain easier to walk in the street. And besides, "Everyone does it!" ;) Anyway, we were five in all walking in a line and I was walking toward the middle of the road at the end of the line. As I was walking, I had my insulated shirt slung over my right shoulder due to the heat of the afternoon. Suddenly, I felt a hard pulling on my insulated shirt and I immediately thought that someone was driving by trying to steal my precious (and much loved) shirt. I hung on to it and instantly the tug let go. As I looked forward to try and figure out what had just happened I saw a motorcyclist up ahead swerving trying to regain control of his bike. I looked down to the ground and saw my right cuff laying there torn pretty much perfectly from my shirt but yet in perfect condition. I then realized that nobody was trying to steal anything. The cyclist had driven so close to me that his handlebar or something had caught on my shirt and had ripped it from me sending him out of control. This incident reminds me of how God protects us and that there must be many of you who are praying for us. I am also thankful that I was not hurt or even scratched by the incident and that my shirt should be able to be repaired cheaply and no one will probably be able to even tell the cuff was torn off. Praise the Lord and thanks for your prayers!

Thesis Finished!

I recently finished my thesis in order to complete the requirements to earn my master's degree in Biblical Studies. The title is "A History of the Baptists: Three 'Isms' That Have Shaped and Divided Baptist Churches in America." If you would like a free copy, please email me at davidgoedker@hotmail.com with your request and I will send you an e-copy. Thank you for your interest.

Guatemalan President wants to end Drug Wars

Guatemalan president Otto Perez Molina recently called for an end to the war on drugs. According to the Costa Rican newspaper Tico Times, Perez proposed "decriminalization of illicit drugs as an alternative to the bloody wars being fought with drug traffickers." Online news mag Take Part stated that, "In the time of Drug War, more than 100,000 people have been killed across Mexico and Central America in the service of feeding the U.S. appetite for recreational substances." The U.S. is the leader of illicit drug use. A 2008 CBS news report stated that "Despite tough anti-drug laws, a new survey shows the U.S. has the highest level of illegal drug use in the world." But although the U.S.A. is the "beneficiary" of the illegal drugs, it is the Mexicans, Guatemalans, and other Central American residents that reap most of the fallout. According to Wikipedia, Guatemala currently has one of the world's highest per capita murder rates at 39 which is 8 times higher than the USA rate. Perez sees the futility behind the so-called "War on Drugs." It breeds violence and breaks up families. One area that the U.S.A. still leads the world in is per capita prison population. According to Wikipedia, the U.S. rate per 100,000 is 730. Much of that is due to illegal drug use by those caught with small quantities. Wikipedia states alarmingly that "Perhaps the single greatest force behind the growth of the prison population [in the U.S.A.] has been the national 'war on drugs.' The number of incarcerated drug offenders has increased twelvefold since 1980. In 2000, 22 percent of those in federal and state prisons were convicted on drug charges." From working with inmates for a number of years, I have seen the firsthand damage incarceration has done to families because of the "war on drugs." It only tears them apart. Furthermore, it educates the non-violent on how to be better criminals when they are released. Perhaps it is time to ask the question "Who is really benefiting from this war?" It is time to follow the money. According to DrugSense.org "The U.S. federal government spent over $15 billion dollars in 2010 on the War on Drugs, at a rate of about $500 per second." Where does all that money go? The "war on drugs" is BIG Business. During the prohibition, there was much violence. Remember the 1920's and the organized crime that came out of the prohibition? We realized that the prohibition of alcohol was a failure and ended it eventually. What is the difference between that and the "war on drugs?" Alcohol is addictive, it impairs one's ability to drive, it sometimes leads to violent behavior, etc. However, many "illegal" drugs affect a person to a lesser degree or not at all in the aforementioned categories. The main point is that taking drugs and/or alcohol is a moral choice and each adult must have the right to decide for himself. Finally, it should be noted that, as far as safety goes, legal prescription drugs result in more annual deaths than illegal drugs. According to an article on NaturalNews.com, "the FDA admits that 100,000 people die every single year as a result of taking FDA-approved pharmaceutical drugs." However, in an article in DivineCaroline.com entitled The Truth About Drug Use (Illegal and Legal), the author states that "According to statistics there are 18,000 over dose deaths in this country due to illegal drug use in this country every year. Approximately 54,000 includes deaths from drug related illnesses, some include aids, hepatitis, TB." Therefore, the total of annual illegal drug deaths is approximately 72,000. In other words, the odds are better to die by ingesting the legal drugs than the illegal. And I would guess that the FDA figure does not include the long-term affects that shorten people's lives or lower their quality of life. I know of one individual who is suffering from an incurable disease which was brought on by ingesting too many prescribed antibiotics. While I am NOT for taking illegal drugs NOR for drinking alcohol, I am for the choice. This was not the case several years ago. But now I recognize the "war on drugs" is perhaps more dangerous that the drugs themselves. I furthermore, see the ingestion of drugs and/or alcohol as a moral decision. And if it is a moral decision it falls in the area of the responsibility of the church. Yes! It is the responsibility of each saved person to change the culture by seeking and saving (i.e. evangelizing) the lost. When there is a true "heart change" by someone hearing and receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a "change of heart" about taking drugs or drinking alcohol will naturally follow. It is not the government's job to "change hearts," it is the church's job. Let's admit that the "war on drugs" has failed like the prohibition of alcohol and assume our responsibility in society as Christians and change hearts through spreading what Christ has done. 

Roller Coasters and Guatemala Bus Trips!

Written on 09/21/2011
We just returned from our outreach to Nebaj. Nebaj is a town about 4-5 hours from Chimaltenango where we live. Because of the distance and the road conditions, we have been using the public bus to get there. On the way there it is about a 2.5 hour trip to Quiché where we then get on a passenger van for the remaining 2.5 hour trip. The first time we went there, about a month ago, on the first leg of the journey the bus was so crowded the whole way there that there was not even room to stand in the aisles. But there is ALWAYS room for more on a Guatemala bus! When we arrived in Quiché and got in the van it was a drastic improvement in comfort. This time, I started out the journey with some stomach problems which only got worse as time went on. There are curves and hills, and more curves and hairpin curves and "tumulos" (speed bumps) every few feet in various places. All the while the bus driver is keeping it at top speed. I happened to be sitting in the very last seat in the back so every bump was magnified in intensity at least 10 times. We were about 45 minutes outside of Quiché when I couldn't stand it any longer. My friend Elvido was in the seat in front of me. I had informed him earlier that my stomach was not feeling so well. Suddenly, I rose from my seat and quickly moved to a seat in front of Elvido where I hoped the intensity of the bumps wouldn't be so great. I lowered the window which only lowered halfway. I started quickly processing what I might do if I really needed to let loose. Would my head fit through that small gap? Could I just push my face into the gap and let 'er go? What would the other passengers think? Would there be puke all over the side of the bus? "Oh Lord, pleeeeease help me," I prayed silently. The fresh air seemed to help along with the lessened intensity of the bumps. I was able to hold back for the remainder of the trip. Upon reaching Quiché, we went to buy some pills for nausea. We then went to get some coffee and walk around a bit until my stomach calmed down. On the second leg of the trip we rode in a van which was much more comfortable than a bus. But they decided to pack it full; so full that the helper rode outside of the van for at least an hour on the ladder attached to the back of the van. I was thankful it wasn't me that had to stand out there! On the return trip, we took the "midnight express" instead of paying for another night at a hotel. Of course, it is virtually impossible to sleep during a ride like that. This trip lasts 4 hours and there are NO stops. It is bad enough being on a bus for 2.5 hours that won't stop for anything when "mother nature calls." But 4 hours, I was definitely NOT looking forward to. I purposely deprived myself of liquids from the afternoon on so as to minimize any problems in that area. However, the trip itself was no different and it seemed that my stomach was only a little bit better. I tried to sleep but the rocking and reeling of the bus makes it impossible. The best you can do is try to rest your head somewhere; on the window, on the back of the seat, on the back of the seat in front of you, or on your knees. I tried not to look at my watch too often for fear of being disappointed in the length of time remaining. When I got home my only thought was, "Riding in a Guatemalan bus for 4 hours is like taking a 4 hour ride on a roller coaster. And I HATE roller coasters!!!!" I kept praying during the trip, "Lord, let this trip be a sacrifice to You." I don't know what makes me want to keep going back. The food is horrendous (that is another story) and the ride is terrible. It is the people that makes it worth it. The people there are wonderful and God has put a love for them in my heart. I truly believe that God is going to do something great in the hearts of the people in that little town of Nebaj.

Another Successful Trip to Nebaj!

Just got home from Nebaj and another wild ride on the Guatemalan "Rollercoaster" Bus service. We were just about home when the drive shaft of the bus went out. We had to hop another bus to get the rest of the way home. On the way to Nebaj one of the bus tires blew (or should I say exploded). It was so loud the bus helper standing in the bus entryway was rubbing his right ear. Last time we went to Nebaj the bus blew two tires. Fortunately all of them have been in the rear. The buses here run their tires until there are no grooves left. I never like to look at the tires before I get on the bus, it only makes the ride more uneasy. On the way back Elvido and I found out we could take a van that leaves at 4am. By the time we got there it was (in my opinion) completely full. There was only one seat that I could see. So we told the helper that we would wait for the next van. He insisted we ride and told us we could ride in the front seat (where there was already the driver and one passenger). So we agreed. I sat by the window in order to have access to the fresh air which always helps me avoid vomiting. Poor Elvido was scrunched between me and the other passenger. As we went along on the journey, the bus must have added another 6 or 8 people. I couldn't look to see how crowded it was back there but it must have been terrible. These Guatemalans really know how to pack 'em in. And boy was I glad I sat by the window. The driver cranked the heat to unbearable levels. Later Elvido told me he felt like he was going to throw up because of the heat and the ride. Then when we had to switch halfway, we actually got on a bus that was not overcrowded. I had prayed for good seats before we left. Thank you Lord. Please continue to pray for this ministry to Nebaj. Pray for spiritual growth and hunger for the people there, more workers so we can be there weekly instead of bi-weekly, and wisdom for us to know what to preach and teach. Thank you.  

Death in Guatemala

Last Monday was a day not unlike any other. We went to school in the morning. In the afternoon I did some studying and prepared for our Monday night Bible study that we have been doing with two other couples. A little before the time of our study, one couple stopped by to let us know they couldn't make it due to other obligations they had to take care of. The other couple, Mario and Amalia, arrived late and we began talking while they opened a baby shower gift we had given them. Amalia was 8 months pregnant at the time. After a while we all decided we were hungry and wanted to go to Burger King and "hang out" together for a bit. They had informed us that earlier that day Amalia had an ultrasound and everything was going along normal in the pregnancy. The night ended and all were happy and content. The following afternoon I received a call from our pastor's wife informing me that Mario and Amalia had just gone to the doctor and found out that the baby had died. They were on their way to the hospital with our pastor. Sherri and I quickly got ready and headed off to the hospital to offer our comfort, support, and prayers (perhaps, we thought, it was a mistaken diagnosis). We got there too late as the pastor and Mario had already left. We tried to visit Amalia but the hospital would not allow it. Even though we knew they were inducing labor and we didn't want her to be alone during this trial, they told us "Visiting hours are from 2-3 tomorrow." The doctors gave her drugs to induce labor and put her in a room completely alone. As the contractions started to come, and the pain with them, she tried to remain calm but at times the pain was too great to bear and she called out for help. At that, a nurse would poke their head into the room and tell her to "shut up." She received no help until the baby's head was well on its way out. She delivered the baby, lifeless, at midnight. Wednesday AM they offered her a small piece of bread and half a Dixie cup of something to drink.The last time she had eaten was Tuesday morning. That was all she had to eat in 24 hours. The next morning we went to the hospital with Mario and our pastor and found out that Amalia had been stuck in a room all by herself. The hospital hadn't allowed calls nor visits, not even from her husband, for 24 hours. She was alone.  Mario wasn't able to see her until after 10 AM that morning. During all this time he didn't know if it was a boy or girl, if his wife was okay, or anything. In order to comfort and help them our pastor wanted our church to take care of all the funeral arrangements and began busily calling members of the church to arrange various aspects of the funeral. At one point in the day he turned to me and said, "They sure don't teach you how to deal with these types of situations in school." When someone dies in Guatemala, there is a HUGE amount of paperwork. Of course, for anything in Guatemala there is a huge amount of paperwork. It was my job along with my friend Elvido to go and get some of the paperwork done. Mario's ID was basically shredded due to wear and tear so Elvido and I had to go to RENAP in order to try to replace it or get some kind of permission granted in order to get permission from the municipality to get the body so we could bury it. That took a few hours of waiting, running here and there, waiting some more, and finally we got it done. Our next task was to bring the paperwork back to the hospital and pick up the body. Elvido had already arranged for a casket which we had in our possession. So we arrived at the hospital and were directed to the morgue. Words cannot express what happened next. We finally got into the morgue after knocking on more than one door. We talked to the man in charge and explained what we wanted to do. We had brought some baby clothes with us that someone from the church had picked up for us so we could dress the baby. I had been under the impression that the hospital staff would do this. But much to my surprise, it was not so. Elvido and I began to prepare ourselves psychologically for this task upon understanding that we would need to dress the baby. We had a tiny little diaper, a pair of socks, two different sized hats, a pair of pants, a t-shirt, and another shirt to put over that. As we waited, I offered up a few prayers for strength to go through with this as I tried not to think of what we were actually going to be doing. It was like a dream, or should I say, a terrible nightmare. And yet, I found strength in the fact that I knew what Amalia and Mario were going through was infinitely more difficult than what I would be doing in the next few moments. Finally, the man went to a refrigerator-type storage unit and pulled out a small package wrapped in shipping paper. As I began opening the package, I tried to distract my mind but continued to think about the lack of compassion involved in this whole process. After at least two layers of shipping paper, I found that the baby was wrapped in a couple layers of diapers taped together. Carefully, I untaped the diapers and came to the little baby. The body was ice cold. The face was dirty, smeared with spots of blood. There was blood and ripped skin near the feet and ankles. My wife and I had talked about taking a picture of the baby for Mario and Amalia in order to remember her in the future. Having a photo really helped heal us emotionally when we lost our little boy that died at birth after 8 months of pregnancy. I realized what I must do. I had some TP with us and proceeded to unroll a bunch and then wet it at the sink. I tried to carefully wipe the baby's face and clean it up to make it presentable for a picture. It took a number of tries since the blood had started to dry. Then I tried to pick the baby up holding it with the diapers that were still underneath its tiny little body while Elvido tried to dress her. We decided not to put on a new diaper for obvious reasons and since she already had a diaper on. We struggled with dressing the baby, putting on its pants, trying to get the tiny little feet through the ends of the pants, not wanting to touch the icy little body, but of necessity doing it. Then we put the t-shirt on and finally we struggled with the shirt, trying to get her tiny little hands through the ends of it as well, taking care not to damage the body, so tiny, so precious, so fragile. The hat was next, we chose the larger of the two caps for ease of placing it on her head. We tried to take a photo but I had no memory stick!!! Ugh... I couldn't figure out how to take a photo using only the camera's internal memory either. Oh no! The only option was to return to my house with the body in the casket and get my memory card so I could preserve the memory of this precious little child for its parents. We took the baby that was now in the casket back to my car and placed it in the trunk. We proceeded to leave the hospital grounds, but needed to "check out" first at the entry gate. This required explaining what we were doing, where we were taking the body, presenting my driver's license, and other documentation. Finally, we were approved to leave. The funny thing was that they didn't even want to look in the trunk to see what, or if, we were leaving with what we told them. Now we were racing against time. It was about 3:30 and the funeral was scheduled to be at 4:00. Of course, the traffic was terrible and it took us what seemed like forever to get to my house. On the way home I called my wife to inform her of what we needed to do. I knew my wife would be emotional at the thought of bringing this baby home and having to see it like that but, much to my surprise, she handled the situation very well and even took the pictures herself. We arrived at the church shortly before 4:00 and I gave the casket to the father. We then waited around for 10 minutes or so for the rest of the people to arrive so we could all go together to the gravesite. Earlier in the day our pastor and a few of us went to the graveyard to make arrangements and buy a plot. Of course, here they don't buy plots, they rent the plots for 6 years and then... I don't know what happens. The man showed us the gravesite and I thought all was well. Then I heard them saying that we would need to dig the grave too! Our pastor asked one of the men and one of the teenagers in our church to dig the grave which they did that afternoon before the service. As I reflect over this day, I think of the difference in cultures between Guatemala (or probably any third world country) and the USA. I can't imagine how parents, spouses, or families can handle the lengthy, in-compassionate, and complicated process of death here without the help of their church family. One man made the comment during the process of that day that Guatemala knows extensively more about its dead than it does about its criminals. Thus indicating that maybe the government of Guatemala should spend more time and resources on trying to track down criminals and less time thinking up additional requirements and red-tape for people in order to bury their dead. By the way, Guatemala has socialized medicine (i.e. "free" medicine, hospitalization, etc). I hope this isn't the future for the USA.

Desire to Follow the Bible

Yesterday durring the Leadership Class at the jail we finished a study of the Baptist Distinctives. The last distinctive being "Two Offices." I explained briefly to them what the Biblical requirements for a pastor were based on 1 Timothy and Titus. After the class, a young man, Erick, approached me and asked me what he should do because he was not married, yet he was elected pastor of his sector by the congregation. I told him the requirements are clear and that he needed to pray about stepping down. I told him that God would bless his obedience to His Word. I further told him that he should study this matter in greater detail and that I would bring him a 5 page study concerning this subject that he could read and study for himself and make an informed decision.  Please pray for Erick that God would continue to work in his heart to give him a hunger to obey every word in the Bible.  

First Basic Training Session in San Martín

Yesterday was the first training session of thirteen that we held in San Martín. The pastor there, Elvido, was expecting 8-10 and I brought 1 friend  from Chimaltenango. We ended up with 17 adults, 4 children, and a dog! Praise the Lord. All went well and I think we are on the way of something that may make a big impact  in that town. Please pray that each person will be faithful to come each week and that they would really understand and apply what they are learning. Thank you.

Bullets found in Jail

Today (4/1/11) Borther Daniel and I were going to go to the jail in order to have a baptismal service. Five men at the jail wanted to be baptized. As is our custom, we like to talk with the baptismal candidates to make sure they are really saved and not expecting that the baptism will save them. This is a huge problem here with Pentecostals and Evangelicals so we try take precautions.  However, after we were searched and admitted, we weere directed into the office of the director. He showed us that they had found a baggie of bullets just an hour earlier. He said, "If there are bullets, there is a gun too." We asked him if we could at least interview the five baptism candidates and he agreed. After a little more than an hour a guard motioned to us that we need to finish. As we weere leaving the jail, we saw literally dozens of police, some with riot gear, and some militia as well enterning the jail as we were leaving. Praise the Lord for His hand of protection over us.   

Amanda Gone to States

We had a day of mixed emotions today (3/30/11). Amanda left for the States today to go to Bible College at Heartland Bible College in OK. We are happy for her future and that she is desiring to follow the Lord's will for her life but are sad to lose her for a while. She has been a huge help to us here and without her we, no doubt, couldn't have made it this far. She will be spending the next few months in MN to work in order to earn money to pay for school. Then in mid-August she will go to OK.  This is an exciting time for all of us.

In Guatemala Life is Worth Very Little

It's been one week since the father of three young girls that come to our church was murdered. Although it is always hard to find out what actually transpires when something like this happens here, the fact is, it is always a shame. Apparently this man was hired by someone to pick avocadoes in his field. The other two men and two women that were hired didn't think there was enough work for five people. They went up to this man and his son, who happened to be with him, and told the son to leave. They then told the man to leave but he refused so they took a gun, aimed it at his mouth and pulled the trigger. Will there be justice? I doubt it. Usually people are too afraid to press charges for fear of retaliation and the police don't seem to want ot get involved. We were talking on the church bus the other day on the way to church and one man said, "You can hire a hitman here for only Q50 (i.e. just over $6)." How terrible that life is worth so little here and that crime often goes unpunished. The week before there was another murder, this time in the park. Appraently the Governor was at the park on a Saturday night and his relative was there and proceeded to argue with the Governor which evolved into a fight. Then, the Governor's bodyguard shot the man dead. He probably could have aimed to wound. But no. He aimed to kill. I am glad that God watches over His children. For although there is much violence here at times, I am at peace knowing that nothing can happen to me or my family without the approval first of the All-powerful, All-Mighty, Creator of the universe. To that I say, "Amen!"

The Completion of Our First Evangelism Boot Camp!!!

Today we completed our first Evangelism Boot Camp. It was very tiring to me teaching and training eight hours a day for 5 days a week.  But I learned a few things about how I will improve future boot camps. We had three young men and one young lady attend. Amanda and Sherri did the cooking and Amanda also helped do some of the hands on evangelism with the young lady.  I am grateful for their help. Due to the full time schedule we had, we got behind in many other things. But I expect we will be able to get caught up in the next few weeks. I will be planning and revising things for the next boot camp which I hope will be another "trial" camp like the first one before I actually have a "real" boot camp.  I am looking forward to taking some time to review my Spanish and also to prepare to move (which will include packing our stuff and painting the interior of the new house).  Thank you for all who have prayed and helped us accomplish this first step in our vision.

First Day of 1st Boot Camp!!!

Today was the first day of our first Evangelism Boot Camp. This has been a dream for us for many years. God gave us the vision several years ago while visiting Costa Rica. But is took many years of preparation, leading, and guidance by Him to make it come to pass. What a great joy it is to see God's hand at work over a process that took several years. We have much hard work yet to do as this first Boot Camp is more of a trial run. Five memebers of our church here have dedicated the next two weeks to this school. I am hoping that they will help me correct any errors in my translation and also that I will be able to find out if all the information will fit in the time-frame of two weeks. I have one more longer class to translate which will be included in the second trial Boot Camp (hopefully in Jan/Feb???). After that, or around that time, we will begin activily recruiting men from other areas.  I just want to take a moment to thank all those who partnered with us in this venture. We are overjoyed and very grateful for your help through prayers, giving, advice, etc.