At last, back to Guatemala again ...

In February, 2005, my wife Dennie and I were privileged to take our first short term mission trip to Guatemala as part of a leadership team from our church to explore the possibilities of our church establishing and maintaining long time relationships with established indigenous ministries and supporting a couple of Wycliffe missionaries that had been working for 25 years on translating the New Testament into the local heart language, Rabinal Achi. I said this was a leadership team that included four pastors and associates, three members of our mission board and then … two regular laymen, Dennie and I.  Dennie’s question, “Why did they ask us to go?”  Marvin’s response, “I don’t know but all things work for good to those that love the Lord, so there must be a reason.”  This was the first of several trips for me to San Miguel Chicaj and the start of lasting relationships between many Achi brothers and sisters in Guatemala and many members of my church who have been able to participate in some of our many missions to San Miguel Chicaj.

No w seven years later, I want to be used once again to meet the needs and minister to my friends in Guatemala.  I am now retired, I have the time, and I have been asked, with my experience, to facilitate and coordinate a group of young adults from our church that will be going to Guatemala. For some, or most of them, it will be their first trip.  I am eager, willing and hungry to serve this role, however now that I am retired, I am going to have to raise my own expenses for this trip.  This will be a new experience for me.  It has all the potential to be gratifying and even evidence that this is what I am called to do.  At the same time it has the potential to be humbling, frustrating and perhaps cause me to question my mission.  Stay tuned.