Hello everyone! I have been in Guatemala for two weeks and God has showed up in so many ways. My team and I are working with a couple different ministries during the week. I would love to share with y’all what we have been doing for the past two weeks!
The first ministry we work with is a church called Iglesia Evengelica Pentecostes Antigua Jerusalem in the town of Jocotenango. On Mondays and Fridays we teach english in the morning. I get to teach 10-12 year olds. On Tuesday morning we go to a womens Bible study and they asked us to lead teaching about the Holy Spirit. We did that last week for the first time and it was incredible. I will do another blog post about that day because it touched me in such a deep way. On Tuesday nights we go to a young adults youth group. I have gotten the opportunity to lead worship there every week which has been so cool. Yesterday a lady from the church invited us into her home to have lunch after we hiked to the cross overlooking Antigua with her. It was such a good time of fellowship. It started with some small talk and ended with some worship. That is all the ministry we do with that church.
On Monday we go to a small small village up in the mountains called Chimachoy and do house visits and play with some of the kids there as well. There are stray dogs everywhere in Guatemala and we aren’t allowed to touch them. Anyways, while we were in Chimachoy for the first time we were playing with some kids and stray dog peed all over my backpack. It was pretty hilarious!
On Wednesday we do ministry with Aderkee, a staff member on AIM, and we go to a small village up in the mountains and play with kids, do house visits, and attend their local church Wednesday. I got the opportunity to lead worship and teach at this small local church called Alpha y Omega this Wednesday. I was pretty nervous, but God pulled through and it went really well. I got to teach about the Lord’s prayer.
On Thursdays we have a teaching and worship in the morning and then we go out into a village and do ATL(ask the Lord). This day is called activation day. We went out into town called Parramos last week and prayed over some people. A homeless lady came up to us and just started talking about how much pain she was in and she was selling chocolate. She was just talking about the burns on her arms from the sun and she had a scab on her hand from a man stabbing her and her feet hurt because her shoes were broken. She just kept going on and on about how much pain she was in both physically and mentally. I asked her if I could pray for her hand and she said yes. I prayed a bold prayer for God to heal her hand and after I was done praying I asked her if it felt better and she was moving her fingers around and said she felt no pain. I was so amazed by God. She was just weeping and weeping and I felt like I needed to hug her. I then proceeded to ask her if I could hug her and she said yes. She just cried on my shoulder as i cried into her shoulder and was praying some words over her. She wouldn’t let go. It was such a beautiful moment and I could just feel God’s presence. I have never experienced anything like it. That is just a glimpse at what activation day looks like.
This is what life looks like right now and I could not be happier. I have seen God show up in so many different ways. Down below are a couple photos from ministry days! Thank you for reading, if you have any questions feel free to reach out to me via email. It might take a couple days to respond because I don’t have wifi all the time.
This is where we teach English to the 10-12 year olds at the church in Jocotenango.
This is me leading worship at the youth group that we go to on Tuesday nights.
These are kids we get to play soccer with, teach english to, and just play with on Wednesdays. They are the kindest, happiest kids ever.
This is a picture of my team and I playing with the kids from Chimachoy. This village is so high up in the mountains you can touch the clouds and it’s so cold!
Dear Grace, May The LORD continue to be with you!!! GOD is Awesome and so Faithful, To HIM all The Glory and Honor! I love everything you are experiencing in HIM! Love the pics and report you shared!
Keep pressing on toward the goal set before you. Don’t look to the left or to the right or behind you, keep fixing your eyes on HIM! JESUS will continue confirming HIS WORD by the signs that follow. May HE also and most continue to engulf and fill you and your team with the assurance of HIS sweet presence and Powerful HOLY SPIRIT. I will continue to pray for you!!! Numbers 6:24-26???????? Love you mija! Sincerely Cynthia Ramirez
LOVE THIS! LOVE YOU!
Grace, Thanks for sharing your ATL story. It’s a beautiful reminder of how much God wants to pour His love through us; all He needs is our “yes.”
(Katherine’s Mama)