Testimonies From The Guatemala Team
WOC Guatemala Mission Trip May 3-11, 2008
At 3:00 am Saturday morning, May 3rd, the Guatemala Mission Team 08 departed from WOC’s Leadership Park in route to Nashville International for their flight through Miami to Guatemala City, Guatemala. This 11-person, 1-alligator (our own Gozer!) team began their journey in full anticipation of all the amazing things God will do in World Outreach Church’s continued work with ASELSI Ministries in Chichicastenago, Guatemala.
They carried in tow 12 duffel bags full of treasures for the Quiché Indian peoples to whom they will minister over the next nine days. WOC Small Groups contributed the lion’s share of toys, candy, coloring books & crayons, bubbles, and hospital necessities, all of which will be expressions the Lord’s love and compassion to hundreds. A local company generously donated new tools, which helped our team construct new roofing on dwellings and complete several other major work projects. In addition, almost 200 Derek Prince books were placed into the hands of present and future pastors-in-training - what a privilege. Below are just a few insights from the team…
Joe Duncan: God was ever-present on our trip to minister with the ASELSI team in Guatemala. The one single thing that God keeps on revealing to me, now that we are home, is the POWER of PRAYER. Our Team witnessed God and His miracles and healings on a daily basis. Satan was also there trying his best to work against us. Whenever we felt the presence of Satan working against us, we prayed and Satan fled.
We witnessed God healing a young Lady that had “hammer toe” - it was amazing to watch God work! We prayed for this young lady for about an hour. During that hour, we saw God straighten her toe and make it perfect! In addition, one of the Leaders of Aselsi was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. We prayed over him and when he went to the doctor the next day, the doctor found no cancer present! He was healed by our God! The power of prayer is one of the most useful tools that God gives us. Often we take it lightly and underestimate the power that is available if we just believe and plead the blood of Jesus and pray.
Cathy Duncan: God impressed upon my heart during and after our trip His great faithfulness to the team. He literally held us together as Satan tried to manipulate and defeat us, one by one. We left for Guatemala as acquaintances but we returned as a family. It became evident that God had handpicked every team member, as we got further along on our journey. Where one was weak, God had picked one stronger so we were able to lift each other up when needed - and that was often. The miracles and healings were powerful, but moreover, I discovered that God really does love all people…
One family our team visited was that of a Mayan priest, Emmanuel, whose wife, Rosa, occasionally visits one of the local churches. ASLSEI had often attempted to visit Emmanuel, but he had always refused. Agreeing this time, ASELSI’s Virginia Bliss & Miguel accompanied Charles, Jenny & Megan Snoddy and me on this visit. Upon arrival, we walked a long distance over open sewage trenches, edging steep declines. Rosa was waiting at the house, along their two daughters, one of whom, Maria, had been raped, resulting in the birth of a son, Juan, now 4 years old. We sat on a bench outside the house. Emanuel was the last to join us. Virginia interpreted our English into Spanish and Miguel translated into Quiché – a cumbersome process with seemingly little headway. Rosa shared that she could not pray because she would fall asleep. Miguel told us the reason - epilepsy.
Suddenly, Emanuel ran away, around the side of his house. Minutes later, he came back and began to listen again, eventually confessing a very severe alcohol problem. Charles & Jenny shared their testimony with him and his features softened as he listened - we watched as the Holy Spirit began His work. Then Maria said she could not understand why God had allowed the rape. I shared that God never said we would not have tragedies and heartache, but He did promise to hold us together and take us through them. I’m not sure she accepted any of it, but Emanuel, the Mayan priest, did! He told Miguel that he wanted to accept Christ and we lead him though the sinner’s prayer. He immediately went inside, bringing out a huge arrangement of flowers, setting them outside his house - part of his Mayan altar! Needless to say, there was a lot of rejoicing between us all. Rosa was so happy for Emanuel’s salvation that she kept raising her hands saying, “Hallelujah”. The family followed us all the way back to the van. Miguel will help this family find the right church, and Virginia will bring Rosa to ASELSI’s clinic to see a specialist for the epilepsy.
Mark Fye: There is so much more to being a Christian than I had thought. Pastor Phillip (Jackson) challenged me to look at what my life might be like if I were truly loyal to God. That was something that I thought about all week long. The truth is that it would look quite a bit different. Although going to church and serving while there is great, it doesn't constitute being loyal to God. This requires total commitment to Him. I learned the ‘high places’ in my life – anything that takes a higher position than God - need to be knocked down and I must put God in the highest high place, getting out of my comfort zone and trusting God, praying and then listening. God will speak to me if I will only listen.
The people I met through ASELSI understand this. They are totally committed to God’s purposes, and it was an honor to have met them. Our team had an opportunity to pray for the staff of ASELSI and that was my highlight. I was somewhat shocked at their requests. Although I have more in my living room than most of them have in their whole house, they only requested things that would better God’s kingdom. They asked for land on which to build a hospital to help even more people. They prayed for healing for their backs so they could continue to give physical therapy to their patients. They prayed that they would have strength against Satan's attacks. Their requests were very unselfish, as I would have expected after getting to know them. It was a true honor and a blessing to pray for them and I learned a lot about myself while doing it. I felt God’s Spirit lead me to every person I prayed for, and I know that it was not me praying, but God through me.
I went to Guatemala thinking I would change the lives of some under-privileged people, and as I attempted to do so, the mission changed me!! I was the under-privileged person because I didn't know God nearly as well as I thought I did. I plan to change that daily. The fact is, I can do mission work right here in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. All I need to do is love people the same way Jesus loved me on the cross and by spreading God’s word and leading people to a relationship with Jesus. I feel much more equipped to do this now, as I have grown stronger in my own relationship.
Gozer Here: I was really touched when I found out that most all the kids and parents that came to play with me walked all the way there. Some of them walked for five hours to get there. That's a long walk!!! I can't even sit that long without getting super gator-tired. They come all that way to get milk for the little kids. We usually just open our refrigerator to get milk. (We sure are blessed) and while they waited in line I got to play, pray, color, and even blow some bubbles. Now that was a lot of fun. I know Jesus loves them all as much as us, that's why we need to pray for them all the time. I sure will miss all my new friends, but I know they are in good paws…I mean hands…with Jesus. ---Gozer Out
Will Steele
The most significant part of the trip for me was the way God molded our group together. I roomed with Mark Fye and it was as if we were brothers after the first day. I really enjoyed every time the group came together and prayed for people. I was really touched when we prayed for the ASELSI team. We split them into two groups. Our group prayed for the women that are involved with the physical therapy program and also Miguel and Daniel. I cried as we prayed for them. We were believing with them that God would meet their most significant need. One woman in particular asked that we just pray for the program and for the ASELSI complex - nothing for herself. I was so humbled by all their attitudes. I loved that we were sent there and God had us there to pray for and to encourage them.
The other thing that was so cool was the fact that we were not there to do construction work. I mean we were but we weren’t. The roof and pouring concrete were all secondary. One day we were halfway through pouring part of the slab and we just left it to minister. God allowed us to get all the work done, but it was all secondary. I had prepared to do labor and I knew that we would be praying but I never figured that we would come together as a family and be united the way we were. I really feel that I have ten new family members. Mary Jane and Suki and all the others are more like family than some of my actual blood family. It was so cool.
The living God we serve had a plan for each of us. I knew that each one of us was there for a special purpose, both physically and spiritually. All the miracles we saw and everything that went on will be with me for the rest of my life. I continue to pray for the ASELSI team and everyone I met on the journey. I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to serve.