Our sole purpose is prayer

The focus of this team is very different from most short term mission trips. Our sole purpose is prayer.  This may seem strange to some. I mean, we could easily pray from the US for our partners – and we do! As a team we prayed for months leading up to this trip, mainly that God would give us wisdom about what He wanted us to accomplish and that He would reveal His heart for the people of Buena Vista, Guatemala. At our last team meeting before the group departed for our trip one of us shared that we felt that our hearts hadn’t really been broken the way we had hoped. There is definitely a spiritual bond that is formed when you intercede on behalf of someone. But it turns out that it’s hard to develop a true heart connection with that person or people from a distance.

This morning as we prayed and worshiped the Lord overlooking the village of Buena Vista something shifted. We all felt it. Dave Stewart, our Global Outreach Pastor, often says, ‘There’s no substitute for going’…and he’s right. Seeing the faces of these people, laying hands on them and praying for them…oh my heart. It is truly broken. I recognize in my humanness that there is no way for me to fully comprehend and feel the heart of God for His creation. But we are glimpsing His great love and it is powerful and intimate all at once. We serve an incredible God. We all feel immensely humbled to serve Him at this appointed time in this way.

We got to spend some time playing with the Rhinos at the Academy today and praying over each one of them which was so fun. Then, we visited the home of Dennilson (one of the Varsity Team Players). Talk about breaking our hearts. Dennilson’s father is an alcoholic and regularly abuses his mother and the children. There’s 8 children, 2 parents and a grandmother that live in their two bedroom home. His little sister, Lupe, has a skin disease that has caused sores to break out all over her body. She has the most beautiful smile. Thankfully, one of the other missionary families here has enrolled her in their school and is making sure she bathes and takes medicine every day. She’s slowly getting better. Kathryn and Krista were able to pray blessings over her today. 

Today is Guatemala’s Independence Day! Go figure. We are praying for freedom here…freedom from addiction, abuse, false religion, and hopelessness. Because it was a holiday Dennilson’s father, Orlando, happened to be home when we came by. This was a huge unexpected blessing. We were able to lay hands on their entire family and pray that the Holy Spirit would restore all that has been broken in that home. There were tears and hugs and smiles and lots of thanksgiving for this awesome opportunity. Please pray with us for Orlando and for the men in this village to be freed from the spiritual chains that bind them. Pray with us that these boys, the Rhinos, would end the generational curses that have thrived here for so long. Ask t
he Lord to flood this place with His mercy, goodness and saving grace. He is all we need.

– Carolyn