MONDAY AND TUESDAY, 7/30 & 7/31/12  –  Physical and spiritual healings galore in Chimaltanango!

After a POWERFUL prayer warrior session Sunday night, led by our amazing Minister, Dr. Herman, we were spoiled to start our Monday morning with his incredible two hour devotional covering how and why we are called to go forward and shine God’s light.  Through testimonies, scripture, worship music, and powerpoints, we received 20 years of invaluable mission work wisdom and mentoring. 

We then loaded up the trucks with medical supplies, children’s ministry props, and bibles to give to those requesting them, and made our way to Chimaltanango.  It was about a 2 hour trip through beautiful mountainous roads.  Much of the scenery was lush mountains, including a live volcano, beautiful farming plots, and gorgeous partly cloudy blue skies.  Since we’re about 7K feet above sea level, the clouds are lower and it’s a cool, subtle difference.  We also drove through the city area, which was an interesting array of automotive repair shops, bars, children in private school uniforms, motorcycles zipping between lanes, and Tuc Tuc’s (three wheel taxi’s), etc.  We also noticed many of the homes off this main strip were tin sheds.  It weights heavy on the heart.

For Monday and Tuesday, we spent both days serving the Guatemalans in a large village – Monday in a church and Tuesday in a schoolhouse and square.  Both days, we were greeted with amazing open arms, including the town officials announcing our welcome via a speaker system.  It was very moving!  Each day, we opened up with prayer and then the people got in line to see the doctors, dentist, and the children joined the children’s ministry activities.

As an overview of the logistics, the doctors and dentist set up their treatment stations, they then have the prescriptions sent to the pharmacy tables (set up and ran by the support staff and our team members), and while the prescriptions await their medication, they come to meet our team members at counseling stations (with the accompany of an interpreter on staff). 

With all volunteer roles, we have one goal for being there, to shine God’s love on them.  By engaging in conversation, we seek to ask how we can pray for their physical illnesses, as well as understand if there are any faith based or relationship/family pains we can pray for.  Often, in those conversations we can learn what they know about Jesus, and what knowing Him can mean for their lives and families.  Of the 200 patients we saw in the last two days, there aren’t enough pages to summarize the joy, comfort, enlightenment, curiosity, tears of healing, forgiveness, love, appreciation, etc.  the Guatemalans’ experienced with us these last two days.

Praise God for speaking through us to these wonderful people.  Salvation occurred and seeds were planted for future growth in a relationship with Jesus!                

p.s. to Luke and Micah: mommy says she loves you and misses you! 

p.s.s. the same goes to all the loved ones following along with our journey!  Thank you for sharing this experience with us from the U.S.!