One thing that I know for sure, everything can change in a single moment without warning. Some changes are good, some could be avoided and others are out of our control. When I was in college I heard something I never forgot and have taken to heart. “Control the controllables and let go of the uncontrollables.”

We can only control our actions and attitude toward the circumstances we face. We can’t control situations or how others respond to us. It is important to let go of those things, quite worrying about them and focus on controlling our hearts and attitudes. Trials will either make you bitter or better depending on your attitude and response to the trial.

As we have been in Guatemala there have definitely been some trials. Yet, through them all, God has been faithful! I am so proud of Michelle as she has faced more change, difficulties and pain that she has ever faced before. About 8 weeks ago she broke her ankle in 2 places and 2 tendons were pulling bone away from ankle. Being in a foreign country with so much pain and uncertainty is difficult. Yet, through being confined to our upstairs apartment for 3 weeks, icing her swollen foot 4-5 times a day, and being helpless to do normal things…Michelle has handled this trial with such grace and perseverance. She is now finally able to walk very slowly in an ankle brace (crutches are still necessary on the crazy cobblestone streets of Antigua). Keep her in your prayers!

Since moving here I have come to learn some startling facts about the beautiful people that live here. The country is still very divided as the indigenous and Spanish cultures clash. Guatemala has 23 distinctly different indigenous people groups and cultures that make up more that 50% of the population. Most of the indigenous people still hold strongly onto their culture/traditions and are in extreme poverty. Many who have heard about Christianity have only been exposed to the old ritualistic and legalistic Western Christianity that was forced upon them over the past few centuries. Thus, most of them have never heard the incredible hope and freedom that the true gospel brings.

Over the past couple months, I have had the opportunity to connect with some great organizations that are training pastors here. Many of them have recently begun creating training programs for pastors as they realized the desperate need for it.

As I talked with them I was shocked to learn that although there are lots of evangelical churches here, most of the pastors have very little or no training at all and most of them only have a second or third grade reading level. One organization shared that over 70% of the pastors they work with could not clearly communicate the gospel before they started working with them.
I am excited about the opportunity to cast vision and share with them about The Timothy Initiative and how they can be equipped to make disciples who make disciples and see the gospel spread through the unreached people groups in their areas.

Please pray for:

• Our trip to Ixchiguán next week as we connect with some leaders and pastors in an unreached indigenous area. They are hungry for training! The area we are going is known as the “Opium Triangle” where the majority of the opium is grown in Guatemala. The drug lords reign here and the people are in desperate need of Jesus.
• Michelle’s foot to continue to heal without any complications.
• That God continues to open the right doors for us to partner with organizations who have a heart to advance God’s Kingdom here on earth!