GUATEMALA MISSION TRIP CHANGES LIVES
Over 2000 years ago, a missionary God sent His son, Jesus, who devoted His life to building a church that would extend to all corners of the world. The mission Jesus gave His disciples is as real today as it was in His time. “Extend my spiritual kingdom throughout the earth, making disciples of all peoples. Rejoice and follow me.” But it is no surprise that the number of those who followed Jesus in his time was few – and even those chosen often misunderstood the extent of the demands he was making of them. Jesus’ call to four rough-hewn fishermen at the seashore to put down their nets and to follow Him was shrouded in mystery. Consider the calls to Abraham, Ruth and Amos –- this has always been God’s way with His people – taking ordinary people and using these flawed vessels as vehicles of His glory. And yet, despite their small numbers and their imperfections, we must recognize the impact they had on the Roman world. God delights in taking those who respond, whatever their background and gifts, and shaping them into a community through which He penetrates the social order in powerful ways.
It was with this knowledge, and with great anticipation, that nine members and friends of TUMC departed for Colegio Rey de las Naciones (“CRN”) in Antigua, Guatemala, in April, 2011 on a short term mission trip. We had raised over $6,000 to cover the cost of project materials for this trip, an answer to prayer in our stalled economy. Our commission was to assist our missionaries, Jaime and Melissa Garcia, with the following projects:
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construction of concrete walkway between the administration building and the central classroom area;
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modification of restroom and other facilities to accomodate special needs students;
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development of new special education and social programs for the CRN curriculum;
The Garcia mission in Guatemala was established in 1996. The central concept employed by Jaime and Melissa Garcia was the same then as what it is now -- the cycle of poverty that exists in Guatemala can only be broken by educating the young people so that they can lead the country to a more prosperous future, applying Christian principles as taught by Jesus and The Bible in the process. With this in mind, the mission is attempting to form partnerships with business interests in Guatemala to provide financial assistance to students and the promise of meaningful employment upon completion of schooling. Hope for future generations.
Our mission team members came from all walks of life. Only a few had experience in the construction trades. Yet, working together, focused on the project goals, every member of the team made a valuable contribution to the success of the project. No malingerers. No whiners. No prima donnas. The exercise is proof anew that God does not ask people to perform tasks that He does not equip them to handle. We learned that we need not wait for someone to hit us over the head in an effort to identify our gifts; rather, we should seek out and identify our gifts by taking more risk – by wading into deeper water, trusting in our God.
One always gets more than one gives in an experience like our mission program. Our hard work in Guatemala was rewarded with many blessings. For example, the hugs and kissses at the conclusion of our stay for each team member by each student at the school, provided a very special thank you. Surely God is at work in every corner of our world.
Rick Warren, in his best seller, “The Purpose Driven Life”, urges us to become “world-class Christians” by thinking globally about missions. Pastor Warren states that the “best way to acquire that perspective is to go on a short term mission trip.” He says: “it will enlarge your heart, expand your vision, stretch your faith, deepen your compassion , and fill you with a kind of joy you have never experienced. It could be the turning point in your life.” So it was with the the nine dedicated persons who traveled from TUMC to work with our brothers and sisters in Guatemala. But don’t take our word for it – experience the benefits of a short term mission trip first hand. Sign up for the Guatemala Mission Trip 2012.