Stories from Guatemala

Annette and I just got back from Guatemala. We were doing two workshops - Training that Transforms and Being a Couple in Youth Ministry - at a youth workers convention. It was fantastic...1200 youth leaders...a huge number in this type of work, and even more impressive when you consider it drew leaders almost exclusively from Central America and the Spanish-speaking parts of the Carribean. For us the best part was getting to hang out, talk shop, and dream with our friends who were also at the event. These are people who we collaborate with in our common goal of providing training and resources for youth leaders in Latin America. (For more on this trip, click here)

One couple who we spent quite a bit of time with is Kyle and Nell Stiff, colleagues of ours who live in Guatemala City (that's Nell with Annette in the photo above). Nell wrote a story about trying to live out her faith in their adopted culture. It's great. It will give you something to think about and - unless I'm mistaken - I think you'll be nodding your head in agreement by the end.
(Click here to download her letter... and click here to read her new blog)

Faith Like a Child

(Susan, Caleb and Hill Davis - Dec. 2003)
Here's a classic faith like a child story which just happened to our friends, Susan and Hill Davis. Susan writes:

During the boys naptime, Hill fixed his hobie catsail boat and took it out for a sail. When the boys woke up, he was trying to get back to the dock, but there was no wind so he was kind of stuck. so i was out on the dock with the kids trying to explain to Caleb the principles of sailing and how you needed wind. Then i just said, "Let's ask Jesus for some wind." We said a simple prayer and, i kid you not, the wind started to pick up before i finished the prayer! "You see how Jesus answered our prayers, i said?" Caleb thought that was neat and when we went to get Daddy, Caleb said, "We prayed for you daddy!" Anyway, teachable moments and reminders that God wants the little ones to know He is there and He hears.

Rowdy Bars and Answered Prayers

I just got the following note from Harlan Capps, an acquaintance who started a college and seminary in Merida, Mexico:

When we purchased our present location for the college and seminary in 2000, there was a bar/club in front. It is very quiet. There were no other bars in our area. Shortly after another bar opened and it was a bad rowdy place (click for photo). We ask [our friends] to begin to pray for its closing. It did, but then was reopened four times. In the end however, God did not just answer the prayers about closing the bar, but now the owner of the property (click for photo) has become a Christian and does not intend to reopen it.

Now that's a real God-type answer to prayer. Sure the rowdy bar was a nuisance, but He knew the owner's life was the important thing.

June 'n July Updates

Click here for our July '05 update letter which is available in Word and Adobe Acrobat (PDF). We also created a June Highlights page which provides a cut-to-the-chase update about what we did workwise last month - for those of you who are checking up on us :-)