September 2020 - My God Did Not Stop Working

I’m writing this report to you from my home office – a reminder of the things that have swept our nation. I have to admit, as an extrovert, it’s a lot harder for me to get going when the morning commute is a room away. But I was just encouraged thinking that – yes, our country social distanced and shut down work places, but God did not stop working (John 5:17).

By God’s grace and the generosity of His people we were able to share food with hundreds of families in five countries during the hardest months of the crisis, and by His grace I’ve been a part of some ministries to some of the poor here in our own community. God truly has not forgotten us during this time.

I was in a meeting the other day with some young adults, and one of them blessed me by praying and asking God to show our group how to reach out to those around us – to do His work. It is encouraging to see that God is still working in the hearts of His people, so let’s take a brief tour, and consider how God may use you in this time to be an agent of reconciliation.

Guatemala

Thank the Lord, our churches in Central America are allowed to meet again this Sunday! In Guatemala, they’ll be limited to 10-20 people per service due to the distancing rule and the small space they have. So, they will be meeting for three hour long services tomorrow (that’s a lot of work).

Throughout the crisis Vlademir and his family have been able to deliver bags of aid to hurting families, and the local police even helped with the deliveries! The people have given their thanks again and again that the church around the world has remembered them. When one part of the body suffers, we all do.

Young Bladito is still teaching music classes three times weekly to a small group of students – along with one who has yet to meet the Lord but is attending services. Pray for two of the students who had to drop out of classes to help support their family, because the economic situation in Guatemala is still very severe.

A new ministry

The Lord has some amazing ways of opening up new ministries. One of the women who came to faith took the gospel back to her parents back in her hometown, and by God’s grace, the parents have come to faith and are being discipled in the Lord now. Their community is two hours of hard driving away, and there is no gospel-preaching church in the entire community.

El Salvador – First church service in months

In El Salvador, they are having their first church service in months tomorrow, and they are hoping it will be a huge encouragement to those who have been isolated all this time. They’re also hoping to begin visiting and encouraging the family of God now that things are opening back up.

We are hoping by God’s grace to visit them soon to encourage them. Pray that the Lord gives the perfect timing for that.

Honduras – What man intends for evil…

In Honduras, our central church is located in a community whose leaders despise the gospel and want to see the church gone. Because of their threats and pressure, very few people from the town have been coming.

Seeing their opportunity during the early days of the pandemic, they got local authorities to shut down services even before a single case had appeared in the region. Perhaps they thought they had succeeded, but the Lord had other ideas. For the believer who is in Christ, resurrection always comes after suffering, because He rose from the tomb where they'd placed Him. 

Now, instead of meeting in one big service, each of our six elders carried the gospel back to their community and began small Bible studies and discipleship classes there. The Bible studies have each grown, and now they’ve even opened up a ministry in Corralito, a new community that had no church. The ministry there is still growing, so please pray for them!

Meanwhile in the original community that shut down the church services, curious people have been attending the bible studies – some out of boredom and some because they have been led by the Lord. Recently, a man came to faith who is a former murderer but has been redeemed. If Jesus can save such a hard man in such a hard community, imagine what He can do here!

He truly is able to do more than we could ever ask or think! Praise be to our God!

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for our nation – these are difficult, turbulent times. Pray that we will be a light and an encouragement because, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
• Pray for Alex – he has a ton on his shoulders as a supervisor of medical issues in his community, leading his church, and leading his family. Pray that God gives him the strength to press on.
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  Pray that God keeps our brothers and sisters strong in the faith
• Pray for protection from the virus and the violence in the area
• Pray for the new community in Guatemala and for Vlademir and his family to press on
• Pray for the elders in Honduras that they press on in the ministry in their communities without growing weary
• Pray for unity in the church in Honduras – many who came to faith bring a lot of baggage with them, and some of them were formerly enemies and are now worshipping in the same church. While this is awesome, it can be difficult at times.

Thank you all for your prayers and support! Keep pressing on!

- Paul