Guatemala Debrief

Sorry for the delay in this...
The 2008 Guatemala Mission Trip was probably one of the most meaningful mission experiences of my life. There is simply no way to capture the full measure of the blessings received as a result of the trip. However, the best way to summarize the insights and lessons learned is to describe the trip in terms of three principles which I believe were so strongly re-enforced as a result of the trip.

The first principle that I saw re-enforced during this mission trip was the principle that we are absolutely dependent upon God. I saw this realized in my life even before the trip began. Due to a death in the immediate family, I was completely distracted and unable to properly prepare for the trip during the week prior to leaving for Guatemala. As such, I had to throw myself on God’s mercy with respect to being ready for the difficulties anticipated during the week. God was gracious in that as Saturday progressed, I could literally feel the stress and pressures of the prior week melt away.

I also saw this principle at work as I entered Guatemala City on Saturday. Immediately, it was obvious that my minimal study of the Spanish language would not help me at all. I immediately understood what it meant to be illiterate, but it was even worse, because I could not even ask for assistance because I was also unable to communicate in the native language. I was totally helpless. I was completely dependent upon the local missionaries, the Guatemalan translators, and the drivers. There was nothing that I could do in which I was not completely dependent upon someone else. This was a stark reminder to the fact that we ought to have the same sense of total dependence upon God. We cannot do anything in our own strength. God is the source of our strength, our power, our very survival. The total dependence upon others reminded me of the need for total dependence upon God.

The second principle that I saw at work during this trip was the absolute importance of prayer. In preparation for the mission trip, I made a concerted effort to find prayer partners here in the states. I had quite a number of people who firmly committed to pray while I was in Guatemala (many of you reading this were in that list). The number of those who committed by written commitment was 15, but there many more who indicated by voice that they would be praying. Most certainly, other team members had similar prayer partners, so only God knows how many people were praying for the team as a whole during this trip. Those prayers were deeply coveted and, in my opinion, extremely beneficial. There is no doubt that those prayers played a role in both the success and the safety of this mission trip.

I also saw this principle at work on the field while in Guatemala. Each day, the team began its efforts with prayer. Additionally, the team did not do any door to door evangelism before covering the streets in prayer via prayer walking. The team prayed specifically for every house they visited. The team prayed that the devil would be bound. The team prayed that doors would be opened. The team prayed that hearts would be receptive. The team prayed that communication would be effective. The team prayed that the Holy Spirit would move over the land. As a result, this mission trip was one of the most successful that I have ever been on. Prior to leaving, the team had prayed for 50 souls to be saved. That prayer was answered, with a total of 51 people making professions of faith in Jesus Christ. Who knows what would have happened if the team had prayed for 100 souls?

The third principle that I saw at work on the Guatemala Mission Trip was the principle that absolutely, God alone deserves all the glory. How ironic it was that in my ministry to the shut-ins at Hearthstone Assisted Living Center that I had prepared a sermon for the upcoming Sunday (the Sunday after the mission trip) on giving God the glory for all that we do, because the Guatemalan Mission Trip supplied me with numerous opportunities for sermon illustrations. How easy it would have been to be the proud Americans going down to Guatemala to minister in the backwards country. How easy it would have been to look down on them for the condition in which they found themselves. How easy it would have been to say “Look at the 51 people that WE led to the Lord”. For me, how easy it would be to be selfishly proud of the fact that every single person that I personally shared his faith with (if memory is correct, 8 in all) received Christ. How easy it would have been to have given credit to the translator that worked with my team, Raul, who was so obviously gifted with the gift of evangelism as well as pastoral skills. He managed to get us into almost every home, set the residents at ease regarding why these “gringos” were invading their home, and prepare them to hear the gospel.

Pride is a terrible enemy of the faithful follower of Christ. The team did none of the things mentioned above. It was God. It was only God, and only God deserves the glory for the wonderful successes the team experienced during this trip. These successes were as much a gift to the team as they were anything else. Souls were eternally changed, and the team had the privilege, honor, and blessing of being a part of it. They did nothing except surrender to the service of God, to whom be the glory, honor, and majesty forever.

Each of these three principles – absolute dependence upon God, the absolute importance of prayer, and absolutely, God alone deserves all the glory – played an important role in the success of this mission trip and shaped my view of how such trips should be approached in the future.

In conclusion, this trip can only be described as an absolute success brought about by the will of God, for the glory of God, as a blessing to those who willing gave of themselves in service to God, so that souls were saved by God. I was honored to be a part of it.