I hope you are well! 

I am currently leaving Guatemala, boarding a bus for our next county, Honduras! As I reflect on the work we did here in Guatemala, I feel a great appreciation for getting to work alongside such incredible people.

Each day of the week we were serving the community in different ways. We were partnered with local groups who asked us to help them in spreading Jesus’ love in their community through evangelism and discipleship. Specifically, we were working on a farm that supports the local community through christian outreach programs, helping with a weekly worship event that brings many believers together and provides a space for people to find a community, visiting homes of families connected to the church to support and disciple people in any struggles they are facing, and working with kids programs to help them grow in faith and step into a better life than the one their surroundings offer them. 

Our host was very grateful for us being there and said he is eager to welcome more missionaries because of the incredible impact we made on his community. I got the chance to ask him where he believed we made the biggest impact. His answer was almost immediate, “in the kids.”

Children have such a different perspective on the world than adults do. In someways they can be very unrealistic but in other ways they can teach us so much about wisdom and what is most important in life. 

A child’s mind is free, pure, open to new things, forgiving, loving, not judge-mental, not peer-pressured, joyful, filled with wonder, etc. These are qualities of the mind we typically grow out of but in the gospel of Luke we are encouraged to pursue this childlike mentality with our faith. 

Luke 18:17 - Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

Kids here, and in many third world countries, have a challenging childhood. At least compared to my life, they are not given much time or freedom to be a kid, to play, or to be innocent. They are forced to take on physically and emotionally demanding responsibilities, sometimes as soon as they can walk. When we engaged with the kids and when they came to the programs they received a few moments of what life as a kid is always supposed to be like. 

Our greatest success was bringing the kingdom of God to these kids and letting them experience its promises. It worked because they still held on to a childlike mentality. They were able to understand and experience the promises in a life with Jesus and each day they gained more hope and vision for a better future for themselves. We showed them that they are not confined to their past and that they are loved by God and His followers even if they not loved by their family.

In previous years I have found myself trapped in the flow of life and in repetitive ways of thinking (I know I haven’t been the only one). People who pursue Jesus will every so often be placed in our lives to show us how great life can actually be and to give us hope for a better future (I think of my friend Hank). They are our guiding lights to show us the power, love, and joy that comes from a deep relationship with the Lord. They are missionaries to us as my team was to these kids. If we can allow ourselves to have a childlike mentality, we similarly could break into a new life filled with much more love and joy. We must believe these promises were actually made for all of us, not just a select few. 

Although I am excited for this upcoming month, it is very sad to leave our Guatemalan friends. We are grateful for the growth in Guatemala that will happen in our wake. In Honduras we will be helping plant a church in a very remote community. I expect to be off the grid for the next month but I will try to post an update on that work when possible. 

Prayers until next time,

Jack