Guatemala Update - February 28, 2006

The Lord continues to expand our ministry in Guatemala as we join Him in His work. Pedro Perez is a man who has a call on his life to be a pastor and whom the Lord led us to through his wife Juana. Juana came to us by way of the "practice" medical clinic we held in late September because she and her children were sick. You may recall, we held the practice clinic in preparation for the American doctors, dentist and medical professionals who came down from Tennessee and Kentucky in November. The Lord led us to provide financial support for Pedro and launch the "Ciudad de Refugio" radio program in his first language of Ixil (a Mayan Indian language pronounced ee'sheel) broadcasting the Good News from the mountain town of Nebaj, Guatemala. Each week Pedro makes the 12-hour "chicken bus" ride from Guatemala City to Nebaj to do the weekly radio program which we began on Saturday, January 28. Every week Pedro receives phone calls from listeners to personally visit homes and share the Good News. This week he was called to visit two homes and three new people received Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Pedro does not have a vehicle, but makes these visits traveling by chicken bus.

As I reported in my last update, we planted a second "Ciudad de Refugio" church in a small town near Nebaj. The town is called Xecax (x is pronounced "sh"). There are over 30 people attending this church now and we are seeking to raise $9,000 from our supporters to buy the materials needed to build a church building.

Even more good news. God has called Pedro to begin a new work... a third "Ciudad de Refugio" church, in a small mountain village called Cotzal. Cotzal is a two-hour drive from Nebaj. He is beginning this church plant with 14 people who will meet every week in a Cotzal family's house. I also wanted to report about the building our American friends from Jellico, Tennessee helped us to construct in November. The holidays have passed, the roof has been put on and steel doors and windows have been put in. The building is complete and the groundwork has now been laid among the neighboring refugee people. I am pleased to announce this Sunday we will begin a weekly community Bible study in our new building located in the heart of this refugee area called Las Colinas de Villa Nueva. The area of Villa Nueva is well known in Guatemala for the high level of gang activity... murders, assaults, robberies, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. "Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" (Mark 2:17)

So much is happening so fast. Since planting the first "Ciudad de Refugio" church with pastor Jorge Cerritos in September we've taken on a radio program, a second and a third church, conducted two community medical clinics and constructed a building for outreach. God is clearly doing the work... leading us to the people and places where He has already been working in Guatemala.

Thank you for your prayers and support. May our Lord continue to lead.

In Christ,

Steve