Leaders Perspective

It is always nice when we have the technology available to post blog updates on these trips. Unfortunately, the little glimpse that you get to read from these team members is just exactly that – a little glimpse. It is impossible for us to convey even a small portion of what we are experiencing here. Truth be told, it will take months for most of us to process all that we’ve taken in and participated with in these few days in Guatemala. For all those friends and family reading this, remember to be patient with us when we return. We’ll have a lot to say but it may not all come out right away. Keep asking and keep listening.

I want to say a special word of encouragement to all the parents of the students on this trip. You are all doing something right. I am so proud of all of them! These girls have heart, passion, humor, positive attitudes, strength, and spunk! I love them all and am so privileged to be able to share this week with them. Thanks for trusting me to lead them on this journey, it is an honor to serve alongside each of them.

For me personally, this has been a great trip. For some reason I have this tendency to be in Guatemala with the Banta’s when God is stirring things up. Last time I was here we were praying for a house for them, this time we are praying for a soccer complex on a hilltop that overlooks the city. It’s the kind of thing that most of us only get to read about in missionary support letters and here we are living it as it unfolds. Today we stood on that property and prayed for God’s provision. There’s just something neat about being that close to a situation that God is orchestrating. I trust that you can sense that excitement in the posts, but if you can’t, I’m sure you’ll see it on the faces of these students when they return home.

Speaking of prayer… thanks to all those who have been praying for good weather. We have been working in a ditch and painting outdoors every day this week and have not gotten wet yet. Considering that this is the rainy season, I’m going to go ahead and call that a miracle! We have one more work day and then we get to enjoy a tour day in Antigua. We’d love great weather for both days, so keep praying!

Finally, I am so blessed to be a missionary to missionaries, to lead teams on these journeys, to introduce people to missions, and to be a part of the work that God is doing around the world. Thanks so much for all of you who make the ministry of www.simplymissions.org possible!
- joe

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