Hi Everybody!
Just a quick note from Guatemala about the coming events this week. We would sure appreciate your prayers as we get ready for the big Rodeo this week in Agua Blanca. On Tuesday, I arrived with Ray Gurney and Dave Herriman. Wednesday Sam Anderson, Denny Ledgerwood, and Michael Macias will get here. On Thursday, Lew Sterrettt, Clint Bailey, and Marty Langhofer are scheduled to arrive.
Big Days at the Rodeo
Friday to Sunday the whole team will be doing activities in and around Agua Blanca. In the mornings and afternoons we will be meeting with individuals and smaller groups, like cattlemen associations. Then each evening we will be doing presentations and activities before the main rodeo starts. Right now the plan is to have part of our team prepared to do children's activities like roping steer heads. And the other part of the team will focus on the horse presentations and messages related to that.
One thing we tell our teams is that whatever the schedule is for the day, and whatever the plan is, prepare for it to be changed at the last minute! For those who have come multiple times, they can tell many stories of how whatever WE planned didn't happen on a particular day, but that something better happened that we couldn't have imagined. So as the week unfolds we will keep you posted on how it all shakes out.
Preparations for the Next Few Days
Tomorrow, with our team that is here, we will practice some of our routines for the rodeo and prepare our props and equipment. Also we will be having breakfast with leaders in the region who are doing various ministries targeting cowboys, special needs children, soccer players, motorcycle enthusiasts, and Christian radio leaders. The bottom line here is that we have been using the Play. Story. Eat. methodology with each of these groups and have found that it has drawn diverse people together and helped forge friendships and increasing numbers of people taking another step with God.
On Monday, Lew, Clint, and Marty fly home. The rest of us will be at an event in Jutiapa with a cattlemen association and a dairy group.
Pray for Spiritual Strength
So far things have fallen into place so easily for this team. But we know that we will be entering into some territories of the evil one and expect to have some spiritual push back. Even so, we believe that God is going to trump anything and everything that could be thrown into the mix as barriers to folks getting a taste of what God wants for them. Pray for a strong and united team as we work together.
In a couple of days I hope to be able to check in with you again. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement. It means a lot. Talk to you soon!
Steve
P.S. - This is the second time we have used the new format to send out the Update. If you have any issues or comments about any of this please let us know. We want to work out all the kinks as best as we can. Thanks!