Toward the end of this update, I want to say “Thank you.” But right now, I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience! It’s January of 2021. And I’m in Kansas, Dorothy—not Guatemala!
For the past 20 years, I have spent at least a week or two each January in Guatemala or another Central American country. But today I’m home. Weird! The other day when I put away the Christmas tree, I saw my luggage over in the corner of our storage room. I couldn’t help myself and puckered my lips. “Wheeeewwww!” I blew off a layer of dust and then coughed as it came up into my face!
Dusty Luggage, Grateful Heart…
Thoughts flooded my mind. I began to think about this past year. And what seems more amazing than having dust on my luggage, is that in spite of being grounded for this past year, I have been as busy as ever connecting with my friends down south. This entire year has been a giant learning experience for me in how to use various technologies to stay in touch.
Here I am “Zooming” for the first time with some pastor friends from the jungle! Twenty years ago, in this same area, I could take a digital camera and snap pictures of them and then flip the camera around for them to see the first picture they would have ever seen of themselves! My, how times change!
Cesar Gonzalez shares a message for one of our weekly Rancheros Cristianos videos.
For Christmas, I got some of the singers in my family to sing “Feliz Navidad” to our Rancheros Cristianos friends!
Staying in Touch…
As you know, we have been working all year on producing videos and materials to send to our friends in many places. In September we began an experiment of doing a weekly Rancheros Cristianos video that we have continued producing all the way to the present. Using the technologies of Zoom, I have “visited” multiple locations—even with some friends in a place in the jungle where 15 years ago was totally inaccessible to any communications. Just two days ago, we were “present” through one of our videos presented at the Kekchi Baptist Association meeting in Fray Bartolome de las Casas, Guatemala. Thankfully Cesar was able to go and deliver a message to them in person.
As if on cue, while writing these words, I got interrupted by a call from Cesar in Chahal, Guatemala! He had two pastors who wanted to say “hi.” Using video, I could see Jose and Lorenzo, two of my dear friends who are pastors in the jungle. Anival, a newer pastor who I don’t know as well, was also with them. “Hermano Esteban, when are you coming back?” Lorenzo asked.
When do I go back?
Almost everything inside of me wants to say, “I’ll be there in February.” But I believe that it’s not quite time for me to go yet. Some of that relates to Covid-19, but it seems deeper than just that. What we are doing right now with our videos and creation of Be-the-Church materials in both English and Spanish needs to get done. I believe that we need to make it easy for our friends to make 2 Timothy 2:2 happen. In this verse, Paul says to Timothy,
“And the things you have heard me say before many witnesses, entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
We believe that our priority is to help believers in both the U.S. and in Central America be able to reproduce their faith in simple, 2 Timothy 2:2 fashion—passing on Jesus’ teachings in faithful obedience to others who can then pass them on to others who will pass them on to others, etc. While for us this involves production of videos, ultimately it’s not just about passing on information. We have to live it and pass it on to others—person to person.
Here Bill Burrows and I do a video on how to have a soul-connecting conversation with another disciple of Jesus.
Tools for Being the Church…
So for me to go back, I believe that I need to have some of these new tools ready, and I want some time for my friends down south to be in the first phases of person-to-person reproduction.
One of those things we want to pass on this year is how to have a daily, life-giving conversation with God. For me, 2020 was a year to grow in that department. Bill Burrows and I spent quite a bit of time thinking through how to make this doable for every Jesus follower—no matter their culture or circumstances. Looking to 2021, I am excited about how that conversation will fuel my conversations with other disciples and those who are not yet disciples. Be ready to receive some of this as we begin to share it in the coming days.
Thanks to God and to You…
In preparing to write this update, I took some time to look at the updates from this time last year, and it is truly amazing to me to see what God has done. For one thing, God blessed us financially during this pandemic year far above our expectations. Giving for the year was up significantly over 2019. And that allowed us to bring on Justin Jacobson to help us do more video production.
Also, your giving for the hurricane disaster relief was a huge blessing. Cesar was able to help several of our friends and groups to replace roofs that blew off. And, those people in turn helped Cesar with the labor to put up a couple of roofs for new groups in the jungle. In addition, Cesar gave out medicines. Several of our pastors have had health problems. Jose, the pastor I mentioned above who just spoke to me on that video call, is contemplating going back with Cesar to see his doctor. Jose has been sick for over a year and nothing has seemed to help him get completely well. So thank you on behalf of Jose and others for your help. Cesar is using those funds you generously donated to love on our friends and help them as they help their people.
10:02 PRAYER
Please pray for Cesar and our friends in Central America. And pray for wisdom for me in knowing precisely when I should return in person. Pray for Bill and me as we finish up the Be-the-Church videos in both English and Spanish.
ENGAGE
Bill and I are praying that many of you will want to join us when we unveil our “30-day Guide to Having a Life-Giving Conversation with God.” Get ready for us to ask everyone and their dog to try it! For now, pray for us as we complete it along with our last Be-the-Church videos.
INVEST
Thank you so much for your investment this past year. I am truly grateful for you!
CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.
Love y’all!
Steve