Good morning everyone!
If you are reading this on Tuesday morning, August 6th, then a team of 19 of us from Lenexa Baptist Church are most likely in the air traveling to Guatemala for a weeklong sports evangelism mission trip! This team is scheduled to work in several public schools in the department of Santa Rosa, working with grade school aged kids through high school.
These are printed testimonies in English and Spanish of our Lenexa Baptist team traveling to Guatemala August 6 -13, 2024. This bilingual tool is used to share our faith with individuals we meet on our mission trips.
Preparing to Play and Share Stories
Each day the team is scheduled to have about four hours in a particular school to do a combination of fun activities, classroom presentations, sports, faith stories, and share in a snack and refreshment for the kids. Along the way, we will be meeting with a couple of mayors and their teams to prepare the way for future soccer tournaments and other sports related evangelistic events. Pray for the logistics of all this. We are told that it is raining almost every day right now, so pray that through it all we can connect with people.
Honorable mention for heroic participation on this adventure goes to Jason and Courtney Neland and their five kids going on this trip! More than twenty years ago, Jason went with me several times to Guatemala, and for a long time he has wanted to have his family experience a mission trip in Guatemala together. So now is their time! Woo hoo!
Here is our team of 19 more or less in alphabetical order: Ellie Conaway, Anthony Cox, Claire Henderson, Benjamin Johnson, Makayla Johnson, Kenneth Miller, Angela Miller, Jason Neland, Courtney Neland, Gracie Neland, Joshua Neland, Luke Neland, Evie Neland, Maggie Neland, Anna Powell, Nola Reed, Steve Reed, Kisla Rodriguez, and Jake Solem.
10:02 PRAYER
(Pray Luke 10:2 each day at 10:02 am or pm that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into His harvest fields.)
Points of Prayer for LBC Guatemala Sports Evangelism Team
1. Pray for safety in travel for the team. Pray that all 19 of the LBC team and our Guatemalan partners are able to move freely and arrive safely to each daily activity and event.
2. Pray that each of our team members stays healthy and unified. Pray that our team will demonstrate a contagious love for each other and for those we encounter. Pray too that our hearts are flexible as we know changes will likely occur.
3. Pray that each member of the team has an opportunity to personally lead someone to Christ through their testimony. Pray that we are ready to share.
4. Pray that whether we are on a soccer field, in a school classroom, or standing under an umbrella, we are able to connect well with those around us and that we are able to share the gospel clearly, persuasively, and with much joy.
5. Pray for the follow-up plans. We expect many to come to Christ and are preparing with that in mind. Pray especially for Cesar Gonzalez and his wife, Elba, as Cesar will be leading follow-up teams in each location.
ENGAGE
Bill Burrows and I are now scheduling time with partner churches for this Fall. If you are interested in having one or both of us come to your church, let us know! We can do Be-the-Church training or collaborate with you on your church’s next mission trip!
INVEST
Thank you so much for your continued investment in this ministry. Your giving has been crucial to all we have done the past several months both here and in Guatemala.
You can give through the link below, or checks can be sent to:
Daybreak International, 11628 Oakmont St., Overland Park, KS 66210
Thanks again for your support. Please let us know about any of your prayer needs.
Love y’all!
Steve
PS…Last Sunday, August 4th, Nola and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with all our kids and grandkids! I still can’t figure out how the time can fly by so fast! I must be more persuasive than I think. Somehow I talked Nola into going on this trip as a way to celebrate!
