Northeast Nebraska Connections And More Bull Rider Stories

Hi Everybody!

First I need to welcome some new friends to our update—most of whom come from various places in Nebraska Welcome!

I leave Wednesday, May 18th, for a two-week trip to Guatemala, and I haven’t updated you on some ministry happenings in April and now the first part of May! Wow, time is flying! The April happenings involve our friends in Northeastern Nebraska who are doing some great things, and the latest story involves a flashback connection with a bull rider from an event in 2017 that now connects several of us in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Brazil!

Men’s Retreat At Camp Assurance

In April, Bill Burrows, Grant Walton (a new friend from Oak Grove, Missouri, who is hanging out with us), and I went to Camp Assurance near Belden, Nebraska. Shannon Arduser, the camp director, had invited Bill to lead some Play. Story. Eat. training for a men’s retreat on Saturday, April 9th. It was great! Bill did a fantastic job leading us in equipping drills to increase our confidence in soul-connecting conversations.

Bill invites the guys to respond to a question during the first part of the training at Camp Assurance.

Here, Bill is orienting the guys to our famous “Wagon Train” drill that helps us initiate spiritual conversations with two simple questions.

On the far right, Shannon Arduser, the director for Camp Assurance, shows us some new ground where the camp plans to build new facilities for accommodating groups. In the red sweat shirt is John Smith, pastor of Gospel Chapel of Newcastle, Nebraska.

Before finishing out the day, the guys shared around a campfire of what bull they were going to ride. (Also known as what they intend to do about what they learned!)

After wrapping up the retreat, Bill and Grant traveled to Newcastle, Nebraska, to serve Gospel Chapel on Sunday morning. Pastor John Smith and his wife Carrie lead a warm and welcoming church committed reaching their community for Jesus.

Spanish Speaking Ministries in Northeastern Nebraska

David Martinez of Northern Heights Baptist in Norfolk, Nebraska picked me up at the camp to go to Norfolk, where I spoke at their Spanish service and got a bonus of being able to speak at the nearby Calvary Community Church in Madison, Nebraska. David and others are doing some amazing things to reach out to the Spanish speaking folks in their region. Later that day, they sent a team to Atkinson, Nebraska for an event celebrating the start of a new Spanish speaking group there.

David Martinez introduced me on a Sunday morning at Northern Heights Baptist in Norfolk, Nebraska.

For me, I need to say a special word of thanks to Aaron Alanis, the new pastor of Calvary, and to his congregation for inviting me to come speak to them. Aaron speaks both English and Spanish and has recently been called by the church to lead the church’s English speaking service while also beginning ministry to Spanish speaking folks in Madison. Demographically, Madison has a majority of Hispanics now, and the church has felt a burden to do more. Hearing about their dreams for reaching their community was inspiring to me.

Brazilian Bull Rider Reconnects!

A few weeks ago, I got a strange call from a lady named Eliana in Brazil who was speaking on behalf of a a bull rider outside of Sao Paulo, Brazil, who had met me in 2017. The bull rider is Eliezer Vital, and he had been a part of our gathering in Agua Blanca, Guatemala in January of 2017. Evidently, I had given him my card, and he had kept it in his wallet for these 5 years. Because he speaks Portuguese and no English, he thought he needed someone to call me who spoke English. Eliana, a pastor’s wife, and her husband ate at Eliezer’s restaurant one day and struck up a conversation with him. When Eliezer found out she had lived in the US for 30 years before coming back to Brazil, he felt that she was the perfect person to contact me. He wanted to invite me to Brazil and asked if she could help contact me.

Eliezer’s bull riding promo shot

Here Eliezer is on one of his rides in Agua Blanca, Guatemala in January of 2017. Incidentally, Eliezer won the rodeo that year.

As you might recall, in February, I had the privilege of baptizing two bull riders in Chiquimula, Guatemala. Since then, Cesar Gonzalez and I have been on a weekly discipleship call with them and several of their friends. Long story short, when I asked them if they knew an Eliezer of Brazil, they did! And the next week they invited him to our weekly call! That day, there was me in the US, Cesar and a couple of guys in Guatemala, a guy from Costa Rica, and Eliezer in Brazil!

I’ll treasure that first call with Eliezer for a long time. At one point he shared the story of trying to get in touch with me and how we finally got connected. Eliezer speaks some Spanish, and when he does say things in Portuguese, the Spanish speaking guys usually figure out what he is saying. His story filled me up with so much gratitude that even now I get a little misty thinking about it.

This photo was from January of 2017 when we did a lunch with the bull riders of the Agua Blanca, Guatemala, rodeo. Here Cesar is opening up the time with introductions. During that time together, 19 of the guys prayed to receive Christ.

Eliezer is the one in the shorts. He says that he remembered hearing the testimony of Clint Bailey, one of our team members, who was a bull rider and is now a horse trainer. You can see in his left hand one of the written testimonies in Spanish of one of our other team members. That tool with the testimony of Clint Bailey was what we used that day to lead the guys to Christ.

Another shot from January 2017, this one was taken of Clint Bailey meeting other bull riders after sharing his testimony.

10:02 PRAYER

(Praying 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.)

Please pray for our friends in Northeastern Nebraska who are starting new Spanish speaking groups and churches. Pray too for Eliezer and the new guys connecting with us through these bull riders. Pray for wisdom in figuring out how to help them start new groups in their hometowns.

Also, pray for me as I leave for Guatemala. I will be spending time with Cesar Gonzalez and other leaders starting Christian Rancher groups. I will also be hiking in the mountains with a group of guys doing a men’s ministry, and we have planned one full day with the bull rider group near Chiquimula, Guatemala. Alfredo, the leader of that group, says that there are over a dozen ready to be baptized!

Also on this trip, pray for the preparations and connections with a couple of mayors on the idea of doing a big soccer tournament next year.

ENGAGE

Bill and I have really enjoyed meeting you in your churches. Note that we plan to be in Valentine, Nebraska, on Sunday, June 5th, to speak at First Baptist in the morning, and to the Cowboy Church meeting at the sale barn Sunday night. Then June 6-10 we are scheduled to be at Calvary Chapel of Colome, South Dakota, for their Vacation Bible School. If you would like us to come your way sometime this summer, let us know!

INVEST

Because of your faithful giving, you make it possible for us to continue to travel and stay in touch with our friends who are doing such amazing things. Thank you!

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.

Keep those cards and letters coming on your prayers and concerns. We want to return the favor of praying for you as you pray for us.

Love y’all!

Steve

A Last Minute Trip To Nicaragua

Hi Everybody!

I should have informed you beforehand, but a couple of weeks after going to Guatemala, I went to Nicaragua! I was a part of a team of 25 people from Lenexa Baptist Church and from Fellowship West Church of Bonner Springs, Kansas.

Kelly Hughes, Missions Pastor of Lenexa Baptist, had been inviting me to come, and at the last minute everything fell into place for me to go. This team was partnering with a missions group called Project Hope. For over 20 years, this organization has been ministering to the poor and under-resourced people in Nicaragua (and other places) to help build houses, minister to children, rescue women in trouble, reach out to men with addictions, and more. Our team was helping to build 6 small homes, lead a Vacation Bible School, and touch base with the various ministries to men, women, and children. So each day our team split up to serve in various projects.

With Covid being something of a concern before the trip, we were praying that all 25 of us would test negative both before and at the end of the trip. Thankfully, everyone studied hard and passed their two tests!

There’s so much that I could share. For me, I enjoyed being a participant and getting to serve on the fly. As a result of the trip, I believe God is putting a few pieces together for more ministry in both Nicaragua and Guatemala. You’ll have to read through all the pictures to get the Guatemala connection!

The bottom line to the trip happened our last full day there, when 17 of our new friends were baptized! All told, over 50 people prayed to receive Christ during the trip. Here are some pics. I hope to explain some of these as you scroll through them.

Project Hope has its base outside of Managua, Nicaragua. Here we are eating together for the first time after arriving from the airport.

On our first day getting to the site, Travis Stearns (right) and Eduardo Mejia (left) get the group oriented. Travis and his wife, Tammy, have led the charge for Project Hope in Nicaragua for more than 10 years.

Here, Tammy Stearns leads a fun mixer activity with both Gringos and Nicaraguans!

Each day before starting our work on the homes, we started with a large group gathering of all who would be working together. The staff at Project Hope set the tone of fun and friendship and then a spiritual thought for the day.

Here Eduardo gets “volunteers” to perform various stunts as Siamese twins! Doug Hague is on the left. Ronda Reinhardt is on the right.

After large group, we broke into small groups that included most of our work partners. And in that smaller group we took the large group theme and had guided discussion and interaction before we started the work day. Here, Karl Pfloeger (seated on the right) is leading our group discussion. Standing next to him is Moises, a translator with Project Hope, helping the group with translations.

For an idea of the kind of construction we did, here is an example of what one of the houses looked like when we got done at the end of the week. Matt Clough, pastor of Fellowship West, myself, and a Nicaraguan friend, just got done roofing this house with its tin roof.

Mark Morgan and I were partnered with Alicia and Roberto Mendoza (Roberto is not pictured here.) as we worked on building their home with the whole team. Alicia gave both Mark and me a Nicaraguan-made maraca when we met for the first time.

Holding the shovel is Roberto Mendoza, our friend who Mark Morgan (standing on the left) and I partnered with in building their house. The Project Hope methodology for building the homes requires both future home owners and volunteers to work together to build their home and all the other homes in the new neighborhood. One benefit of this was that by the end of the week of construction, we had worked together many hours with dozens of people and had many amazing spiritual conversations in the process.

Tim Dykman and Nicaraguan friend, Carlos, finish out the last bit of the concrete block wall. In the background Doug Hague watches.

Here is the first sheet of tin on the roof of Roberto and Alicia’s house! The reflection in Matt’s face indicates that this job required some vigilance in keeping lathered up with sun screen!

Roberto shows his approval of the siding on the front side. Mark Schultze (walking towards the camera) was our crew leader helping us keep up with the jobs on each of the sites.

As a housewarming gift, at the end of the week, the completed homes completed received a new efficient wood stove for cooking. David, who is running the wheel barrow, was one of the guys I worked with a lot in mixing concrete. We had great conversations, and David was one of the 17 baptized the last day! Walking alongside is Kathy Moxley.

Doug and Debbie Hydeman give a gift to their family along with the stove to celebrate the completion of their house. Moises helps with the translation.

One of the defining moments of the week was when Eduardo gave a clear gospel message on our first working day, and about 18 people prayed to receive Christ.

People raised their hands to indicate that they had prayed a prayer of salvation.

After praying and raising their hands, Eduardo invited them to come forward. Afterwards our team prayed for them and congratulated them. Most of them were baptized on the last day together.

On three of our work days, we held VBS for an hour and a half in the afternoon. Eduardo led the charge, and we Gringos filled in to help and enjoy building relationships with the children. Here was a group pic after the first day.

The children used the chairs as their tables for drawing. During the week, they learned about God the Creator and what He created each day of the creation story.

Eduardo was a former professional soccer player in Nicaragua and loves to get everyone moving. From left to right, you see Brooklyn Linduff, Tricia Bell, Doug Hydeman, Halley Spencer, and Carol Dykman. Kathy Moxley was hiding behind Eduardo.

I loved the reactions of the kids. They were definitely into the motions.

Carol holds the microphone so Eduardo can tell the creation story and show the pictures to the children.

One afternoon during the week, Tammy Stearns led a women’s gathering where she and our team shared in a craft, a talk, and cake. At the end each received a crown to emphasize how special they are to God. Here, Tammy is praying a prayer of blessing over the ladies.

I walked up on the ladies’ gathering as I was finishing my work on the concrete sand pile for the day. Alicia wanted to get a picture with me.

With the men at New Beginnings ministry, Travis Williams shared his story of addiction, trouble with the law, and coming to know Jesus.

A group prayer concluded our time with the men.

Most evenings, we ended the day with a time of worship and a devotion. Here, Howard Dickinson and Kelly Hughes lead us in a song.

The one evening we didn’t have our group devotion was when we celebrated with the children and families of Taellor’s House. This is a ministry to single mothers and their children that was started in memory of Taellor, Travis and Tammy Stearns’ daughter who died unexpectedly at 19 years old in 2014. Today, this ministry is a hub for over 112 children and their families. This evening the children performed, and our team served hamburgers to all.

The team serves hamburgers to the kids and families at Taellor’s House.

Kyler Reinhardt shares his testimony with some boys at Taellor’s House who he spent time playing baseball with earlier in the day.

The children reenacted the story of the good Samaritan.

Before leaving for the evening, the team gave bags of food to each family represented. Each mom got a hug from Tammy before getting the food.

Here Sterling Farber gave a bag to one of the mothers.

On the last day, we stopped by this church in Nagarote where the last Lenexa team had been a couple of years ago. The purpose was for some from that trip to reconnect with their partnered families from the last trip and to deliver food.

Kathy Moxley shows pictures to the family she was partnered with in Nagarote. This little girl was about two years old at the time and can barely believe she was that little in the pictures!

Kyler and Ronda Reinhardt give a Bible and food to one of the moms in Nagarote. Standing to the left is an official from the mayor’s office who was working alongside us that day.

Before heading into the water, Kelly Hughes (far right) asked for a raise of hands of all those who were getting baptized. He then gave an explanation of what baptism means and how we were going to do it.

One of the things I loved about this baptism was that we had worked with most of these people for a week, and our whole team had new friends getting baptized. Several of us got in line with them just to celebrate the moment with each one.

Here Randy Schmidt baptizes a woman that he led to the Lord during the week.

Alicia was baptized.

And so was her husband Roberto.

It never gets old getting wet with new believers!

David and I had some amazing conversations working together, and his willingness to be baptized was a huge step for him. Being there for that moment was one I’ll never forget.

The Guatemala Connection

During the week, Eduardo Mejia and I got together several mornings to run. I am training for a half marathon, and Eduardo runs to stay in shape for soccer.

“You doing any soccer evangelism?” I asked, after hearing him talk a bit about his days of playing professional soccer.

“Yes!” he laughed. “Have you not heard about our soccer tournament we do every year?”

“No!” I said, my curiosity perking up.

“Last year, we did three tournaments, had over 150 teams participate, with over 1000 players, and many spectators. All told we won over 700 people to Christ!”

“Whoa!” I marveled. “When can you come to Guatemala and teach me and some friends how you do that?” I asked.

“As soon as possible!” he exclaimed. Then he told me that at the beginning of the year, he was talking with Travis Stearns about how he was feeling convicted by Jesus’ Great Commission to go into all the world, and that he felt that God wanted them to take the tournament outside of Nicaragua. Since that conversation, they have been waiting on God for direction in where to go and who to talk with.

“Have I got a deal for you!” I said lightly punching Eduardo in the arm with my fist. “I can’t wait to tell my friends about this conversation!”

Here is the flyer that Eduardo made to highlight the last tournament they did in Nicaragua. Note that they use the ball of many colors to share the gospel. We have used the same approach in Guatemala, only on a much smaller scale than what Eduardo has done.

The last night together, before our devotion, Eduardo shared with us the locations where they have done their tournaments in Nicaragua. The day before I had called Cesar Gonzalez in Guatemala and told him about our conversation. “Tell him to come to Guatemala!” Cesar exclaimed over the phone. After Eduardo’s presentation, I asked the group to pray for this to happen, and they committed to do so.

This past weekend, March 25-26, 2022, Eduardo’s team led a tournament in Matiguas, Nicaragua. Shortly before finalizing this update he sent me a note saying that 186 people prayed to receive Christ! Here he is holding the MVP trophies that were to be given out for the tournament.

10:02 PRAYER

Please pray for the new believers and our friends with Project Hope as they follow up with these dear folks. Pray too for Eduardo, the Project Hope leadership, myself, Cesar, and our friends who could multiply this kind of soccer tournament in Guatemala. Right now, I plan to be in Guatemala May 18-31 to make the rounds with Cesar and our Christian Rancher groups. Cesar has plans for us to hit up a couple of mayors about the possibility of doing soccer tournaments. Let’s pray this one through!

ENGAGE

Bill Burrows and I will be near Belden, Nebraska, at Camp Assurance April 8th and 9th for a men’s retreat. If you are up that way in Northeastern Nebraska, touch base with us. We might be able to see a few of you as we come and go!

INVEST

As always, we are grateful for your faithful prayers and support!

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.

And do keep us up to date on your prayer concerns as well. So many of you are doing amazing things for the sake of Jesus and the gospel. We consider it a privilege to pray for you as you pray for us.

Love y’all!

Steve

Tammy Stearns took this pic at the Taellor’s House celebration. I think my face says it all for how I felt about this trip!

Guatemala Trip Troubles Lead to God’s Gracious Blessings

Hi Everybody! Nola, Ray Gurney, and I are back from Guatemala, and we have a few things to share with you about our recent trip.

While we had multiple groups that we were planning on interacting with during our two weeks down there, the big project on the board was with the Kekchi Baptist Association in Fray Bartolome de las Casas. That project has been over a year in the making, as 80 churches in the jungle had been prepped to pray this year for their lost friends and family. The goal was for the churches to share a gospel witness with their friends the first week of February 2022 in an evangelistic crusade that included home visits and nightly services. The hope was that this would spark the people in the churches to share their faith before, during, and after the evangelistic efforts.

As of yesterday, we got word from German Tzi, the director of missions for the Kekchi Baptist Association, that they have tallied 568 salvation decisions so far! From our vantage point, we are blown away, because the trip for us was a near disaster. If you want the readers digest version, here it is:

We got to Guatemala. All started well. But in the jungle sickness grounded our team to a near halt. Thankfully a construction guy/pastor of a church drove 7 hours to bail us out just in time to experience a wonderful time with his church and one of the most meaningful baptisms in a river that I’ve ever had. Here’s our story in pictures!

It All Seemed Okay…

A few days into the trip, we were on a roll. On the way to the jungle, we had stopped and had a great meeting with some new friends starting a new group near a lake on the top of a volcano near Ipala, Guatemala.

At the top of this volcano is a beautiful lake that fills the crater. It was near here that one of our friends from Ipala had started a new group. Though the group normally meets in town, they wanted to do something special for us, so they met us here.

Before starting a horseshoe competition, I took this group photo. Cesar and Elba Gonzalez are on the top left. Ray Gurney is next to Luis Cuellar in the blue shirt. Luis has been starting several groups in the past year. The men in the front row in orange shirts are part of a men’s backpacking ministry called “The Legendaries.” Luis wanted us to meet them, and it turned out to be something of a life saver for us later in the trip.

Juan Carlos Lopez, a construction guru and lay pastor of a church in Ipala, is the leader of “The Legendaries.” A little over a week after taking this picture, Juan Carlos and one of the men from his church drove 7 hours to come rescue us when we had no transportation!

Juan Carlos’ hat has a special message on the inside. It says “Unbreakable men in the service of Jesus to make history and to give their life for their friends.”

Our first day in the jungle, we stopped by a new church start that Cesar had been advising near Setal, Guatemala. Here Ray is praying a blessing over the food. Word had gotten out that we were coming, and they served us Kakik! It’s a spicy soup—to be eaten with large amounts of tortillas!

“Esteban, I’m not feeling well…”

After a brief stop that Sunday morning at the Embajadores de Cristo Church (Ambassadors of Christ) in Setal, we had gotten to the jungle and had just checked into our hotel in Fray Bartolome de las Casas, when Cesar knocked on our door.

“Esteban, I am not feeling well.” I knew that he had started coughing and sneezing quite a bit the last few hours of our drive that day. “I’m worried that if this is Covid, I will jeopardize the rest of you and keep us from doing the project with the Kekchis.”

Within the hour, Cesar had called his doctor, who advised him to treat it as if it were Omicron. So, Cesar and Elba left to drive back to their home in Amberes. That left Nola, Ray Gurney, and me facing a week-long project with the Kekchi Baptist Association in Fray without Cesar.

Kekchi Baptist Association Project…

The first two days we managed to go to two churches and do our evangelistic visits in homes and huts of our friends. But on the second day, Ray started coming down with the same cold-like symptoms that Cesar had.

On our first day of hut-to-hut visits, Ray struggled from just the hikes up and down the hills of this village near La Laguna, Guatemala! But what a view!

Nola went visiting with some ladies of the church. Even though they couldn’t speak the same language, they managed to communicate with hand motions, pictures on the phone, and lots of laughs!

This woman, home alone with her children, scurried to find a couple of chairs for us to sit on for a visit. Ramiro, the pastor of the church in La Laguna, is standing in the pink shirt. One of his members is in the blue shirt.

At the end of the visit, this woman told the men in the Kekchi language, “I’d like to receive Jesus as my savior, but if my husband finds out, he will beat me.” Less than an hour later, Ramiro had hopped on a bus with us to take us back to town. About a mile down the road, we happened upon an accident in the roadway. A man was laying on the pavement. “That’s her husband,” Ramiro said, pointing to the man in the road. A day later we found out that the man was in a coma, and the church members were caring for this woman in her distress.

Our second day of visits required us to ride in the back of a truck for about an hour and a half.

Then we got off the truck and boarded a boat to travel up river to get off near a village near Chotal, Guatemala.

After getting off the boat, we hiked a bit more and arrived at the Templo Bautista Rio Jordan (River Jordan Temple Baptist) Church in Chotal.

This picture captures the drastic changes taking place in the Kekchi culture. I snapped this before getting a group picture of all who had prayed to receive Christ in this home. But you will notice that one of the daughters is watching a video on her cell phone.

Several ladies wanted to have their pictures taken with Nola.

Holed Up in a Hotel

After two days of work, everything for us ground to a halt. For two straight days, we were stuck in the hotel. Ray was not feeling well, and to complicate things more, our contact that Cesar had arranged to come transport us had also gotten sick and couldn’t come. So the last two days in the jungle, we were not able to do anything.

The Heroes Show Up!

Thankfully, Juan Carlos, our new friend from Ipala, was both willing and able to come get us. And that drive back with him was so refreshing to me as Juan Carlos and I were able to see some of our Spanish “Be-the-Church” videos on his phone as Jose Garza, a truck driver and friend of Juan Carlos, drove.

The funny thing to us at that point was that we didn’t know that Juan Carlos was a pastor! We just thought he was leading a men’s ministry and was a construction guy. A few hours into the drive, he asked if we would be available to come to his church the following day to speak. Ray asked, “Do you need to call your pastor to make sure it’s okay?”

“I am the pastor,” Juan Carlos chuckled. “I think it’s okay!”

Juan Carlos sang with his daughter, Helen, in the church service.

Here I was translating for Ray as he brought the message.

This is Juan Carlos’ family: his wife, Glendy and daughters Tiffany, Mari Elsi, and Helen. One other surprise to us was the fact that the restaurant where we were eating at, belonged to them! (Nola and I had wondered why, when they sat down, none of them wanted menus!) Most days, they all take turns waiting on tables or cooking. The soup pictured was one of their specialties that Helen and her mom created.

Glendy wanted to take this picture of us with their cooking staff. The mural in the background was designed and painted by Juan Carlos! What a talented guy! Notice the two flags in the mural. The one on the left is of Guatemala. The other one is of El Salvador. The restaurant features food from both countries.

Here Nola is finishing up her pupusa, an El Salvador specialty, that Glendy and her team coached Nola into making!

Nola’s pupusa wound up on Ray’s plate! Pictured with Ray is Jose Garza, the truck driver who came with Juan Carlos to bail us out the day before. Jose speaks English a bit, and he and Ray enjoyed talking cars, motorcycles, and life as a new believer in Jesus. One year ago, Juan Carlos led Jose to the Lord, so all this is new to him. Jose asked me to translate the last thing he wanted to tell Ray, because he didn’t have the words in English.

“I don’t know why God gave me the privilege of driving these servants of God for the past couple of days, but I am so thankful for this opportunity to get to know you.” Believe me, the feelings were mutual.

Bull Rider Baptisms

When we finally got to Chiquimula on the morning of Monday, February 7th, Cesar had gotten well enough to come meet us there for the baptism that we had scheduled with Alfredo Barrantes, a professional bull rider from Costa Rica.

Alfredo has started a group among his traveling bull riders. This particular day, the group had moved on to the next rodeo, but Alfredo and his fellow bull rider, Rafael, from Brazil, had stayed back in order that they could meet us and get baptized.

Before we went down to the river for the baptism, we met at the horse stables of our friend, Luis Cuellar, to talk about what baptism means. Top left is Alfredo Barrantes, of Costa Rica. Top right in the green shirt is Rafael Da Silva, of Brazil. Here, Alfredo had asked Cesar if we could come back when the other guys were ready to get baptized.

“We will baptize you, but from here on out, you guys will baptize the next ones.” Cesar explained. “That permission comes not from us, but from Jesus Himself who said that we are to go into all the world and make disciples…baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…”

Alfredo was the first one in the water.

I loved the fact that these guys jumped in with their boots and hats and everything!

Next, I asked Alfredo to help me baptize Rafael. Below is the whole video. Whether you speak English, Spanish, or Portuguese, I think you understand why it was such a meaningful day for all of us!

After getting wet, Nola snapped this picture with Cesar. Even a week after the event, Cesar and I were admitting to how much that day meant to us. “That was the best medicine I had the whole week!” Cesar blurted to me on a Zoom call yesterday. I couldn’t agree more!

The Rest of the Story

Thankfully, Cesar, Elba, and Ray got better, and they all tested negative for Covid when it was time for us to get on an airplane and come home. In talking with Cesar yesterday, we are both still blown away by the number of salvations being reported among our friends in the jungle. All we can say is, “Wow! God is good!”

10:02 PRAYER

Please pray for our Kekchi friends as they follow up on these new believers. Also pray for guys like Luis and Juan Carlos who are starting new groups. Pray also for Alfredo and Rafael as they continue to live out their faith with fellow bull riders. Pray that they can get their visas to come to the United States this year. I have some friends I want them to meet who could help them as they start ministries for their fellow bull riders.

Pray too that Cesar, Elba, and Ray get back to 100% from their bout with the “cold.”

ENGAGE

Bill Burrows continues to expand and improve our “Be-the-Church” training. If you are interested in having us do that in your church, let us know.

INVEST

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support! Without you, this past trip would not have happened.

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.

Keep us filled in on your blessings and concerns. We consider it a privilege to pray for you as you pray for us.

Love y’all!

Steve

PS…I won’t say how old she is, but the lady with me in the big chair had a birthday on this trip! And Ray Gurney did so on the day we flew home! Happy birthday y’all!

Thanks Ray for hiking up this hill! And for gutting it out this trip. Happy belated birthday!

New Year, New Projects, New Life in Jesus!

Good morning! Many of you have been wondering how we are all doing, so here’s the latest!

Health Report

In our last update we mentioned several health concerns—mostly related to my family members dealing with Covid-19 and Bill and Joyce Burrows having Covid in their household.

Thankfully, everyone is doing well in my family and Bill’s, and Bill and Joyce never came down with it. That allowed Bill to have his heart ablation surgery on schedule right before Christmas. He has recuperated very well from that and has started hiking again. In addition, the eye surgeries Bill had this past year have made a big difference in his eyesight. Before the surgeries, he had very blurry vision and could barely see at night. Now, he has improved sight and good night vision. This has allowed him to be able to drive at night again!

For Nola and me, our only issue was catching a pesky cold between Christmas and New Year’s day, but we are doing much better now. Cesar and Elba Gonzalez have been well in Guatemala and traveled last week to the jungle in preparation for our upcoming trip.

Two WEek Trip Planned for Guatemala

January 27 to February 10, Nola, Ray Gurney and I are scheduled to be in Guatemala. We plan to visit a few of our Christian Rancher groups and spend a little over a week in the jungle in an evangelistic emphasis. Last year, Ray and I were with Cesar and the Kekchi Baptist Association when they hatched the idea of doing a crusade February 1-5 of 2022. On the spot, we had committed to being with them and praying for them in their preparations.

Cesar has been working with this group of Kekchi pastors in Frey Bartolome de las Casas in preparations for this upcoming crusade.

This group of 80 churches have teamed up to do witnessing in the communities of all of their churches. Each church plans to send a few “missionaries” who will go to a sister church to participate in visiting friends and family who do not have a saving relationship with Jesus.

Our job is mainly to encourage and celebrate with them. Already we hear of many coming to faith in Jesus. So we hope to enjoy a time of harvest with these dear brothers and sisters. Please pray for them and for us as we strive to get there for those days.

Costa Rican Bull Rider Starts New Group

When we come back out of the jungle, Cesar has us scheduled to be with our newest Christian Rancher groups in Chiquimula. The leader of one of those groups is Alfredo, a bull rider from Costa Rica.

This is a picture of Alfredo (far right) and several of his rodeo friends who are starting a new group together.

Cesar sent me a video of Alfredo on a ride last week in Guatemala. After a year of practically no rodeos, these events are beginning to happen again. Shortly before the pandemic, Alfredo had been sharing of his faith in Jesus when given the microphone after a good ride. Now he wants to get other bull riders fired up about sharing their faith too.

Last week, while Cesar was with Alfredo, he called me on a video call to talk with them. Having performed well for several years, Alfredo talked about his thoughts of retiring from bull riding and starting a bull riding school where he can teach his skills and share his faith with other bull riders.

During the conversation, Alfredo mentioned that he has not been baptized since his conversion and asked if we would do the honor of baptizing him when we are together with him and his friends in a couple of weeks! I hope to send you a note when that happens. So stay tuned!

Medical trip news

Many of you have asked about our medical trip plans. We don’t have anything firmed up on that just yet. Please pray for continued wisdom in that department.

10:02 PRAYER

Please pray for this upcoming trip to Guatemala. I know it seems like a broken record, but pray that we stay well and Covid free before, during and after this trip. Pray that our Kekchi friends are a part of a great harvest of people coming to know Jesus. And pray for Alfredo and others starting Christian Rancher groups.

ENGAGE

Bill and I will be developing plans this week to do more “Be-the-Church” training. If you are interested in having us do that in your church, let us know. We hope to share some exciting news on that soon.

INVEST

Thank you so much for your giving this past year. Because of your generosity, we were able to bless others in need and do several new projects. May God richly bless you in 2022!

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.

Thanks too for your prayers for our health. I know that many of you have had similar health challenges in your families, and we pray that you are well during these trying days.

As always, if we can pray for you, please send us a note.

Love y’all!

Steve

PS…As a card-carrying Papi, I just had to throw in a couple of grandkid pics!

After telling the Christmas story with a nativity set, Nola got the grandkids to thank God for Jesus’ birthday.

The mommas thought a pic of the cousins in matching pajamas would be really cute. After several attempts to get them still on the couch for a group photo, we realized that it was about like holding basketballs underwater! This is the only pic I got with all of them together before one of them threw up, another took his pants off, and the mammas gave up on their apparently impossible idea!

Guatemala Trip report, Covid Concerns, and the Loss of a few good Friends

Good morning. This update has been late in coming for sure. So let’s get to it.

Our Guatemala Trip Actually Happened!

First, the trip to Guatemala did happen November 8-18, after a delay for Cesar to recuperate a little longer from Covid-19. Thankfully, Cesar was healthy and we were too. Jim Kavalec, a retired physicians assistant from Burwell, Nebraska, went with me. During our time there, we scouted out various possibilities for a medical trip next year, and we made visits to key leaders of groups in several parts of the country. Overall, it was a great trip. Check out these pictures.

On this day in San Pedro Alvarado, we met with Manuel (white shirt) who has a pharmacy near the border of El Salvador.

Here we are with the staff that leads a Senior Citizen program in Sana Cruz Narranjo. Before the pandemic, the seniors gathered here. Now the staff takes meals each day to their homes.

Though the mayor of Santa Cruz Narranjo was not here, he wanted us to be greeted in his office. Here we are pictured with two of his administrative assistants. This particular mayor was elected to office right before the pandemic hit. On our last day in Guatemala, we met him in person with some more of his staff at a meeting Cesar arranged at his place in Amberes.

In Santa Cruz Narranjo, Jim discussed the possibilities of collaborating in a medical clinic there. During the visit, one of the officials showed what is in a Covid-19 kit that the city was making available to those infected with the virus.

We met with a group of men and women at the cattlemen’s association in Jalpatagua.

We had an impromptu meeting with leaders of the cattlemen’s association in Agua Blanca. Here we are outside their arena where in years past we have participated in their annual rodeo, drawing 3,000 people a night. This year marks the second year they have not been able to have their event.

We always eat well on these trips.

We gathered at a bonfire in Chiquimula, where our friend, Luis Cuellar, is starting a Christian Ranchers group. This particular night, about 20 gathered, including several professional bull riders. Unfortunately, I didn’t get good pics of them.

At the bonfire, Cesar had me share a story and then invite us all to “ride a bull” — to make a specific commitment to do something as a result of the Bible story. Here, I’m telling of a cowboy in Honduras who made a commitment not to kill anybody!

One Sunday morning Jim got a baptism by fire when he went with me on a hike to a church in the jungle.

It’s almost impossible to get an idea of the condition of the trail after a rain. Jim would like you to know that rubber-soled cowboy boots aren’t the best footwear for the hike!

After 2 hours, we arrived at the little church in Ochul Choch. Jim was spent!

Lorenzo (on the right), the pastor of this congregation, introduced me to some of his children as they were walking down to the church house. While this is the main congregation that Lorenzo pastors, he and his church have helped start 3 other churches, and while we were there, Lorenzo committed to help start a fourth one. Since coming home, I heard that last week Lorenzo and that fourth group had their first gathering.

During their worship service, the Ochul Choch congregation loves to sing.

At the end of the service, Lorenzo asked Jim to do a presentation of a head scarf for one of the ladies of the church. I’d not seen this done before! So, after a little explanation from Lorenzo, Jim did his job and we prayed a prayer of blessing for this dear lady.

On our last day in Guatemala, Cesar hosted a gathering of city leaders from Santa Cruz Narranjo and Santa Rosa de Lima.

Here, Cesar introduced Carlos Revolorio, the mayor of Santa Cruz Narranjo.

In our meeting with the city officials, each one shared a description of what they do. This team talked about one of their projects in developing more fertile crops and higher yields using organic methods that can be done on either a small or large scale.

This team helps women in Santa Cruz to come up with ways to make items to sell and supplement their family income.

At this meeting of leaders, Cesar wanted me to share about a failed water project in the town of Laodicea, the church that Jesus had a message for in Revelation 3 of the Bible. The gist of that story gets to the fact that at the end of Jesus’ message, he is knocking on the door of the church in Laodicea (a church that was rich, lukewarm, and self-sufficient) and wants to come in and be with them and eat with them. Similarly, Jesus knocks on our doors too, and we can open the door—or not. We can let Him in our lives to take over and we can let Him into our jobs at city hall (or wherever we work) to lead us with wisdom as well. Several shared of their desire to let Jesus take over their lives and lead them in their profession. Cesar will be following up with several of them in coming days.

Reed Family Covid Outbreak

As Jim and I were packing our bags to get ready to come back from our Guatemala trip, Nola called me and informed me that four of our family in Kansas City had tested positive for Covid-19.

After I landed back in Kansas City, we immediately delivered medications and started making our rounds. Soon the four became nine. For those who know my family, here is the list: Kenny Warren, my sister Lu Warren, Zac, Liz, Gail Bryan (Liz’s mom), Zeke, Lana, Andrew, and Bridgett. Kenny, Lu, and Lana have gotten pneumonia with it. Lu and Lana were hospitalized. Our grandkids have all had super mild cases. As of this writing, Lu is out of the hospital and Lana is still in. Thankfully, Nola and I have not gotten it, nor have my mom or dad.

Normally, Nola and I have traveled to Oklahoma at Thanksgiving, but this year, we stayed home to take care of the Kansas City family and to not be unintentional carriers.

Nola hands my sister, Lu Warren, a hot meal on Thanksgiving day. Her husband Kenny is standing behind her.

On Thanksgiving, Bobbi, one of our daughters-in-law, cooked for everyone, and Nola and I made the rounds delivering the turkey, dressing, and sides to our clan. Being the only Reed household without Covid, Nola and I have been the designated “gophers.” We believe that we are closer to the tail end of this, but we sure could use all the prayers we can get!

Bill Burrows Prayer Concerns

In the last update, I mentioned Bill’s cornea transplant surgery. He has done well on that, but he has had more issues with A-FIB and is scheduled for a heart ablation surgery on December 22nd. To complicate things a bit, his son, Jacob, and daughter-in-law, Melissa, who moved into Bill and Joyce’s home to relocate from Chicago to Kansas City, have tested positive for Covid.

So Covid has come to Bill and Joyce’s home as well. If Bill gets it, his surgery plans could be in jeopardy. So please be in prayer for their health and that Covid moves on from their family.

Loss of Friends

The past few weeks, we have lost several friends and ministry partners.

Sue Lindsay

On October 20th, we lost Sue Lindsay after a week of trying to recover from a stroke. Sue and her husband Peck have been long time friends of our family and this ministry. Peck has been a trusted advisor to us, and Sue was one of our greatest advocates. I remember in the early days of doing cowboy ministry, she recruited some of the first cowboys to go to Guatemala with me. Her daughter, Natalee Beck, a veterinarian, got recruited by Sue to go to Honduras several times with us. And her grandkids, Jacob and Emma Beck have been on trips as well. I can’t help but smile when I think of Sue. She loved to tease, and the last time we shared a meal with a group of pastors in Nebraska, she hid my plate!

Peck and Sue Lindsay at the Kansas/Nebraska Convention meeting just a few weeks before Sue’s passing

Frank Molano

Another friend we lost in the last few weeks is Frank Molano. Frank did rodeo ministry for years with high school students in the Denton County/North Fort Worth, Texas, region. Frank passed away a few days after having a tough fall. A couple years ago, Frank spent a month traveling with Cesar and me between Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Frank had such a heart to see people come to know Christ. And it was great that he spoke Spanish fluently and could hold groups spell-bound with his stories. There are many cowboy church pastors in Texas that came out of Frank’s rodeo ministry.

Here Frank is sharing his testimony with a group of bull riders at the University of Agriculture in La Ceiba, Honduras.

Michael Wright

The most recent friend to leave us is Michael Wright. Michael had been part of a group here in Kansas City that started meeting weekly at the home of Dick and Barb Cates a few years ago. Michael passed away in his sleep November 30th after less than a year of battling lung cancer.

Two years ago, we took a pic of our Sunday morning group to say “Hola” to Cesar and Elba Gonzalez in Guatemala. Michael is wearing the cowboy hat. From left to right are Michael’s wife, Linda, Barb Cates, Nola, and Dick Cates. Dick passed away in September of last year after battling Parkinson’s.

Each day we have is a gift. I am thankful for these friends and that one day in the not-so-distant future, we will be reunited in heavenly homecomings.

10:02 PRAYER

Please pray for health for all of us—especially those dealing with Covid-19. Also pray for wisdom for Cesar in helping all the new groups in Guatemala and the leaders of the communities mentioned above. Pray that they invite Jesus into their lives and their jobs of helping people during these difficult days. Pray for Jim and others to have wisdom in planning a medical trip next year.

ENGAGE

As we mentioned in the last update, if you are interested in joining one of our mission teams this year, or in having us come do a “Be the Church” service or training, let us know.

INVEST

Thank you for your faithful giving to this ministry. You are making these trips and outreaches possible.

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.

Thanks for your prayers. If we can pray for you, please send us a note.

Love y’all!

Steve

Cesar and Elba show Jim one of their favorite dances. Continue to pray that they have energy and strength for these days.

"Be the Church" Presentations and Delayed Scout Trip to Guatemala

Hi everyone! If things go as planned, you are reading this a few days before I head to Guatemala on a scout trip with my friend Jim Kavalec, a retired physicians assistant, of Burwell, Nebraska. But that trip is still up in the air at the moment, and I’ll tell you why in a minute.

For now, I need to share that Bill Burrows had a cornea transplant surgery on his second eye last Wednesday. In a doctor visit the next day, the surgery was deemed a success, and the cornea was fully attached. If it remains attached, the prospects for improved eyesight look good. Long term, Bill will have to wait and “see” (pun intended!) how much better his vision will get. But already he says he is seeing better.

Great Time in Colome, South Dakota!

Before Bill’s surgery, Bill, Nola, and I enjoyed being with our friends from Calvary Chapel Church in Colome, South Dakota. Special thanks goes to Keith and Judy Moody and their wonderful church. Keith has been pastor of this church for many years and has been on several mission trips with me to both Honduras and Guatemala. (Judy did one trip too!)

Each year in the Fall, they have revival services from a Sunday to a Wednesday, and this year they invited us to lead their services from October 3-6. So we adapted our “Be the Church” training to fit their four-day schedule. On Sunday morning we introduced the theme in a normal worship service, and then each of the following nights we combined teaching with hands-on activities to get the congregation practicing and sharing with one another. From our perspective, it was the best training we have ever done. And folks from the church made us feel at home from day 1. If your church would like to do a similar thing, let us know!

On Sunday night, October 3rd, the Calvary Chapel congregation of Colome, South Dakota, participated in our “Be the Church” drills. Here, they were reading jokes to one another in preparation for further instructions.

While at Calvary Chapel Church, Bill shared about how to “be the church” and get spiritual leverage to love God, love others, and make disciples.

We are also grateful to our friends at the Sandhills Church Network and Joel Wentworth for having us be a part of their Rural Christian Workers Conference in Burwell, Nebraska, on Saturday, October 2nd. During the training, we prayed the Colossians 1:9-14 prayer for individual leaders. You might recall that we are praying that prayer for many of you!

“Be the Church” Sunday in Norfolk, Nebraska

On Sunday, October 24th, I spoke at Northern Heights Baptist Church of Norfolk, Nebraska. You might recall that we have worked with David Martinez and the Spanish speaking part of the congregation and their Bible Institute for Spanish leadership development. This time, I was asked to speak to the English speaking congregation in their two Sunday services, and I used a similar theme as we did with Calvary Chapel in South Dakota. I hope they invite us back to give them more of the training! If some of you from Northern Heights are reading this, you know what to do!

At the 10:30am service at Northern Heights Baptist Church of Norfolk, Nebraska, I engaged my friends Caleb and Riley to help me with the “Be the Church” demonstration.

While I spoke to the English speakers in the auditorium, David Martinez translated a live broadcast in the Spanish speaking service.

Guatemala Trip Complications

Now let’s talk Guatemala. Originally, Jim Kavalec and I were scheduled to be in Guatemala November 1-16 to visit ministry and community leaders and figure out the details for a medical trip. But a couple of weeks ago, Cesar came down with Covid-19. Thankfully, due to Cesar acting proactively, it has been a mild case, and Cesar has recovered fine. However, his doctor felt that traveling like we planned to do would be pushing Cesar’s energy limits. So we have decided to delay the trip by a week. Please pray that Cesar stays well and that both Jim and I remain healthy as well. If all goes as planned, I hope to update you while we are down there. Stay tuned and keep praying!

More Pics of our friends in South Dakota

Pastor Keith Moody, of Calvary Chapel in Colome, and his wife Judy paused to rest for a minute before the last night we were together.

In what we call a “wagon train,” we had folks sharing what they were grateful for and what they were concerned about before praying with one another.

Randy Shippy raises world champion professional rodeo bulls in Colome. As a dedicated Christian, Randy loves sharing his faith with other bull riders and folks in the professional rodeo circuit. We hope to do a video Zoom call with Randy next month when Cesar and I are planning to be talking to a group of bull riders in Guatemala.

Randy took us through the herd of some of his best cows for producing the best bulls.

Amazingly, the mamas of Randy’s best bulls are like overgrown pets.

During one of the days in South Dakota, Bill and I helped Kevin Moody (left) and Keith Moody process some cows at the feed lot that Kevin manages. Because of a family emergency, his usual help didn’t show up. So Kevin put us to work!

Keith saddles his horse to get ready to send the cows through the chutes.

“You don’t have any trouble with shots do you?” Kevin asked. “Not if that shot is not for me!” I answered. Kevin gave us instructions, and like our “Be the Church” training, he had us immediately practice what he taught us!

This is one of 285 head of cattle that Bill and I helped process with Kevin and Keith. If you ever need a shot in the neck, Bill and I can help you! (If you are a cow, that is!)

10:02 PRAYER

Pray for our health and energy to do all God has called us to do. Pray for Bill’s eyes, Cesar’s Covid recovery, and for Jim and I to be able to go where we need to go. Pray too that God would prepare the way for other teams to go to Guatemala this year.

ENGAGE

If you are interested in joining one of our mission teams this year, or in having us come do a “Be the Church” service or training, let us know.

INVEST

Thank you for your faithful giving to this ministry. We couldn’t do what we do without you!

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.

If we can pray for you specifically in any way, please send us a note.

Love y’all!

Steve

Summer Update And Prayer Requests

It’s hard to believe the summer is about done and kids are heading back to school! For us, the past few months have been challenging.

For starters, Bill and I took on the painting of several houses and have been juggling to get those done. We have a couple more to do this fall, but are looking forward to getting back to our normal routines.

Beyond that, we had to slow down in more recent weeks for health reasons. And for this, we ask for prayer.

Bill had a cornea transplant done on his right eye on July 14, and it hasn’t healed up as well as he had hoped. The doctor seemed pleased with his work, but Bill’s vision in that eye is not clearer than it was before the surgery. At some point, Bill will need to decide if he will do the other eye, which is his “good” eye. Please pray for Bill’s eyes.

On June 6th, the day after Bill’s 60th birthday, he got a nifty pair of glasses for a surprise birthday celebration!

AS for me, I caught a very rare (for me) cold last week from Nola. Both of us have limited our contact with the outside world in order to not pass it on. To be safe, we did get tested for Covid, and thankfully, that came back negative.

Speaking of Covid, Cesar Gonzalez and our friends in Guatemala are dealing with another round of friends and family getting the virus. Guatemala has been on red alert for the past several months. In Guatemala City neighborhood where Cesar used to live, 5 former neighbors and one member of their home church died of Covid.

And closer to their home in Amberes, there have been more friends getting it. Humberto Solares, one of our best friends and leader of two groups, got it last week along with his wife, two grown daughters and their husbands, and two granddaughters.

In a recent Zoom call with Cesar Gonzalez and Humberto Solares, Cesar asked how Humberto was getting along since getting the Covid-19 virus. “Soy muy agradecido,” he said. “I’m very grateful that I am getting better.” Humberto went on to say that he and all of his family weren’t 100%, but they all were getting better.

That might lead you to ask, “Weren’t Cesar and Elba planning on coming this summer to the U.S. to get vaccinated and visit us?”

Well the answer is “yes.” They were supposed to come, but at the last minute, Cesar and Elba were able to get vaccinated down there with the first dose of a Russian vaccine. So they decided to stay and not travel to the U.S. after that. Admittedly, they were nervous about traveling internationally with so many cases in Guatemala and having taken only one of the two doses. So, right now, they hope to get the second dose in September and then see if traveling makes sense later.

After Cesar got the first shot, I asked him, “Any reactions to that first dose?”

“No, Esteban” he said, “I didn’t feel bad at all. But for some reason I can’t explain, I have this strong desire to vote for Putin!”

Recap of Our Nebraska Trip in June

On a positive note, the trip Bill and Nola and I took to Nebraska in June went extremely well. Special thanks goes to Rex and Deb Kelley of Ord, Nebraska, for putting us up. Also we are grateful to our friends at Burwell Baptist and Ord Evangelical Free for having us speak at their services and meet with several groups from their churches.

Here are a random set of pictures highlighting some of what we got to experience.

At Burwell Baptist Church in Burwell, Nebraska, pastor Joel Wentworth and his son, Emmet, built this prop for Bill’s presentation last year on how to “Be the Church.” Joel customized the triangle for their church and uses it to point out the three vital conversations for a growing disciple.

On the town square of Ord, Nebraska, Doug Olson, pastor of Ord Evangelical Free Church, greets folks at the Farmers Market, with his daughter Anna. Not pictured is Doug’s wife Janna, who bakes home-made bread that sells out quickly on this first day of the season. Jana also is the community coordinator for The Golden Husk, the theater in the background, that is a gathering place for family friendly shows for the community.

Jana Olson, far right, gives us a tour of The Golden Husk Theater. One of her favorite events of the past year was a community Christmas play that presented the gospel and served to energize their own church.

As the sun begins to set, Dave Gideon and a friend from Burwell, Nebraska, assess their progress on getting hay out of the field. Dave and many others in Nebraska have been prayer partners and participants in multiple mission trips through the years.

During the trip, we enjoyed reconnecting with friends from previous mission trips and had some really encouraging conversations about future mission opportunities. As a result of those conversations, we have three teams that are planning to go to Guatemala this year.

One team is preparing to do a Guatemalan version of a rodeo Bible camp for kids in November. Another team is looking to do a medical trip in January, and the third team plans to go to the jungle in February for an evangelism blitz with a Kekchi Baptist Association of churches.

Please pray that Covid doesn’t keep us from going and that all we do will be in God’s timing.

Here’s a pic from Rodeo Bible Camp in Johnstown, Nebraska. A team is praying for and preparing to do a version of this in Guatemala in November. Please pray!

Joel Wentworth shared with us that over 50 children prayed to receive Christ this year at the Johnstown Rodeo Bible Camp!

Thank you for your continued faithfulness to this ministry. We know many of you are dealing with big challenges where you are. We pray that for every challenge you face, God opens up a huge opportunity for you to shine for Him.

10:02 PRAYER

Pray for our health and energy to do all God has called us to do. Pray for God to prepare the way for our teams to go to Guatemala this year. Also pray that God uses all of us—both here and there—to make disciples who love like Jesus and multiply like crazy!

ENGAGE

If you are interested in joining one of our mission teams this year, let us know.

INVEST

Thank you for your investment in this ministry. You have made a huge difference for us this year!

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.

If we could pray for you in any way, send us a note.

Love y’all!

Steve

This is one of the houses we painted this summer in Lenexa, Kansas. I took this pic the day we finished. We are thankful that in each house we have painted, we have had opportunities to do our Play.Story.Eat. process with each other and pray for the families in each home.

PSE Road Trips and Summer Fun

As we count down the last days of May, we realize that this summer will be a lot different than last. For one, we will be hitting the road quite a bit and not be as limited in our travels!

Here are a few pics that give a glimpse into what we are looking at doing.

Connection with Northern Heights Baptist in Norfolk, Nebraska

In the past couple of years, we have had a part in the training of Hispanic leaders of Northern Heights Baptist Church of Norfolk, Nebraska. David Martinez, far right, leads the Spanish congregation and has been training about a dozen lay leaders in their Instituto Biblico (Biblical Institute). Here, Bill prayed at the beginning of a meeting before we split into English and Spanish groups where we talked about how to use the Play. Story. Eat. method in starting new groups. Since that time, 5 groups have been established by these folks!

On Sunday, May 30th, Nola and I will get to be present for a graduation ceremony at Northern Heights Baptist Church. This team is also exploring the logistics of getting their graduates to go to Guatemala in an evangelism project next February. Stay tuned!

June Pastor-to-Pastor Connections in Nebraska

Bill, Nola, and I will be spending 10 days in Nebraska meeting with pastors and church leaders to see how we might help these folks and their churches.

Last year, we enjoyed the best steak of our lives with Rex and Deb Kelly of Ord, Nebraska. We will definitely be back there!

Also last year, we sat down to eat with the Olsons of Ord, Nebraska. Here, I made Doug, on the left, say a greeting for a Rancheros Cristianos video. We will be back at their church at the Evangelical Free Church of Ord.

Last year Bill did a session on a Disciple’s Leverage for a men’s lunch group at Burwell Baptist. We anticipate another gathering like this one as we continue our discussions about how to have life-giving conversations with Jesus and others.

July Visit From Cesar and Elba

In our latest trip to Guatemala, Cesar and Elba posed for a picture in Chiquimula, Guatemala, with Ray Gurney, pastor of Cross Creek Baptist Mission. Hopefully, all our buggies will be ready to roll when they come to visit!

Shortly after we celebrate our fourth of July, Cesar and Elba plan to come spend a few weeks with us. Right now, we have them visiting churches in Kansas City, running up to Nebraska for some connections, and spending a couple days near Carthage, Missouri. If you would like them to swing by to see you, let me know, and we will see if we can make that happen.

Justin Moving to an Engineering Internship

Justin Jacobson helped us in many different ways this past year as we got further into making video and audio recordings. This picture was taken on a day we were brainstorming together.

Justin will be taking on an internship with a local engineering company here in Kansas City. Since this is a part of his long term planning as he goes through his training at the University of Missouri Kansas City, we will be losing his help starting in June.

Thanks, Justin, for your work this year and last! We wish you the best in your internship and the pursuit of your career. My God bless you as you go!

10:02 PRAYER

Pray that all our comings and goings will foster more and more leaders multiplying disciple-makers who love like Jesus. Pray for the traveling logistics and safety for Cesar and Elba as they prepare to come.

Thank God for Justin and his help this past year. Also pray that God sends us the right person to take his place.

ENGAGE

If you are interested in having us visit you, let us know! Note that Bill will be starting some pastor-to-pastor calls during this summer. If you or your pastor might be interested, let us know that too!

INVEST

Thank you for your investment in this ministry. Keep those cards and letters coming!

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.

We hope you are doing well. If we could pray for you in any way, let us know.

Love y’all!

Steve

Guatemala Trip Wrap-up tOP 10

I’ve been home for a few days now, and I thought I’d do a quick wrap-up of the recent Guatemala trip by doing a top 10 list from our evaluations we took from the trip.

10. In the new realities of a post Covid-19 world, it will be a while before we do any big events to attract large numbers of people.

Through the years we have become known in some places for doing fun events that can attract hundreds of people—whether it is cowboy events, or sports events like soccer, or children’s festivals, etc. However, now it is both unpractical and ill advised given the Covid-19 realities. And since most Guatemalans have not had access to a vaccine yet, this leads to our next reality.

9. Social distancing, mask wearing, and groups under 10 people will be the norm.

While most Guatemalans are going about their work and their livelihoods as before, group gatherings and church attendance are much more limited than what seems to be happening in the U.S. Groups under 10 can go under the radar, but over that, it is still frowned upon.

Here is a group of administrators for the department of transportation in Jutiapa, Guatemala, meeting under a tree with us during their lunch break.

When I think biblically, I wonder if Jesus is helping us be more effective. Remember that Jesus’ ministry strategy changed during His earthly ministry. Jesus at times gathered large crowds to teach, feed, or heal, but he discipled in smaller numbers, and it was from the multiplication of disciples that He commissioned the church (“Go and make disciples of all nations”…Matthew 28:18-10), and the number of disciples grew.

So we wonder if God is helping us focus more on smaller groups and on discipling of leaders who make disciples who make disciples.

8. Zoom meetings will be both a blessing and a curse.

After our first week of activities when we traveled extensively, the second week Cesar and I averaged a couple of Zoom meetings a day to follow up. As we were visiting, I realized that I can touch base with these same leaders from the U.S. as effectively as we were doing there in Guatemala.

A typical Zoom meeting with Cesar, me, and a leader of a cattlemen’s association in Raxruja, Guatemala.

The down side is that it does require a time commitment, and with the technology, we miss the contact and the blessing of walking with a leader, eating with them, etc.

7. Our Play. Story. Eat. methodology works but requires new thinking.

Our “play” activities have to be adjusted to what is safe and helpful for the group of people gathering and how they are able to gather.

As you PSE practitioners know, “play” is any activity that we do that opens up people for hearing a story—especially a God story. One good example on this trip comes from our friend, Luis Cuellar, of Chiquimula. One day after we left him, he got a handful of friends together to bike up a mountain, and then they stopped to have a group time to talk. (What we call “story.”) As they talked, they ate a snack together. And that leads us to the next one on our list.

A first meeting of a group near Chiquimula, Guatemala.

6. Eating is a challenge! But it can be done in open air settings.

Greater care than ever has to come with our eating, but done thoughtfully and simply, it can be done safely. Fortunately, most of our groups can meet outside and not in closed rooms.

It seems that when we eat together now, after having been isolated much of this past year, that action alone means even more.

5. We need to focus our efforts on reproducing and encouraging leaders.

Since we are limiting the numbers we can meet in person, we need to focus more time and attention to leaders—whether helping a mayor and his team, or leaders of groups, or a leader of a single group.

Here, Ray Gurney, Cesar, and good friend, Humberto Solares, talk about one of Humberto’s groups meeting via Zoom these days.

4. We have to model more than ever how to “Be the Church,” especially when going to church is either not an option or is severely limited.

While we were in Guatemala, the president had asked churches not to meet until further notice. Covid-19 cases had jumped up after Easter week. In fact, Cesar and I know of three pastor friends who died of Covid in the past two weeks.

No one knows the long term ramifications of this, but in the meantime, we believe that this reality does not stop us from “being the church” and having amazing spiritual conversations with both other disciples and not-yet disciples.

Please note that our “Be the Church” videos are designed with this in mind. And that leads us to the next item.

3. Use Technology more effectively than ever.

Our “Be the Church” videos, websites, Rancheros Cristianos videos, Zoom calls, and other technologies can help us stay in touch and get out the message more than ever.

Justin does a sound check for Bill before recording for a future podcast.

For me, I realize that I must spend more time sharpening my skills and being disciplined in the use of available tools to help make disciples who make disciples.

2. Protect Cesar and Elba by getting them Vaccinated.

Since the quality of the vaccines available right now in Guatemala are not as trusted as ones we are getting in the U.S., we are planning a trip for Cesar and Elba to come to visit us during the month of July so that they can get one of the two-dose vaccines available here. We believe that this will help protect them as much as possible while Guatemala fights their own Covid-19 realities.

Cesar and Elba share a moment before a meal with their daughter Mirna Elizabeth on this last trip.

1. Keep Our Conversation-with-God Streaks Alive.

One goal of mine on this trip was keeping my 2021 commitment to have an hour-long conversation with God every day. I knew that changing my routine in travel can sometimes make this a challenge. So I was a little concerned about it. Did I keep the streak alive?

My hen scratching from a recent session of the “SALTY” process that I use in daily conversation with God.

Before I answer, let me say that I am discovering how much grace I am receiving in this process from the Lord. Every day during this trip, though I was not always aware of it in the time spent with God, I found that I got exactly what I needed for the day in terms of a personal word, a story, a biblical concept, etc. I could talk on and on about this. So the answer is “yes!” My streak is still alive!

Over the next year, I’d like to keep the streak going and maybe even recruit a few others to try this out as well.

10:02 PRAYER

Pray for continued health and protection for all of us—especially Cesar and Elba. Pray too that all will work out for their trip in July.

Pray for Bill, Cesar, Justin, and me in our continued use of technology to share with the world and to stay in touch with leaders. Pray for wisdom and discipline in using the tools to the best of our abilities.

Pray that all who were touched on this trip will be motivated to follow Jesus more wholeheartedly and be contagious in sharing with others. We long to see the multiplication of more friends and followers of Jesus.

ENGAGE

If you are interested in having us visit you this summer and perhaps being on the short list for Cesar and Elba to visit in July, let us know!

INVEST

Thank you so much for your investment in this ministry and your notes of encouragement these past few weeks.

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.

And as always, thanks for your prayers.

Love y’all!

Steve

Kids ask me all the time if I see monkeys a lot in the jungle. The true answer is not very often. But here is a monkey that our hotel in Chiquimula had as a mascot!

And there was a water buffalo at the hotel too!

The Latest from Guatemala!

As I write this update, Ray Gurney, my partner for 10 days here in Guatemala, is traveling back to Kansas City. For me, I still have a week left to be with Cesar and Elba and a few more of our friends. As you might imagine, with this being our first trip to Guatemala since the pandemic, we were wondering how everything was going to work.

Cesar with his spray bottles that he used for all of this trip. Here at Cesar’s home in Amberes, Guatemala, he is ready to spray anyone who comes close to him! This alcohol-based solution was used to spray our hands or even our whole bodies before and after being with people or touching susceptible surfaces. From my experience I would say Cesar had the quickest draw!

When Ray and I got off the plane and met Cesar outside of the airport terminal, we got our first shot of Cesar’s spray solution! And immediately he told us that after Easter, the Covid-19 cases had increased dramatically and that the president of Guatemala had declared that starting Monday, April 12th, (the day we arrived), meetings of more than 10 people were prohibited. Specifically mentioned in his orders were that churches should not meet. So right off the plane we had a huge question mark presented to us as to what we would be able to do and where we could go.

The Devotion that Gave Us Direction

The following morning, Ray shared a devotion from Psalm 46 that he had received from his brother Bob that morning. Here are a few of the key phrases from that passage:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging… Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; The God of Jacob is our fortress… He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire. He says, "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth." The Lord Almighty is with us…Psalm 46

The message Ray got from this passage was that with all our uncertainty about whether we were going to be able to travel and if the president of Guatemala was going to shut down or restrict travel, God had called us, and if He had called us here at this time, He would move mountains, open up roads, and pave the way for us to go everywhere He wants us to go. We needed to proceed with plan A with no fear and let God do what He wants to do. If we needed to adjust the plan, we would.

Ray also mentioned that in Mark 6:7-8 when Jesus sent the disciples out 2 by 2, God prepared the way for them and provided for them. They had to go in faith, and it was evident that we must as well.

Our Commitment

We all agreed that we would take precautions, but that we would go everywhere we had planned until it was obvious that we couldn’t. I made a commitment from that passage that I would be still and rest with no fear or worries about our plans. As you know, I was super tired from the weeks prior to the trip with Nola’s mom’s illness and passing.

We took one day to rest and one day to visit with friends close to Cesar’s place in Amberes before proceeding with our travels and a heavier schedule.

On one of our first days, we spent the morning visiting with Humberto Solares, a friend who has started several groups and is interested in using “Bambino,” the horse pictured above, in equine therapy for children.

The Day God Paved the Way

On Thursday, April 15th, we got up before the crack of dawn to drive two hours to Jutiapa for a meeting with Luis Gabriel Rosales, the mayor. The last time I was in Guatemala, I had attended his inauguration on January 15th of 2020.

Luis, a veterinarian by trade, has worked with us on several different projects through the years. About 7 or 8 years ago, he partnered with Tom Huffman, of Burwel, Nebraska, on an artificial insemination training.

In January of 2014, in an artificial insemination training, Luis holds the mike for a participant who is learning how to use the probe. Not pictured is Tom Huffman. Unfortunately, every time Tom spoke, I was translating and didn’t get a picture of Tom in action!

Flashbacks

I will never forget that day. At the training, Cesar led over 50 people to pray to receive Christ after Tom shared his testimony! And out of that group we received invitations to go to other places. Doors opened up to work with other cattlemen’s associations, a women’s leadership group, and several youth groups. And speaking of youth, we worked with Luis on a project getting scholarships for Guatemalan students to attend the National University of Agriculture in Catacamas, Honduras, where our friends there trusted our recommendations.

Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought that Luis would be the mayor of over 162,000 people in this department of Guatemala! Last year he had said that it was God that called him and I believe that in this situation, only God could have orchestrated for a political outsider not connected with the moneyed-up group to win.

Our Doubts

As we drove, we had our doubts that Luis would be able to meet with us. This year he got elected to be the president of the mayors association for the country. So we figured he’d have to change his plans with the president’s declaration. But Luis was in his office and received us with open arms. When we were walking past his secretary, two reporters were about to leave, and then Luis said to them, “Wait! I want you to meet these men. You need to do a story on them.”

Ray took this picture of me with Luis as the reporters were hooking up a lapel mike on me and testing the sound. As you can see from my face, I was going to have to think quickly!

Fortunately, they asked questions that Cesar and I have answered hundreds of times through the years. And Luis made it even easier, because he vouched for us at several key points.

During that visit, Luis offered us access any time to the city municipal building and grounds at the sale barn area. He would put up sound equipment and chairs or anything we needed. This is a huge offer that we feel we should follow up on in some way.

From there, Luis invited us to attend a meeting with him on helping families with basic needs to build vegetable gardens. I rode with Luis in his car with a couple of bodyguards and another friend. Another bodyguard rode with Cesar to direct him to our next location across town.

Luis stops to encourage some volunteer artists painting a mural at the city building we were about to enter.

Here Luis and his team are getting ready for their meeting to discuss a program for helping the poor to plant gardens. As a farmer and rancher himself, Luis was in his element as he and others were discussing how the program has worked so far. We stayed only a short while and then had to leave for our next meeting.

Friends From Caminos—The Department of Transportation

From the mayor meeting, we hustled over to meet Juventino Najera, a friend who works in the Jutiapa department of transportation called Caminos (meaning roads). He wanted us to come meet some of his co-workers and leaders. “Tino”, as we call him, has been a part of a lot of our events in the past few years with the Jutiapa Cattlemen’s Association.

Tino introduces us to his friends and co-workers at our Jutiapa DOT meeting.

At that meeting was Rodrigo, Tino´s boss, and about 10 others. The discussion went even better than we expected, and we got word later that all enjoyed the meeting. We believe they will continue to meet like this at least once a month. Fortunately, with Zoom, we can touch base with several of them.

After a socially distanced lunch with our friends, we headed out to let them get back to work. As we drove off, we felt like our Psalm 46 message was coming true. Everything we had hoped we could do had happened so far. And truth be told, it was even better than any of us expected.

Chiquimula, a Covid Hotspot

From Jutiapa, we drove a couple hours further to Chiquimula. Because of a big soccer game during Easter week, where many did not social distance, Covid cases had skyrocketed, and the president had mentioned that he might limit travel to certain areas of the country like Chiquimula. Our fear was that we might have to cancel this part of our trip.

Our assignment was to meet with Luis Cuellar (yes, another Luis!), a horse enthusiast, entrepreneur, and rancher who Cesar met back in February when Cesar was traveling through Chiquimula on his way to the jungle. When Cesar saw the restaurant called “La Ranchería,” he decided to stop. “This would make a great place to have a Rancheros Cristianos group,” Cesar said out loud to his wife Elba.

Here is a pic of Luis the first time I met him on a Zoom call with Cesar. Luis was telling us about how this horse of his had great potential but needed a good trainer. Later he said, “I think I have a lot in common with this horse! I want to be better trained for God to use me.”

Soon he met Luis, the owner, and when he talked about Rancheros Cristianos, Luis stopped everything and sat down with Cesar. He was immediately captured by the idea of reaching cowboys and ranchers who don’t go to any church. Having come to Christ while he was in Houston, Texas, a decade ago, he admitted he was not attending church like his wife, but said that he felt like he needed to help his friends find Jesus. On the spot, they decided to meet again when Cesar came back out of the jungle a few days later. That time, Cesar Zoomed me to introduce me to Luis, and we had a great first meeting.

A Man of Peace

After we checked into our hotel, we headed over to Luis´ restaurant. Luis rolled out the red carpet, and we ate and watched as he had his assistant bring horses over for us to see.

Here Luis shares more of his story as his assistant shows us his prized paint horse.

It didn’t take long for Luis to talk about how he wanted us to meet many of his friends, but because of Covid, he was nervous about it. We reassured him that two or three guys would be fine. We agreed to meet again the next morning to talk more. Driving back to the hotel, we were all exhausted but convinced that God was up to something.

Here Ray prays a prayer of blessing over Luis and his wife Grecia (which means Greece in Spanish). Luis is also a bicycle enthusiast, and this morning he rode his bike to our breakfast.

The next morning, we heard that the president was not going to shut the country down. In our devotion for the morning, I mentioned that Jesus told the disciples that when they found a “man of peace” who was receptive in a community, they should stay with him and not move around. So we decided to stay the whole day in Chiquimula so that we could keep the conversation going with Luis. He set up a lunch meeting and then a meeting with some friends near a lake outside of the city.

Here Ray greets Boris, a friend of Luis, who met us for lunch at Luis’ restaurant.

Luis walks us over to a meeting spot near a beautiful lake in a mountain setting above Chiquimula.

This group of guys met with us in an area filled with hammocks and benches. The men were intrigued by the idea of a group for those who don’t go to church. All of them admitted to believing in God but not attending any church. The day after we left Luis was a Sunday, and we heard later that he rode his bike back up to them with a group of bike friends, and these guys all showed up again!

Since we have gotten back to Cesar’s in Amberes, we have Zoomed a couple of times with Luis, and he introduced us to a professional bull rider who is a dedicated Christian and wants to be a part of what we are talking about! Stay tuned!

On to the Jungle with Cowboys and Our Kekchi Friends

One of the big priorities for us on this trip was to meet with a cattlemen’s association of Raxruhá and then do a training with pastors and leaders of the Kekchi Baptist Association. Both events went super well. Here are a few pics.

Here we met with the cattlemen’s association of Raxruhá. We had visited that group nine years ago, and recently Cesar reconnected with them. They were about to decide if they were going to continue as an organization. After initial talks with Cesar and a couple of Zoom meetings with them, they have determined to continue and to ask God to help them carry out a positive vision for their region. Here we are sitting under one of their structures for exhibiting animals. There are a couple of dedicated Christians among them, and we believe they can readily help lead the group in their devotions that they want to have before each meeting. They also want to continue to Zoom with Cesar and me occasionally.

Here one of the Kekchi pastors reads a scripture in the Kekchi Bible before the start of our training at the association headquarters in Fray Bartolome de las Casas, Guatemala.

Cesar speaks to the group with German Tzi, the director of missions for the association, translating into Kekchi.

Here Cesar is prepping volunteers to pray one minute prayers for themselves, the leaders of the crusade planning, and for their list of 10 friends who don´t have a relationship with Jesus yet. This association has over 80 churches, and if their combined efforts prove to be as fruitful as in other regions of Guatemala, they should see hundreds of people come to Christ this next year.

10:02 PRAYER

Thanks so much for your continued prayers. We have felt them during this trip. Pray that God will raise up laborers to bring in the harvest here in Guatemala. Pray for Luis Gabriel, the mayor of Jutiapa. Pray for his safety as well as wisdom. One of the last two mayors there was murdered.

Pray also for guys like Luis Cuellar and his wife Grecia. These are the kinds of people who can make a huge kingdom difference. Pray for wisdom for us as we evaluate how to best stay in touch during these crazy times.

Finally, pray for our Kekchi brothers and sisters who are combining their forces to evangelize thier region. And above all, continue to pray that this trip and continued follow-up will foster the multiplication of more friends and followers of Jesus.

ENGAGE

As the world opens back up, we believe incredible opportunities are coming to you to be on mission with God. Would you be willing to start a Play. Story. Eat. group or go on a mission trip? Pray about what God wants you to do, both where you are and wherever He is sending you.

INVEST

Thank you so much for your continued partnership in this ministry.

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.

On behalf of myself, Ray, Cesar and Elba, we appreciate your prayers.

Love y’all!

Steve

After Ray left, we made a visit to a Senior Citizens center in Santa Cruz Narranjo. No longer able to have the folks come to them, they are taking food to the seniors. Here, they sprayed me down when Cesar and I went to see the leaders of this program. The ladies you see in this picture are forming their own Play. Story. Eat group among themselves and Cesar and I will be Zooming with them a couple of times a month.