What an incredible first two days it has been! Our small team of six went forth on this trip to Guatemala with this verse in our hearts: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” Zechariah 4:10. The first part of our trip has indeed been focused on “beginnings,” and God truly has allowed us to see how He is at work in these moments.
Our flight arrived into Guatemala City on Saturday around noon and Glenn Stewart picked our team up from the airport. Glenn and his wonderful wife Judy have committed their lives to missionary work, primarily in Central America, including Bolivia for many years and now Guatemala for the last thirteen years. Glenn was our driver for Saturday and Sunday and showed our team the heart of a servant and an incredible love for others in ministry. He drove our team from the airport to Solola, a Mayan town overlooking the breathtakingly beautiful Lake Atitlan. Here, nestled above the lake, is Eagle’s Nest orphanage, a children’s home that our ministry was visiting for the first time. Although traffic delayed our team’s arrival at the orphanage and our time was short, we spent an amazing time with the kids through playing baseball, sharing in mandolin music, making crafts, and holding and goofing around with the youngest kids and babies. There are 35 children at the orphanage, ranging in age from 6 months to high school. While we were there a 2-year old little girl was brought to the orphanage by a policeman and was very upset while they processed her entry. We do not know her situation but pray that God will have his hand on that little girl’s future. As always, leaving the children was so hard and our prayer is that we will be back and will have a part in each of their lives.
After spending the night at a hotel by the lake, we breakfasted with Denise, a missionary to Eagle’s Nest who directed our team while we were there. Denise has an amazing faith and testimony that was inspiring to us all. Our team then drove back to Guatemala City where we met up with Greg Miller, the orphanage director of Zacapa, and were led on a tour of SETECA, a Bible college, by our gracious hosts Irv and Janet Wenger. SETECA has about 1,200 students enrolled. Janet heads up the music department but she and Irv are planning to retire and move back to Pennsylvania next year after 40 years of faithful service and teaching in Guatemala. SETECA is a special place and has great opportunities for music missionaries for our ministry and possibly for our orphan children to attend there when they graduate from school. Finally, we went to dinner with Janet and Irv, Bob and Anne Henriques, another amazing missionary couple who teach at the seminary and travel to spread the Good News, and Greg Miller. Tracy Arntzen met Bob on a plane about four years ago and God brought us all together in this moment through that connection. As with our initial visit to Eagle’s Nest, we do not know where this latest “beginning” will lead us, but we do know that God rejoices in beginnings and does more than we can ask or imagine when we are faithful and follow his leading.
On to see our kids in Zacapa tomorrow!
-Adam Reiley
