Forrest and I are so sorry to have neglected writing for the last few months. Let us share with you some of the highlights of what has been happening in our life and ministry.
The Upper Room was closed after the last teaching in February. We had a great turnout, Daryl Borgquist shared an overview of the Bible, we gave out the promised resources (big hit!), shared the plans for our new ministry in the north, prayed with each pastor as they lifted us up in prayer, cried, laughed, hugged and received many gifts from the pastors.
In May we moved to our new location in the Highlands about 2.5 hours north of Guatemala City, it is the heart of the area we serve. We now live in a small pueblo in the mountains. We have a lovely house with three bedrooms, hot and cold running water (yea!) and an enormous fenced in yard. We have space here to teach classes! We now live at 7,500', it is a little colder, the fireplace, our only source of heat (except for the dogs who love to snuggle) is used frequently and shopping is more than an hour away.
We have been welcomed warmly! I thought no one would visit us because we are so far out...but I was wrong! Every day someone stops to visit. It might be a traveling missionary, a pastor who wants to get to know us or some of the young boys that are very curious about the gringos and our dogs!
I bake more cookies, cakes and brownies than ever before. The coffee pot is nearly always ready. The families of the pastors like to visit as well. I am teaching several of the young teens how to bake with me! Juan's girls have been quick learners. Now remember, for most of these people they have never seen a stove with an oven. You should have seen the look on one of the boys face when he saw me get ice out of the ice maker. What a delight!
The pastors come daily to ask about classes, talk about things that they want to learn, share from their hearts about their ministries...everyone knows this is a safe place where they can share things they might not be able to elsewhere. Although we still have a couple of large classes our focus is more on small groups and mentoring pastors. Forrest is a patient listener and always points them back to the Word. He also is able to tell puns, laugh and pray. He is just amazing!
A number of the pastors from the Upper Room came for a visit recently. If Forrest won't come back to teach them they are going to start coming here. They miss his good, solid teaching! Our vision and our passion remains the same..."And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:2 We are committed to making disciples who can make disciples!
We are confident that this is God's plan for us. Although getting here was a difficult route for us to take we trust Him! What a joy!
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A Typical Day as a Missionary
We had an interesting day a while back.... One of the pastors that had been coming to our training classes told me he had a gift for us. He called to ask if we could come to his house to receive it; he was concerned it would get damaged trying to bring it on a chicken bus. He is a carpenter and had made us a beautiful round end table. He wanted to tell us how much he appreciated what we had done for him and all the pastors this past year.
Another pastor who has been coming to the classes, is a neighbor, we visited and talked with him. He told us that the pastors he knows are disappointed that we will not do more training in the Upper Room. We explained that we are not leaving Guatemala and that if a group of pastors wants us to come and teach we are willing to do that. He will be discussing this with a group of pastors in the area where he lives.
While we talking with the pastors I received a phone call from a young woman who had been in our scholarship program. She was at our house and wanted to visit us. She and her younger sister waited for us to come home. She shared with us us that she graduated from basico (Jr. High School) and had started her secondary education where she will study tourism. Her vision is to go to college after that. She thanked us for paying for her first year of basico, believing in her, praying for her and being there for her. All of that has continued to encourage her to complete her education. What a bright future she now has!
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Pastoral Resources…
A major disappointment came when the books we ordered for the end of the year did not arrive in time for our Christmas Party. At the training classes we taught how to use many of the new resources from concordances, dictionaries, maps and charts, time lines and overviews, these along with some great study Bibles had been incentives for the men to continue to come to class.
We were able to share the resources at the last teaching in the Upper Room. Every pastor received a new study Bible, concordance and another book of their choice. Juan was also able to share these with of the pastors he has been teaching in Quiacquix and in Coatepeque. Additionally, he gave each pastor a certificate of completion or attendance for 2015. Certificates are very important in Guatemala.
More than $3,000 of resources were shared. For many this is the foundation for their study library. You will never know how far and wide your gifts to Servants 4 Him reach! Thank you for your generosity!
Today a senior pastor of a large church came to talk to Forrest. He was sharing his need for a Vines Dictionary. The books these men need are expensive and out of the reach of many. We have access to many Spanish resources on a hard drive. We would like to begin sharing more but our need is for large capacity USB hard drives (250 GB or more).
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The Aguilar Family Has Grown
Although baby Forrest is now six months old, many of you did not receive this story so I will share it now.
We thank you for your prayers for our family and support for our family and ministry.
We want to officially inform you that you have known us as a family of four but that changed on Friday night (Dec 11). My wife, Celestina, gave birth (Spanish gave light) to our new son. He became part of our family and we are now five.
It has been more than 14 years since our second child was born. We have lived as a family of three women and one man. This year, one night, God our Father appeared to me in a dream and said "Juan, I want to bless you, but tell me what do you want?" I told Him "I want a son."; He said "Okay!" I woke up not understanding this dream. A few weeks later Celestina told me she did not feel well; joking I said you are pregnant; she said "do not mock me!" A month later we went to a medical lab for a pregnancy test and the result was positive. I continued to remember this conversation with God. And on Friday, Dec 11 God gave us the son I had asked for. Now I am speechless. I do not know how to thank God for granting my request.
I ask for your prayers for me and my wife so we can be good parents, to serve God our good Father until to death. Juan Aguilar
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What we are reading
A Disruptive Faith: Expect God to Interrupt Your Life by AW Tozer
The word faith is common these days, but placing one's faith in God is a weighty action, uncommonly fraught with consequence and, by His design, inconvenience. Faith in God is reassuring and comforting only insofar as believers trust Him--and that depth of trust is the mark of a mature Christian who has allowed faith to intrude on his life and shift his gaze away from his own aims, needs, and desires. This is nothing if not a painful and disturbing process.
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The Torch is passed... blessings shared!
Servants 4 Him received an amazing gift this year. A retiring pastor donated his library to the ministry! Five bookcases filled with a wide variety of books, commentaries, dictionaries, language resources, Bibles and so much more. Dan Zellner is going to house the books. He is working on his pastoral studies and these books will be an tremendous asset! There are many ways you can help Servants 4 Him and our missionaries! Write us if you have questions about a donation.
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