Guatemala 2016 Update – Recap Video

Here’s a recap video of our trip to Guatemala put together by Dave Sgro of G.O. Ministries:

Guatemala 2016 Update – A Day Of Rest

(Sunday, July 17, 2016)

We said goodbye to our two nurses who headed home to the United States today.

Our family took it easy hanging around Xenacoj for the day.  We had lunch at German’s house where Suzy fed us a delicious meal of carne assada, roasted potatoes, salsa, and fresh strawberries.  We also took time to take advantage of his wi-fi, so we could connect with home briefly.

We relaxed during the afternoon and played Dutch Blitz, and I took a nap.

Dave brought home a Canadian, Emily, who was supposed to fly home to Alberta, Canada today, but her flight was cancelled.  It sounds like she’ll be staying with us for a night or two until her flight can be rescheduled.  I think she will be going with us to Ayapan tomorrow morning.  And she might be visiting our construction site in the afternoon.

Tonight, we walked over to Central Park after dinner to take in the sites and sounds of the festival.  Tonight was a big night of pageantry as the candidates for this year’s Queen of Xenacoj were announced and Mayan dances were performed.

I’m ready for bed as it’s much later than we’ve been going to bed this week.

Tomorrow is a new day, and I’m looking forward to what awaits us.

Guatemala Update 2016 – Preparation for Departure

Stretching was a major part of my preparation.

Edwin Moses

This week is all about preparation.  I like Edwin Moses’ quote above.  I know he was talking about the stretching he had to do as he prepared for competing at the highest level as an Olympic hurtler, but I think it applies to my experience this week.  I will be STRETCHING this week as part of my preparation.

In less than one week, our family will be in Guatemala. While we are there, we will be completing the construction of two new homes for two widows and their families. This is just part of the process. Much ground work has been happening ahead of our trip. Thank you to all of the fundraising which has helped to make these two houses possible. Thank you to German España and his team on the ground in Guatemala who have started building the bases for the homes. And thank you to the widows and their families who are already stepping in to help build their homes.

Guatemala 2016 Update – Meet The Family

Building 100 homes in Guatemala is not a goal about “Let’s see what Jon can do.”

My goal of building 100 homes in Guatemala is about helping families one at a time.  Each of these families is made up of individuals who have names, skills, passions, and purposes.  And it’s our hope that we can give them a boost to help them survive, thrive, and live life on purpose.

Over the weekend, we received our first peek into one of the families we will be building for this summer.  We don’t know the mother’s name yet or the names of her children, but we’re excited to meet her, to play with her kids, and to give her the boost she needs by provides a dry house and comfortable beds.

Here’s a picture:

Please pray for this woman and her children.  Pray that we might be effective in helping her.

I look forward to sharing more as we get to know this precious family.

Stay tuned!

What would you like to know about this family?

 

 

Guatemala 2016 Update – God Is So Good!

In less than 5 weeks, I’ll be in Guatemala again.

I can’t wait!

I long to take in the beautiful mountains of this country I have come to love.  I can’t wait to smell the aromas produced by local street vendors.  I can’t wait to walk the streets of Xenacoj where smiles and stares greet me.  And I can’t wait to experience the magnificent people who hold my heart.

Our family is going back again.  There are many reasons for our trip (admittedly some of them are selfish):

• We want to get away from the hustle and bustle of life in Pennsylvania.  We have found the pace of life so different in Guatemala.  Relationships and activities aren’t rushed.  They happen when everyone is ready.  They happen when they happen.
• We want to wrap our arms around the people we have come to love – families, children, widows, brothers, sisters, and friends.  It’s been nearly two years since our last visit, and we miss the people of Xenacoj.
• We want to re-calibrate ourselves.  A trip to a third world country for a week or two (or more) will teach you a lot of things (if you let it).  In the past, our family has learned a lot about being content with very little, about being generous, and about caring for those in need.  Yes, this is how we try to live here at home.  But there is something amazingly powerful about traveling even further outside your comfort zone.
• We want to help widows and orphans.  We want to encourage.  And we want to help them get on their feet to help them survive and thrive.  Widows and orphans in Guatemala are often forgotten.  We want to help them know they are loved and valued.  We want to give them the boost they need to make it to tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.  We want to be the voice for those who don’t have a voice.  We want to help tell their story, so others will get involved to help.
• We want to do something with our lives that matters.  Life is so short.  We have a relatively short period of time to leave our mark.  Our names may not be remembered in Guatemala, but I’m convinced these trips have helped families get on their feet.  And I’m convinced the fruits of our labor will far outlast us.  Our kids are different, because we went to Guatemala.  Assuming our kids have families one day, their families will be different.
• We want to follow God’s calling for our lives.  In the great commission, Jesus instructs us to go into all the world sharing the gospel.  For our family, this means going into our local community and going to Guatemala.

God continues to shape and mold us, and He takes our selfish, misguided motives.  And He shows us over and over again how good He is.

Many of you know, I have a goal.  I want to build 100 houses in Guatemala before I leave this earth.  I’ve helped build three homes so far.  Only 97 more to go!

A couple of months ago, our family launched a gofundme.com site to help raise funds for our trip and for building a house in Guatemala this summer.  We had already paid for our airfare and some of our expected expenses, but we needed to close the gap the costs associated with the trip and the house build.  When we launched the fundraising site, we honestly weren’t sure what to expect.  Would people step up to close the gap?  Would we have the funds to build a house this summer?  Would God provide?

Why did we doubt?

God is so good!

If you check out the gofundme.com site, you’ll see that we are close to meeting our goal.  We will definitely be going to Guatemala, and we will definitely be building another house.

It gets better!

God is so, so good!

I received a phone call last week.  Someone is stepping up to make a second house possible this summer.

Sometimes, serving others requires a leap of faith.  And often, reaching our crazy, big goals requires one step at a time.  We questioned and we doubted, and God provided through others.

God is so very good!

As our family prepares to return to Guatemala, we are humbled and thankful.  We can’t wait to see how and where God continues to work.  Thank you for being part of our journey.

What leap of faith do you need to take?  What’s preventing you from seeing God’s goodness in your life?

[Note:  If you want to get in on the action our family is taking this summer in Guatemala, please pray for safety and effectiveness in our ministry.  If you want to give to the cause, click here.  Any funds raised above our goal will be used to build more homes in Guatemala.  Thank you!]

Passport Required (Or Not)

Do you need a passport?

Preparing for our trip to Guatemala requires steady action in order to make sure we are ready to travel and to serve in July.  On Saturday, three members of my family went to the Pottstown Public Library to renew our passports.

According to Wikipedia,

A passport is a travel document, usually issued by a country’s government, that certifies the identity and nationality of its holder for the purpose of international travel. Standard passports contain the holder’s name, place and date of birth, photograph, signature, and other identifying information.

Without our passports we legitimately could not get in and out of Guatemala.  These documents are essential to proving our identity when we go through customs.  Authorities will check our passports when we go through security at the airport in the United States.  When we arrive in Guatemala city, our passports will be checked at least twice before we will be permitted to leave the airport to travel to Xenacoj.  When we come home two weeks later, we will go through the reverse process.

The passports certify our identity.

Without this paperwork, we lack identity.  We are stranded.  We are lost.  We are unrecognizable.  We are anonymous.  We are restricted from moving about freely.

Our identity matters.

Unfortunately, many of us operate with a mistaken identity.

We base our self-worth on things that don’t really matter.  We mistakenly define success and significance by pursuits and achievements that don’t matter in the end.  We go after wealth, power, and reputation, and we pin our identity to these things.

• “I have my professional engineers license.”
• “I wrote a book.”
• “I have my MBA.”
• “I have $XXX in my 401K.”
• “I finished three full marathons.”
• “I am the president of my Toastmasters club.”

I could go on and on.  These things don’t really matter.  They are things I have accomplished, but they don’t define me.

(Are you having an identity crisis?)

If I want to define my identity, I must learn to dig deeper.  I’m fairly certain my identity really comes down to one thing (click here) – my identity is found in Christ.  I am a child of God.

I don’t need a passport to certify this identity.

Do you have a passport?  When was the last time you used it?

 

Planning For The Unexpected On An Overseas Missions Trip

When you plan for an overseas missions trip, you should plan for the unexpected.  Things happen in the land you are visiting, and they also happen before you get there that impact your plans.

Six years ago, my wife and I were making plans for our first overseas missions trip to Nairobi, Kenya.  We were excited to serve in the slums of the Mathare Valley and local schools with a group from our church and missionaries from CMF (Christian Missionary Fellowship).  We attended many pre-trip meetings with our team, so we could learn about what we should expect on our trip.  We followed through by getting our vaccines.  We raised money to help offset the funds required for this two-week missions adventure.  And we paid for the trip which included the costs for airfare, passports, vaccinations, food, lodging, and transportation.

We believed we were following the plan of God when we signed up for this trip.

For this reason, we were very confused when we had to cancel plans for our trip four weeks before the trip.  Leanne was experiencing some significant health issues, and we prayerfully discerned that a trip to Africa was not ideal at this time.  I know for certain that we made the right decision.  Leanne’s health continued to decline for a period of time and required a hospital stay and a long recovery period.

We lost the money we paid for the trip, and we wondered if we would ever have the opportunity to experience overseas missions.

In addition, I struggled with the dilemma of responding to our donors.  So many people had given money to make this trip happen, and there was no way I could repay them.  Asking for money requires humility, and telling people their donation couldn’t be used as planned is beyond difficult.

Thankfully, we were surrounded by people of grace.  So many people reassured us along this journey.  They understood our situation, and they wanted to make sure we were healthy.  It didn’t come at first, but eventually, some of our friends and family even encouraged us that an overseas missions trip may still be a possibility for us.

Fast forward to 2012.  In the spring of 2012, the youth pastor at my church asked me to go to Guatemala with teenagers from our church’s youth group.  You can read more about that decision by clicking here and here.  It required a leap of faith, and it required a renewed humility.

I went on that trip with my daughter and 29 other teenagers, and I fell in love with the village of Xenacoj.  I also made an important connection with Dave Sgro with GO Ministries.  Little did I know at the time, our family would establish a relationship with Dave, GO Ministries, and the people of Xenacoj.  We are returning there for the third time as a family this summer (fourth time for me), and I am confident in our decision to go overseas again.

As part of this journey, I discovered the importance of Missions Travel Insurance and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Coverage.  This insurance would have prevented us from losing the monies we paid for our trip to Kenya, and it would have provided important coverage in the event something would have happened on this trip.  We haven’t had to use the insurance so far, but I feel much better knowing it has been in place for our past two trips to Guatemala.  And we’ve purchased this insurance for our upcoming trip this summer.

If you’re planning an overseas missions trip, I’d encourage you to check out Faith Ventures.  They’ve been very helpful in setting my mind at ease as we prepare to return to Guatemala.

Missions Travel Insurance and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Coverage covers things like:  lost baggage, emergency evacuation, medical expenses, and trip costs in the event of cancellation or interruption.  Based on our experience, we will be purchasing this coverage for our future overseas missions trips.

Worth noting, Leanne’s health has been great following her recovery over five years ago.  She will tell you that her overseas missions experience has been life changing.  We are both amazed to see how God has worked through our dreams of serving overseas despite the challenges that life has thrown our way.

What concerns do you have about overseas missions?  What is holding you back from serving overseas?  Share your thoughts in the comments.

Going Back To Guatemala

Guatemala!  Here I come!

Last week, I booked round-trip airline tickets from Newark, NJ to Guatemala City, Guatemala for my family.  I also purchased missions travel insurance and trip cancellation/interruption coverage for our trip this summer.  (After an experience nearly six years ago, we know this insurance is important.)

The reality of our summer plans is starting to hit me.

I’m excited to announce that our family will be heading back to Santo Domingo Xenacoj in Guatemala this summer for two weeks in July.  This will be my fourth time in Xenacoj where our family will be serving widows and orphans in and around the village.  We will be working with GO! Ministries, and we will be teamed up with missionary teams from Adventures In Missions (A.I.M.).

In the coming weeks and months leading up to our trip, I’ll be sharing more information about our trip along with ways you can help.  Stay tuned!

What are your plans for the summer?

 

Podcast Interview Part 2 with Rocco DeLeo at And Dad Makes 7

Today, the second part of my interview with Rocco DeLeo hit the podcast airwaves.  We talked about bringing a mission mindset into your home.  Please go check it out, and let me know what you think.  Click here.

 

8 Ways To Make Missions Part of Your Life

A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.

I’m on a mission!

Are you on a mission?

What’s your mission?

I’m on a mission to help others STRETCH.  I’m on a mission to glorify God.  And I’m on a mission to point others to Christ.  I have a lot of missions in my life.

A mission is a job or task that we have to do.

If you call yourself a Christ-follower, you are on a mission whether you realize it or not.  We are tasked by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

You are a missionary!

Now what?

How do we make missions part of our lives?

The missionary journey that I am on will most likely look a little different from your missionary journey.  We have different gifts and passions which will cause us to serve others from a unique perspective.  If you are struggling to make missions part of your life, today’s post will get you started.

8 Ways To Make Missions Part Of Your Life

1. Get to know other missionaries.  Thanks to the internet, you can plug into missionaries all over the world.  Take time to connect with one or two of these missionaries and learn more about their story and their ministry.
2. Find ways to serve in your own community.  You don’t have to go overseas to be on mission.  Their are needs right in your own community.  If you’re afraid to go alone, grab a friend and go serve at a local food pantry, shelter, or nursing home.  Serving others in your community is such a great way to share the message of your mission.
3. Learn to define missions differently.  When people think of missions, they often think of someone going to Africa or another foreign country.  They put missions in a box.  Learn to be creative in how you serve others.  Being on a mission starts through your conversations and actions with those where you work and live.
4. Make missions part of your schedule.  If you aren’t intentional, you will overlook missions opportunities.  Our family serves with our H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere) group twice a month.  We also have a date on our calendar for returning to Guatemala this summer.
5. Go somewhere foreign.  I am often asked this question: “Why do you go overseas when there are needs right in our own country and community.”  For one, the Great Commission instructs us to go into ALL nations.  Secondly, a believe a foreign mission trip or missionary journey can actually alter our perspective when we return home.  A foreign missions trip can be a catalyst for creating a mission mindset at home.  If you live in the country or suburbs, go into the inner-city to serve.  If you live in the city, go into the country to serve.  Serving in different places opens are eyes to the needs in and around us throughout the world and close to home.
6. Give.  Don’t underestimate the value and importance of giving when it comes to missions.  If you want to make missions part of your life, find a way to give your time, your money, your gifts, and your other resources.
7. Pray.  Ask God to show you how to make missions part of your life.  Ask God to work through the missionaries and ministries on your radar.  Prayer is an effective way to make missions part of your life.
8. Share.  Your story is powerful.  Share your story of missions with others.  You will inspire others to make missions part of their life when you tell your missions story.  This year, my family will be heading back to Guatemala for two weeks to serve in the village of Xenacoj.  You can be certain, I’ll be sharing more about this trip right here.

How have you made missions part of your life?  Share your thoughts in the comments.