Jun 8, 2022 New Friends and Evil Spirits in Guatemala

In June 2022, QHM is leading a team from North America in a short-term mission to serve alongside church members in Santa Cruz del Quiche, Guatemala. Together they will share the good news of Jesus with people in the community. In advance of the mission trip, team leaders Karl and David traveled to Guatemala to finalize the plans and logistics for the evangelism work with church leaders.

A standard part of the mission trip process is to provide funding for gospel workers who will spend several months working before, during, and after the short-term mission team. Typically, the gospel workers live in the communities near the churches where evangelism meetings will be held. However, in this case, two full-time experienced gospel workers from El Salvador were recruited. For José and Jesús, this isn’t just a temporary side job–it’s their calling. They are living their lives as examples of discipleship. This is evidenced by their commitment to work for eight months away from their homes to help the evangelism work in Guatemala.

An important part of Karl and David’s pre-trip is to meet with the gospel workers and see how they are doing. When they met José and Jesús, they were first struck by their open friendly demeanor and smiling faces. They are both genuine, happy people with a clear passion for Christ. They had already been working for a few weeks and reported on the list of people they had already visited. Karl and David were pleased to see they were organized and intentional about their plans for the next meetings with each family, and the additional places they intended to visit.

José and Jesús reported that one person they visited had moved back to Guatemala after living in the United States. He had come home with a lot of money, but he wasn’t happy with his life. He started studying the Bible with our gospel workers and was amazed to hear the stories in the Bible. He realized that he hadn’t been happy because God was missing in his life. Now he is ready to be baptized.

Jesús said that, in addition to home visits, he is studying with one person using a video and messaging app. It is wonderful to hear how personal connections can be made when home visits are not possible.

José visited a home that the family said was haunted. They said they felt intimidated every day by visits from the devil. So, they asked another church for help. Priests came and prayed over the house, but the family said it hadn’t made a difference. When José came by offering Bible studies the family eagerly accepted. The next time José visited, he asked how they were doing, and they said the evil spirit was gone! Praise God!

Sometimes José and Jesús work together. However, more frequently they each bring a church member with them to visit homes in their community. This serves several purposes. Our gospel workers are connecting neighbors together and creating friendships in the communities. They’re also training church members in how to continue visiting and giving Bible studies.

During the months before our mission team arrives, José and Jesús are meeting as many people in the community as they can. They are offering prayer and Bible studies to all who are willing to accept them. They will continue visiting with an entire series of lessons. When our mission team arrives, the gospel workers invite their new friends to come to the evening meetings with them at the neighborhood church. Here they learn more about God and Adventist doctrines. When the invitation comes to give their lives to Christ, the gospel workers continue to encourage, answer questions, and connect them with the church members and pastors.

In Guatemala, José and Jesús will continue working in the community, even after our team from North America leaves. It is incredibly helpful for new church members, and those still studying, to know when they come to church, they will see the cheerful faces of José and Jesús and their other new friends.

Please keep José and Jesús in prayer, along with all the other gospel workers around the world.

Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Matthew 9:37-38

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