The Staff of YWAM Antigua have been diligently working in the different ministries we conduct at the base and in the community during the past year. Each of them has had different experiences that have had an impact on their lives and they are sharing them in the following:
Homes of Hope by Bruce Ahlberg
In October we hosted a team from The Good Shepherd Ministries from Pennsylvania. Part of the team helped construct a prefab metal home in less than 2 days in spite of rain holding them up one day. It was encouraging for me to see them work together as a team to construct the home is such a short time. Each one was actively working doing whatever they could to put the home together. The new home was dedicated to the family a couple days after the construction was completed and it was impressive how they had taken ownership of the home to make it look nice on the inside as well as on the outside. You could tell that they truly appreciated the home. Homes of Hope provides homes for people who are financially not able to construct a home. They not only receive a home but a Bible and the gospel message if they have not heard it before. One of the most satisfying experiences in life is to serve the needs of others and help them improve their lives both spiritually and physically.
This couple lost their home in the volcanic eruption. Donations were received to help Jose build his new home.
The Body of Christ in Action! By Susy de Ahlberg
During this year, we had the privilege of hosting several teams from different parts of the world. Sometimes they overlapped in their stay at the base. I remember that in July, I was helping host a Spanish Summer School while we also hosted a group of King’s Kids from El Paso/Juarez, Texas. (King’s Kids El Paso, founded in 1988, involves local young people in evangelism, discipleship, community service, positive peer influence, multi-cultural education programs and leadership training.)
King’s Kid drama presentation
Our teams get the opportunity to visit homes in our community and they pray for them, too. The King’s Kids visited a home and prayed for one of the members to the family who was sick. They left the home without actually seeing any improvement in the person’s health. I could not join the King’s Kids home-visits because I had to be with our Spanish students.
Home visitation provide opportunities to bless families in need and pray for them.
It was not until a couple of months later, when I visited that home with a different team that I found out that the person who the King’s Kids prayed for that been healed the day after the left.
God is working through His people. We are His body in action for Him!
The Living Word of God by Joe Bedford
„Do you think you could come back so that we could talk some more?“ the man said, after we had been talking to him for about half an hour. I was with a few of my fellow Ywamers, going door to door to give out Bibles and share the gospel. And when people respond like this man did, I know God is speaking through me and His Word comes alive through the Spirit to touch hearts. That’s exciting! And I never get tired of it, rather I take time to praise God afterward for using me to share His love with other people.
Receiving a Bible in their language is a great evangelistic tool.
Sometimes the people themselves are so thankful for receiving God’s Word. I remember when we were in San Miguel Chicaj, giving out Bibles that were in the Achi language. Many people were touched that they could read God’s Word in their heart language.
Other times, God would just guide me to share from a particular verse or passage. I remember talking to a mother and her teenage kids. I asked them, “Do you know why God made you?” They had never thought about that and I shared from Genesis and Ephesians 2 and other verses, showing that God wanted to love us and give us life in Him from the beginning, and now we needed saving through Christ to enter in to His plan. It was wonderful time, to see God’s Word come alive in them.
Evangelism training
But I don’t just want to share God’s Word, I want to help others share it, as well. That is why we taught evangelism in our Discipleship Training School and in a seminar in a local church this year. I hope we can continue to see God’s living Word go out and change hearts and change nations!
Being thankful for all the little things by Karin Bedford
Yesterday we celebrated Christmas with our Kids Club and because here in Guatemala the kids are out of school for their summer vacation lots of kids came, some with their moms.
Decorating Christmas cookies
We had a time of singing praises to our God with movements and the message that Jesus is King, Lord and Saviour! Joe read the Christmas story and asked the kids questions about it. Afterwards we had a surprise for them, we decorated homemade cookies with them and they could take them home. I think not many of them have done that before.
The kids have been collecting points over a period of time for attending the kids club, answering questions, helping others and so on. Yesterday finally was the day to trade in their points into different prices. And they were so excited!
What touched me most was one little boy showing me his price. He just had a few points and showed me a mini crayon box with 12 different colors and he was so happy to get that. Earlier that day, Joe and I went shopping for small prizes and I had picked those mini boxes. The cost of that crayon box was about 50 US cents. Carlos was so happy now to call this box his own! I could see his eyes smiling and saying THANK YOU!
How thankful am I really for all those little things…? How many times do I take things for granted and maybe even feel I deserve them? Are you with me?
It is Christmas season and I feel there is so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for people in Germany and the USA, who do support us every month and pray for us! That is the reason why Joe and I can be here, because we have a big team behind us backing us up. I am thankful that we can give gifts to these kids during this season and show them, that we care and that Jesus loves them.
Maybe it is time for you to say a thank you to your wife, your husband, friend, coworker, mom, dad or your kids for the little things and the big ones as well, but often we forget the little things…
Be joyful always, pray continually, GIVE THANKS in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1.Thess. 5, 16-18
Merry Christmas and practice giving thanks today and every day and you will see it will produce wonderful fruit in your life and others!
Spiritual Growth in the Moms Ministry by Emma Lopez
Moms praying for each other in their homes
The spiritual growth of a group of 15 moms whom we meet with each week to visit and pray is producing good fruit because it is bringing unity in the families and the group is impacting other families that are meeting with the group.
El crecimiento espiritual con un grupo de 15 mamás con el que nos reunimos para visitar y orar cada semana, esta dando frutos muy buenos, porque está trayendo unidad en las familias y el grupo está impactando a otras familias, que se están uniendo al grupo.
Transformation in the lives of men by Renzo Lopez
It is impressive to see how the “machismo” that is in some of the men is being transformed by God into men that love their families and are respectful of God.
Es impresionante ver como el machismo que había en algunos hombres, Dios los esta transformando en hombres llenos de amor por sus familias y temerosos de Dios.