This week I have been visiting and helping the church in San Lorenzo (formerly in Santa Catarina, but recently moved to a better location in San Lorenzo). San Antonio, Santa Catarina, and San Lorenzo are three adjoining communities that virtually touch one another, and we have been working in all three of the villages. The local preacher, Juan Carlos, is a Honduran, now working with the church in Guatemala.
His is an interesting story. He came to Guatemala courtesy of the Catholic church when he was young. He came to Guatemala to study to become a monk. In the monastery he learned the doctrines of the church, but also continued reading his Bible. He asked the priests why church leaders in the Bible were married men with children (referring to the elders in 1 Timothy 3). The priest told him he asked too many questions. He asked about specific teaching and doctrines. He kept reading and studying and asking. Eventually the priest came to him, told him he did not love the Catholic church, and told him to leave the monastery.
After he left the monastery, he was baptized into Christ and later he married his wife. Today they have three beautiful daughters and he is a faithful leader in the church. He began working in the church by teaching the youngest children, later he taught the youth, and eventually he began delivering adult Bible classes and sermons. He went to the Bible institute for more training. He sacrificially serves the Lord, living in very small quarters with his family, and joyfully encourages the brothers and sisters in Christ as they attempt to reach out with the message of Jesus in a very difficult area where Catholic and traditional Mayan religious influences present great challenges.
I ask you to pray for Juan Carlos and his family. Pray also for the church in San Lorenzo and its efforts and faithfulness. There is a VBS for the children during this week, and the major outreach conference and fiesta is this coming weekend.