(the Bible School in San Jose Coatan where we’ll be doing Pastor Training)

Friday, June 14Traveling to Houston, flying to Guatemala City.

Pray for good traffic, safe travels, no lost luggage, and all the other details that the Lord brings to your mind, that attend international travel. We will have many resources which we will need to make it there with us, not to mention our personal effects. We’ve also heard that crime rates are much higher in Guatemala City than we’re used to in Pineville. We will also be exchanging U.S. money for Guatemalan currency as well as solidifying travel plans for the following day. We will be lodging at the Central American Theological Seminary (SETECA) there in Guatemala City.

Saturday, June 15Full day of travel from Guatemala City to San Jose Coatan.

This will be a grueling day of travel, by bus, into the high mountains (on roads literally carved into the sides of the mountains and which are one lane wide, with cars routinely traveling both ways..it’s precarious business). We will have to make a bus change at Huehuetenango to make it to S.J.C (this will happen around 2:00-2:30 p.m. if all goes correctly). Please pray for all these details and obviously for an alert bus driver, light two-way traffic, and obviously safety as we travel up the mountains to our destination!

Sunday, June 16Rest, worship, prepare.

We will have a day to recover and prepare before jumping into the meat of our work. There is an election happening, so we aren’t totally sure if we’ll be able to attend a church gathering (apparently churches don’t meet on election weekends there). We are hopeful that at least we will be able to gather together with some saints, read the Scriptures together, and sing some worship songs along with them. This will also be a day when the team meets with some of the students who will be helping us lead VBS to prep for the three afternoons of ministry. Please pray for some sort of gathering to happen for mutual encouragement and preparation for the week ahead, ask the Lord that our preparations that day will be diligent, and that it will be a restful day in the midst of all that from the grueling travel of the two prior days so that we will engage in our labors after having had a rest, both physically and in the Lord!

Monday, June 17Pastor Training (8-noon), VBS (3-5 p.m.), Community Visits (5-6 p.m.).

This will be the first of three days of all-day work that we will do. The entire morning (from 8-12) will be consumed with pastor training. Joel Jordan will be teaching an introduction to Ephesians and helping train them in the big picture (themes, key words, key verses, flow of thought, etc) of that book. Zach will be preaching two messages from Ephesians (one from 2:1-10, and the other from 4:17-32); pray that they will accomplish three goals: (1) encourage these pastors in their walk with Christ and in their shepherding of their congregations, (2) model good Bible study methods, exposition, and preaching for the pastors, and (3) be a benefit to their ministries as they can turn around and preach these sermons to their congregations for the building up and maturing of the saints. The pastors will be walking to this training from far around; plead for their safety, their promptness, translation, and the power of the Spirit to work in these pastors’ hearts. Pray for attendance from children at the VBS, and pray that they will hear clearly the message of the gospel and respond with repentance, faith, and joy! And pray over the community visits in homes for opportunities for clear presentation of the gospel to those who have not heard!

Tuesday, June 18Pastor Training (8-noon), VBS (3-5 p.m.), Community Visits (5-6 p.m.).

On this day, Joel will be introducing Philippians and Colossians, and Zach will be preaching from Philippians 2:1-11 and Colossians 1:15-20. Pray that Christ will be exalted and that the preaching of the true gospel will equip these pastors to protect their congregations against false gospels (false prosperity theology and Catholic distortions of justification by faith alone).

Wednesday, June 19Pastors’ Wives Training (8-noon), VBS (3-5 p.m.), Community Visits (5-6 p.m.).

This day, Bonnie and Gina will lead some Bible studies for pastors’ wives and other women in the church. They will seek to equip them in these areas, so please be in prayer over that. This will also be the final day of VBS and community visits, so please pray that if we need to re-visit anyone or have conversations, the Lord will both lead us into those and lead us in the midst of them! Pray for gospel urgency, gospel boldness, and gospel clarity! Plead with the Lord to save sinners as His gospel is presented!

Here’s what Gina said about this time, “Our main teaching focus for the pastors’ wives conference will be a “workshop” study through Exodus 11-12 using Jen WIlkin’s Women of the Word (practical strategies for studying Scripture). Mrs. Bonnie will lead a short discussion on what it looks like to be a spiritual encourager and wife in the home, and we will also have a short talk on incorporating regular study of the Word/family worship in the home. Bonnie and I thought it would be helpful to really highlight how Jesus is really present and seen throughout the meta-narrative of Scripture. So I decided the “Passover plague” would be a very clear and hopefully well-known narrative to really show Christ as the ultimate Lamb who was slain.” 

Thursday, June 20 — Travel from S.J.C. to Panajachel.

We will split our travel back down the mountains and into Guatemala City into two days of travel, with more coming on this day than on Friday. We’ll also have a bit of time on Thursday and Friday to do some sightseeing.


Friday, June 21 — Travel from Panajachel to Guatemala City.

On the way, we will stop in Antigua and visit a coffee shop(WOOOOHOOOO!!!) from which you can view an active volcano. We will also share a meal of typical Guatemalan cuisines with a family. The team will arrive in Guatemala City in the evening and sleep at SETECA.


Saturday, June 22
Flight to Houston, drive back to Pineville.

We will be leaving Houston around 8:00, meaning we will be back between 12:00 and 1:00 in the morning. Please pray the Lord’s mercy and sustaining presence over Zach as he will be preaching Mark 4:1-20 the next morning at TGP Wardville.