Greetings Blacksburg, Merrill, and Trinity Teams!

Thank you for participating last week on a short-term mission team with Impacto in Guatemala. It is my prayer that you found the experience to be one that you will never forget. Hopefully, you will prayerfully consider returning and bringing someone with you on another team! We praise God for the workers He sends to serve and also for how He touches the lives of those they minister to in His name. We also know that He blesses those who come in ways they never thought possible.

Remember, too,  if you would like for me to visit your church to contact Sarah Poythress ([email protected]) to schedule a date. I would love the opportunity to come and share about how God is moving in Guatemala and try to encourage others to get involved in hands-on missions.

Let me give you an idea of what the ministry of IMPACTO is all about. The Bible verse that always comes to my mind is Matthew 9:36: "When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Through the years, God has placed a burden in my heart to help bring His salvation, hope, healing and peace to the Spanish-speaking world. Some of the ways this is done is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost through dynamic crusades, radio ministries, partnering with, equipping and encouraging the local church, providing communities with compassion ministries, and to energize and mobilize U.S. churches to provide short-term mission opportunities.

You say this sounds like a lot. It is! It can only happen through the support of people like you. I would like to encourage you to continue to get involved. How? Come back to Guatemala and participate again in short-term mission events/projects. You have already practiced your compassion just last week. Now back home, share your experiences. Tell others how they can spend an extremely rewarding week or two on a mission team. Whether it be through training, Happy Tummies, Abuelitos, construction, Happy Feet, a medical team, VBS, some other project, or simply giving hugs, you can share the love of God. Convince a friend to come along and learn what you already know:  God blesses those who come to help as much or maybe even more than those they come to help! Amen? 

Another way to help is financially. Your contributions are needed. Please pray for God to show you what He'd have you do. You may contribute by check (made out to Impacto and mailed to the address below; if you want to designate a particular ministry, write it on the memo line) or online giving at www.impactoministry.com (follow directions on first page). 

Again, please prayerfully consider how you can help share the Good News of Christ! 

Thank you for your servant's heart and willingness to get involved in hands-on missions -- I hope to see you serving on another team and that you can bring someone with you!

In the love of Christ,

Pastor Luis and the Impacto Staff