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Merry Christmas!

We wanted to send this last newsletter of 2019 a few days early so that we could wish you a Merry Christmas! You are such an important part of the ministry God has called us to. We are one body, and as a body we all have different functions. Without your prayers, love, and support we couldn’t carry out this ministry.

This year we’ve lived moments of joy and moments of heartbreak, moments of peace and moments of anxiety, moments of anger and moments of calm, moments of frenzy and moments of quiet. Our earthly life is filled with many such moments on a daily basis. This makes it especially nice that during this time of year our focus is on Jesus. We focus on the fact that God sent Jesus, His only Son, to be born to a young woman so that one day He would die for our sins and we could have eternity with Him. What a precious, magnificent gift.

What God has done in Guatemala this past year is nothing short of amazing! It’s hard to share everything, but we hope that with our two monthly newsletters you’ve been able to catch the vision. 
In the Praises and Requests newsletter a couple of weeks ago I shared the following passage:

Mary’s Song

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Luke 1:46-55 NIV

In Mary’s song we can see that she knew the scripture very well, I assume her parents taught it to her. I think this because we can find principles of what real worship is. Below I’d like to share 3 of these principles with you.

We must worship God with our heart. In verses 46-47 Mary says, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” There are thousands of verses in the Bible that talk to us about true worship. However, I will mention two here, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens…Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:1 & 9. 

We need to worship God humbly (recognizing who we are and who God is). In verse 48 Mary says, “for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” Mary considers herself a sinner who needed a Savior. She said “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” v. 48. She recognizes her need for a Savior. 

The reason for our worship is Jesus. It HAS to be Jesus ... “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” v. 47. The Bible says that when the shepherds went to see the child they worshiped HIM. Him is whom they worshiped. When the three wise men came, they bowed before Him, worshiped Him, and gave presents to Him. He and only He deserves all my worship.

Merry Christmas!
A Story of Generosity

We could make a list of Bible principals Pastor Luis repeats to us on a daily basis. One that we hear frequently is, “it is better to give than to receive, don’t steal my blessing.” He and Dinora are giving constantly: they give generously, they give monetary gifts, they give their time, they give food, they give love, and so much more. Our staff and all those around the two of them have learned a lot through their example! 

As many of you know Impacto is working hand-in-hand with Nueva Vida Ministries. This is a ministry dedicated to planting churches, led by Pastor Luis. One of the Pastors starting a new church is Pastor Geovany. He and his family are starting a church in a squatter community in the outskirts of Guatemala City. This community is very poor and is made up of many at risk families. Pastor Geovany also heads the Nueva Vida Cultural Missions Committee and one of his responsibilities is to make monthly trips to visit the Nueva Vida Churches around Guatemala (there are currently 12). Pastor Geovany has a pick-up truck which he uses for such visits. 

A couple of weeks ago, his truck was in the shop so he took a bus to Coban. In Coban, Pastor Manuel has a late 1970’s Corolla that has no taillights and pieces of metal hanging from it. That is the vehicle the pastors in Coban have to use as they visit each church, families, and make any business stops. Coban gets a lot more rain, and there are so many water springs that the ground is literally always wet and muddy. Pastor Geovany saw that the Pastors have a hard time getting from church to church as they work together and support each other weekly because of the lack of a decent vehicle. The terrain between the three churches is difficult for the little car to maneuver. In fact, in one place, the car got stuck and the five men got out of the car and had to pick it up to free it so they could continue on their way! The pastors have been saving for a truck but were still quite short of funds. During this trip, Pastor Geovany offered his truck for the amount the pastors had (it was a real steal for them!). Pastor Geovany saw a need and gave whole-heartedly. It was something the Holy Spirit laid on his heart and he could not ignore it. 

Now Pastor Geovany needs a truck to continue visiting and supporting the pastors throughout Guatemala. So, Nueva Vida and Impacto are partnering to help Pastor Geovany. We’d love to help him raise the rest of the funds needed to buy a dependable used truck; a truck that he will use for the ministry! To do this, we need $10,000. It is a lot of money but we have seen God provide more and we have faith that He will provide for a truck. Please prayerfully consider partnering with us as we hope to bless Pastor Geovany.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:36
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