I doubted God. And then...the mighty power of God healed a man at the edge of death.

What an amazing day! I am so tired right now I can barely type. I've got dinner dishes to do and then it's a shower and to bed! BUT...I wanted to update you one my day.

Last Friday we stopped by to visit a single mom of FOUR daughters. With the help of some very generous friends we were able to get 3 of her girls in school and are looking for a tutor for her oldest daughter. God has put her family on our hearts and we try to visit her at least once a week.

Anyway, as we were leaving the area after our visit we were waived down by a neighbor. Julia explained that her mother and husband were both bedridden and not doing well. She asked us if we would mind praying for them?

"Of course!" we answered.

Honestly, I wasn't prepared for this visit. Her mother is 86 years old and can't see. She is laying in bed and complaining about pain in her body.

"Where is the pain?" I asked.

"Everywhere."

We prayed over her and asked God to take away the pain. We asked God to give her peace. We asked God to shower her with His love.

She then took us to a different room, separate from the house. This is where her husband was laying.

I sat down on the bed next to him and told him good morning. I asked him how he was feeling and he said "bad, estoy moriendo." "I'm dying."

My heart sank. As I talked with his wife she said he had not eaten in 6 days and that he looked bad.

Julia was tired. You could see it in her eyes. She was desperate.

"Can we pray with you?" we asked him?

"I don't know how to pray." He said.

"Do you know Jesus?"

"Yes."

"Do you WANT to pray to Him?"

"Yes."

Before we prayed with him, he professed Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He said that he believed He died on the cross for our sins. And through his tears, he thanked Him.

We put our hands on his shoulders and prayed for God to reverse his illness. We prayed that his body would be healed. We prayed that he would eat and grow strong. We prayed for a miracle.

I left thinking to myself, that IT WOULD TAKE a miracle. Someone who has not eaten in 6 days, who was saying they were dying, who could barely open their eyes and was clearly waiting for the shadow of death, needed a miracle.

Fast forward 4 days. Honestly, I was worried. I was worried Julias husband wouldn't last much longer. I doubted God. And then...the mighty power of God healed a man at the edge of death. Julia said that the day after we left he started eating and then he got out of bed to go outside into the sunshine...into the light...into the waiting arms of our Father.

God's message for me today;

"I am enough. I am alive today and yesterday. Do not doubt me. Stand firm in my promises and in my Word."

I am humbled to be a witness to miracles of a living God. Some may say that it was coincidence. Some may continue to doubt. But today, I have no doubt. God is good. 

If you would like to support what God is doing through us in Guatemala, click here.  Follow our journey at www.GodCalledUs.com.

If you have questions or just want to catch up, do not hesitate to contact me directly.  You can email me at georgesisneros@gmail.com or call our Magic Jack number in Guatemala, 970-449-9449 (local call for you).  I would love to hear from you!

Well done my good and faithful servant.

My good friend and fellow missionary, Diego Marroquin and I were driving to the town of Palin, Guatemala today to visit Don Bartolo.  We had an extra blanket for him as the temperatures have been dropping and a case of juice boxes, one of the simple pleasures in his life right now.  On our way there I told Diego that I couldn’t wait to see what God had for us today!  It seems like He has something incredible for us every single day!  I was excited to sit and visit with Don Bartolo because he radiated his love for Jesus and there is always a peace surrounding me when I’m with him.

As we walked up the dirt road to his dilapidated, corn stalk shack, something seemed different.  I don’t know what it was but it felt empty.  As we reached the trail that led to his home some neighbors yelled to us.  “He’s not there.  He died.” 

My mind was racing.  What?  Did I hear that right?  Diego asked them again. 

“He died about a month ago,” they yelled. 

My heart felt like it was sinking to the bottom of the ocean.  We walked to where his house should be and there was nothing left but an old fire pit.  Diego and I didn’t say anything.  I just sat down and cried. 

“God, what the heck?  What are you trying to tell me?  I was just getting to know this man and now he’s gone.”

Diego and I prayed and as we were praying I realized, Don Bartolo is at peace.  He knew the Son of Man.  He knew Jesus Christ.

1 Samuel 2:8 says, ^“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.”

Don Bartolo, I was honored to know you.  I wish I could see the smile on your face as our creator says to you, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

I miss you.

If you would like to support what God is doing through us in Guatemala, click here.  Follow our journey at www.GodCalledUs.com.

If you have questions or just want to catch up, do not hesitate to contact me directly.  You can email me at georgesisneros@gmail.com or call our Magic Jack number in Guatemala, 970-449-9449 (local call for you).  I would love to hear from you!

And yes, please pray for the crazy lady “doctor”.

Meet Marcos.  He quickly stole the hearts of our missionary team.

This morning our missionary team of 5 visited Marcos in the small village of El Rosario.  Marcos is 13 months old and has not been feeling well.  Apparently Marcos has had a fever for 3 days and diarrhea for over a week. 

“Have you seen a doctor?”  I asked his mom, Florinda.

“I’m going to see her today.  I’m leaving this morning,” she replied. 

I was relieved.  I wasn’t comfortable with those types of symptoms and if it were my son, we would be visiting a doctor.

“Can we pray for you and your son?”

She nodded yes.  She seemed so distracted.  Of course, her mind was on her baby.

As we were praying I felt the Holy Spirit of God telling me to drive her to the doctor appointment. 

“What time is your appointment?”  I asked.

“She will see me when I get there.  There is no appointment,” she answered.

We had a busy day planned and decided to split the team up.  I asked her if Diego and I could give her a ride and off we went. 

“How many buses does it take to get to your doctor?”  I asked.

“Just one bus.  It takes about 2 hours.”

We arrived in just over 30 minutes.  We parked the van and walked down an alley.  We passed a parked pickup truck with 5 young men, a young woman and an older woman standing around it.  The scene seemed sketchy to me.  Diego looked back and asked if they know where the Dr.’s office is.  The older lady walked up to us and told us that she died yesterday! 

“I’m just kidding!  I’m the doctor!”

We should have just walked away. 

We entered a metal door of what looked like a home, not a doctor’s office.  There was a handmade sign outside the door, “Firewood for sale”.  We should have walked away.  As we walked through the narrow hall there were piles of 2^nd hand clothes and another sign, “Clothes for sale”.  At the end of the hallway there were eight chicken crates with live chickens.  She seemed to trust this “doctor” so we kept going.  She parted a curtain that led to…HER BEDROOM!  I’M NOT KIDDING!  A BED, DRESSER, SMALL REFRIGERATOR, MIRROR, FAMILY PHOTOS!  WE SHOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY!

“Lay your baby on the bed.  Tell me, how is your baby feeling?”

After listening to the symptoms and poking around his tummy, she said she had something for the baby and that she would be right back.  She came back with a small glass of watery oatmeal looking “stuff”. 

At this point I really felt like I might be in shock because I couldn’t seem to speak fast enough.  In my best Spanish I tried to understand what she was asking Florinda to give Marcos.  He’s trying to swallow but can’t seem to drink it fast enough as this crazy lady is prodding Florinda to force it down.  I can confidently say, this lady was NOT a doctor and we needed to get out of there. 

“How much do we owe you?” I asked.

“20 Quetzales.” Which is the equivalent of $2.50.  We overpaid. 

We left the bedroom, walked passed the chickens and clothes and firewood.  We walked back down the creepy alley to my van.

“Florinda, can I take you to the doctor I take my kids to?”

She nodded yes. 

We drove 40 minutes and met with a real doctor.  When we explained what we had just gone through.  He said it is very common and a big problem in Guatemala.  Because the smaller villages don’t have a doctor, someone eventually starts mixing home remedies.  Unfortunately, every village has a crazy lady “doctor” who knows nothing about medicine.

After examining Marcos and talking with his mom, the doctor explained that the baby has an infection and needs treated right away.  BUT, the bigger problem is that Marcos is severely malnourished.  He looks like a 5 month old and can’t sit up, let alone crawl or walk.  The doctor can’t even prescribe antibiotics because he feels they need to be administered by an IV and watched closely by a physician. 

This news is devastating to Florinda.  She doesn’t want to go back to the hospital.  She was just there with Marcos for a month and the doctor is now saying that Marcos may need 4 more months of hospitalization to get him healthy again. 

All I can see is the fear in her eyes. 

“You have to take Marcos back.  If you don’t it will be very dangerous and could cause permanent damage,”  I pleaded with her.

She shook her head that she understood.  She needed to talk to her husband.  He would have to take care of their older son and continue to work every day. 

And here is the root of the problem.  As we walked out of the doctor’s office, I paid the 150 Quetzales owed, which is the equivalent of $20 U.S.  You and I know that’s not much to see a doctor, but that’s a mountain of money to people of the villages.  Many of their health problems are due to poverty.

The drive home was quiet.  I can’t imagine what she was thinking.  We encouraged her and let her know that we would help in any way we could.  We would pray for her and visit her.  We parked the van and walked her to her home.  “If the doctor says we have to take him in, we have to do it,” she said.

What would have happened if we had not come?  She would have visited the crazy lady “doctor”, taken a 2 hour bus ride home and hoped for the best, never knowing what her baby really needed.

I always imagined that as a missionary, my days would end with feelings of satisfaction or at least contentment.  But our drive home was a lot like it is on most days, driving quietly, with our hearts breaking into a million pieces. 

Please pray that Marcos gets to the hospital this week.  Please pray for a full recovery to a healthy weight.  Please pray for his parents that they would have patience and strength.  And yes, please pray for the crazy lady “doctor”.

If you would like to support what God is doing through us in Guatemala, click here.  Follow our journey at www.GodCalledUs.com.

If you have questions or just want to catch up, do not hesitate to contact me directly.  You can email me at georgesisneros@gmail.com or call our Magic Jack number in Guatemala, 970-449-9449 (local call for you).  I would love to hear from you!

Our hearts were broken. The food wouldn’t last and we all knew it.

For most of my life, Christmas looked pretty much the same.  Waiting for Christmas break seemed to take FOREVER!  The last few days of school were PAINFUL.  The week before Christmas seemed like an entire month!  I remember my brother and I going through catalogs and clipping photos of toys we wanted.  The anticipation was almost too much to take.  Honestly, I don’t know how I ever fell asleep on Christmas eve. 

I don’t know when it happened but at some point celebrating Christmas jumped the tracks.  It got completely out of control.  More and more gifts.  Bigger and better gifts.  Gifts we couldn’t afford to give.

How many times have you told yourself “Next year, we’re not doing this.  Next year we’re not buying into the hype.  We can’t keep buying more and more stuff only to be frustrated and in debt.”  

This year, Christmas was different.  On Christmas day we drove to El Rosario and spent 6 hours delivering food baskets that were donated by a friend in the States who’s family was serious about not buying into the American Christmas hype.  

Not one of the children we met had trouble falling asleep the night before in anticipation of what would be wrapped under a tree.  There were no trees.  There were no new toys scattered around the living room.  No ripped up wrapping paper.  There wasn’t the smell of turkey in the oven.  

I’m sad to say, it was the first time in my life I realized the Christmas I have always known is not the same Christmas for everyone.  The Christmas I knew was for a very small percentage of the worlds population.  It is reserved for the wealthy.  Click here to see how you stack up to the rest of the world.

Every family we visited had dirt floors.  Some slept on dirt floors.  The $25 worth of groceries we brought them was the only Christmas gift they received.  Ever.  EVER.

They were all so gracious.  Some thanked us but most thanked God.  In the middle of their deep poverty, through incredible hardship that would bring most of us to our knees, they thanked Jesus.  I was humbled.

And as soon as we delivered our last basket.  As soon as we prayed over the last family, we got back into our mini-van and drove home, in silence.  It wasn’t what I expected.   What should have been a van full of happiness and joy over the “good” thing we had done, it was strangely quiet.  

Our hearts were broken.  The food wouldn’t last and we all knew it.  I think we realized how deep the cut was and we had absolutely no idea how to make it better.  Here’s the thing.  Doing God’s work doesn’t have to give us satisfaction or happiness.  It’s not about us.  It’s all about Him.  Maybe heartbreak over deep need and pain is what Jesus calls the narrow road.  Maybe it’s the cross He talked about in Luke 9:23.

I pray that every time we visit El Rosario, our hearts break.  I pray that we are never satisfied.  I pray that I am given a hunger and burning desire to hug and hold and to stand up for the oppressed.  To stand up for Jesus.  Every.  Single.  Day.

If you would like to support what God is doing through us in Guatemala, click here.  Follow our journey at www.GodCalledUs.com.

If you have questions or just want to catch up, do not hesitate to contact me directly.  You can email me at georgesisneros@gmail.com or call our Magic Jack number in Guatemala, 970-449-9449 (local call for you).  I would love to hear from you!

Our missionary journey is not what we expected. It is so much sweeter.

I can’t believe it’s been  five months. 

Photo I took of El Fuego erupting - Antigua, Guatemala

Vonda and I landed in Guatemala on July 19^th and since then we have experienced the eruption of El Fuego, one of Guatemala’s many active Volcanoes, we have felt two earthquakes of which one registered 7.2 on the Richter scale, we have survived two hidden scorpions, and have avoided Dengue Fever transmitted by mosquitos,  (we knew many people who were very sick from it). 

As we took our first missionary baby steps all we wanted to do was run.  We wanted to build houses, install wood stoves and care for orphans, all day, every day.  But God had other plans.  Yes, we have done some of those things but not in the way we originally imagined.  God has called Vonda to not just teach at a missionary school but to be a missionary to all the people in her life.  My wife is a missionary to her family, to the students and teachers at her school and to our neighbors and friends.  She is picking up where she left off in the States and is a huge blessing to everyone who gets to know her.

I’m taking a deep breath as I begin to lay out what God is calling us to do in Guatemala.  God’s plan becomes more clear, almost daily.  And I have to tell you…it’s a little intimidating.  We will be living in San Cristobal, just outside of Guatemala City, for the next 8 months.  In August we will move to San Lucas which has a population of almost 20,000.  We’re moving to San Lucas for two reasons.  First, it is located closer to the village we have been working with so our drive will be 25 minutes shorter.  Second, it’s where our kids will attend school for the duration of our time in Guatemala.  We absolutely believe this is where God is calling us.

Our kids will be attending a Colegio which is a school for Guatemalans, not for missionary kids.  They do not teach in English.  At all.  This won’t be easy for our kids to say the least.  They are learning Spanish now but it is “poco a poco”, little by little.  Within a few months of Colegio they will be close to fluent in Spanish.  In the end, it will be worth it but there will be struggles ahead.

We feel God is calling us to the village of El Rosario

Over the next 2 years we will continue to work in the village of El Rosario.  El Rosario’s population is about 1,400.  There is a local “esquela” (public school) for K-6^th grade and a few small tiendas, not much more.  Most of the men work in the fields planting and harvesting blackberries or coffee beans.  The women stay at home to cook and take care of the kids. 

When I first visited the village my instinct was to assess their needs and do my best to raise the money to help them.  I believe God has asked me to “slow down”, to get to know the people, and to invest in long term change rather than short term support.  If you know me, you know it’s been a challenge.  As an entrepreneur in the States I had schedules and time commitments that had to be met.  I ran a tight ship and paid close attention to detail.  It’s different now.  Right now building relationships is more important than building houses. 

This is the school "kitchen" - We will begin construction of a new one in January

We don’t want to “fix” El Rosario.  We want to build relationships, encourage them, build trust, let them know we care, pray with them, learn from them and empower them.  We know we are all poor.  They happen to be materially poor but we all need God to heal our land.  It’s not about us.  It’s not about the people of El Rosario.  It’s about our Father in heaven. 

Our missionary journey is not what we expected.  It is so much sweeter.  God is working in our lives and answering prayers.  Every day is another opportunity to get to know Him better and to draw someone closer. 

If you would like to support what God is doing through us in Guatemala, go to www.GodCalledUs.com and click on the link “Support this mission”.  

If you have questions or just want to catch up, do not hesitate to contact me directly.  You can email me at georgesisneros@gmail.com or call our Magic Jack number in Guatemala, 970-449-9449 (local call for you).  I would love to hear from you!

www.GodCalledUs.com

Our lives are miracles...we aren’t thankful enough to realize it.

(The following blog post is by my 12-year-old daughter Cecilia.)

Today I went to El Rosario for the first time. It was amazing. I already miss everyone I met there and want to go back as soon as possible. Let me tell you about a part of my time there. 

It started when my family and I were walking through a path of corn stalks, coffee plants and other crops. After walking for a while, we saw a corn-stalk, tin-roof home.

“Buenos dias!” my dad called. There was no answer. We walked up a little closer.

“Buenos dias!” my dad repeated. A lady walked out, holding a baby in her arms. My dad introduced us to the lady, Doña Maria. He had met her before on previous trips. She welcomed us into her home, apologizing that she didn’t have any benches for us to sit on. She began to talk to my dad. I looked around the small house. It was just a little bigger than my bedroom. Completely dirt floors.  Patches of light streaming through the cracks in the corn stalks revealed smoke crowding around the home. Two beds lay at each side. A dresser stood next to one bed, a fire pit next to the other. Two buckets of dirty water lay against the wall. My nose began to sting. 

My dad told Doña Maria that we had food for her. He told her we would set it out on her bed and then she could put it wherever she would like. Mom, Dad and I took the bags we had been carrying and set all the food out. We brought out rice-arroz, beans-frijoles, milk-leche, apples-manzanas, sugar-azucar, flour-harina, and juice for  the morning.

She thanked us for all the food. You could hear in her voice even without understanding that she was more than thankful. She then told my dad stories that had happened in the last few days. That last night, she woke up freezing. She prayed to God that He would warm her. Just then, the sun rose and she began to feel warmer. Also, she recently had a dream about a visitor bringing her gifts. It makes you realize how the things we take for granted would be miracles in someone else’s life. If you think about it, our lives are miracles...we aren’t thankful enough to realize it.

My eyes stung from the smoke so I stepped outside to see my brothers watching Doña Maria’s other child, a six year old boy, flying a kite-cometa. He flew it without wind. His magic little fingers pulled the kite up into the sky. His eyes lit up and he giggled at the kite. How could he be so happy?

“Come on inside...” my dad said, “we’re going to pray.” He motioned us to come inside. I skipped over the patch of mud at the front door. We all gathered in a circle. Doña Maria began to pray. I understood words, but not everything. She thanked my parents and brothers and me. She thanked  God and described Him in beautiful ways such as ‘King’ or ‘Adorable’. She began to cry. Dad put His hand on her shoulder. I did too.“Gracias hermano, gracias. No puedo comer...no puedo pagar…” she said that she couldn’t eat or pay, but God provided. 

Have you ever felt...have you ever KNOWN...that God is there. Right there. So close that you could go out and grasp His hand. So close that you needed to hold His hand.  Each time my heart beat, I felt even closer to God.

She ended her prayer and said good morning to us. “Buenos dias, Buenos dias!” she said. We said goodbye and left. We left knowing that in just a short period of time, God was glorified and praised.

I heard this quote once:  “Missions exist because worship does not."

A missionary’s purpose, their calling, is to create more worshipers.  Think about that. Think about what that means in YOUR life.  What is God calling you to do right now?  How might your listening to God’s calling bring glory and praise to Him?  Think about how your mission, how your listening may create more worshipers throughout the world.

-Cecilia Sisneros, Missionary in Guatemala

If you would like to support what God is doing through us in Guatemala, go to www.GodCalledUs.com and click on the link “Support this mission”.  

El Rosario and La Cocina

Twelve days ago I met Adelina.  Her name was given to me as the contact person when I visited the village of El Rosario.  Five ladies who were friends of Adelina had walked 2 ½ hours to talk to missionaries in the neighboring village of Cerro Alto.  “Is there a missionary who can help us?”  Adelina had not actually made the trip but when the ladies were asked for a phone number of someone to call when and if a missionary could visit, Adelina was the only person they could think of, who had a phone.  And so, the day had come and I was that missionary.  I spent the day with Adelina who had a baby slung over her back and two young children following closely.

First, we visted “la esquela”.  An esquela is a public school which generally does not provide a great education. The public schools here have helped me realize how amazing our schools are in the United States.  I know, I know, they'e not perfect.  Not nearly.  But trust me, it's not so bad.

I met Senior Rosales, the principal.  He had a table full of files about the kids and their families and described their incredible hardships.  I could tell this man cared deeply for his school.  He really cares about the children of El Rosario.  I visited classrooms of 25-35 students, pre-school through 6^th grade.  The kids were packed into classrooms, all reciting their lessons in unison.  School at El Rosario is from 8am - 12:30pm.  Too many kids.  Not enough teachers.  Not enough time at school to give these kids much of a chance. 

Senior Rosales gave me a tour of the school grounds and showed us “La cocina”, the school kitchen.  It is four, 5 ft. walls of scrap tin with a fire pit in the corner.  That’s it.  He said he has been collecting the blocks and tin for a new kitchen and they are being stored in the (already too small) classrooms until they save enough money to actually build it.  He proudly showed me the needed material.  I don’t know how long it has taken him to collect it all, but it’s my guess that he has purchased it a little at a time.  Adding to his collection like a boy collecting baseball cards.  It’s probably taken years.

So, what would it cost to build a new cocina?  An actual structure of concrete block and a tin roof?   A friend of mine from Guatemala guessed $2,000 U.S. dollars.  That would include a new sink and a new wood stove.  $2,000 is equal to 15,500 Quetzals, the currency here.  Honestly, it might as well be a 100,000 Quetzals.  That’s a HUGE number.  But Senior Rosales smiles as he proudly says “It will happen.”  One of the things I LOVE about El Rosario is that the village is made up of hard working people who aren’t looking for ‘free’ but rather ‘a little help’.

I left the school almost 2 weeks ago and I can’t seem to get El Rosario off my mind.  I can’t erase the vision of concrete blocks taking up precious space in the classrooms.  I can’t stop thinking about the smiles on the kid’s faces and the proud smile of the principal as he gave me a tour.  Please pray for this school and the students.  Please pray they accept me as a friend and a neighbor who loves them in the name of Jesus.  A new kitchen means the ability to cook in a healthy environment that will feed 175 kids every day.  Pray for God’s provision.

I’ll be visiting again next week.  I can’t wait to get to know the people of this village.  I look forward to forging a friendship with the Senior Rosales and the teachers at the school.  I can’t wait to play soccer with the kids at recess.  I’ll keep you updated.