From Beach Plans to God's Call
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. –1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV)
“God gave me a peace about our family going on vacation, and I was excited! But one text message changed everything. On the day we decided to make Rosemary Beach our family vacation for that year, my friend Keila asked our family to come to Guatemala and support her ministry, Little Light of Heaven. We knew we had to go. Many observing our decision would say, ‘You are foolish! Why would you tread in flipflops across the black, volcanic beaches of poverty just to serve, when you could stroll barefoot on the white beaches of Florida to relax?’ The answer is simple: God called us.
“Months before Keila asked us to come to Guatemala, we felt called to missions and said, ‘Okay, Lord, You have our unwavering yes. Whatever You ask of us now, it’s just yes. We wondered, What does total surrender to God look like? My sixteen-year-old daughter, Annie, hoped surrender meant a mission trip to Columbia, but that wasn’t the place God chose. Next, we raised support to go to Africa, but in the end, that wasn’t it either. Then, all the details fell into place—God’s destination for us was Guatemala in the villages near Pacaya, an active volcano.
“After returning from YouthCAMP, our children, Daniel and Annie, were ready to go. That weekend away prepared their hearts to be both excited and soft. On our way to the airport, Daniel—only seventeen—led us in a prayer that I know moved angels. He prayed we’d be God’s vessels—that we would see and love the ones God highlighted to each of us.
“On our first day, God highlighted a widow named Angelica. Her husband, a pastor in one of the villages, had just passed away, and even though she loved their congregation well, Angelica was not allowed to lead them. Only a man could lead the church. But the Holy Spirit powerfully spoke through my husband, Franky, to encourage her: ‘No matter what men may say, if you are called and answer yes to God, He will qualify you for a title and position.’ Our son Daniel also showed genuine compassion toward the widow. Because he had recently lost a friend to suicide, Daniel understood grief and could relate to Angelica.”
God Sees You
“Because he wanted our family to hear God’s voice, Daniel continually reminded us to pray, and the Lord clearly spoke to his heart: ‘The same way I saw you, Daniel, tell the people that I see them.’ Being in Guatemala opened his eyes to the physical and spiritual needs people have in other countries. Some of the local churches provided food and water to the villages because one of the communities didn’t even have running water. Daniel saw the connection between provision and salvation for the people.
“My daughter Annie really ministered to the families of Pacaya. When she was invited to speak, she prayed and the Lord showed her what to teach the children. When she was asked to serve, she served cheerfully. Annie loved how joyfully the community came together to do simple things: eat pizza, drink soda, and bust a piñata. She enjoyed hanging out with the kids, playing soccer, and sneaking them more soda whenever they asked her.
“Tragically, danger, immorality, and corruption surround these villages. Travelling between the villages is treacherous with narrow roads and no stoplights. The evil one creates and relishes this confusion. Some traditional churches in Guatemala allow Mayan practices—animal sacrifices—at the end of their services. In some villages, twelve-year-old girls are sex trafficked and presented to Satan near the volcanoes Fuego and Agua—once safe tourist attractions. And the police corruption makes order impossible.
“This is why Franky and I wanted to minister there and share ‘that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:38–39 NIV). We were able to pass out Bibles, pray and worship with families, and teach truths from God’s Word. I knew God wanted me to share about the greatness of Christ’s love for them, and many rededicated their lives to Christ. They so desperately needed the Father to love them, the Savior to rescue them, and the Holy Spirit to heal them.
“As I shared with the families, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a Spanish song from kids' church when I was little:
‘How great is the love of Christ.
It’s big, it’s wide.
It’s too big that you can’t go over it.
It’s too long that you can’t go under it …’
“As I sang, one of the mother’s eyes lit up. She knew the song too, so she started singing and doing the hand gestures with me. I smiled at her as if to say, ‘I see you.’ That was the last part of the message I shared: ‘God sees you.’ Isn’t that what everyone wants to know—that God sees them and loves them?!”
Far Away & Nearby
“Our family’s hope was to see and love the people of Pacaya like Jesus does. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we enjoyed, we hugged, we laughed, we talked—like we were one big family, God’s family. And we are—one body in Christ. Our trip was more than that vacation could have ever been—it was a turning point. Little Light of Heaven Ministries turned our eyes toward what matters to God: people. Our vision was clearer—to see others how God sees them and to love people how Christ loves them. We all came back changed.
“Annie hopes to be a worship leader and work in children’s ministry. Daniel longs to love well and work with children too. He can see himself serving in Guatemala one day. And with open hearts, Franky and I are on the lookout for our next ‘yes’ to the Lord—in leading our family, serving our community, and going beyond our borders to share about His great love. Going far away has renewed our vision for those nearby; we want to see and love the ones God highlights each day at school, at work, at church, and in our community.”
–The Rosarios, part of the Gateway family
Additional Resources
Learn more about Global Outreach Trips
Find a Gateway campus nearby