“God is accomplishing amazing things through the faithful service of His people in Guatemala!” said Jacob Tuma, a senior at Concordia University. “I loved seeing the passion and joy of the Christians there amidst the poverty and injustice.”
Jacob and his team spent Spring break serving with CFCI in Guatemala City,
Guatemala, which had been a Jacob's dream since third grade. They spent their time mostly working in churches, shelters and schools. They shared Bible stories, skits, games, and songs with local children, some of whom were very sick. They also visited the small village of Altotenango, where they prayed with the local people and gave out Bibles, devotionals, and Christian coloring books.
“There isn’t anything better that you can give the world than Jesus,” Jacob said.
Through the trip he learned “sharing the Gospel doesn’t depend on how prepared and in control of the situation I am. I am weak, but He is strong! When the time comes to point others to the Lord, He gives me what I need for the moment.”
His favorite story from the trip came less than 24 hours in, when the group visited a small Sunday School group. Without any plan or preparation, the team put on a skit for the children – the wise man who built his house on the solid rock, and the foolish man who built his house on the sand, and Jacob was asked to narrate.. in Spanish!
“It was really cool to see the children’s’ faces light up when they heard me," Jacob said. "I introduced the team and started to tell the story as I remembered it… I asked the kids to make noises when the storms beat on the houses, and we had a ton of fun! At the end, I summarized the point of the story and reminded the kids of how important it is to have God and His Word in our lives. I even got an, 'Amen' from one of the Sunday school teachers in the back… This experience felt like a dream - possibly because this thing had been a lifelong dream of mine. Being able to share God’s love in action and word made all those years of Spanish class worth it!”
“They let the light of the Gospel shine brightly in their neighborhood" he said. "It was awesome to see how they connect to the community by bringing in children for their Bible school program. Before the program, the young teen helpers walked from house to house to gather the kids. Not only that, but during the program, the teens were put in charge of many of the activities. Throughout it all, the leaders emphasized the purpose to all of their work: to share the Gospel. They are not only teaching the children about God but they are also teaching the teens how to be leaders in the church and pass on the faith. It was a beautiful thing to see! With additional support, they would be able to continue their work and possibly even equip and support neighboring congregations to start a similar program.”
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