This past week we did our first prostitute ministry. I was really excited to finally be going in to the red light district to minister to those that are so close to my heart. We made cards with encouraging verses in Spanish to give to the women we met and we also got flowers to give them so they knew they were beautiful and that someone loved them. The first place we walked into was a night club. The music was blaring and it was dimly lit with black lights everywhere. There was a dancer on stage and two waiting to go on. The Pastor we were with (who has...

Friday night we went to downtown Puerto Barrios in order to minister to the prostitutes in the bars. Before we arrived though, we spent a powerful time in prayer and worship preparing for this. It was incredible how God used that time to give us confidence, peace, and even joy. I definitely learned how powerful it is to be fully equipped with the armor of God! We took flowers in groups into different bars and gave them to the different women we met. I will never forget one bar in particular. 4 or 5 girls were sitting on a couch and their eyes were filled with an intense hopelessness. We...

The band Casting Crowns has written many songs that speak of our current times and our failure to truly trust, depend, and seek out Jesus Christ.  Their song, “What if His People Prayed,” has been on my heart lately, especially as I observe the members of Mi Reto, our host church.  The lyrics question why the church allows Satan to gain more souls, why we don’t take a stand upon God’s promises, and why we are too stubborn to turn from our own ways and seek to bear His name.  My favorite verse examines the family: “What if the family turned to...

Je suis completement heureux detre ici avec des gens superbe ! Le temps que je passe ici est tout simplement fantastic. Jai la chance de visiter le Guatemala en compagnie de gens qui veulent servir Jesus. Dieu ma utilise cette semaine en faisant un appel aupres de plusieurs enfants. Jai utiliser ma manipulation avec les cartes en faisant des illusions. Gloire a Dieu ! je me demandais comment je pouvais mixer les cartes tout en prechant la bonne nouvelle. Jai eu la chance de demontrer que les cartes etaient seuleument des illusions, MAIS que Dieu est vivant et quil peut faire des miracles...

Before I came to Guatemala, I was smugly satisfied with the amount of faith I have displayed in my life. Faith is something that has been spoken over me ever since I took a spiritual gifts class six years ago. I had no clue what that even meant at the time, but it was all coming into focus over the past two years: quitting my career, going on the World Race, interning at a church, applying for seminary (in Texas, of all places), and again quitting my job to lead a Real Life trip to Guatemala. I thought I was all stocked up on faith. I was confident … maybe even a little cocky. And...

In Ecclesiastes 3:11 the author writes that “He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time.” This verse is one I have held on to and pondered over the past few days. In the past week we’ve entered a lot of different situations where it’s been really hard to recognize anything beautiful so this verse has had even more meaning. Last Friday night we went to the red light district and entered bars with back rooms in plain view and even a strip club. We went to show God’s love to the woman that work there. These women were brokenhearted and in an atmosphere...

Despues de un largo y caluroso dia de trabajo (cavando hoyos, trasladando tierra, haciendo mezclas de semento, limpiando, entre otros), llegamos a la casa misionera listos para darnos un buen baño. Al abrir la regadera me lleve una gran SORPRESA, no salio ni una gota de agua. Al parecer la reseva de agua que nuestra casa tenia deberia durar un minimo de dos meses y nosotros en dos semanas ya nos habiamos terminado toda la reserva. Pregunta para reflexionar:  ¿Que pasaria si un dia tu te llegaras a quedar sin una gota de agua? te enfermarias? te...

I walk a block and am surrounded by colors, reds, blues, oranges, pinks and greens. Mangos, pineapples, and bananas are sold on the street. Ice cream is pushed around in a cart, as kids line up to indulge after a day of school. I look across the lake to see volcanoes surrounded by fog. Beauty. This is what I see in this country, this culture.   We have not been in Guatemala long, but already I am beginning to find the beauty in the people as well. The other day some teammates and I walked the streets, praying and asking the Lord for direction on where He would like to lead us....

I have been placed in a unique ream with unique people that have unique talents. We have been learning skills, doing activities, and getting tools to be not only successful, but prosperous while in Guatemala. Although these things are completely different from one another (how to wear a backpack doesn’t seem to have much to do with creating artwork to represent your expectations of the trip) each piece is necessary to do well. If one bit of information was left out, we would be up a creek without a paddle! The other night, we wanted to make a fire. As we arrived to the fire pit, there...

I have been in Guatemala for a week and a half now and let me just say it is not what I expected.  I always plan for the worst case scenario.  With that being said, the worst case scenario for Rachel Short would be…camping.  Living on dirt grounds, and eating animals over an open fire.  I have been pleasantly surprised. I feel like a million bucks here in Guatemala.  I feel so blessed that God sent me to this beautiful country, I could be so many other places.  I didn't realize that I had expectations coming in, but clearly I did.  I thought I...

To help you all understand what is happening here in Panajachel, I thought I’d give you a sneak peek into an average day for my team. In the morning, one of our four cooking teams prepare breakfast for us all.  After eating and spending some quiet time with Christ, we head out to our work projects.  We’ve been working on a few different projects which include evangelizing to a drug dealer, building a retaining wall for a family that is in danger of losing their home in the event of a mudslide, finishing a clean-water well, and digging a septic system for the mission...