Guatemala (MNN) — Short-term mission trips typically take months to plan. You find a need. Do a little research. Locate a group to help you accomplish what you’d like to do. Recruit volunteers, raise money, plan housing, food, airline tickets — the list is endless.
But, 38 people from two Christian radio stations in West Michigan thought they had everything worked out, only to have the trip cancelled by the sponsoring organization.
WAYK and WAYG, ministries of Cornerstone University, HAD planned to go to Honduras, but when the trip was cancelled six weeks ago, they were forced to make alternative plans. That’s when Mission Network News put them in contact with Buckner Orphan Care International and now, they’re on their way to Guatemala with plans of helping not one orphanage, but at least five.
Buckner’s Leslie Chace (chase) organized the last minute trip and says the trip has been one miracle after another, one of which involved a shipping container. “Containers haven’t always been that easy for us to get through in Guatemala. But, the Lord has opened doors for us to work closely with the government there and we told them about the Michigan trip coming and that they had a container of supplies and things for the children there in Guatemala and they said no problem and they gave us a contact in the government to go ahead and bring the container in without having to pay taxes.”
The group will be painting, roofing, holding vacation Bible schools, medical clinics and more. Chace says it’s all done for one purpose — to share Christ. And these children are coming to Christ, “After the teams leave, our follow up staff will go into the orphanages to continue ministering to the kids, especially spiritually and trying to ground them in the Bible so the kids can grow spiritually, but these kids receive Christ. They’re ready for it.”
Pray for the team’s safety and that they’ll be effective in communicating the Gospel in a way these young people can understand.
