Meeting Those Who Serve
In this edition, you will see many faces; some you may recognize, many you may not. Every picture of every family and single worker represents a process of prayer, of seeking the Lord’s will, and a sense of His leading to Guatemala. Each individual experienced a personal upheaval, an uprooting, and a separation. Each faced the uncomfortable strain of cultural and language barriers. Each grappled with doubts and fears as they followed the Lord into this new land.
We are deeply blessed that these have answered a call, and we appreciate what it took to bring them to this place of service. As you “meet” them, please lift them in prayer and bless them in their efforts.
~ Brian Yoder
Lessons From “A People Not Strong”
The highway is empty and quiet during the day but becomes crowded and very busy as night falls. Freight traffic of varying sizes and speeds dominate the highway, all going in one direction. Security personnel keep track of all movement along the road, with stationary checkpoints and roving guards frequently inspecting the travelers.
This highway has no lights, no guardrails, no painted lines, and no pavement, but it is clearly marked and leaves little chance of anyone getting lost. There are no passing lanes or lanes for oncoming traffic. If a larger, faster freight-hauler overtakes a smaller, slower one, it may go around it or right over it, with no harm done to either party.
Some of the larger loads have multiple haulers working together, but most carry their own burden. Those without loads waste no time picking up their next one, and all are very busy with the work at hand. There are no bystanders or nonparticipants, and amazingly, no dispatchers or micromanaging bosses. Even the security personnel are quite busy, constantly scanning for intruders and nefarious activity. There are no exhaust fumes, and despite all the traffic, there is very little noise. Though this road is predominantly commercial, no tolls are collected and no taxpayer funds are used for maintenance.
Of course, road maintenance requires little more than cutting back the grass and removing any debris. This highway measures about two inches wide and a couple hundred feet long. At the end of it, you will find a small hole in the ground, perhaps surrounded by a small mound of sand or mulch. It is here that you will find the most heavily manned checkpoint, for this is the front door of the leafcutter ant colony.
I think leafcutter ants are fascinating. They need no overseers or dispatchers to tell them what to do. Each individual is autonomous yet able to work in close coordination with others. Ants in general are amazing, but leafcutter ants are even more interesting than most other kinds.
Leafcutters can accomplish an amazing amount of work, stripping a midsize rosebush to bare thorny sticks in a single night (which my wife does NOT appreciate). A large worker ant can handle a leaf roughly the size of a nickel, though most times the pieces are much smaller. It is quite intriguing to see the little green “flags” swaying above the tiny creatures marching through the grass to their home. Most leafcutter ants are not much larger than those you would see in your house, but the soldier ants can be 3/4 inch long with enlarged head and jaws. But what I find most astonishing about these ants is something I have not yet directly observed. These ants do not carry their fresh greens to their kitchen and assemble a tossed salad. Instead, they further process the leaf matter into a sort of mulch or compost, which they then use to grow a type of fungus. They carefully control the moisture and temperature of their gardens and ultimately harvest the fungus, which they then eat. They are crop farmers! They are quite successful too, as there is an (over) abundance of them here in our yard and pastures.
We can learn several lessons from these tiny creatures. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest (Proverbs 6:6-8).
There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer (Proverbs 30:24, 25).
Each ant has a job and a responsibility in the colony. Each member of the church likewise has a place in the work of the kingdom.
Each ant does what it can without worrying about the insignificance of the task or whether its neighbor is getting more honor and recognition. Likewise, we should do what we can to serve the church, even if no one on earth notices.
Proverbs 30:25 states that “the ants are a people not strong,” but collectively they are able to accomplish much. As an individual, I am incapable of doing all the church work. But with brothers and sisters pitching in and each doing their part, our church can do quite a lot!
Unlike the ants, we do have a Guide and Ruler. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and it is in His kingdom that we labor.
Like the ants, we have a season of preparation as well as a coming season of rest. Now is the time to work in sharing the Gospel and making disciples, for the end of the harvest is coming! Let us follow the example of the ants and work while we have the opportunity.
~ Justin Zimmerman
Staff Changes
We recently bid farewell to Elsie Miller and Yvonne Zimmerman. Elsie initially served at mission headquarters but most recently taught school in Santa Rosita. Yvonne also served in Santa Rosita, helping with domestics. God bless both of you for your service in Guatemala!
Church News
On May 29, 2022, the church in Oratorio held a baptism service. Isaí Rosales and his sister Dania were baptized in obedience to the command of Christ. It is a great blessing to see the continued work of God in the lives of young people!
Prayer and Praise Items
- Pray for more workers to enter the mission field in Guatemala.
- Pray for Isaí and Dania Rosales as they grow in the faith.
- Praise God for sparing the life of Nora Montenegro, who recently had a severe allergic reaction.
- Praise God for His Word and His Holy Spirit working in the lives of many during several recent revival meetings in El Guayabo and Mixcolajá.
