Day 1

Well after 16 hours day one is complete! It was a real blessing to be with these pastors. They are hungry to learn and become better men of God. They have no formal training and they soak up every word like a sponge.

It is a neat experience working with a translator. I was worried about it at first, but it has turned out to work well. We have to speak in complete sentences because Spanish can not translate broken sentences or thoughts. It gives us time to compose our thoughts or glance at our notes. I led 3 breakout sessions today on "Preparing and Delivering Sermons". The guys seem to really benefit and are certainly thankful for us being here.

One of the translators tonight had a hard time working with one of our pastors. The message was a great but the exchange between the two was hilarious. I took a 1 minute video of it. Classic!

I ate my first true Guatemalan meal today at the seminary. We had some rice, potatoes, and a piece of meat in some type of sauce. It was really good! We ate supper at a couple's home that is a large supporter of Grace Ministries. They have a beautiful home and upstairs is a t.v. projector that plays on a wall. The t.v. is the size of the wall. A couple of us kicked back in the recliners and watched ESPN 2College Football. (Man, this mission work is tough)

I have two more sessions tomorrow and then I preach on Thursday. Some of these pastors have traveled as far as Mexico and El Salvador. Another group of 15 will be here tomorrow. They are on a bus from the Guatemala/Mexico border. It will take them 10 hours to get here. When was the last time someone you knew drove 10 hours to learn about the Lord?

God Bless and I hope to post again tomorrow.