We have 2 week, 3 week, 4 week, and 5 week trips all over the world! Locations include Philippines, Peru, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Cameroon, Jamaica, Mexico, Costa Rica, Romania, Nicaragua, Haiti, Scotland, and many more!
Check us out at http://adventures.org and you know how to do the rest! We also have a special code just for alumni (that's all of you who've been on an Ambassador trip before). If you enter it when you apply, it'll waive your application fee.
Part 5: In the Marketplace
By: Kristen Torres-Toro
Photos: Connie Rock
One fun element of traveling overseas is being immersed in a new culture and discovering the unique world of your temporary home. AIM trips are really intentional about making sure that we follow the model God set forth at Creation: that we work hard during the week but take time to rest as well. Sundays are usually reserved for ministry and are often the busiest days of the week.
Our "play" day on this trip fell on Friday, when our team took a boat to Panajachel, a local village with a big market. We spent the day walking in the sunshine, laughing with friends, and buying souvenirs. It was a beautiful day, full of fun and lots of memories.
The truth is that if you're a Christian, you never really have a day off. The same is true if you're a missionary. We need to always be ready to speak about our faith, always ready to minister to those who need Christ.
Our participants were sent out with four instructions: have fun, to stay in their groups, be on time when we're supposed to leave, and to find at least one person to share the "Cinco Pasos" gospel tract with while in the marketplace. The "Cinco Pasos" tract is an incredible tool that has been used for over thirty years to successfully share the gospel with those who don't know him. It's written in Spanish and is unparalleled by those written in English. A career missionary, Gary Lengkeek (Connie's father), sat down with the team one morning, read it with us, and explained how to use it. So when the team learned about the challenge, they were excited.
Throughout the day, walking through the market, you could see groups of girls moving from booth to booth. They bartered and haggled for great deals, laughed and exclaimed over items that they loved. They had a great time. But they did more than just shop. They took the time to go deeper with those they were interacting with. Some of the vendors read the "Cinco Pasos" with our girls; some children did as well. In one restaurant, five children gathered around a missionary as she clearly read the gospel to them in Spanish and asked if they believed in Jesus Cristo.
It's fun to get a great deal on a souvenir and even more fun to hang out with friends. It's great to have an off day. But the most fun of all is being ready-in season and in out-to share the gospel. Even the simplest task, like going to the market, washing clothes by the river, or walking to a meal becomes a ministry opportunity when we become aware of those around us. When we are able to see them with Christ's eyes and not just focus on our next task, when we are able to live our faith instead of just talking about it. And that's what ministry is all about.
Part 4: The Power of Forgiveness
By: Kristen Torres-Toro
Photos: Connie Rock
Dark clouds blanketed the sky, rolling past the "old man sleeping", the iconic ridge overlooking Lake Atitlán, over the lake, and beyond the towering volcanoes. The air was damp with rain yet to fall, heavy with promise, and cool to touch. Our team stood upright in the back of two pickup trucks, holding onto railings and leaning with each curve. The wind whipped through our hair as we rounded each dramatic curve, with steep overlooks to our right and the mountainside to our left. Men, women, and children peeked out darkened doorways as we passed by yelling "Buenos tardes"! The little ones waved, smiling. The adults looked on in amusement at the truckloads of gringos. The stray dogs just looked bewildered.
Driving to San Pablo is an adventure just in itself. After two days of VBS, ATL (Ask The Lord), and prayer walks, we were on our way to our host pastor's church to go on home visits and minister at the church. We were excited. The sky looked ready to release its burden, and we arrived just before the first drops began to fall.
While waiting for the rain to pass, the pastor told us the history of his church, how it began, how the congregation struggled, and how the church itself was robbed just weeks before. Everything of value was stolen. Antonio's family was attacked as well.
A few weeks after the attack, one of the seven young men involved attended the church. He accepted Christ as his Savior! Antonio was actually able to lead him to Christ. Now he prays for the remaining six who still do not know Christ. This incredible man of God has chosen to forgive the seven young men who attacked his family and robbed his church. Though he had every right to seek justice, every right to exact revenge, he has chosen love. He has chosen to follow Christ's example and give grace.
Antonio's church is still under construction. The main building is mostly complete, but the cinderblock is unpainted and rough. There is no bathroom yet, something they are praying to build. Antonio's family relies on God to provide even the food on their table. He is a humble man, a warrior passionate for Christ and about his kingdom. Antonio truly is a man after God's own heart, for he practices the Word of God with every step that he takes.
The ultimate irony about missions trips is that while we know God is using us and that we want to serve Him, He usually rocks our world as well. More often than not, we leave feeling forever changed. Antonio's story-his testimony of forgiveness-has impacted us all directly. Our lives will literally never be the same.
Part 3: Prayer and Worship
By: Kristen Torres-Toro
Photos: Connie Rock
Often, the most powerful ministry of all is unnoticed.
It's easy to see the importance of clothing the poor and feeding the hungry. "When I was hungry, you fed me," Jesus said, and it's something that we as Christians try to live. We put on VBS programs and visit churches, go door-to door, and try to literally be the hands and feet of Christ to those who don't know Him. We serve him with everything that we have.
But ministry doesn't always happen in between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., specifically in a church or on a school playground. Ministry is a lifestyle.
This trip was structured specifically to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Everyday, there was some type of specific ministry, but much of the day was spent in two very intentional ways: Prayer/worship and in just living life.
It didn't take long for our team to realize that we'd been given an incredible gift-the gift of music. Armed with a guitar and our voices, we began to walk the streets of San Pedro and sing. We went up on our hotel's roof to worship. We sang in churches, in classrooms, in homes, on boats, and even in a bus. No matter where we went, prayer was on our lips.
At first, it was just a pleasant surprise. Worship was something we all loved to do, something we were passionate about. So to be able to come together and praise God in that way was not only beautiful to hear-it was fun to do! But one morning, after meeting together, learning about listening prayer and specifically, ATL (which stands for "Asking the Lord," a form of ministry where you block out several hours of the day, pray for God to lead you, and then follow his direction), the team heard something very specific. After several hours of praying together, of reading the Bible and testing what we were hearing, we came to this conclusion. One of our major ministries would be worship.
Praise became not just what we loved to do, but something that was constantly on our hearts, our service to God. We set aside portions of every day to meet together to worship, whether it was by ourselves, corporately, ipod worship, or singing together. We met together by the water one day, with another team by the water one night. We sang everywhere we could. Some of us wrote songs, others just couldn't stop singing. Music led us into prayer, where we'd listen for the Lord to speak and intercede on behalf of the ones we'd met. We'd prayer walk and pray in one voice, lay hands on and cover each other when we were weak. Our entire trip was bathed in prayer and worship.
People began to notice. They'd gather nearby whenever we sang, stopped whatever they were doing, and listened. Some joined in; others cried when we switched from English to Spanish and sang in their native tongue. And that led us to conversations where we were able to express the love of God to those who desperately need to know Him. It led to breakthrough and healing.
The team that prays together is powerful. Unstoppable, even. It's such a simple thing, but it's the most important element of any trip. That kind of ministry isn't limited to a set time or a specific location. And when a team walks in prayer and praise, those nearby cannot help but take notice. Ministry-sharing the love of Christ-is a lifestyle, not something reserved for a specific day of the week. It's how Jesus walked: intentionally, listening for his Father's leading, and reaching out in love. For ten days in Guatemala, his praises rang out from the very depths of a volcano.
Part 2: Seasons in the Land of Eternal Spring
By: Kristen Torres-Toro
Photos: Connie Rock
On Lake Atitlán, life moves at a very different pace. There is no rush to get from one location to another, no hurry to press forward and race throughout the day. Moments pass with the same speed as those in dugout canoes-quietly, unhurried, and smooth. Though some roads connect many villages to another, often the quickest way to travel is by water. That is what our team decided to do on this first full day of ministry.
The sun was still rising as we boarded the boat and began to sail past San Pedro. For the first time, we were able to see just how big-and how beautiful-this lake really was. Mountains rose all around us and volcanoes stood silent in the distance, wisps of smoke hovering at their lips. The air was cool, fresh, full of a new day's promise, and it carried light much like the morning carried the wind. Surrounded by beauty, entranced by what was around us, our team was very excited.
While in Santiago, a large village on the other side of the lake, we were able to visit both a school and a church. While hundreds of school children watched, the team taught them about Noah and the Ark, about how God can be trusted even when it's scary. When the program was over and we had to leave, there were a few tears. But just moments later, we stumbled upon a church. Those who lived nearby only spoke an Indian dialect, so attempts at communication were difficult. Finally, a member of the congregation came who could speak both Spanish and the common language. He opened the doors to the church and waved us in.
For the next hour, these little ones were poured into. They sang silly songs about a moose and serious songs about Jesus, played some games and heard a story about Noah and the Ark. They got to color on paper and learn more about Christ from those who were touching their hands and giving hugs-those on the team. As I watched the faces of those around me, both dark skinned and light, I was overcome with the beauty of the cross and the power of God's love, of how it translates through time, culture, and even language. We were separated by three languages-communicating from English to Spanish and finally to the Indian dialect-but still these little ones were able to hear about Christ.
On the way back from the church, the team "prayer walked" through Santiago. Past one beautiful vista after another, over rocky paths and cobbled streets, our team prayed. We had one planned detour: to visit the site of the horrific mudslide of 2004.
As we stepped off the path and looked about us, signs of what happened were few. A local hospital stood at our backs, the line from the mud still visible at shoulder-height. But all around us was vegetation, beautiful hills that rolled at the volcano's hem, and blue sky beyond. It was a place of life, not death.
Our presence was not unnoticed by those who lived in the area. A young boy, about seven years of age, saw us walking to the site, jumped up, and ran along with us. As we tried to understand the scene before us, he began to tell his story. This young boy was not only injured in the mudslides; he lost his entire family as well. It happened when he was two years old. His parents and siblings all perished in the disaster. His body was burned badly by the steam, most likely from the volcano. We watched as he lifted up his pant leg and showed us his scars, still visible after five years.
Though he spoke about a terrible personal tragedy, this child had a smile on his face-which only grew bigger when we asked if we could pray with him. He was at peace. Though still marked by grief and physically scarred, he knows the power of restoration because he sees it every day. He is alive. And the place where his family-and 600 other people-died is no longer a barren graveyard. It has been transformed into a place of life.
That's the thing about hope. True hope-hope in Christ-is eternal and cannot be stamped out no matter the devastation. When we put our hope in Him, not even the darkest night or the greatest tragedy can destroy us. Even when the sides of a mountain literally fall away and cover the earth-even in death. Though on this earth we know the finality and heartbreak of death intimately, one day it will be no more. One day we will see all things made new.
As we left, the boy, who stood on the very site where he lost everything, was still smiling.
Part 1: Beauty in the Shadow of a Volcano
By: Kristen Torres-Toro
Photos: Connie Rock
Deep in the heart of Central America, hidden in the beautiful green mountains of Guatemala, is a lake so large that it seems to touch the ocean and so beautiful that it reflects heaven itself. Lake Atitlán lies in a volcanic crater, a place of life borne out of a place of fire. Numerous villages cluster nearby, for this lake is a source of many things for the people who live on its shore-food, transportation, livelihood, to name a few. There is no place on earth untouched by the hand of God, but this lake-and its surrounding villages-celebrate beauty. Though difficult to reach by land and largely unknown to the rest of the world, the very presence of the Almighty cannot be missed.
From Guatemala City, it's a five hour ride through the long, windy mountain roads to the lake and its surrounding villages. The steel and concrete of the city fades into rolling green hills, as trees reach for the sky and sway in the cool breeze. 'Round bend after bend, up one mountain and over another, Eden's breath feels just a moment away, as if separated by a thin veil that human eyes sense but cannot see.
San Pedro lies on the other side of the volcanic switchback that descends to Lake Atitlán. Its cobbled streets climb and wrap throughout the pueblo like a staircase in an ancient church, the kind with flickering candles and colored shadows from stained glass windows. Businesses and homes press together, their tin roofs reflecting the sun. Red, yellow, green, and blue-the colors of Guatemala do not apologize for their brilliance. They adorn the buildings, reflect the sky, and clothe the people, enhancing their brown skin and dark eyes. Smooth cotton and rough wool hang in store fronts and lift in the wind like banners hailing a queen. Music fills the streets and the chorus of nature-the wind, the trees, birds, and of course, the water, provide accompaniment. Wood smoke drifts through the market, mixing with tantalizing street food on each corner. Underneath it all is the clear, fresh scent of water and damp earth.
The people of San Pedro are as beautiful as the lake they see every day. They are friendly and gracious, quick to wave and start a conversation. Many who live here seek fulfillment in drugs. Others find it in religion, whether traditional or a branch of Catholicism that is very different from its western cousin. Here the ancient Mayan religion has mixed with the tradition of Christianity and bred something very different, a system where individuals other than Christ are worshipped and pagan practices are considered sacred. There are statues in the churches-figures of saints and even of Christ himself, images of him tending sheep, being crucified, and lying in a coffin. It's as if the best part of all-the Good News of his resurrection-isn't remembered. The gospel has been lost in the mix and many who go to church are much like those who don't-they don't know Him.
But He has not forgotten them. He knows them by name and loves each one deeply. And just as He created a teeming paradise in a place of death (the inside of a volcano), so He longs for them to turn to Him and let Him heal their hearts. Life-true life-does not end with death. Neither the hottest fire nor the darkest night can destroy that which has been touched by the hand of God. God sees the people of San Pedro. He calls to them every day in the brilliant panorama just outside of their windows. Though the rest of the world might not know they exist, He cannot-and will not-forget those who live in the shadow of this volcano.
What a great team! We arrived late tonight... safe, sound and hungry! All are fed and in bed. Tomorrow begins early...off again to the airport. It will be sad saying our good-byes....but they are looking forward to seeing all of you and sharing about the last two weeks.
Kristen, Jess and I will be working on collecting our 1300+ pictures to cd's and sending them out to the girls in the near future. If you could help us with the cost, we'd greatly appreciate it. $3.00 should cover the cd, postage etc. Send to 6000 Wellspring Trail Gainesville, GA 30506 to Attention: Jess McClure or Connie Rock.
(Above: Woman in San Pablo, sitting on street)
Soon, Kristen will be posting a blog sharing about our trip...she is a excellent writer and we've asked her to document the trip to help get the word out about the Ambassador program. Jess... could use your prayers...as it seems as if she caught a cold (or something) while in Guate. Both of which will be heading back overseas in the next few months. Please pray for these two wonderful women!
Below is a picture of our group with yet another Ambassador team (one month team).... We were prayer walking around Santiago where there was a mud slide a few years ago. One of the Guatemalan boys in the picture is a survivor of the mud slide. He lost his entire family. He shared and we prayed.
We look forward to what God has in store for each of these very special young women. God is doing great things in and thru them....
I will miss them. Hug them for me occasionally and let out a Bahahahaha....
There is really so much we'd like to tell you and so many pictures to share...but it's not a easy task to do so from here. The team did want to post a team photo... Here we are, this morning before heading off to Panajachel.
Hey guys! Allie and Sophia here. We had quite an eventful and blessed day. As Satan put obstacles in the way of our ministry, the team worked together to overcome him and restore our joy. Wie went to the rooftop of our hotel, surrounded by the beauty of Guatemala's volcanoes, mountains, and of course, the lake. Our team used worship to beat Satan and his evil tactics.
Afterwards, we all felt much better, and our team piled into the beds of pickup trucks and headed to San Pablo. We met up with Pastor Antonio, our local ministry contact. Our plans of door to door evangelism had been deterred by the rain. However, this provided the opportunity to pray for people in the village as we sat in the church waiting for the rain to quit. Antonio used this time to tell us about the history of the church and its ministry. His story of incredible faith led the Holy Spirit to move in us. Soon after, Pastor Antonio led us on a prayer walk. He took us into the homes of people who desired prayer. Our team crammed into the small home of a woman hoping her family would start coming to church, a family struggling with the effects of alcoholism, a single mom, and a couple coping with health problems.
For each home we prayed over them and sang in Spanish. It was beautiful to see the hope in their faces. For our final stop, we returned to the church for our evening service. Soon it was quickly filled with smiling villagers, dressed in colorful fabrics of the area. Amanda worked with our favorite translator Luis to share how God has worked in her life and the positive effects that being here in Guatemala has had on her. The congregation seemed to be touched by the songs we sang for them with Jodie leading on guitar. Pastor Antonio had the congregation pray over us. It was powerfully reassuring to hear and feel their prayers for us as we knelt at the front of the church. The end of the night came with "Gracias" and "Adios" being heard around the room as we said our good-byes. Kids crowded around us and we handed out some Jesus stickers. We loaded ourselves back into the pickup trucks and rolled down the hill to the other side of the lake.
The leadership team would like to take a moment to express to you loved ones back home just how honored and grateful we are to have led your daughters, sisters nieces, and friends these past two weeks. All three of us a agree that this has been one of the smoothest and worry free trips we have ever led (and between the three of us, that's a lot!) and that is largely due to the fact that we have a team of young women that are passionate, servant hearted, and ready to jump in no matter what we ask of them. We thank God for them every day. And we thank you for sharing them with us.
Blessings,
Connie, Kristen, and Jessica.
(Kristen, Connie and Jess...not her best picture!)
Hola amigos y famalia! Can you believe that you will be seeing us all in less than a week? Because we can't. Time flies when you're serving the Lord.
After yesterdays fun breakfast, we had an ATL (Ask The Lord) session. After hearing about some of Connie, Jess and Kristen's miraculous ATL experiences, it's safe to say that we were all extremely eager to Ask The Lord what was in store for us on this trip. We went our separate ways, Asked The Lord, and half an hour later, we were all sharing what God had put in our hearts and minds. We all had something different to share, but there was a pattern in our visions- water and worship. We split into two groups- the girls who envisioned water and the girls who saw worship. We were asked not to contemplate, just to pray silently and to share any Bible verses that came to mind. The two groups then joined together and discussed what God had put on our hearts. When asked what we thought all of this meant, Amanda suggested something that was on all of our minds- worshiping by the lake. Connie smiled knowingly at us and told us that we would be getting a chance to do something along those lines before the trip was over. We marveled in the wisdom that God had poured into us, like puzzle pieces placed in each of our heads, bizarre when separate, but when put together, they made a world of sense.
The rest of the afternoon was spent praying with and for the locals, individual discipling from the leaders and basking in the beauty of our surroundings.
That evening, we were informed that we would be going to San Pablo, one of the poorest villages of this area. Bracing ourselves, we squeezed into the van and headed off. As we entered into the small village, there was some sort of second hand sadness looming in the air, on the faces of these impoverished people. When we arrived at the church, the Ohio team was there to greet us, along with the smiling and energetic faces of many Guatemalan children. We interacted with the kids, laughing, playing, and taking pictures. A couple of the more brazen girls smacked our bottoms, then collapsed in giggles at our shocked faces. Theodore the Moose made an appearance, giving hugs and kisses, and receiving a couple of bites in return.
We proceeded into the church (about the size of a large living room), girls and the left (plus Theodore) and boys on the right. We started off with clapping to the Spanish songs, and then the team introduced ourselves and sang some songs. Then we did out drime (reenactment of the crucifix), some girls did a harmony, and then we sang "Mighty to Save," first in English, then in Spanish. A couple people from the Ohio team gave their testimonies, and then we all went up to the front to pray. Americans and Guatemalans. We laid our hands over these people and prayed. English, Spanish and Zuthuhil (the native language), God heard them all. The power of prayer, no matter what language, washed over us all, reducing some to tears. We laid our hands on these hurting people, these hurting people of Guatemala, God's children.
We sang one last song, "We are Hungry," before we said our reluctant goodbyes, taking pictures and giving lots of hugs.
As we prayed over these people, I thought about what they didn't have. They didn't have much money. Not much food, not much clothes. No proper health care, no proper houses to live in, no proper water to drink. I thought about how we could not give them any of these things. I also thought about what we could give them- hope. The hope that lives in all of us, the hope that is God, that he would provide them with everything they needed, but especially, his Son, Jesus Christ.
Friday, July 10, 2009 - By Cassie Koepf
Well hello there! Today was a spectacular day. We started off the morning with our wonderful work-out walk up to breakfast. Then, our whole team rode on the back of a pick-up truck, bouncing, jumping, and laughing all the way. It made us all feel as though we were on some sort of roller coaster ride.
We arrived at Antonio's church and walked down to a school. We went to two classrooms and did our VBS program. The children are absolutely beautiful, their overflowing and overwhelming joy is contagious and you can't help but smile when you're around them.
Then we jumped on the roller coaster again and started heading towards the beach. All of us girls changed into our adorable one piece swim suits and waded into the water's perfect temperature. After, we enjoyed some delicious pizza and gathered as a team. We sat near the water and worshipped our Miraculous Savior. It was absolutely amazing to glorify our Father by singing praises to Him. Something that I have learned is that in a way I used to think, OK how can we bring God to these lost people here in Guatemala. But the reality is, God is already here and it's a matter of how we can partner with God to use our gifts and talents that God has so graciously given us to bring Him all the glory.
