Encouragement

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God’s hand was evident in my recent trip to Guatemala. It was there I witnessed salvations, re-dedications, and healings as God graciously allowed me to minister.

The people of Guatemala are somewhat reserved, but if they like you they will make it known. I was the recipient of may hugs and kisses as I met with the Indian women of this country. It is all too apparent that they have a passion for Jesus that goes beyond what many of us would be able to comprehend.

As they worship they are free in their expression of love and adoration. As they pray it is with fervency and fire. Not only did I speak at the Women’s Conference, but I was asked to speak on Sunday morning in a small Indian village church.

Before sharing the wonderful experience I had at this church, I must share with you how this church was founded. Missionaries Larry and Claire Boggs have lived here in Guatemala for over fifteen years. Three years or so ago Larry came to this remote village and offered to start a bible study. Not only did they refuse him verbally, but they chased him out of the village by casting stones at him. He went back a second time and received the same reception. Not willing to give up so easily he went back the third time compelled to start a bible study in the area. God had softened hearts and thus a year ago to the day we came to visit this mission church, the work began!

The journey on foot was about a mile on a roughed winding dirt road. There were no complaints as we watched many follow what we might call “The Road to Emmaus.” I truly experienced an encounter with Jesus on that road that day. As we traveled I found men hauling loads of wood on their backs and walking up steep hills. Women were carrying babies on their backs and baskets of wet laundry on their heads as they returned from the river where they had been washing.

As we neared the village there was a great expectation for all those who came. Men, women and children all crowded into a building that was about the size of 10 X 15. There was no sound equipment, no musical instruments, no bulletins, no fancy chairs, no PowerPoint presentation, no food, no vendors outside the door, and no real platform. A simple wood table with wildflowers placed carefully in front of it was the pulpit. The ceiling was low and many of us had to duck our heads to enter into the building.

Though they did not have modern worship tools as we think we need, this small congregation had something I have yet to find in North America. They had a pure sense of simple worship. They came wearing no façade. As they entered they took their places and continued readying their hearts for an encounter with God. It was obvious as many of them entered that they had already been worshipping on the way to church that morning. Their joy was real, and their worship was intense.

This village church had three hymnals and they gave them to our team to use. They knew all the songs by heart. Many of them do not read or write, but it did not stop them from memorizing the worship songs, or scripture. When they sang, they sang out with conviction and passion. The service was not interrupted by announcements or anything of distraction regarding the world.

As I shared from scripture and gave my testimony I witnessed grown men weeping. God was in that little village church that day. After worshipping there one team member said she would be satisfied to go home now because she had experienced everything she could have hoped for.

I too learned how worldly our worship has become. We are so concerned on making everyone comfortable when they come to church, that we lose the simplicity of pure worship. I don’t know if North America could ever return back to the kind of worship I experienced that day. I can’t help but think when I go to heaven that worship will be very much like what I experienced in this small remote Indian village.

“All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name.

(Psalm 86:9)”

Copyright © 2005 Passion House Ministries, Jane E Morin

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