Pandemic Situation in Guate

Hello friends and family! We wanted to send out an update to let you know the current situation here in Guatemala.  For the past 3 weeks, the Guatemalan government has been asking everyone to stay at home as much as possible. They have shut down all non-essential gatherings, public transportation systems, schools, shopping centers, markets, and restaurants. This has resulted in many people completely losing their income.  On March 22 the president announced a curfew from 4pm to 4am.  As of yesterday, the curfew has been extended at least until April 12th. We currently have 34 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 virus. The government is building temporary hospital space to prepare for a peak.  Larger grocery store chains, gas stations, pharmacies and restaurants with drive thru service are still in business.  They are requiring masks and checking everyone’s temperature before allowing entrance into the grocery stores.  There is also a limit to the number of shoppers. Overall, we are impressed with the way the government and businesses are handling these circumstances.

Waiting in line to shop at Pricesmart

Many of the people the Lord has given to us to care for work in the restaurants and other businesses of the open market of our town San Lucas.  This market has been completely shut down causing these people to have no source of income.  Many people in this market have heard the gospel and begun to follow Jesus in discipleship and obedience.  We are seeking the Lord’s direction on how to continue serving these people right here in San Lucas.  This week, Charlie (who is part of our Guate22 team and a talented chef in the market that is now closed) reached out to the local volunteer firefighters/ems workers.  He cooked them a couple of meals and found out their current needs.  Thanks to some generous donations, I was able to buy supplies for their fire station and as we delivered them, we shared the gospel.  We were blessed to see God open the eyes of one of these young men’s hearts as he repented and believed in Jesus!  We are excited about the opportunity to continue ministering to these servants of the community.

I have also been able to continue regular discipleship meetings with the guys on our GUATE22 team through ZOOM.  They are also experiencing financial hardship but sincerely desire to continue in the gospel ministry.  We have even offered disciple making trainings online using ZOOM.  Please let me know if you are interested in participating!

After a few weeks of praying and asking the Lord how to serve during these unusual times, here is what we have concluded. We are not a ministry that is set up to feed, supply medical needs or housing. However, we know that we are here for such a time as this. We have decided to focus on our local public volunteer servants at the fire station. We have also decided that we will work with each of our GUATE22 team members to supply food for them to share with those in their community but focusing on those they have already been praying for and sharing with prior to this situation. An example of this will be supplying Charlie with the ingredients and supplies to prepare food for his neighbors and for the fire station. In this way we hope to build gospel centered relationships with people and families living right next door.  We will also be talking with our neighbors to see who has a need in our community and the rest of the team likewise. All for the opportunity to love our neighbors and deliver the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have found a great contact selling 100lbs of beans and 100lbs of rice for $100. We will be putting together packets for families including basic non-perishable food staples to be personally delivered with the gospel.  Any donations we receive will also be used to help with basic needs for a few of the GUATE22 team members so they can also take care of their families as they are serving others. Every donation will present an opportunity for us to deliver the gospel of King Jesus. These opportunities may be the way into a house of peace for continued discipleship and kingdom growth. If you would like to give, please visit our website www.guate22.org and click “Donate”. We have the tax-deductible option through our sending church, Faith Baptist Church, or you can give using the PayPal or Google Pay links at the bottom of the “Donate” page. Above all, we ask you to pray for the people of Guatemala.  We long to see God move as only He can do, opening the eyes of the blind and bringing people into a restored relationship with Himself.  Also, please pray for our health and for lasting gospel centered, kingdom expanding relationships to develop as we go. As always, we thank the Lord for each of you!  Please let us know how you are doing and how we can be praying for you! Joseph and Christy Saleeby

Guate22 - Ministry update from Joseph

Once again, too much time has passed since our last update.  On the other hand, we are thankful that the reason for the delay is that we have been preoccupied with the exciting ways God is working around and through us.  I, Joseph, am currently waiting for two members of our ministry team as they are seeking Visas so they can travel with me to the US for further ministry training. I thought I’d take a minute and write a brief update.

Since our last post we have been able to realize steps toward a vision the Lord has put on our hearts. That vision is to establish a nonprofit ministry that will equip existing churches and establish healthy evangelical churches to complete the great commission. Our prayer is that it will eventually be run by Guatemalan nationals. The name of the ministry is GUATE22.   Please follow us on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/guate22/) and visit our new website (www.guate22.org) to learn more about the team, the mission and the vision for the future of GUATE22.

Starting in December 2019 we have had a few short-term teams come from the US. These  teams were very flexible and willing to receive evangelism and discipleship training in their first few days in order to engage the community with the gospel. We saw the Lord work in ways one may feel were very inconvenient, but God showed us that His plans were better than ours. Through the first set of “inconveniences”, the team that came in December ended up staying in our own town of San Lucas instead of traveling to another department according to plan. While staying in San Lucas, we engaged the community with the gospel, saw people repent and believe, and had two baptisms. From one of these two who were baptized, we have since seen the Lord open many doors into a community where we had honestly struggled before. All in the Lord’s timing. We have continued with discipleship and evangelism in this area and the Lord has brought more fruit through repentance and more baptisms.

We had an incredible week of ministry with a team that came in February, and with this team we saw the Lord open even more doors within the same community.  We saw many people repent and believe and had two more baptisms.  Since then, we have been meeting regularly to disciple and follow-up with the contacts that were made that week.  If you, your church, or your small group want to come and see how the Lord is working, please send us a note so we can start planning your trip as soon as possible.

The Lord continues to add young men to the GUATE22 team.  These brothers truly are a blessing to my soul. It is a joy to watch them grow in their faith and confidence in God’s Word, and to see them sharing the gospel and training others to do the same. These brothers are faithfully pursuing the Lord in obedience. We give all praise, honor, and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all that He is doing in the hearts of men and women here in Guatemala! He is advancing His kingdom for His glory!