THANK YOU for praying for our pastoral conference in the department of Quiché - Guatemala!!!!
May 26, 27, 28 2008 We felt your prayers!!
Our Theme was: "Thriving, not just Surviving" - in your Ministry, Marriage, Spiritual life, and Finances
The pastor's of Quiché:
The pastor's that attended our conference are humble pastor's with small churches in the Quiché mountains. Many have only 50 members or less, others have more. Besides Spanish, the pastors also speak indigenous languages such as Ixil, K'iche', Sakapulteko, Uspanteko. The women came dressed in their typical clothing: hand made blouses (made on a loom) called huipiles, indigenous skirts called cortes, and hand made aprons called delantales.
We were invited to hold this conference by the Assemblies of God of Guatemala.
We had a total of 54 people attend this conference. We only knew 2 pastor's in this district. What we saw were pastor's steeped in tradition, resistant to change, and ministering in a routine that was taking the life out of them.
What they received was a Fresh Word for their lives, New Strength to keep going, New Vision, New Passion, and a message of Holiness that brought them to their knees.
The pastor's (and some of the wives) arrived on Monday for the beginning of a 3 day conference that we held in the Quiché....
Some of the pastor's told us they were tired and drained...other's felt an oppression on them. Many testified that they were in the middle of the storm with church problems, and they were feeling defeated...... but then the Holy Spirit RENEWED them with Power and New Strength to keep going!!! It was tremendous to watch this transformation with each passing service that we held!!
What a privilege to be in ministry working along side of the Holy Spirit...there's nothing like it!!!
A special thanks to Pastor Sergio Scataglini for being with us live via the internet! Talk about doing a conference "out of the box" !!! The pastor's were blown away trying to understand how Pastor Sergio could be coming to us live from Indiana via a satellite dish - computer set up -projector and screen....it was very amazing to them. They had never been a part of anything like this before! ...and it was great fun for us to hold a conference like this for them.
Pastor Sergio brought a message of HOLINESS in such a tremendous way that this WORD cut through to the bones and marrow. Pastor's left their seats, fell on their knees, and asked for forgiveness. And the FIRE began to burn in them as they embraced this message that impacted their lives to the core! One pastor asked us to pray for him because he's been in a strong battle with a habit he needed to get out of his life...is the way he explained it. In other words, the pastor's were honest with themselves before God.
And the most incredible thing of all was the Power of the Holy Spirit that touched the pastor's even when we didn't get a good connection and we weren't able to understand all the words that Pastor Sergio said (due to his voice breaking up)...the Holy Spirit came through when words didn't. WOW is all we can say!!! And the pastor's themselves made mention of this.
From our Notes:
Luke 3: 16 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with Fire.
Leviticus 6: 13 The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.
You don't have the right to put out this fire in your life.
Don't lose the passion, don't lose what God is going to do with you!
God is raising up a generation that is Pure.
Take the ashes of your past memories...and take those ashes and throw them out, far away... maintain a clean altar take the critical spirit, resentment, bitterness, hate, sensuality, and pride...and rid yourself of those things...take those ashes out of the camp. You are going to learn how to maintain the fire....we aren't preaching a style, but the ashes have to go. You can't build a fire over ashes
Fire transmit's light and warmth...you have to believe that this if for your life...not just having the Fire, but maintaining it in your life.
On Tuesday night, Jeny preached a powerful message entitled - "Empowered by the Holy Spirit" and wanted to form a prayer tunnel to invite the pastor's to pass through and be prayed for by us and our Guatemalan team that went with us. As they walked through, many fell under the power of the Holy Spirit. This brought in all of the kitchen workers and their children and they too wanted to be prayed for and they were heavily touched.
We also held a session on Marriage and after we shared we called couples up to the front ... something beautiful happened between them, we saw them crying together, asking for forgiveness, and renewing their love for each other. Our desire is to see their marriages prospering and healthy!
Testimonies...
One pastor named Cesar testified to everyone that he's had problems with his stomach and has been in need of surgery...God touched him...and for the first time he is pain free! He said this has never happened before and he is in awe of God for His healing touch in his life. He shared that he didn't have the money for this surgery also. He then told us that he grew up in a very bad family situation and has carried a hatred for his father for years...but on Monday night he was set free! With a big smile on his face he said "I've been healed of 2 things!!"
A pastor's wife named Berta testified that she was in need of gallbladder surgery.... God touched her... and for the first time she is pain free and now needs to be checked out to see what has happened.
A pastor's wife named Sonia came to the microphone with tears streaming down her face and could hardly talk, telling us how distraught she's been over big church problems...and that she received a breakthrough in her spirit and a renewed sense that God is with them in ministry and she can return to their church with this renewed confidence that God is in control.
Our Guatemala Team -
We are so grateful to Antonio and Misrain Carrillo for their expertise in setting up the satellite dish and connecting us to Pastor Sergio! These two brothers are a permanent part of our conference team and will go with us in 2 weeks when we hold our next conference in Panajachel - Sololá !!
Two musicians joined us from Guastatoya, Pastor Sergio Talé & Julio. The came to Antigua by bus and road with us. Five ushers accompanied us from the south coast (where we work the most). They came from San Antonio and we enjoyed their help during all of the services.
How we wish you could have been with us and we say THANK YOU for praying for all of these services!
God moved!
Lives were changed!
MInistries transformed!!
and everyone left with a Renewed Vision to do GREATER things for God!
Thank you for praying!
We appreciate you so much!!
And now, I would like to share some encouraging words that Pastor Sergio sent to us right before this conference. His words are like iron sharpening iron and together we can encourage each other to press-on in the ministry....
I know it is not easy for you all, since you want quality and excellence in all you do. But I encourage you to keep pressing on with the virtual meeting. You are pioneers, and that causes some dust and turmoil, because you are opening new ground for the Kingdom in Guatemala. Imagine hundreds of churches, connected to the same broadcasting in the future, repenting, uniting and receiving the Fire of Holiness. This is part of the process!. One thing is sure, we’ll never forget this location and this event!.
God bless you,
Sergio
He is the Author of 2 books: Fire of His Holiness and The Twelve Transgressions
website: www.scataglini.com
This is only the beginning....
Blessings, Wayne & Jeny
