Missions Update

A Women’s Heart Conference

Well, another successful trip with lots of interesting testimonies. I thank you so much for your prayer support. I really felt the strength of those prayers this trip.

I had an unusual time this trip. The travel was great, no problems with any of the flights or the six hour trip up the mountain to Huehuetenango. In fact it went so smooth I was pleasantly pleased. The first day was great too. Rest, visiting with the Pastors de Sotos and the leaders of the church. It was just a perfect day.

Tuesday evening began the Bible Extension Classes. When I found out how they had set the class up, and for how long, I knew I would have some trouble. You see in Central America, there is a cultural mind set that men are king, and women are there to serve them. They sincerely believe that women were created to tend to and take care of them first and for most. Now, I realize that we still fight this attitude here at home, but it is not like there. The women are so beat down and oppressed. It is heart breaking. So, I had an experience that changed my life on this trip.

I was given about 4 hours to teach a 20 hour class. Of course, can anyone say…SCRAMBLING!! I knew I had to highlight the most important points of this theme. I knew it was going to be a challenge; and challenge it was! The students came 20 – 30 minutes late, so that meant that now my class was down to about 3 hours. With an interpreter the time is cut in half again, so now we are talking about 1 1/2 – 2 hrs of good teaching. “Ok Lord, here we go” was all I could think.

So, I will try to make this long story short– At the end of the first night a man in the class verbally assaulted me and challenged me with these words. “I will be back tomorrow to prove everything you just said is false and you are not a bible teacher, you are a woman teaching error.”  Wow, I can’t tell you how that made me feel, but I stood my ground. There was a lot more to the conversation but those were the parting words.

Wednesday night he did not return, to my surprise, and happiness… it could have been a big problem if he had hijacked the class.  So I thought all was well and kept going. The Prison Ministry and Women’s Meetings were wonderful. God came, people were touched, set free and blessed. So many shared how much they were blessed and challenged. The women were beaming with joy after the ministry and teaching. I was overjoyed!

Saturday evening, after the Women’s Conference, the Pastors had a nice meal for the speakers in a beautiful restaurant. All was perfect, the cherry on top of the cake… until we went back to the pastor’s home for cake, what happened next will surprise you and the cherry, well it was gone!

Much to my surprise, the people bringing the cake were the couple of which the husband was the man who had challenged me. We didn’t speak when he entered, there were many people there. All of a sudden I heard him speaking loudly to the husband (who is also a Pastor) of one of the other women speakers. I heard him say all kinds of things and knew he was talking about me. HOWEVER, he was speaking lies right in front of me to this man.  All in the room heard him. The other man was saying,  “that’s horrible, that’s error, she said that?” … I was beside myself and didn’t know what to do. my heart sunk! I literally sat speechless in the chair and thought, “what do I do now?”

“Take me back to the hotel please, I just want to go home.” I said to Pastor Ubaldo, who was in the kitchen in another conversation filled with praise for the challenge I had given to the women police officers who came to the meetings. The folks in there were so excited about what I had shared…

I could not sleep Saturday night knowing I had to preach in the morning, knowing that this man had just poisoned others towards me.  Remember, he didn’t come back to hear the conclusion of the teaching so he was confused as to the facts.  I tossed and turned all night!!  All I could think was I want to go home now, forget this Place with all it’s machismo mentality.

“Oh God, please help me. I don’t want this trip to end on such a sorrowful note. After all you’ve done for the people here, Lord, bring the victory, please.”

Well, Sunday morning came, the Pastor and his wife (who were staying at the same hotel as Maya and I,  she was a speaker too) took us to church.  As we went to the car, they were very cool to us and informed me that, he and the man telling lies were going to have a Men’s Conference very soon.  To this I just spoke up and said, “Why, to correct what you think I said and taught?”   The wife (a speaker at the conference) said, “Well, yes, you said…  ” to which I replied,  “No I didn’t say that, and please get the CD so you can hear for yourself what I really said.”  I told them of how he attacked and challenged me the first night.  They were both taken back and then looked at me with huge question marks across their faces. The dialogue began…we did a lot of talking on the way to the service.

As I was standing in the front row, waiting for them to invite me to bring the message, I thought…

“all I am going to do is stand up, tell them God loves you, say thank you for everything, and sit back down.”

As I was thinking those things, the Lord spoke to my heart.  He said, “FEAR NOT SUSAN, I AM WITH YOU!”    He gave me the message to preach which would solidify what I was not able to get out completely in 3 hours and when I stepped in the pulpit, the PEACE OF GOD came.  I began with, I know there has been some confusion concerning the teaching in the Bible School. I know that many of you were told that I said..”blah, blah,” but I would not be a Godly teacher if I left you in a state of confusion. I began my message, I had no fear, and I preached one of the clearest, most concise messages ever. HALLELUJAH!!!

The men’s faces showed their amazement. They realized that they had made a mistake. The atmosphere changed. The other man (who started it all) did not apologize but came and gave me a big hug.  He actually said he’d like to come to visit our ministry one day. On the way to Xela, to see my kids, Pastor Ubaldo told me that what I preached was amazing and that it was exactly what those men needed to hear.   He said, “wow, Sister Susan, it is so good what you taught, there is no question to what you did or didn’t say, IT’S VERY CLEAR TO US NOW!”— I, Susan was amazed, talk about the Power of God in action!! Praise be to His Holy Name!!

I am a daughter of God, a woman, wife, mother, and a teacher/preacher/pastor, and a professional. I walk in humility and love and will work at keeping Christ center in all I do! He is my life and as I go I reflect him in all things. My desire is that all men, women, and children will see and know Him through me.

This is a quick update, a newsletter is coming out soon with more info.

I love you my dear friends and partners. Thanks for all the love, support and prayer, I could not do this without you!

God richly Bless all the works of your hands!
Susan