My Adventures in Guatemala 2023

25 Minute Read

Day One 

I am in Guatemala to have conversations with my daughter, Maggie. She is a sweet and precious little girl I desperately want to shepherd well. I pray the Holy Spirit would reveal to her that Christ Jesus is the life. A life rooted in Jesus is the good life. A life whose aim is to glorify Jesus is the meaningful life. There is nothing more a Father can desire for his daughter than access to the good life. 

Our team from Central Church left Memphis at 5:55 am. Maggie and I left our home at 3:05 am to arrive at the airport with enough time for the everyday, stressful activities to arrive at your gate before boarding. Everyone from our team was there on time, and we all passed security with little to no trouble. 

Our flight to Miami was speedy. John Andrew and I chatted about the books we brought to read on the trip during the flight. The approach to Miami’s airport was beautiful as we soared over the ocean. 

We quickly boarded our next flight to Guatemala. However, our plane sat for a while on the runaway, waiting to be cleared to take off. Once we finally left Miami, we settled in for another tolerably long flight over the Gulf of Mexico to Guatemala City. 

Maggie and I drank Ginger Ale, ate Skittles and other snacks, and watched movies until we arrived safely in Guatemala. The entire team was relatively fresh from the painless trip. We cleared customs problem-free and then found our van transportation. 

Guatemala City presents itself as an astonishingly well-organized and clean city. The roads throughout the country and even the mountains are state of the art. While the drive was long and taxing, the last thirty minutes were breathtaking. The switchback road revealed beautiful mountains that hugged a colossal lake. 

We finally arrived at Impacto Ministries around dinner time. I understood what Peter, James, and John felt like at the Garden of Gethsemane. I struggled to stay awake during our team prayer session before bed. While fighting sleep, listening to a team member pray with students worshipping in the background, I want to see heaven on earth this week. 

God created the features that surrounded us here in Guatemala. I am awakened to his presence here on this first day. God provides peace through his stunning creation and beautiful fellowship among believers.  I pray that his saints will be full of joy this week as we work together for his mission. I also pray that God would save those to whom he has elected to be redeemed among the lost here. May they find Jesus. May we all sense heaven’s invasion of Guatemala. 

Day Two 

“Partnership In The Gospel”

Paul wrote to the church in Philippi that his prayers for them were full of joy. The reason that his prayers for these saints were brimming with joy was their partnership with him in the gospel. Paul often refers to this partnership throughout his letter to the Philippians. They are a team. 

I love teams. While God has often chosen to use me as an initiator, I prefer to be a team member. I frankly dislike the attention a leader often receives. However, being an equal member who provides whatever is required for the team is the role I desire the most. This trip to Guatemala has provided the team experience that I crave.

My love for teams is rooted in Paul’s words to the Philippians. He writes a few verses later that he yearns for them. He loves the people of this church. I have grown to love the people on my team as we labor together in the gospel. 

Tomorrow, we start laboring side by side in the gospel through training pastors and ministry among the elderly and children. Today, we journeyed around San Juan, observing the life in this beautiful town on the shores of a crater-filled lake. Our team laughed with one another, tasted wild honey together, and surveyed a mystifying incense-filled Catholic procession down a kaleidoscope, organic spread carpet. While these experiences were embraced wholeheartedly, the grandest site of all was the heavenly team God was shaping as we walked, looked, laughed, and talked throughout San Juan. 

We finished our day worshipping with our fellow saints here in San Juan. The church is small and young, yet it is significant. God created this church to be an outpost of heaven in San Juan. As God sanctifies them in the Spirit, protects them by His strength, and feeds them by His Word, He places them where Satan dwells so that He may make his name known among the idolatries, alcoholics, womanizers, gossipers, and all sinners. 

We have come to partner with them in the gospel. As our team has grown closer together, we pray that Guatemalan and American Christians will also come together in unity to labor side by side with one another in the gospel.    

Day Three 

“Pastor’s Training”

While reading Philippians entirely again today, I was struck by Paul’s statement to the Philippians of their citizenship in heaven. This identity as citizens of heaven is foundational to their way of living in the Roman Empire. 

We must first understand that a person obtains citizenship in heaven through faith in Christ Jesus alone. Ethnicity, behavior, or rituals do not provide this status. Only faith in the blood of Christ Jesus on the cross advances a passport of the kingdom of heaven to an individual.  

Paul, throughout the letter, informs them how they ought to live now as citizens of heaven. First, he advises them repeatedly that God is preparing them for the coming of the fully realized kingdom of heaven in the world. Second, he reports that he is praying for them to display their citizenship of heaven by growing in love for one another, approving what is excellent, being pure and blameless, and producing fruits of righteousness. 

Later, He challenges them to follow Christ’s example by becoming a servant and putting others before themselves. This action provides proof of your citizenship in heaven. 

I share these truths from Philippians with you because they were referenced in my pastoral training session today with Guatemalan pastors. 

After John Andrew Clayton introduced the first step of the inductive Bible study method of observation, I taught the second step, interpretation. Tinsley Heston concluded with the final step, which is application. All three of us modeled our steps using Ephesians 2:1-10. 

After I taught my portion, we allowed questions to be asked. Many pastors inquired about good works since Paul taught that we are saved by grace and not works. However, through salvation, God created believers anew for good works. How should we then understand the purpose of good works? 

One of the pastors shared correctly that believers in Christ must reflect the works of the kingdom of heaven, which are described elegantly in the Sermon on the Mount. As citizens of heaven, we love our enemies and serve others as we desire to be served. These good works reflect our true identity as citizens of heaven.

God encouraged us immensely today as we saw these pastors desperately craving instruction so that they could lead their church effectively according to God’s Word. As a pastor in America, I share a common desire with my fellow brothers in ministry. We ask God to lead the people to saving grace and also furnish the power of the Spirit to live out their true identity as a citizen of heaven to the praise and glory of God. 

We followed up our time with the pastors by spending the remainder of the day with the children’s ministry of Impacto, which is called “Happy Tummies.” The ministry feeds a group of children regularly, and then they conduct a VBS program with a song, Bible story, craft, and a game. Since I don’t speak any Spanish, I resorted to filming and taking photos of all the activities. 

While Frank Sizemore was teaching the Nicodemus lesson, Gregorio Barnett translated Frank’s words into Spanish for the children to comprehend the story. Well, Gregorio eventually nabbed the story with Frank’s permission and passionately pleaded with the children in Spanish to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was filled with joy by Gregorio’s gospel plea and Frank’s humility. 

These men demonstrated the actions of a citizen of heaven. They proclaimed the message of heaven and humbly submitted themselves to one another. I was blessed to see my fellow citizens in action. 

Day Four 

“Jesucristo es mi Señor y mi Dios. Si? Amen?”

I am burdened with learning Spanish, so I may preach the gospel of Jesucristo to my forgotten heritage. My father was born in Puerto Rico, which makes me a quarter Puerto Rican. However, my grandfather died when my father was just a boy. Therefore, the opportunity to be immersed in my Spanish heritage died with him. 

I traveled the world in God's providence but never journeyed to Latin America until this week. Every moment here in San Juan, I yearn to know Spanish so that I can contribute to the speaking ministry that is happening around me. My team continues to impress me with their love for Guatemala's people and extraordinary ability to communicate the language clearly and effortlessly. I would give a lot to be free to chat with people in their native tongue. However, I am thankful to witness God’s grace in their lives by giving them such a precious gift of coherent speech in a foreign language. 

I will stop wasting your time on personal regrets and wishes and give you a rundown on the events of the fourth day here in San Juan, Guatemala. John Andrew, Tinsley, and I finished teaching our Hermeneutics class to the Guatemalan pastors. We coached them on how to interpret the Old and New Testaments. Then, we demonstrated an exposition of Genesis 22:1-18 and Matthew 4:1-11 for them. 

John Andrew taught exclusively in Spanish. I sat in awe of his ability to instruct nuance topics clearly in a foreign language. Kids, if you are reading this update, pay attention in Spanish, French, or whatever language class you hate right now. I want you to know that your effort will be well served one day. Trust me.

I want to highlight my Spanish-speaking contribution to the class. While John Andrew taught, I tiptoed out of the room and stressfully practiced one Spanish sentence to share with the pastors. After John Andrew concluded his lesson, I sheepishly uttered my Spanish sentence. I said, “Jesucristo es mi Señor y mi Dios. Si? Amen?” A rough translation is “Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior.” They comprehended what I pronounced and clapped for me. We all have to start somewhere. 

As we finished our lessons, the Guatemalan pastors began to understand how to exegete a passage of Scripture properly. We praised the Lord for using us to effectively equip our fellow pastors to teach well the Scriptures to Christ’s church. One Guatemalan pastor expressed gratitude for our teaching by gifting each team member with a hand-weaved fan. Now, I can sit in church like an old lady and fan myself while the pastor preaches.

We concluded our day with another visit to “Happy Tummies.” Abby excellently presented the gospel to the children through the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Frank, Christy, Abby, and Maggie joyfully performed the song and dance about King Jesus. The rest of the team followed their lead and helped. The children smiled and laughed as we all played soccer together. I will hopefully share the action-packed video on a different date. Thankfully, none of us ruptured or separated anything important. 

Some of us spurned bedtime and played cards. I learned a new game that is a classic in Central’s Youth Ministry lore. The pastime is called “Up and Down the River.” It is a fun, mind-stretching, Spade-like game. We laughed hard and grew closer as friends. Mission trips always include that heavenly element If you allow yourself to be known. The fruit of friendship is always sweet. 

Day Five 

“The Alpha Dogs ” 

When you are presented with an opportunity to sit in the back of a pickup truck on a beautiful day up the mountains with a gorgeous lake at the base and a GoPro connected to a camera pole, you always say yes. If that is a philosophy of life, I submit wholeheartedly to that philosophy. Tinsley, being his great friend, shares the same philosophy. 

We hopped into the truck bed wearing jackets, because our destination for the day sat over 7000 feet of elevation. The weather at that height is colder than San Juan. Tinsley and I position ourselves to capture amazing videos of the scenery. 

Thankfully, our ambitious plan resulted in stunning videos. I aim to share them soon. They will not disappoint. I will add that I captured an amusing video of a red Tu Tuk chasing us. If you are unaware of the existence of a Tu Tuk, google this amazing machine right now. 

While Tinsley and I sightseed in style in the back of a truck, the rest of the team rode in the boring van. We journeyed through the towns of San Pablo and Santa Clara to arrive at the village of Panyebar to perform another VBS for the children at Happy Tummies. This branch of Happy Tummies is located literally in the clouds. 

Let me now provide you with some essential Guatemalan history. Centuries ago, the Mayans built their civilization in the region of Guatemala. Therefore, most people living in the mountains of Guatemala trace their culture to the Mayan civilization. In Panyebar, the people speak Quiche’, not Spanish primarily. 

As the children poured into the center, we quickly observed that these children are different from those at the other branch in San Juan. Panyebar is poor, and the children are far more malnourished. While those things were true, one of the more noticeable elements about them was a more gritty behavior. Two boys notably identified themselves as the alphas of the pack of boys. 

Their names were Sammy and Juan. The other boys took their orders from them during an intensely competitive soccer match. I documented their play with my GoPro. They all exhibit incredible soccer prowess, but the two alphas regulated the game from start to finish.

We reasoned if Sammy and Juan disregarded the Bible story and craft. The other boys would follow. However, something happened.  I decided to be their older brother and be a larger alpha. Gregorio took the same approach. I challenged Sammy and Juan to an arm wrestling match, and Gregorio summoned them to a soccer match. After our contests, their hearts softened towards us. 

I sat with Sammy, a simple coloring sheet from the lesson, during the craft. As I began to outline the picture with markers and then fill the opening spaces with the corresponding outline color in crayon, I noticed that one of the alphas, Sammy, began copying me from color to color. As Sammy followed me, the other boys started to follow as well. They recognized that I was the alpha now. 

I finished my coloring sheet right when our time ended. I signed my name, “Pastor Matteo Castro,” and gave the sheet to Sammy. I hope that he sees in me and Gregorio an example of a strong man who loves the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for the children of Panyebar. May they see Jesus Christ as the actual alpha dog. 

Day Six 

“Our Brother, Tony”

During short-term mission trips, most individuals get exhausted around the sixth day. You start missing family more and personal comforts from home. You tend to get annoyed by native things you thought were interesting on day one. The trip also loses momentum as you tire from repeated activity. 

While I missed my wife and boys, our team focused on finishing strong. My daughter, Maggie, had her best day of the trip today as she quickly helped with whatever need sprung up. As most of us walked a little slower from the week of ministry, God kept her in good spirits with a full energy tank. She told me today that she wants to come back. Her desire to return filled me with joy. Maybe Lisa and Lincoln can also visit “the land of eternal spring.” 

I agree with the nickname given to San Juan, Guatemala. The weather never disappointed me.  Even while playing soccer with the boys at Happy Tummies, I felt refreshed by cool breezes as I dominated six and seven-year-olds with my intense kicks. I enjoy interacting with the boys every moment and practicing my Spanish on them. Maybe next year, I can have a whole conversation in Español. Miracles do happen. 

I want to thank Frank Sizemore, Christy Clayton, Gregorio Barnett, and Abby Stephenson for their work leading the ministry at Happy Tummies for the elderly Mayans and the children. Frank, Abby, and Gregorio primarily taught and passionately and plainly proclaimed the gospel to the many that God guided to us. 

While this update may be light in ministry content, I am led to introduce you all to our Guatemalan leader, Tony Mendoza. He is the executive director of Impacto Ministries, and he chiefly organized our every move. I love this man. His love for the Lord and those that God has placed in his ministry care is powerfully manifested. 

Central supports him and his family. I can confidently say that our investment in him is money wisely spent. He exhibits humbly and joyfully an image of a missionary who tirelessly pursues the lost in his area of ministry. I am happy to call him my brother and partner in the gospel. If God wills it, I hope to call him a friend one day. 

Impacto Ministries gifted Central a precious time capsule as we concluded our time with them. The gift is a high-quality video to glimpse God’s work here in San Juan for Central Church. While you view this collection of clips and images, pray how God may employ you to make disciples here in Guatemala with us.

We travel to Antigua, Guatemala, in the morning by boat across the largest lake in Central America. Antigua, at one time, was the capital city of Guatemala, when the country was a Spanish colony. I plan to buy a few souvenirs and sightsee before hopping on a plane back to the States. Have a Feliz Dia. 

Day Seven 

“A 30 Second Sound Bite”

I have been on several short-term mission trips in my Christian life. I went to Moscow, Russia, with First Baptist Collierville when I was 16. I profoundly loved the experience of traveling back home for the next two years. 

My mission trip resume doesn’t climax with Russia. I lived in Uppsala, Sweden, for nearly a year after college on a more extended mission project with Campus Crusade for Christ. I experienced the highs and lows of the missionary life. 

While attending Southern Seminary, I enrolled in a class requiring participating in a mission project to Indonesia. The experience was legendary, and I met one of my closest friends from seminary. 

Several years later, I journeyed back to Asia with my church plant, Redeemer Fellowship Church, to Kathmandu, Nepal. Our church developed a partnership with Global Mission Nepal and took another trip there before Covid suspended our work. 

As you have read over the past seven days, I have been privileged to be a member of the Guatemala Trip in 2023 with Central Church. I have never been a part of a stronger team than my current one. I shared tonight that God gave me a front-row seat to watch them do ministry. God blessed me throughout this week with each person’s devotion to Christ Jesus and His mission to make Himself known. 

I love you all, Pastor John Andrew Clayton, Christy Clayton, Abby Stephenson, Tinsley Heston, Al Echols, Gregorio Barnett, Mark Whitby, and Frank Sizemore. Thank you for your handwork, preparation, compassion, and service. God used you all in powerful and intentional ways.

In our last meeting tonight, we challenged one another to form a 30 second sound bite to share with those at Central Church to help them understand what we experienced. The only encouragement I could give my teammates in that moment was Andrew's words and actions to his brother Peter. He said, “‘We have found the Messiah’ He (Andrew) brought him (Peter) to Jesus." (Jn. 1:41-42). Bring someone with you to see and experience what God is doing in Guatemala. 

Right now, I would like to give you all that 30-second sound bite. Maybe you, reading this right now, on your phone, need to pray about coming with us next year. Considering coming might mean canceling that yearly trip to Florida or wherever. However, I plead with you to be obedient, join God’s mission in Guatemala, and be filled with the joy I have received this week. Thank you for joining me on this adventure. God willing, I hope to see you all on Sunday or whenever God will. 

Jesuscristo es el Rey.