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| NEWSLETTER ARTICLES |
Far Away, So Close
by Shalini Patras
Travel to Guatemala and you’ll experience many wonderful sights: towering mountains stand watch over the valleys and rainforests below. Gentle mists settle over canopies of hardwood trees. The call of beautiful green- and red-feathered quetzal birds ring out in repeated whimpers through the jungle. Mayan ruins appear almost out of nowhere, their aging, gray stones stacked one upon another to staggering effect.
The picture we imagine of Guatemala might seem exotic and mystical, given our daily routines of long commutes, stuffy cubicles, and soccer practices. The country seems so far away, but the reality of life in Guatemala really isn’t so different from what we find all over the world. The people of Guatemala still struggle in their marriages, have hopes and dreams for their kids, and work hard to make a life for themselves. Wherever we go in the world, everyone needs the truth of Jesus. At Insight for Living, we’re excited about the opportunities to serve the people of Guatemala through the ministry of Carlos Lopez. A pastor and professor who now teaches and ministers in Guatemala City, Carlos grew up in Argentina and accepted Christ as his Savior when he was 18 years old. As a child who for a time struggled with difficult bouts of anger, he understands the need for Christians to proclaim the truth of the gospel of peace to people all over the world.
Carlos first heard Insight for Living’s Spanish language radio broadcast, Visión Para Vivir, as a young Christian in 1990. Chuck Swindoll’s preaching served as one of the significant building blocks for Carlos’s faith, and it eventually gave him material for teaching children and their parents in the poor neighborhoods of Argentina.
Currently, Carlos teaches theology at Central American Theological Seminary in Guatemala (SETECA) and serves as a pastor and counselor for Visión Para Vivir. With both ministries, he trains pastors for Christian leadership and provides guidance from the Word of God to people in different parts of Latin America. Listeners write to Visión Para Vivir requesting counseling of all kinds. Their problems and questions sound just like problems and questions we might get if we took a poll at your church this Sunday. Some who contact Carlos are trapped in the clutches of pornography, some in physical abuse, while others are caught up in adultery and other serious marital problems. Listeners who are curious about their faith also contact Carlos, expressing doubts about the security of their salvation and asking questions about issues such as the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Like any minister, Carlos hopes that God will provide for the needs of the ministry in Guatemala, so that it might be more effective. While many churches exist throughout Latin America, not all of them can send their pastors to SETECA for training. Although personal contact is always more effective, Carlos loves the fact that local church members can access the radio broadcast right where they live. Also, in order to have a vibrant ministry where Carlos can lead local conferences, he needs books and Bible study materials in the Spanish language. Pray that God will provide for the needs of this ministry, as well as strengthen Carlos and his family for the ministry opportunities that God has in store for this faithful servant of Jesus.
Consider Guatemala for a few brief moments and you might come away believing that life there is far removed from your own. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find people living lives much closer to your own than you might have expected — people who need the truth . . . people who need Jesus.
Shalini Patras is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and serves as director of International Development for International Ministries at Insight for Living. She is committed to communicating the truth of the gospel to people all over the world through Insight for Living’s broadcasts and resources. Shalini’s husband and daughter encourage and support her in her calling.
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