October 23, 2024

God’s Work in Guatemala

CCEF Ministry Update by Aaron Sironi

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“Perdóname . . . but did you just say, ‘Ed Welch’?” 

I thought my ears were playing tricks on me. It was nearly midnight, and we’d just completed a tiring day of travel to Guatemala City. As we drove to our guesthouse, my family and I were fully aware that we were far from the familiarity and comforts of home, and there was no turning back. Through much trepidation, prayer, and communication with the US Department of State, my wife and I had planned a short-term, family mission trip to Central America. We’d sent out support letters to our closest friends and family, prepared our children for this mission experience, and brushed up on Spanish. 

Now, if you’ve traveled internationally, you know firsthand the impact of the initial sights, sounds, and smells. Yet in the midst of feeling overwhelmed and distracted by this new experience, I was nearly certain that I’d just heard Ed Welch’s name in a conversation between the two missionaries in the front seat of our van. The conversation was marked by enthusiasm and energy. One missionary shared how blessed she had been to attend a seminar that Welch gave at her home church. The other missionary, a Guatemalan national, smiled as he listened and indicated that he too had been deeply blessed by CCEF’s ministry.

I was delighted to join this conversation, and I learned in the following moments that God had used CCEF early in this man’s ministry. In the 1990s, he had attended a weeklong seminar with CCEF faculty that equipped him to incorporate biblical counseling into his missionary work over the ensuing decades. As we talked, he was pleased to learn that I was part of this organization that had been so influential in his own life and ministry. The other missionary had had very recent contact with CCEF. God had used and was continuing to use CCEF resources and teaching to bless her as she walked through life-changing suffering.

This late-night conversation turned into several subsequent conversations, followed by invitations to bring CCEF teaching and resources to pastors and churches in need of biblical counseling assistance. Pastors and missionaries work on the front lines of individual, family, and marital crises, facing challenging situations where they often need help, or even training. All around the world, the work of pastoral care is vital for healthy churches, yet in Guatemala, pastors and missionaries have fewer resources than we typically do in the US. This window into God’s work through two missionaries to Guatemala was just a glimpse into how he is using your generosity in other countries. Thank you for giving of yourselves financially. You are making biblical counseling resources and training available to servants of the Lord all around the world.