Hello supporters, family and friends,

I do apologize for the delay in getting this post out to you. We have been quite busy with ministry work, and I have now cut out some time to write.

Training Camp back in Georgia was very fruitful for me. We listened to sermons about important concepts, such as the Holy Spirit and our identity in Jesus. Our squad participated in team-building exercises and spent much time together with the Lord. Most excitingly, we were disclosed what we would do in Guatemala for the following three weeks. As of today, we have been in the country for two weeks.

Our squad of 22 was split into three teams, each serving in different ministries in different locations. My team of 6 has been working with a missionary based in San Antonio Aguas Calientes. Our host/missionary is Jeffrey, a Guatemalan. His ministry is called Hope & Worship Room, which focuses on different areas. The primary tool is the coffee shop that he owns in Antigua Guatemala, called Serve Hope Café. At Serve Hope, we have a weekly worship and prayer session on Thursdays.

Worship Room is the piece of the ministry which focuses on Bible study and intercession. The ultimate goal of Worship Room is to equip Guatemalan and Central American missionaries to evangelize in the Middle East. This focus is derived from the fact that the salvation of Israel must take place before Jesus' return. Currently, less than 2% of Israelis are born-again Christians, who have accepted that Jesus is the Messiah. Because a reached nation has a 5% minimum Christian population, Israel is an unreached nation. In Romans 11, Paul describes how Israel will be eventually saved because of their jealousy of the Gentiles' salvation. Part of the Gentiles to be saved are the Middle East, which surrounds Israel.

Besides these ministries, my team of 6 has done miscellaneous activities. We have painted parts of Jeffrey's house, helped his fellow missionaries out at the Garden (community center) and held team meetings with our leaders Kevin and Jenna (a couple with World Race), etc. The physical work we have done has brought us delight and motivation in being able to see the fruits of our labor immediately, although this is not the only way God works. We have had plenty of "spare" time, which we have used to practice individual time with God, and much evangelism in Antigua.

On our free days in Antigua, Luke (the other man in my team) and I have spoken with some folks about their faith. Some conversations we have enjoyed, while we also had one man who gave us an eye-opening experience. We were speaking a few nights ago to a man about faith, particularly in Jesus. This man had long ago professed himself as a Christian, but had since adopted a system of "not holding any beliefs." He based his views upon the volatile idea of subjective reality. We went in circles for nearly two hours due to our mutual negligence to put the foot down and leave the conversation (Proverbs 18:2, 26:4). Regrettably, we both kept engaging the man rather than turning immediately to prayer for him. Luke had never shared the Gospel to someone with a hardened heart, so this was a useful lesson for us both.

We have also had some free time to enjoy for ourselves. Last Sunday, our entire squad hiked the nearby Pacaya Volcano. This weekend, the girls on my team had booked a hostel in Lake Atitlán. Since Luke and I had the time to ourselves, we decided to hike the Acatenango Volcano. As I am writing, we two are still recovering from our 10-hour overnight excursion which began on Sunday night. Whenever I am in nature, I am simply fascinated by looking around at God's creation, which He gave us to enjoy. Such was a blessing I have had.

As we head into our final week, please be in prayer for the people of Guatemala, that their hearts would turn from focus on piety and religion to understanding the saving grace and mercy of Jesus. Pray that we would continue to exhort and edify one another, and that we'd not grow weary of our Kingdom work and learning more from God. Thank you again for your support, and expect to hear from me soon.

Blessings,

Daniel Bruso