In September of 2007, God sent my wife and me to Guatemala City, Guatemala on a rescue mission: to save a child from a possible life of poverty, physical and emotional turmoil, and perhaps an eternity without Christ.
That child, now 7, is our beloved daughter, Isabella. Little did I realize then that God would be sending me back with a different mission 6 years later.
As I see it, our mission was still one of rescue: hoping to deliver some from the bondage of the evil one through offering the life changing message of the gospel, and others from a life lacking greater purpose and eternal fruit by teaching them to leverage their God-given leadership positions fully for His kingdom purposes.
Just as I cannot imagine my life without my precious little girl, I can neither forget the incredible memories and ministry opportunities this mission afforded me, Jim and the others from the FCCI (Fellowship of Companies for Christ International).
I am humbled and in awe of the mission He has given each one of us, whether our “going” entails walking across the street, across the hall to an associate’s office, or to a far off place such as Guatemala City, sharing the love and light of Jesus and the difference following Him makes.s
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to GO and bear fruit – a fruit that will last.” ~ John 15:16
Impact Summary
- 500 executives showed up for the conference on Friday. (More than expected: ONLY GOD!)
- 35-40 Pastors and a local mayor attended a Saturday conference designed specifically for Pastors.
- Our team had the privilege of sharing the gospel and principles from God’s Word to approximately 2000 people in 3 different churches on Sunday (see one of those below in the picture to the left).
- We were privileged to spend several hours encouraging and equipping the leaders from 3 different companies during some special meetings arranged for us prior to our arrival.
- Current marketplace individuals and groups associated with FCCI were strengthened and encouraged.
- A new FCCI weekly group consisting of 10 women executives is going to be launched as a result as a result of our visit!
- Multiple one-on-one conversations of eternal significance and of lasting value.
Highlights, Meaningful Experiences and Ministry Opportunities
During the long plane ride home I spent some time journaling so I wouldn’t forget some of the more meaningful experiences, ministry opportunities, and lessons learned through our time in Guatemala. I would like to share some of them with you here…
Ministering to Leaders in Various Companies
1. Nais – “Nice” in English (Pictured above in the board room with the screen)
We had the distinct privilege of meeting with the owner and executive team of a chain of restaurants in Guatemala called Nais. One of their restaurants is cast in an aquarium setting, inspired by a similar restaurant in Denver, Colorado.
In addition to walking away “full” from the many meals they graciously provided for us while in Guatemala, I walked away from this meeting being reminded of the Apostle Paul’s ministry of encouragement. After many of the churches he had started were established, he (and his companions) was led by the Spirit to visit them again.
Their ministry of sharing the gospel, equipping leaders and encouraging the saints, played a huge part in spreading the message of Christ, on a global scale, far beyond what they alone could do. I believe our time with the great team at Nais (and with the others described in this post) will have a similar kind of far reaching impact.
2. Veraz Editorial
I was especially encouraged for Jim and myself, along with a precious Guatemalan brother with FCCI, named Donilo, to spend a couple of hours with a very young executive team from a company called Veraz Editorial (pictured above to the left, around a table in a restaurant). They publish a magazine, similar to the Leadership Journal here in the states and were very eager to glean all they could as we taught them how to do business God’s way vs. the World’s Way. I believe they were greatly challenged in practical ways as a result of the time God gave us together.
3. Combexim
Combexim is “the” company who handles all the customs inspections for everything shipped to and from Guatemala. The president of this 250 employee company is a devoted Christian and gave us the distinct honor to conduct a leadership training session for their 35 member management team. As in the other venues, we had free reign to share how Christ and His Word have impacted our lives, along with Christ-honoring leadership principles and practices. Though we did not see or hear of any fruit (in terms of decisions to trust Christ), I know that many seeds were sown that God will use in the future. Following the training session, we also enjoyed a guided tour to learn all the “ins and outs” of their business. (see pictures directly below)
Relationships Are Everything
1. Left in Group Picture Above
Pastor Moses is the person pictured on my right. He is an incredible man of God with a great heart to invest in Pastors. In fact, he served as a key point person for evangelist Luis Palau the last time he held a crusade in Guatemala, helping to organize participating churches. What an honor it was to serve him and all the other Pastors he helped gather together for a morning conference, where I (and Pat McGrath) was able to encourage and challenge them to reach out to the business leaders in their church and community.
The Assistant Mayor is pictured on my left. He gave a tearful testimony after the mini-conference, sharing how he was impacted and encouraged to continue fulfilling the tough call God has given him, ministering as a politician for Christ, and how he desperately needed the support of the Pastors (and their churches) in his life.
2. Oliver – the “Master” Translator (he and I pictured to the right above) Oliver did a masterful job translating for Pat, Jim, and myself in all of the main teaching sessions. He has translated for numerous ministries, including for Willow Creek and the Global Leadership Summit. What makes his service even more amazing is that he does all of this for free, as a part of his unique ministry for Christ.
3. Exceptional Individuals and Team!
- Rodrigo (pictured on the far left of the left picture above) is 24 years of age and serves as a lawyer in his family’s business. He served us tirelessly as he drove us from place to place, translated for us, and even stepped in to take some pictures. He reiterated his expressions of thanks over and over again for how our time with him and his family had an indelible impact on his life and business. I anticipate that he will be accomplishing much for Christ and His kingdom through his life and leadership.
- In the same picture (from left to right, not including the tall white dude in the middle!) is Donilo, Andrea (one of his daughters) and Melvy, Donilo’s wife (not pictured is Melissa). Donilo used to pastor a church of about 3,000 people but was led by God about 2 years ago to leave that ministry and start a new church. In addition, about 18 months ago, fueled by his passion to reach and equip business leaders, he assumed the role of FCCI’s regional coordinator in Guatemala. In the right picture directly above is the FCCI planning team, and others associated with the ministry, including Pat McGrath – who was one of the main communicators, along with Jim and me. Pat serves as the Director of FCCI’s South American Ministry.
- “Your message was perfectly timed and encouraging, it accentuated our current vision and mission perfectly, and was presented in a style our people received well.” The above words were spoken by one of the Pastors at Suprecencia Church (pictured further above with me and a translator) where I had the privilege of speaking for 3 services on Sunday morning. It was one of the many encouraging confirmations God gave to our team, reminding us that He had been orchestrating the exact times, people, and events from behind the scenes for some time: indeed since before time began (Eph. 2:10).
These precious servants are true warriors who launched out in faith, prayed, and labored with great sacrifice, believing God was going to do a great work–and HE DID! I continue to be inspired by their love and devotion to Christ!
Thank You for Caring!
Serving the Lord through KWM in Guatemala was truly a surreal experience. Part of the excitement for me was no doubt linked to Isabella being from there. As I tried to prayerfully discern other factors that made this such a special ministry assignment, I came up with at least two.
1. Unique Opportunities
At some point, living in the scenes of the story line described above, it dawned on me: “This ministry opportunity God is giving us is extraordinarily unique!” Not many pastors or short term mission teams would ever be able to minister to business leaders on their own turf, or to so many in one setting as took place during the conference. Further, not many mission teams would be able to minister to both business leaders and pastors during the same trip! This unique calling that God has laid on our hearts, through KWM is not necessarily any better than the calling of another person or organization. But, it is VERY unique. For this, we are extremely grateful!
2. Unique Supporters
Your uniqueness is the other. KWM could NEVER have been involved in serving the LORD in this way without the faithful people who care, who pray, and who support our ministry financially. YOU ARE A UNIQUE PARTNER WITH US IN THIS UNIQUE MINISTRY! THANK YOU!
If you are not currently involved in the ministry of KWM, but would like to, please click the links below in the ways you would like to become a unique partner with us:
- I would like to give a one-time gift to support KWM (Click Here – and use the PayPal tab to make your donation)
- I would like to support KWM on a monthly basis (Click Here to Contact Us)
- I would like to donate a car, electronic item, a portion of my crop, or explore other creative giving opportunities through KWM’s partnership with IDonate (Click here for the IDonate Tab)
- I would like to become a prayer support partner for KWM (Click here to indicate your desire to join our prayer support team)
Gratefully and Humbly,
Dan Anderson – President/CEO of KWM