My Journey to Missions in Guatemala

In 2008, I was living and working in Birmingham, Alabama. After a divorce from a marriage of 29 years, I was working two jobs to survive. I was also attending the Church at Brook Hills, where David Platt was my pastor. At the time, he was writing a book entitled “Radical”, and that year he was preaching on its contents.

Consumed with surviving as a single woman, I was in a very self-centered mode. Each month, I sighed with relief after making the bills, only to begin worrying about the next. As I listened to those sermons, the Lord Jesus began to work in my heart. I started to realize the plight of the poor in other parts of the world.

At the end of that year, during a church service, Pastor David invited those willing to commit to serving for one week outside the United States to come forward. I wanted to go on a mission trip but knew I had no money for it. I had no intention of stepping forward, but as I stood to let someone out of the row, I got swept with the crowd to the front. Standing there, I thought, “What am I doing here? There’s no way I can go on a trip.”

As Pastor David prayed, I began to cry. I don’t remember the exact words, but he said something like, “Lord, there are people here who don’t know how they’ll go on a mission trip, but You will provide for them.” I prayed and told the Lord I would go, trusting Him to provide and guide me.

Answering the Call

In early 2009, a woman in my small group suggested we all go on a mission trip to Guatemala. I didn’t even know where Guatemala was but soon learned it was just below Mexico. Later that year, I joined a group from the Church at Brook Hills for a trip to Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.

The Lord provided for the trip, and I went with 19 others. We took suitcases filled with shoes for women and children. Visiting villages, we washed feet and placed new shoes on them. I had never seen such poverty. Walking to the bus for lunch, I cried, thinking of how much my grandchildren had compared to these children who didn’t even own shoes. That week, the Lord changed my focus, placing a deep love in my heart for the people of Guatemala.

I felt called to serve as a full-time missionary but kept it to myself, thinking, “Who gets called to the mission field on their first trip abroad?” Over the next few months, the Lord confirmed this calling twice. I continued taking mission trips to Guatemala, and in April 2012, I moved there to serve full-time.

Threads of Redemption

Initially, I served as a seamstress in a children’s home for three years. I knew God wanted me to help women learn to sew and sell their creations to feed and educate their children. A year later, the Lord opened the door for this ministry. While buying lunch at a mall in Chimaltenango, a woman noticed my ministry T-shirt with a sewing machine on the back and asked if I taught sewing.

I explained that Threads of Redemption teaches sewing while sharing the Gospel and discipling women in God’s Word. She invited me to use their sewing room in Parramos, which had tables and outlets but lacked machines and an instructor. We provided sewing machines, and every Thursday, we met with ten women in Parramos. Many came to know Christ through this ministry.

Since 2013, we’ve continued teaching women across Guatemala. In February 2023, the Lord enabled us to open an online store, allowing us to buy the items made in our classes, providing these women with a sustainable income.

Looking Ahead

God’s faithfulness has been evident throughout this journey, and I’m continually amazed by how He provides and transforms lives through this ministry.