No Tenga Miedo. Solamente Tenga Fe.

I spent my months in Guatemala with one of the finest groups of young missionaries I could hope for. Though on paper, they were there to learn Spanish, in their hearts, they were about their Father’s business.

Right away, we began meeting in San Juan's central park each week with a guitar and our Bibles to sing worship songs and share scripture in Spanish. There was an open invitation for anyone in town to join us. And a few did.

One person who came continuously was Parker’s host father, Luis. Parker had majored in Spanish in college, so he came to Guatemala already knowing how to communicate. This allowed him to connect with his host family and build a deep friendship with them – and with Luis in particular.

On Halloween, Luis invited us to his house for a party. Their home was small and stoic, but filled with the love of a tight-nit family. We sang them songs and read them scripture while they prepared Guatemalan treats for us. It was the first time we had really spent time with Guatemalan nationals in an informal setting, and we had a blast.

After that night, we began holding our weekly Bible studies in Luis’ home. Soon, Luis began leading the studies, and one of our teachers from the school attended regularly.

Luis said that before we came, medical problems and job loss had left their family in dire straights financially. He had been steeped in despair. Then Parker came to stay with them, and shared with them the Scriptures.

For the first time in his life, Luis began to read the Word for himself. The Bible came alive for him, and his family found new hope they hadn’t known before. One of my greatest joys in Guatemala was watching Luis’ heart come alive with the Word of God.

Luis used to end each Bible study with these encouraging words:

“No tenga miedo. Solamente tenga fe.”

(Don’t have fear. Only have faith.)

With these words and a big hug, he bid each of us farewell as we left his home for the last time. Though we are no longer there with his family, the Bible study continues with the new language students. I could never thank God enough for the friendship of Luis and his family.