Show Notes:

Bishop Julius C. Trimble is the Resident Bishop of the Indiana Area of the United Methodist Church.

Bishop Trimble has the personal mission to encourage all people with the love of Jesus Christ to rise to their highest potential. It is his commitment to his personal mission that led Bishop Trimble to create the “To Be Encouraged” Podcast along with co-host Rev.Dr. Brad Miller.

Bishop Trimble says, “I am compelled by Jesus to share with you an encouraging word or two about Jesus, theology, the Bible, the pandemic, the environment, racism, voting rights, human sexuality, and the state of the United Methodist Church.”

To Be Encouraged with Bishop Julius C. Trimble is to be published weekly and is available at www.tobeencouraged.com and all the podcast directories.

https://www.inumc.org/bishop/office-of-the-bishop/

Episode Notes:

From Vision to Reality: Mission Guatemala and the Power of Faith

In episode 068 of "To Be Encouraged," our guest, Leigh Randall, enlightens us with the incredible story of Mission Guatemala and the transformative impact it has had on the lives of both its founders and the people of Guatemala. Throughout the conversation, we explore the power of personal conviction, the ripple effect of positive change, and the significance of active involvement in making a difference. Let's dive in and discover the key takeaways from this inspiring episode.

1. Unleashing the Power of Conviction:

The key takeaway from Leigh Randall's discussion is the power of personal conviction and the remarkable things that can be achieved when individuals follow their passion. Bishop Coiner initially doubted Tom Heaton's vision of moving his family to Guatemala to serve the community. However, Tom's unwavering conviction eventually won him over, and Mission Guatemala was born. This reaffirms the importance of trusting our instincts and pursuing our dreams even when faced with skepticism. Tom's story serves as a reminder that anything is possible when we let our passion guide us.

2. The Ripple Effect of Positive Change:

Another significant takeaway from this episode is the ripple effect of positive change that occurs through one person's transformation. Ingrid's journey from a scholarship student to becoming a vital part of Mission Guatemala's medical staff is just one example of how a single life-chaining experience can create a wave of change. Ingrid's passion for medical care touched many lives, and her family also benefited from the opportunity provided by Mission Guatemala. This reminds us that even the smallest acts of kindness and individual growth have the potential to impact entire communities and beyond.

3. Active Involvement in Making a Difference:

Leigh Randall emphasizes the importance of active involvement in making a difference and supporting missions like Mission Guatemala. One way to contribute is through prayers, as the organization relies on the strength of spiritual support from individuals across the globe. Additionally, Randall encourages listeners to consider being physically present by visiting Guatemala, experiencing the culture firsthand, and building relationships with the people they serve. Financial contributions are also crucial to sustain and expand Mission Guatemala's impact, such as providing resources for the clinic and supporting education through scholarships. By highlighting these avenues of support, listeners are urged to become active participants in positive change, both locally and internationally.

Conclusion:

Mission Guatemala's story is a testament to the power of personal conviction, the ripple effect of positive change, and the significance of active involvement in making a difference. Bishop Coiner's initial skepticism transformed into support and admiration for Tom Heaton's vision, leading to the birth of Mission Guatemala. Ingrid's journey exemplifies the transformative impact that one life can have on countless others, while also inspiring us to pursue our passions relentlessly. Lastly, Leigh Randall's emphasis on prayers, physical presence, financial contributions, and active engagement leaves listeners with tangible ways to support and expand the mission's work. Ultimately, this episode teaches us that personal conviction, collective efforts, and acts of kindness can create modern miracles and shape a brighter future for individuals, communities, and the world at large.

To learn more about Mission Guatemala and to support the mission to to:

https://missionguatemala.com/

my right there. So it's a livestream. We're doing livestream. You're

right now, you are on both Facebook and YouTube even as we speak. So

let me get us started here. Hello. Let me

hello again, good people, and welcome to

the to be encouraged livestream. I'm Robert Doctor

Brad Miller coming to you from the floor of the Indiana annual of

the United Methodist Church. There are some 1200 delegates here

of all around the state -- Yeah. -- all around really

connected to the world. And then people connected to various

missions and ministries that we have connected to the

Indiana Compression United Methodist Church, who are here representing their organizations.

And that includes our our special guest who's here today. And why don't you just

tell us your your name, where you're from, and who you represent?

Hey, Robert. Yes. My name is Lee Randall, and I am here representing Mission

Guatemala. a ministry that is born here in

Indiana from a a vision of Tom

Heaton, a pastor here in the Indiana annual conference.

I live in Greenville, South Carolina and get to work from my home, but I

have the blessing of coming yearly here to the Indiana annual

conference and then also visiting with churches both around

Indiana and around the United States as well as in Guatemala

when when folks are there serving alongside guide us in

mission. So I'm grateful to have the opportunity to visit with you today. We're grateful

to have spend a few minutes here with you Lee? Yes.

And I happen to be, you know, know and have a

relationship with Tom Heat and your founder, and and no reason

I'm gonna be with us this week. I'm glad that you're here to share here

at the annual conference. I think I gotta

handle on it, but I really like you to share with our listeners kind of

a synopsis of the overall vision of Michigan

Guatemala. And then what are some of the things actually do? Yeah. Absolutely.

As I said, founded by United Methodist pastor, Tom Heaton, who felt

god calling him to be a dad. As a

single man, obviously, that would be a difficult thing to to

accomplish. But I think all of us would agree that

when god calls you, he will make a way as long as you you

just continue to follow God's calling. Tom was able to

adopt 2 boys from Guatemala and raised them here stateside

for a number of years and then felt god calling him to to

pick up his family and move to the country where his sons

were born. He took that vision to Bishop

Coiner, and I had the opportunity a number of years ago to visit with Bishop

Coiner to hear his side of the story. I'd always heard Tom's

side of the story. And Bishop Coiner talks about how Tom came into his

office with this vision. to move his family to Guatemala

to serve there, to help do all the good he could in the

country where his sons were born. And Bishop Coiner said

Lee, I really thought he had lost his mind. I've heard a bit of

the story. Yeah. And so Bishop Coyner then

said, Tom, thanks for sharing this vision with me. I'd like for

us to set up a meeting in a few weeks. And so Tom agreed to

come back and talk with him again. And Bishop Pointer said from the moment

Tom left office. He picked up the phone and started calling every

pastor friend and pastor mentor of Tom's to

say gotta help me talk him out of this. This is just a crazy idea.

The time came for them to meet again, and and Bishop Coiner said from his

desk, he saw Tom turned the corner, moving down the hallway to his office,

and he said he knew before he even arrived in his office that that

that vision and that passion was there and even stronger. when he had

left his office a number of weeks before. So we're grateful

that Bishop Pointer blessed this this crazy dream of

Tom's we know was God inspired because we're getting ready

to celebrate 13 years of of ministry in Guatemala

where we have the blessing to work alongside the most beautiful

people, I think, that God has created, in

my opinion. Tom's vision was

also a vision of Dave Byrne, who currently serves as our

executive direct director. And together, they were able to

found Mission Guatemala. The hope then was to provide

medical care for the indigenous Mayan population

and not just health care, but health care that was that

was loving and respectful. And so that's how it began

with just a a medical clinic. We now have a Guatemalan

doctor and 3 Guatemalan nurses on staff. And as we

continued to see needs in the area, we also have a nutritional

program. That once was a feeding program in the school, but the Guatemalan

government has increased their support of those programs, so we shifted

our focus to our early childhood nutritional program.

We call Neenius Tisputos for children six months through six years of

age. And so in addition to health and nutrition,

we also have an educational program. The Guatemalan government

readily provides its people and education through

elementary school, which is 6th grade in Guatemala. But

we know that continuing your education through middle school and high school

is just vital. The gift of education can begin to help

break these cycles of of poverty that we see. And so our

scholarship program provides the the opportunity

for students who have the desire and the the abilities, but don't have the

means to to pay for. $25 a month is what

it costs on average for a middle school student to go and about $50

a month for a high school student to go. Which is out of sight for

many folks there, but a pittance for many folks here in the states.

Absolutely. Yeah. So families there typically survive

on 4 to 6 dollars a day is kind of a a typical wage for

the for the population that we serve in the San Andreas Semitibat

area. And you can see pretty quickly if you have a family

of, you know, 5 or 6, you know, people,

mom, dad, and and children. It's it's not

only hard. It's it's nearly impossible to then be able to pay

for an education. So even though families would like to provide that for their

children, they're just really not able to. So the scholarship program kinda

helps meet those needs. And then in a a 4th way that we serve

is we we call it community development, but we

host teams to serve alongside us who have

typically come to help us with projects that have been identified in

the communities. Most often, those include building

bathrooms, handwashing stations at schools, as

well as classrooms in the schools or soccer

slash basketball courts. The rainy season in Guatemala is pretty

detrimental, and so to have a place where children can gather and play.

is important. So we're hosting a team right now from Malden,

South Carolina, who are who are serving with us and next week.

We're welcoming a team from Illinois. So we're

just excited to to get to serve the way we do in Guatemala. So several

ways that Really Trimble hands on mission

and ministry is happening. You get the education piece,

the medical piece, the food service piece, and community development,

mission teams -- Yes. -- coming in in all kinds of ways. And

and those are all about, you know, live transformation. Give us

an example of how you've seen things change. I'll tell you personally

now. How you've seen things change or transform Give me

a little impact statement of what's been happening there from where, you know, was to

where it is now. Yeah. So I think, you know, it's

the god sized dream that was placed in the heart

of Tom Heaton that at the time, I don't think he would have even

begun to imagine how, you know, how God would water that

seed and and allow for this ministry to continue to grow.

We've seen They're just they're countless stories that that I could

share. I'll just share one that's -- Sure. -- really close and personal

to to me, but also to our organization. In our

scholarship program, one of the students whose name is Ingrid, had

a a passion for medical care and had this has a

a desire had a desire to become a doctor. And in the

Guatemalan system, during those high school years, you really get kinda

trade type degree. So students who have an interest

in education, for example, would be would become as they

graduate a a teacher's aid or an early

level teacher in the country. If you have a passion

for accounting, you could become an accounting resistant as

you graduate with your high school degree. And and in the the medical interest,

if you have a a a passion for that, you would become a nurse's assistant.

And so Ingrid was a student in our program who came to

us with the you know, they have to find internships.

And so she had approached our our clinic

staff about doing her internship with us and came and and worked

with us during her high school time to accomplished those internship

requirements. And as she graduated from high

school, had this desire to continue her education education

in the medical field. And and we also found that we had an opening on

our staff to have an an, you know, need for a nurse's

assistance And so she joined our staff a few years ago, about 3

to 4 years ago as that nursing assistant. And

as she's worked with us and and continued to improve her

her skills. She's developed a passion for our

laboratory offering that we have there at our

clinic. So we have lab facilities on on-site where we

can do all of the testing that we need to do that our doctor can

-- Yeah. -- can diagnose and and treat things well. And so

she's working to be a lab technician herself

now. And so she works in our clinic and is

you know, not only is it has it but, you know, changed her life personally,

but her family life, and and what we love is that it also changes the

life Change one life, it changes others. It is an echo when you see a

story about Ingrid and how Her life

transformation is multiplied by many other stories

like her and similar stories -- Absolutely. -- that people have been and

multiplied. in the setting there in in Guatemala

-- Yes. -- let's talk for a minute about life chains and transformation

among folks who've been there. Yeah. I got a feeling you went there

one time as -- Yeah. -- on a Trimble, and and you're saying you're still

there. So that's your one life transformation change, and I just

figure that'd be the case. But tell me a story about either individuals or

maybe a group. You've mentioned to it, you know, I know personally of many groups

from here in Indiana where we're ready to have And I know they're all around

the country. We've gone there. But tell me about a how a life

change situation keep you happy, individually, or maybe even a church where

something profound happened after our trip to to mission

Guatemala. Yeah. Again, countless stories that

can, you know, can be shared. And I hate to to share

another one that's so close and personal, but I will share -- Please do. --

about my oldest son who was with me on the first trip that I

led. I was a youth minister for 20 years. And starting in

2013, we took our our older youth and

our youth program, primarily our our graduates as their senior trip.

We had a couple of openings on that first trip, and we public

it in our our bulletin there. And, you know, with the, you know, the

first two people that come and and show interest and want to go,

can go with us. So a a female student who was

a a rising junior in high school and my son who was also a rising

junior in high school where first, it came to me that Sunday morning. And I

hadn't mentioned it at home, and so it was neat that, you know, my my

own son, you know, read the need and and answered the call, so to

speak. So along he came with me on that first trip to

to Guatemala. Yeah. But how old was he at the time? He was

15, 16. Okay. Awesome. and didn't know

exactly, you know, how God would use him in this world,

came on that trip and immediately felt this calling and

desire to to further his life in

in

University University of South Carolina and is beginning his

residency as a pediatrician in North

Carolina Chapel Hill at UNC, and he'll also

receive a a masters in public health while he's there with this

desire and this passion that I really feel like was was

planted and placed in his life from serving in Guatemala

back in 2 1000 team. And so in some way or another, that will continue.

Some sort of an ongoing connection. Absolutely. So it's -- With mission go out of

all our missions. Missions in general. Yeah. The hope to to serve

not only people here within the states and and just knowing

that there is there is such a need for

for doctors who not only treat the the illness,

but also are willing to invest in the lives of the the people

that that they see. And so -- Yeah. -- it's neat it's neat to see

that, you know, playing out in the life of my own my son as well.

Yeah. Well, Lee, you've mentioned a little bit about the history of mission in Guatemala,

and Tom Heaton's involvement we had had founded. And There's a big story

about him driving his car from Indiana -- Yeah. -- all the way down there.

You know, we we both have heard that story. That's a fascinating story in in

of itself. But There's that founding

story, and you talk a little bit about what's happened there at you know, on-site

of the mission and stories about Ingrid and stories of transformation here

in the states. Your son and the many groups that have been there

and and how it's all a powerful transformation. But you've

also mentioned the needs to remain great. Does it not?

Absolutely. So how can folks who may be listening to us? And

how can they maybe participate or understand or

make a connection to the needs of mission Guatemala and tell

us how they can be supportive of that. Yeah. Absolutely. I think, you know,

I was born and raised in the United Methodist Church. And so I I love

the, you know, prayers, presents, gifts, service, witness. Right? So when

we talk about how folks can can live that out and and basically be

a part of the mission Guatemala story through your prayers, primarily.

I mean, pray for staff, pray for the the people that we get

to serve alongside in Guatemala, pray for mission teams that are

there, you know, about 15 to to

18 weeks out of the year. You know, with your

presence, I mean, you can come and serve along side us, you know, if you

feel called to do that to come and learn more about the culture and the

customs to get to meet the people and and really develop relationships.

You know, that also covers that service time, you know, to be able to to

really serve with your hands. Your gifts I mean, I've

mentioned some, you know, some direct ways, you know,

that $25 a month can send a student to middle school, and $50

a month can a student to high school. But, you know, we have a

staff of 13 Guatemalan people. I mean, you know, we we need to keep the

lights on in our clinic, and we need to stop the shell with the with

the vitamins and the minerals and the nutrients that our doctor can then use

to to help meet the the medical needs of population

that we serve. So truly with your your gifts, you know,

missionguatemala.com, you know, just check us out online and

and that a a direct way that you can give. And you mentioned, like, 25

dollar gift, $50 guest, but -- Absolutely. -- the San Francisco classes, our whole churches,

our mission teams, you know, had, you know, I'm

sure there's off opportunities to make either bigger

contributions. Exactly. And then the final is witness. I mean, just, you know,

whether you've heard about us and and are able to then share the

story with your family and friends and people that you know have a passion for

education or a passion for nutrition or a passion for medical care

there. And and many people have come and served alongside us

in person and then are able to you know, when you when you get to

see and and and get to experience up close and

get to develop relationships. It's so easy to then go and and

share the story with others because I really do feel like God is truly

writing writing an incredible story for all I mean, there are

nonprofits all around the world and here in the states, and and all it takes

is for for us to say I'd I'd like to be a part of that

story. That's a I could put in a modern miracle story of

a vision coming to fruition and expanding

and God doing a cool gonna do the cool thing. You've been -- I

don't think the story's done. You know? I feel like we're -- Yeah. -- you

know, we all in in in mission and ministry will continue

to work until until there's not a need for us. And -- Absolutely. -- until

this earth looks a whole lot more like So I still, you know, feel like

that could that could happen, you know, if we keep -- I love the way

you phrase praise that till earth looks a lot more like heaven. So we

got a lot of lot of work to do. Give us the website

one more time. Yeah. It's mission guatemala.com. You can

also find us at mission guatemala.org. Either of those link you right

to our website where you can read about the story. We're on Facebook. We're on

Instagram. And, you know, please feel free to reach out to us. We'd love

to share more about our story. with you. We'll put links to that to our

website to be encouraged.com. Just one more question for you,

Lee. The theme of Bishop Trimble's podcast It's called to be

encouraged. Yes. So just one more question. I'd like to ask all of our guests,

and that is to share what is at least one thing

that encourage you you right now as we sit here together. Yeah.

I think, you know, I shared that I I was born and raised

in the United at his church. And while there is

this underlying feeling of

discomfort with fact that our our family is

is going through a time of trial and tribulation where some family

members have chosen to to walk away

from the United Methodist Church. I think the thing that brings me

hope is that as as United Methodist, I mean,

we are people of social justice. We are people who want

to help continue to to direct

positive change in this world where people who believe in deep relationships.

And and even though, you know, there's been a a effort in what's

been happening in our family, so to speak. I don't think that vision has been

lost. And so what what brings me,

you know, Just a a feeling of excitement is what what

the United Methodist Church will look like as we turn the page on

this this next chapter that's yet to be

written. So -- Well said, turn the page to the next chapter

and see what God's gonna do. Right? Absolutely. Absolutely. That's awesome.

Well, tell us one more time, your name, and who you represent. Leigh

Randall with Mission Guatemala. Thank you so much,

and Lee has been our guest today on the 2 be encouraged

podcasts coming to you live on the live stream from the Indiana