Episode 68
From Vision to Reality: Mission Guatemala and the Power of Faith with Leigh Randall, Mission Guatemala Director of Development
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:
Transcript
my right there. So it's a livestream. We're doing livestream. You're
Speaker:right now, you are on both Facebook and YouTube even as we speak. So
Speaker:let me get us started here. Hello. Let me
Speaker:hello again, good people, and welcome to
Speaker:the to be encouraged livestream. I'm Robert Doctor
Speaker:Brad Miller coming to you from the floor of the Indiana annual of
Speaker:the United Methodist Church. There are some 1200 delegates here
Speaker:of all around the state -- Yeah. -- all around really
Speaker:connected to the world. And then people connected to various
Speaker:missions and ministries that we have connected to the
Speaker:Indiana Compression United Methodist Church, who are here representing their organizations.
Speaker:And that includes our our special guest who's here today. And why don't you just
Speaker:tell us your your name, where you're from, and who you represent?
Speaker:Hey, Robert. Yes. My name is Lee Randall, and I am here representing Mission
Speaker:Guatemala. a ministry that is born here in
Speaker:Indiana from a a vision of Tom
Speaker:Heaton, a pastor here in the Indiana annual conference.
Speaker:I live in Greenville, South Carolina and get to work from my home, but I
Speaker:have the blessing of coming yearly here to the Indiana annual
Speaker:conference and then also visiting with churches both around
Speaker:Indiana and around the United States as well as in Guatemala
Speaker:when when folks are there serving alongside guide us in
Speaker:mission. So I'm grateful to have the opportunity to visit with you today. We're grateful
Speaker:to have spend a few minutes here with you Lee? Yes.
Speaker:And I happen to be, you know, know and have a
Speaker:relationship with Tom Heat and your founder, and and no reason
Speaker:I'm gonna be with us this week. I'm glad that you're here to share here
Speaker:at the annual conference. I think I gotta
Speaker:handle on it, but I really like you to share with our listeners kind of
Speaker:a synopsis of the overall vision of Michigan
Speaker:Guatemala. And then what are some of the things actually do? Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker:As I said, founded by United Methodist pastor, Tom Heaton, who felt
Speaker:god calling him to be a dad. As a
Speaker:single man, obviously, that would be a difficult thing to to
Speaker:accomplish. But I think all of us would agree that
Speaker:when god calls you, he will make a way as long as you you
Speaker:just continue to follow God's calling. Tom was able to
Speaker:adopt 2 boys from Guatemala and raised them here stateside
Speaker:for a number of years and then felt god calling him to to
Speaker:pick up his family and move to the country where his sons
Speaker:were born. He took that vision to Bishop
Speaker:Coiner, and I had the opportunity a number of years ago to visit with Bishop
Speaker:Coiner to hear his side of the story. I'd always heard Tom's
Speaker:side of the story. And Bishop Coiner talks about how Tom came into his
Speaker:office with this vision. to move his family to Guatemala
Speaker:to serve there, to help do all the good he could in the
Speaker:country where his sons were born. And Bishop Coiner said
Speaker:Lee, I really thought he had lost his mind. I've heard a bit of
Speaker:the story. Yeah. And so Bishop Coyner then
Speaker:said, Tom, thanks for sharing this vision with me. I'd like for
Speaker:us to set up a meeting in a few weeks. And so Tom agreed to
Speaker:come back and talk with him again. And Bishop Pointer said from the moment
Speaker:Tom left office. He picked up the phone and started calling every
Speaker:pastor friend and pastor mentor of Tom's to
Speaker:say gotta help me talk him out of this. This is just a crazy idea.
Speaker:The time came for them to meet again, and and Bishop Coiner said from his
Speaker:desk, he saw Tom turned the corner, moving down the hallway to his office,
Speaker:and he said he knew before he even arrived in his office that that
Speaker:that vision and that passion was there and even stronger. when he had
Speaker:left his office a number of weeks before. So we're grateful
Speaker:that Bishop Pointer blessed this this crazy dream of
Speaker:Tom's we know was God inspired because we're getting ready
Speaker:to celebrate 13 years of of ministry in Guatemala
Speaker:where we have the blessing to work alongside the most beautiful
Speaker:people, I think, that God has created, in
Speaker:my opinion. Tom's vision was
Speaker:also a vision of Dave Byrne, who currently serves as our
Speaker:executive direct director. And together, they were able to
Speaker:found Mission Guatemala. The hope then was to provide
Speaker:medical care for the indigenous Mayan population
Speaker:and not just health care, but health care that was that
Speaker:was loving and respectful. And so that's how it began
Speaker:with just a a medical clinic. We now have a Guatemalan
Speaker:doctor and 3 Guatemalan nurses on staff. And as we
Speaker:continued to see needs in the area, we also have a nutritional
Speaker:program. That once was a feeding program in the school, but the Guatemalan
Speaker:government has increased their support of those programs, so we shifted
Speaker:our focus to our early childhood nutritional program.
Speaker:We call Neenius Tisputos for children six months through six years of
Speaker:age. And so in addition to health and nutrition,
Speaker:we also have an educational program. The Guatemalan government
Speaker:readily provides its people and education through
Speaker:elementary school, which is 6th grade in Guatemala. But
Speaker:we know that continuing your education through middle school and high school
Speaker:is just vital. The gift of education can begin to help
Speaker:break these cycles of of poverty that we see. And so our
Speaker:scholarship program provides the the opportunity
Speaker:for students who have the desire and the the abilities, but don't have the
Speaker:means to to pay for. $25 a month is what
Speaker:it costs on average for a middle school student to go and about $50
Speaker:a month for a high school student to go. Which is out of sight for
Speaker:many folks there, but a pittance for many folks here in the states.
Speaker:Absolutely. Yeah. So families there typically survive
Speaker:on 4 to 6 dollars a day is kind of a a typical wage for
Speaker:the for the population that we serve in the San Andreas Semitibat
Speaker:area. And you can see pretty quickly if you have a family
Speaker:of, you know, 5 or 6, you know, people,
Speaker:mom, dad, and and children. It's it's not
Speaker:only hard. It's it's nearly impossible to then be able to pay
Speaker:for an education. So even though families would like to provide that for their
Speaker:children, they're just really not able to. So the scholarship program kinda
Speaker:helps meet those needs. And then in a a 4th way that we serve
Speaker:is we we call it community development, but we
Speaker:host teams to serve alongside us who have
Speaker:typically come to help us with projects that have been identified in
Speaker:the communities. Most often, those include building
Speaker:bathrooms, handwashing stations at schools, as
Speaker:well as classrooms in the schools or soccer
Speaker:slash basketball courts. The rainy season in Guatemala is pretty
Speaker:detrimental, and so to have a place where children can gather and play.
Speaker:is important. So we're hosting a team right now from Malden,
Speaker:South Carolina, who are who are serving with us and next week.
Speaker:We're welcoming a team from Illinois. So we're
Speaker:just excited to to get to serve the way we do in Guatemala. So several
Speaker:ways that Really Trimble hands on mission
Speaker:and ministry is happening. You get the education piece,
Speaker:the medical piece, the food service piece, and community development,
Speaker:mission teams -- Yes. -- coming in in all kinds of ways. And
Speaker:and those are all about, you know, live transformation. Give us
Speaker:an example of how you've seen things change. I'll tell you personally
Speaker:now. How you've seen things change or transform Give me
Speaker:a little impact statement of what's been happening there from where, you know, was to
Speaker:where it is now. Yeah. So I think, you know, it's
Speaker:the god sized dream that was placed in the heart
Speaker:of Tom Heaton that at the time, I don't think he would have even
Speaker:begun to imagine how, you know, how God would water that
Speaker:seed and and allow for this ministry to continue to grow.
Speaker:We've seen They're just they're countless stories that that I could
Speaker:share. I'll just share one that's -- Sure. -- really close and personal
Speaker:to to me, but also to our organization. In our
Speaker:scholarship program, one of the students whose name is Ingrid, had
Speaker:a a passion for medical care and had this has a
Speaker:a desire had a desire to become a doctor. And in the
Speaker:Guatemalan system, during those high school years, you really get kinda
Speaker:trade type degree. So students who have an interest
Speaker:in education, for example, would be would become as they
Speaker:graduate a a teacher's aid or an early
Speaker:level teacher in the country. If you have a passion
Speaker:for accounting, you could become an accounting resistant as
Speaker:you graduate with your high school degree. And and in the the medical interest,
Speaker:if you have a a a passion for that, you would become a nurse's assistant.
Speaker:And so Ingrid was a student in our program who came to
Speaker:us with the you know, they have to find internships.
Speaker:And so she had approached our our clinic
Speaker:staff about doing her internship with us and came and and worked
Speaker:with us during her high school time to accomplished those internship
Speaker:requirements. And as she graduated from high
Speaker:school, had this desire to continue her education education
Speaker:in the medical field. And and we also found that we had an opening on
Speaker:our staff to have an an, you know, need for a nurse's
Speaker:assistance And so she joined our staff a few years ago, about 3
Speaker:to 4 years ago as that nursing assistant. And
Speaker:as she's worked with us and and continued to improve her
Speaker:her skills. She's developed a passion for our
Speaker:laboratory offering that we have there at our
Speaker:clinic. So we have lab facilities on on-site where we
Speaker:can do all of the testing that we need to do that our doctor can
Speaker:-- Yeah. -- can diagnose and and treat things well. And so
Speaker:she's working to be a lab technician herself
Speaker:now. And so she works in our clinic and is
Speaker:you know, not only is it has it but, you know, changed her life personally,
Speaker:but her family life, and and what we love is that it also changes the
Speaker:life Change one life, it changes others. It is an echo when you see a
Speaker:story about Ingrid and how Her life
Speaker:transformation is multiplied by many other stories
Speaker:like her and similar stories -- Absolutely. -- that people have been and
Speaker:multiplied. in the setting there in in Guatemala
Speaker:-- Yes. -- let's talk for a minute about life chains and transformation
Speaker:among folks who've been there. Yeah. I got a feeling you went there
Speaker:one time as -- Yeah. -- on a Trimble, and and you're saying you're still
Speaker:there. So that's your one life transformation change, and I just
Speaker:figure that'd be the case. But tell me a story about either individuals or
Speaker:maybe a group. You've mentioned to it, you know, I know personally of many groups
Speaker:from here in Indiana where we're ready to have And I know they're all around
Speaker:the country. We've gone there. But tell me about a how a life
Speaker:change situation keep you happy, individually, or maybe even a church where
Speaker:something profound happened after our trip to to mission
Speaker:Guatemala. Yeah. Again, countless stories that
Speaker:can, you know, can be shared. And I hate to to share
Speaker:another one that's so close and personal, but I will share -- Please do. --
Speaker:about my oldest son who was with me on the first trip that I
Speaker:led. I was a youth minister for 20 years. And starting in
Speaker:2013, we took our our older youth and
Speaker:our youth program, primarily our our graduates as their senior trip.
Speaker:We had a couple of openings on that first trip, and we public
Speaker:it in our our bulletin there. And, you know, with the, you know, the
Speaker:first two people that come and and show interest and want to go,
Speaker:can go with us. So a a female student who was
Speaker:a a rising junior in high school and my son who was also a rising
Speaker:junior in high school where first, it came to me that Sunday morning. And I
Speaker:hadn't mentioned it at home, and so it was neat that, you know, my my
Speaker:own son, you know, read the need and and answered the call, so to
Speaker:speak. So along he came with me on that first trip to
Speaker:to Guatemala. Yeah. But how old was he at the time? He was
Speaker:15, 16. Okay. Awesome. and didn't know
Speaker:exactly, you know, how God would use him in this world,
Speaker:came on that trip and immediately felt this calling and
Speaker:desire to to further his life in
Speaker:in
Speaker:University University of South Carolina and is beginning his
Speaker:residency as a pediatrician in North
Speaker:Carolina Chapel Hill at UNC, and he'll also
Speaker:receive a a masters in public health while he's there with this
Speaker:desire and this passion that I really feel like was was
Speaker:planted and placed in his life from serving in Guatemala
Speaker:back in 2 1000 team. And so in some way or another, that will continue.
Speaker:Some sort of an ongoing connection. Absolutely. So it's -- With mission go out of
Speaker:all our missions. Missions in general. Yeah. The hope to to serve
Speaker:not only people here within the states and and just knowing
Speaker:that there is there is such a need for
Speaker:for doctors who not only treat the the illness,
Speaker:but also are willing to invest in the lives of the the people
Speaker:that that they see. And so -- Yeah. -- it's neat it's neat to see
Speaker:that, you know, playing out in the life of my own my son as well.
Speaker:Yeah. Well, Lee, you've mentioned a little bit about the history of mission in Guatemala,
Speaker:and Tom Heaton's involvement we had had founded. And There's a big story
Speaker:about him driving his car from Indiana -- Yeah. -- all the way down there.
Speaker:You know, we we both have heard that story. That's a fascinating story in in
Speaker:of itself. But There's that founding
Speaker:story, and you talk a little bit about what's happened there at you know, on-site
Speaker:of the mission and stories about Ingrid and stories of transformation here
Speaker:in the states. Your son and the many groups that have been there
Speaker:and and how it's all a powerful transformation. But you've
Speaker:also mentioned the needs to remain great. Does it not?
Speaker:Absolutely. So how can folks who may be listening to us? And
Speaker:how can they maybe participate or understand or
Speaker:make a connection to the needs of mission Guatemala and tell
Speaker:us how they can be supportive of that. Yeah. Absolutely. I think, you know,
Speaker:I was born and raised in the United Methodist Church. And so I I love
Speaker:the, you know, prayers, presents, gifts, service, witness. Right? So when
Speaker:we talk about how folks can can live that out and and basically be
Speaker:a part of the mission Guatemala story through your prayers, primarily.
Speaker:I mean, pray for staff, pray for the the people that we get
Speaker:to serve alongside in Guatemala, pray for mission teams that are
Speaker:there, you know, about 15 to to
Speaker:18 weeks out of the year. You know, with your
Speaker:presence, I mean, you can come and serve along side us, you know, if you
Speaker:feel called to do that to come and learn more about the culture and the
Speaker:customs to get to meet the people and and really develop relationships.
Speaker:You know, that also covers that service time, you know, to be able to to
Speaker:really serve with your hands. Your gifts I mean, I've
Speaker:mentioned some, you know, some direct ways, you know,
Speaker:that $25 a month can send a student to middle school, and $50
Speaker:a month can a student to high school. But, you know, we have a
Speaker:staff of 13 Guatemalan people. I mean, you know, we we need to keep the
Speaker:lights on in our clinic, and we need to stop the shell with the with
Speaker:the vitamins and the minerals and the nutrients that our doctor can then use
Speaker:to to help meet the the medical needs of population
Speaker:that we serve. So truly with your your gifts, you know,
Speaker:missionguatemala.com, you know, just check us out online and
Speaker:and that a a direct way that you can give. And you mentioned, like, 25
Speaker:dollar gift, $50 guest, but -- Absolutely. -- the San Francisco classes, our whole churches,
Speaker:our mission teams, you know, had, you know, I'm
Speaker:sure there's off opportunities to make either bigger
Speaker:contributions. Exactly. And then the final is witness. I mean, just, you know,
Speaker:whether you've heard about us and and are able to then share the
Speaker:story with your family and friends and people that you know have a passion for
Speaker:education or a passion for nutrition or a passion for medical care
Speaker:there. And and many people have come and served alongside us
Speaker:in person and then are able to you know, when you when you get to
Speaker:see and and and get to experience up close and
Speaker:get to develop relationships. It's so easy to then go and and
Speaker:share the story with others because I really do feel like God is truly
Speaker:writing writing an incredible story for all I mean, there are
Speaker:nonprofits all around the world and here in the states, and and all it takes
Speaker:is for for us to say I'd I'd like to be a part of that
Speaker:story. That's a I could put in a modern miracle story of
Speaker:a vision coming to fruition and expanding
Speaker:and God doing a cool gonna do the cool thing. You've been -- I
Speaker:don't think the story's done. You know? I feel like we're -- Yeah. -- you
Speaker:know, we all in in in mission and ministry will continue
Speaker:to work until until there's not a need for us. And -- Absolutely. -- until
Speaker:this earth looks a whole lot more like So I still, you know, feel like
Speaker:that could that could happen, you know, if we keep -- I love the way
Speaker:you phrase praise that till earth looks a lot more like heaven. So we
Speaker:got a lot of lot of work to do. Give us the website
Speaker:one more time. Yeah. It's mission guatemala.com. You can
Speaker:also find us at mission guatemala.org. Either of those link you right
Speaker:to our website where you can read about the story. We're on Facebook. We're on
Speaker:Instagram. And, you know, please feel free to reach out to us. We'd love
Speaker:to share more about our story. with you. We'll put links to that to our
Speaker:website to be encouraged.com. Just one more question for you,
Speaker:Lee. The theme of Bishop Trimble's podcast It's called to be
Speaker:encouraged. Yes. So just one more question. I'd like to ask all of our guests,
Speaker:and that is to share what is at least one thing
Speaker:that encourage you you right now as we sit here together. Yeah.
Speaker:I think, you know, I shared that I I was born and raised
Speaker:in the United at his church. And while there is
Speaker:this underlying feeling of
Speaker:discomfort with fact that our our family is
Speaker:is going through a time of trial and tribulation where some family
Speaker:members have chosen to to walk away
Speaker:from the United Methodist Church. I think the thing that brings me
Speaker:hope is that as as United Methodist, I mean,
Speaker:we are people of social justice. We are people who want
Speaker:to help continue to to direct
Speaker:positive change in this world where people who believe in deep relationships.
Speaker:And and even though, you know, there's been a a effort in what's
Speaker:been happening in our family, so to speak. I don't think that vision has been
Speaker:lost. And so what what brings me,
Speaker:you know, Just a a feeling of excitement is what what
Speaker:the United Methodist Church will look like as we turn the page on
Speaker:this this next chapter that's yet to be
Speaker:written. So -- Well said, turn the page to the next chapter
Speaker:and see what God's gonna do. Right? Absolutely. Absolutely. That's awesome.
Speaker:Well, tell us one more time, your name, and who you represent. Leigh
Speaker:Randall with Mission Guatemala. Thank you so much,
Speaker:and Lee has been our guest today on the 2 be encouraged
Speaker:podcasts coming to you live on the live stream from the Indiana
