Dr. Tim and Maryl Smith returned to Elim Central Church in Guatemala City this year for a wonderful week of teaching, preaching and releasing worshipfor this great church and many other churches throughout the area and other nations. Joining them was the team from City of Destiny Church in Springfield, OR: Pastor Dan Trujillo, Adrion Trujillo, Danica Trujillo, Alyssa Cagle and David Cagle.
Elim is an exceptional church placed in the heart of Guatemala City and embedded in the heart of Jesus. Pastor Hector and Marylin Nufio along with his son Paul and Kathy Nufio and their whole pastoral team are beautifully able to shepherd 10,000 believers and more throughout the city as well as overseeing many other churches in Guatemala and other cities all over Latin America. With ministry to orphans, widows, homeless and the poor, they are making a powerful impact wherever they go.
This was our third year coming down to Elim, bringing our third team from the states. This year’s team from Springfield was exceptional in many ways but especially that most of them spoke Spanish and were able to minister very capably throughout our time there without translators. I was very jealous! :) In addition to that, Adrion played ukulele (inspiring another generation of musicians), Alyssa played guitar and led worship exceptionally in Spanish, Pastor Dan preached and taught in Spanish as well as playing the keys and drums! Maryl on the flute and me on the cello (they so graciously provide each year!) and then rounded off the team with David and Danica adding their sweet voices to the worship! We were especially grateful for the extra help since we are still recovering from our bad car accident in April.
We started the week on Tuesday, June 25 with Pastor Dan meeting with the Elim pastors and in the evening he preached in Spanish to a ‘small’ prayer meeting of about 3-4o00 people. Paul Nufio lead a strong time of worship also. Alyssa got to play with their band and sing some. Great start to a great week.
Wednesday, June 26 we met in the morning with the worship leaders of Elim with a great round of Q&A. It was great hearing the team respond in Spanish. I’m not used to that and it really quickens our ability to communicate. In the evening we ministered with and for the whole worship ministry of Elim in the Youth Center. Powerful time and great response as we readied our hearts for a great week of growing together in the Spirit.
Thursday morning, June 27, was a very special time with pastors from all over Guatemala and beyond gathering together at Elim for fellowship and encouragement. Alyssa led the whole time of worship in Spanish with a lot of spontaneous moments of worship, prayer and response. Powerful. I shared on Pastoring Worship, with some insights on how to shepherd (Psalm 78:72) the worship leaders, teams and congregation in worship. Thursday evening was the official beginning of the Worship Conference in the Youth Center with about 200 attendees. We met a pastor and his team of 17 who had traveled 7 hours on winding and unpaved roads so they could be here for this conference! Humbling!
Pastor Paul and Alyssa co-lead the worship beautifully flowing together in Spanish. They brought the cello for me again so I and Maryl (on the flute) along with Adrion on Ukulele and Dan on keys adding to Marcos on electric guitar and Shaq on drums – what a great mix of talent and hearts! I opened the conference with our call as a worshiper – calling us all to greater and higher things in God and in His presence – carrying His presence wherever we go and offering up spiritual sacrifices: praise, thanksgiving, righteousness, broken and contrite hearts! Great response from the conference as the team prayed with many afterwards.
Friday morning, June 28, we split the conference into two workshops: worship leaders with me and the worship teams with Paul. After that Maryl and I did something we have never done: we co-taught a general session on Worship without borders! We went back and forth extolling the freedom we have in worship through Jesus Christ. We landed on the ‘biggie’ of relationships that hinder our worship. There was a great response with good altar ministry for that topic. The final general session of the day was Alyssa sharing (in Spanish) on being intentional in our worship and especially as co-heirs with Christ – finding our place as sons and daughters of the king in worship. Powerful release for many who have been beaten down, maligned and rejected in life. I think this was a keynote of the conference personally! Way to go Alyssa.
Friday night we returned to the main sanctuary for a general session with the whole church. Thousands came out for a powerful time of release in worship followed by a time of teaching and impartation for the whole congregation. We ministered the necessity for the whole body coming together to worship, be strengthened, encouraged and healed TOGETHER! Great response as we were able to minister to many during this spirit-moment.
Saturday morning, June 29, was more excellent teaching and impartation as Paul worked with the worship leaders and Alyssa and the team ministered to the singers and musicians. She had all the different types (drummers, guitarists, bassists, keys, singers) form groups and do a song with their voices only! Then they reassigned all the parts so they had to sing another instruments’ part – creating instant empathy and connection for each other! Brilliant exercise in teamwork. Then Alyssa shared some more on teamwork and flowing together. Paul shared a general session on the identity of the worshiper. Challenging all of us to see our place in worship both yesterday, today and forever, gaining a greater perspective of what worship is all about. The final general session of the day was Pastor Dan sharing on leaving a legacy of worship. He revisited the legacy of worship and God’s presence that he received over the years through his family and his church (Bible Temple). Great rehearing the history of worship in our stream.
Saturday night was the grand finale of worship, teaching and release for the conference. Alyssa and Paul once again lead a powerful time of praise and worship with everyone joining in wholeheartedly! The cello, flute and ukulele flowed well with the keys, guitars, bass and drums and it seemed we could worship forever in that moment of time. Afterward, I shared the prophetic purpose of worship and song in our midst, starting with the Song of Moses (Ex 15) symbolizing the celebration of victory over yesterday’s limitations and hindrances through the blood of Jesus Christ. We all wrote down those things which have hindered us, limited us and held us back in the past from God’s victory in our lives. Then we put those lists on the ground and like Miriam in Ex 15, we danced (on the lists) and celebrated in faith the liberty we now have in Christ while singing ‘Our God’. Powerful! Next, we looked at the Song of the Singers (2 Chr 20) going out before the army, praising the Lord for imminent victory, even in the face of overwhelming odds! We wrote down fears, pain, sickness, etc. that we are facing today. Then after offering them up to God, we started singing ‘Trading my Sorrows’ (Cambiare mi tristeza) and proceeded to trade our lists with people all over the sanctuary. By the end, with everything traded, we started to dance, tear up the lists and throw them into the air like confetti! What a party – dancing and celebrating our liberty over today’s trials. Finally, we studied the Song of the Barren (Is 54) and considered our future destiny in God. We wrote down our dreams and ambitions and presented them to God as we sang Vamos a Cantar ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’. All in all a very powerful and freeing night of praise, worship, dance, shouting, singing, proclaiming and believing that God was at work in our lives. So many reports from that night of people being freed from oppression and depression, fears and failures, all tools that our enemy loves to use to wreak havoc in our hearts and lives.
The final day of ministry was Sunday, June 30, back in the main sanctuary. The team got to minister in music during the worship time in 1st and 2nd service. I was honored to deliver the final message on Sunday, but had a hard night with little sleep and felt very weary so I had to lay down between the two services. By the worship time, I got out the cello and joined the team for a powerful (!!!!!!) time of praise and worship lead by Paul and his team (Alyssa, Maryl and I backing them up) and their choir. It flowed so strongly with people getting healed and saved during the worship, that I really didn’t think I would need to preach! Nevertheless, the time came and Paul interpreted for me as I ministered on ‘Making His Praise Glorious’ – opening up the possibilities of glorifying Him in many ways beyond just singing on Sunday morning. We ended with ‘Vamos a Cantar” again and had a great time of closing celebration with thousands of people.
We had a great day off on Monday to tour Antigua, buy a few things and see the beautiful countryside. The Elim team took such good care of us, we were so blessed. All in all a quick, deep and amazing week full of great ministry both collectively and privately. This great church has such a wonderful destiny and impact in this city and nation as well as regionally – we were honored to be another piece of releasing His glorious praise and worship in Guatemala!
Thanks to Pastor Hector and Marylin Nufio, Pastor Paul and Kathy Nufio, Alejandra, Eduardo, OJ, Marcos, Ana Ruth, and the countless others who served us as we all enjoyed the presence of Jesus each and every day! We love seeing what God is doing in Guatemala!
Blessings to all,
Dr. Tim and Maryl Smith, your worship missionaries
Tim and Maryl,
Thanks for the update. My heart raced as I read about the church in Elim, what God is doing there and how God is using you guys to add to that. I wish I had been in that final service, it sounded glorious. Love the pics. I continue to pray for you and I really enjoy reading about your ministry and travels. Love and blessings, Sue Lavier