What has God accomplished in this ministry over the last ten years?
 
He established a Christian Academy for boys. They learn math, science, and language, but that's all secondary to the mission of raising boys to be men of God.
 
We don't use shallow teen devotionals. After searching and praying, we settled on teaching right out of the Bible—one of the best decisions we've ever made.
 
Vonda and I prayed for years that we would find someone to take over teaching Bible class. Our prayers were specific, and we knew we would have to be patient.
 

• He had to be Guatemalan.
• He had to have solid theology.
• He had to be a prayer warrior.
• He had to be compassionate.
• He had to be madly in love with the Lord.

 
After five years of praying, God sent Pablo Castillo. Not only did Pablo check all the boxes, but:
 

• He's fluent in English.
• He's a young, 26 years old.
• He lives in nearby Chimaltenango.

 
Pablo and I taught side by side for the first half of the year, and then, on his own, he took over.
 

• He's our school chaplain and will be praying with and over the teachers every morning.
• He prays over our widows and single moms when we deliver food and medical care.
• He has a servant’s heart and is full of compassion and grace.

Last year, we teamed up with another ministry that taught our boys (and teachers) English online. I'm encouraged by how far they've come.
 
Five of our boys dominated both English and Bible.
 
Two of them graduated in November, and we've given them scholarships to a private high school where they'll study for three years to be electricians. We've only ever awarded two high school scholarships, and that was three years ago.
 
We get the other three boys for one more year.
 
Here's the plan.
 
All five will continue to study English for the next three years alongside their regular studies.
 
In 2027, we'll send those who are ready to Torchbearers International Bible School in Costa Rica for a year.
 
"Torchbearer's mission is to proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through biblical teaching and practical training, equipping men and women for service in His church worldwide."
 
Torchbearers is next level, high quality, deep Bible study. (If you have a high school student, I encourage you to check them out. It would be a perfect gap year.)
 
Life
Changing
 

• It will be their first time in an airplane,
• Their first time in another country,
• And their first time spending their entire days studying the Bible and drawing close to God.

All week, we've been talking about a big announcement.
 
With staff and administration in place and the last missing puzzle piece found in a Bible teacher...
 
Vonda and I are stretching our ministry efforts to Cuba.
 
For the last four or five years, Vonda and I felt called to the hard-to-reach countries. Countries that don't have access to the Bible or are persecuted for sharing the gospel.
 
Then, last year, while watching David Platt's Secret Church, we both clearly heard Cuba when it was mentioned as "the last hard-to-reach Spanish-speaking country."
 
"Cuba's government is the main reason Christians face persecution. Anything deemed to be in competition with the Communist Party of Cuba is squeezed, and this includes the Christian faith. Church leaders or believers who speak out against human injustice or political corruption—or who dare to criticize the regime—risk interrogation, arrest, smear campaigns, and even prison sentences."
 
Christianity Today ranks Cuba in the top 5 of Communist and post-communist oppressed countries.
 
"All churches are monitored in Cuba and may be infiltrated by citizens sympathetic to the regime and/or State security agents."
 
Why Cuba?
 
When Vonda and I visited Cuba in 2019, we immediately felt the darkness when we got off the plane. If you know me, I'm not that guy who talks about "spiritual heaviness," but I assure you it was there.
 
We didn't meet a single Christian until our last day on the island.
 
Christianity is the most widely professed religion in Cuba, with Catholicism being its largest denomination, except none of that's actually true.
 
A simple Google search of "Santería practiced in Cuba" shows 70%! What is Santería?
 
"Santería is a religion that has fused African beliefs with Catholic traditions. It started in Cuba when African people were brought there as slaves. In Santería, people believe in gods and spirits called orishas, who take care of different things in the world like love, nature, and wisdom. They also think that these orishas are connected to Catholic saints, so they can worship them in a way that is like Catholic worship."
 
One of the African religions that make up Santería is Vodun sometimes spelled, Voodoo.
 
A young Jewish community has been growing in Cuba and since 2005, the island’s Muslim community has grown from 500 to 7000.
 
Studies have shown that just 5% of Cubans identify as Protestant or Evangelical. But that's not completely true either.
 
A significant portion of the 5% is believed to originate from megachurches, with a strong association to the Prosperity Gospel.

What does that look like for us?
 
I'll be taking a vision trip in mid-April to try to get a better idea of the religious landscape. I'll connect with a local church and explore how God would use us.
 
As economically poor as Cuba is, it's incredibly educated. We don't see ourselves doing what we're doing here in Guatemala. Because of government regulations, we couldn't even if we wanted to.
 
I plan to take another vision trip in August or September, and we plan to move the family there for one month in November.
 
We'll return to Guatemala, assess what we learned, continue to lead the Guatemalan ministry, and plan our next trip of 3 months.
 
What will we do in Cuba?
 
Vonda and I see ourselves building relationships, loving our neighbors, and sharing the true Gospel as evangelists. We feel like Guatemala has prepared us with the confidence of the Holy Spirit to take His Word to those who may never know who Jesus really is.

Estiven Josal graduated from our academy in November.
 
On June 27th, he was waiting outside the National Hospital in nearby Chimaltenango. His younger brother had broken his arm, and Estiven was waiting for his dad so they could take his brother home.
 
I know the area well. I've waited countless times for widows and single moms who needed a ride home.
 
I once waited 8 hours for a single mom who was in surgery. There were complications, so my son Gabe and I sat outside in the "waiting area."
 
The waiting area is a large covered patio with 5-6 concrete picnic tables. There's a 3ft. cement wall that circles the patio, giving more places to sit. There had to be 100 people waiting that night. The only lights came from two streetlights on either side.
 
The waiting visitors share the covered patio with homeless people. I remember that night, a homeless woman lifted her dress and squatted in the corner to urinate. I only mention it to shatter any pictures you might have in your head of what it might be like in the United States.
 
Waiting at the National Hospital at night is scary and dangerous.
 
Estiven was waiting alone when he felt something sharp at his side. A man had a knife against his ribs and whispered, "Give me your phone and all your cash, or I will stab you."
 
Without looking, Estiven raised both his arms, the phone in his hand, and said, "I don't have any money."
 
The man took his phone and ran into the dark.
 
Estiven just stood there and started to cry. He didn't know what to do. He just waited for his dad.

That's when I first learned that he got robbed at the hospital. His dad had just purchased that phone for him a few months before in hopes they could scrape enough money together for one semester of school.
 
"My dad bought me another phone last week. He told me we both need to work hard and trust that God would provide."
 
And then the dam broke. Every tear he'd been holding back fell.
 
"I got robbed again yesterday."
 
"WHAT? HOW?"

"I was working, delivering snacks to tiendas (small convenience stores on every corner) in Chimaltenango. The man I was working for was talking to someone at another tienda, and I stayed with the truck. A man came up to me and lifted up his shirt to show me his gun."

He said, "Give me your money."

"I gave him Q20 ($2.75)."
 
"Give me your phone."
 
"I didn't want to give him my phone... but I took it out of my front pocket and handed it over to him."
 
"My headphones were around my neck..."

"Your headphones!"
 
"Estiven. I'm so sorry. I'm glad you're ok."

"I was scared... but I was sad."
 
"Why were you sad?" I asked.
 
"Because my dad worked hard to buy me that phone. He bought it out of love."

I decided not to offer the scholarship to Estiven.
 
"When you go home, tell your dad I want to talk with him. Here's my number. Have him text me a time that works."
 
I met with Estiven and his dad the next afternoon.
 
"Estiven told me what happened. He was robbed twice?"
 
"That's true."
 
Estiven's dad looked broken. He was having trouble breathing. Like, in a concerning way.
 
His dad explained that he was hurt by what had happened to his sons. His youngest son had broken his arm and was crying in pain when it happened, "And there was nothing I could do about it."
 
"Estiven was robbed twice..." he couldn't get another word out. He started crying... weeping... "I couldn't protect him."
 
Estiven was now crying...
 
And I was crying, "I'm sorry that happened."
 
He shook his head in agreement, "They're ok." He forced a smile.
 
"Estiven has been one of our best students at the academy. Ever. And we want to offer him a scholarship to study to be an electrician. Everything will be paid for. We'll buy him a new cell phone... a new computer. All his books. Everything. Will. Be. Covered."
 
He had no words.

It's been three months since that conversation, and I'm still crying as I write this.
 
When I lived in the United States, I had no idea of the privileges we had.
 
No
Idea
 
I've been here for almost 12 years, and I'm still not sure of the depth of our privilege. But I can tell you this. It's deep.
 
Estiven and his dad humbly accepted the scholarship.
 
"I will never be able to thank you enough or pay you back for this. My son will work hard to make you proud. And I will pray that you and your wife and this academy and this ministry will be doubly blessed."

We were able to get counseling for Estiven's dad. He was diagnosed with mild depression and PTSD. He's doing much better.

Here's the thing. When I went on that mission trip, I had ZERO intention of becoming a full-time missionary. Zero! I was an entrepreneur. I loved my life.
 
But...
 
At the end of the trip, I knew our lives had changed forever. We owned two small businesses, I'd just launched a website, and suddenly,
 
None
Of
It
Mattered

I walked up to the counter to check-in.
 
"Mr. Sisneros, we've upgraded you to First Class today." I didn't even crack a smile.
 
The plane was packed as tight as a chicken bus. Every seat was taken. But in first class, it was just me and one other person.
 
I put on my sunglasses, stared out the window, and cried an ugly cry. "What would I tell my wife?"
 
Then, from Houston to Denver, I sat with the rest of the commoners, and I've never been bumped again.
 
Seven months later, we'd sold our house, our businesses, and everything we owned and landed in Guatemala City to serve our true Love with our whole lives.

"As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, 'Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.'" Mark 5:18
 
Not everyone is called to go.
There are goers, and there are senders.
We work together.

Sandy kept texting me, asking if we had a job available, and I kept replying that I would let her know.

This is her story.
 
“When I graduated from high school, I couldn’t wait to get a job. I didn’t consider the possibility that I wouldn’t find one. I was so full of hope that doubt didn’t enter my mind.

“I don’t remember how many applications I filled out. Most of the time, there were 100 applicants for one job.”
 
She and her mom worked during the day picking peas, earning $7.50 a day. They cleaned the academy at night.

“And then the pandemic hit. Everything shut down.

“I remember sitting with my mom, wondering how we were going to eat. The academy closed, and you called to tell us we didn’t have to come to work. I remember we were worried.”
 
Sandy looked me straight in the eyes and said, “You will never know what it meant that you kept paying us. The food you delivered to us, to the community during the pandemic... no one will ever forget that.”
 
She was smiling, but tears rolled down her face. A wave of emotions hit both of us. We were both smiling and crying.

Sandy kept texting me, asking if we had a job available, and I kept replying that I would let her know.

In the midst of the battle, which poured into other areas of southern Palestine, Joshua spoke to the Lord, saying: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon” (10:12).
 
“So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel”

Joshua 10-12

I love how Joshua prayed boldly in the midst of battle. Joshua didn’t pray and wait. Joshua prayed and fought. He prayed with confidence, and he fought with confidence.

Like Joshua, Sandy prayed and fought. “We worked 8-10 hours and then cleaned the academy at night.”

Sandy cried her prayers. “Lord, You know our needs. You know we’re desperate. Just give me a chance.”

As I talked with Sandy, I wondered how many times I’d ever cried my own prayers about a job or about food. How many times had I ever been desperate like that?
 
Sandy’s neighbors (extended family) started to tell her, “What a waste it was to go to school. It would be better for you to get a job at a factory so you can help your mom.”
 
(If you don’t know my view on factories in Guatemala, they’re basically sweatshops and should be illegal.)
 
“But my goal wasn’t to work at a factory.
 
“They told me, ‘You’re going to end up like your mom.’”

I asked, “What did they mean?”

“They thought I would get pregnant and be a single mom.”

“Why would they say that???”

She smiled, “I don’t know. They always say humiliating things to me disguised as love.

“But I didn’t care. Truly. I just needed an opportunity. Just one. So, I kept texting you.” She laughed.

“If you would have said, ‘Clean my house.’ I would have done it. I’m not too proud to clean. With a cleaning job, we can eat.”
  
"I began to get depressed.
I cried every day for six months.
My mom was worried.
 
"God. Why me?

"Are
You
Listening?
 
"Do
You
Love
Me?
 
"If you love me, why are you letting this happen to us?
 
"I started to believe the lies.

"I would be a single mom.
I wasn’t capable.
It was a waste of my time to study.
 
"I felt forgotten.
 
“And then you texted me, telling me that you had a job for me.”
 
“I immediately started to cry. I felt bad. I repented.

“I’m sorry God.
I didn’t know what you had for me.
I thought you had forgotten me.
I doubted You.
I wasn’t patient.
I’m sorry.”

Who does that? Who falls to their knees in Godly sorrow when God answers their prayers?
 
Mostly, we celebrate. Mostly, we forget to give glory to the One who answered our prayers.

Sandy's given me a new perspective. Am I desperate for God? Or do I have it mostly handled? When I pray, do I repent for my lack of faith, or do I just celebrate the blessing?

Thank you for walking this journey with us... with Sandy.

(Sandy tutors four kids from El Rosario who were born deaf or severely hard of hearing. On weekends, she's studying to be a speech therapist at a nearby university.)