One of my favorite verses of the bible is Hebrews 11:35 -38. The writer of Hebrews has finished his list of men and women who showed extraordinary faith and then with a sense of exhaustion says in verse 32, “And what more shall I say?” He then lists others he had not mentioned and then begins describing acts of faith by those who no one will ever know their names. He begins in verse 35 and says,

“…Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated – the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

I love the phrase, “…the world was not worthy of them.” I would imagine that each of us has had the privilege of meeting believers that would fit that description. The writer of Hebrews list many examples of faithful men and women so we will aspire to that kind of faith. In my travels I have met so many men and women of faith who fit that description but very few people will ever know who they are or what wonderful works the Lord does through them.

I was in a room of such people today in Guatemala – faithful servants of the Lord who serve for no other reason but their love for Christ and those whom they serve who live in Guatemala. One of this number is a young pastor by the name of Arnoldo Cuja Lopez. He is the pastor of Iglesia Bautisia De Rabinal (Rabinal Baptist Church) in a small village called Pachux. He is a faithful loving pastor in a community that is very poor and ministers to families that have suffered loss in the civil war, endure poverty, lack of water and access to education. Arnoldo is one of those who lost his father in the war. He ministers to a congregation of a little over a hundred people and also to approximately 50 orphans and many other severely marginalized children.

His dream is to have a church that has walls. You see his church consist of only pillars and a metal roof -but Arnoldo is more focused on what God is doing than what he does not have. His eyes light up as he talks about the families and children he serves. He has been leading this small congregation for the last six years but has only recently been officially ordained as a pastor after much hard work and study. His wife and seven children live in a mud brick house next to the church. He was very excited to tell us he recently was given an award for his work with the youth in sports by the Rabinal Soccor Association. It was a rare recognition for a Baptist pastor to be recognized by an official governmental agency. All those who know him talk about how he has made a real difference in the lives of children in this community.

Orphan Outreach is praying we will be able to raise the money to complete the church building so that Arnoldo can minister more effectively to the community. The church building will also become a preschool through kindergarten Christian School for 120 children most of whom are orphaned or live in extreme poverty. It will cost $28,000 to complete the church building. As we talked about the construction plans Mateo (Arnoldo’s mentor and regional pastor) mentioned that Arnoldo will need to find another place to live. When we asked Arnoldo why - he explained that his house will need to be torn down to make way for the expanded church building. He said he did not know what he will do but he knew that the Lord wanted the church built so in faith he would see how the Lord would provide for a new place to live.

We all felt that we needed to provide for his need and build a house next to the new church for Arnoldo and his family. We will need another $5,000 to provide them a home. It was clear that Arnoldo was not going to share with us this need until Mateo brought it up in our conversation. Arnoldo’s main concern and hope was that the church be finished so he could minister to the community he loves more effectively.

Hebrews chapter 11 came to my mind as I looked at Arnoldo as he and Mateo thanked us with tears in their eyes. It was beyond their ability for words to think that this dream of a completed church building may become fulfilled. I watched Arnoldo leave the room - and as he turned - I noticed the small backpack with the few belongings he brought for his journey to Guatemala City so he could meet with us - the words, “…the world was not worthy of them” ran through my mind and my heart. I know the Lord will provide for Arnoldo and his dreams and prayers will be answered because of his incredible faith – and as the writer of Hebrews said, “what more shall I say?”