Category: Words From Deborah

A new BIRTH and a RE-BIRTH!

Published on by John And Deborah Sims2 Comments

No matter the time of day, it always seemed like rush hour on the road to San Cristobal, Guatemala. This day was no different. Missionary Tom, John, and I were on our way to the US Embassy to meet with the Ambassador of the United States and the Deputy of Missions. It was an honor to be invited to share our story and we were excited. We knew in advance we would have this meeting, through a confirmation from the Lord. We’d only been in the country two weeks as new missionaries, but God had already done so much in our hearts. 

Then the unexpected happened!  We saw a young girl fall down, while standing in the median between two lanes of heavy traffic. We quickly circled around and pulled off the road to see if we could be of any assistance. An old woman stood beside her, holding the hand of a small confused boy, appearing to be her grandson. The old woman was frantic, yelling words we could not understand. I knelt down beside the young girl on the ground, only to discover she was in labour. The baby had crowned and was coming! 

Tom and John quickly grabbed the necessary supplies from the van needed for the delivery, then set off in search of the father, who’d gone for help. They returned shortly and stood at a distance. The father was troubled. Tom and John continued to reassure him.

The young mother clung to me tightly. She was wrapped in a colorful, indigenous, tipica skirt. I wondered which village she called home. She and her family had tried to reach the hospital on foot when she’d gone into labour. Now it was too late. My heart was desperate to help her in any way I could. Even though she did not speak a word to me, there seemed to be an understanding between us. I was grateful for the experience I’d had earlier that year as a coaching partner for a friend’s home birth; but this time we were in the middle of rush hour traffic and no one seemed to care. 

Then suddenly, a car pulled up behind our van and out jumped a gentleman. In broken english, he introduced himself as a doctor. He explained, he’d stopped because he’d seen our US plates.

Seconds later, the baby was born! I wrapped her in an old sweater covered with grass and handed her to her new mom. As men gathered around to help her into the doctor’s vehicle, it was hard to say goodbye. I didn’t even know her name, but that day our hearts were bound together through what started in fear and ended in deep joy! 

The doctor had been afraid of hepatitis and, therefore, had been hesitant to help. He would have never stopped to assist, if he had not noticed our US plates. We were relieved to have his assistance, but the arrival of a new baby was not what he expected. 

As we drove the rest of the way to the US Embassy, John shared about the father. They had prayed with him. While his daughter was being born on a dirty highway, in the middle of a median, he’d given his life to Christ, accepting him as Saviour. A newborn daughter and a born-again father!

In John 3:3-7, Jesus explains to Nicodemus what it means to be born again. 

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born-again.”

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born-again.’”

During this global pandemic, we are not able to do things in our usual way, but with God all things are possible. He can bring unexpected opportunities, like using the birth of a baby, to bring a father the opportunity to know and accept Christ as his Saviour.

Building HOPE takes a TEAM,

Deborah Sims

September 23rd through the 27th, we at Builders International are hosting live a Virtual Mission Trip to the country of Uruguay!

This is a FREE opportunity for you and me to experience the journey of a mission trip and the impact you can have! I’d like to invite you to join John and I in this unconventional way of going to the mission field. If you’re interested, visit builduruguay.org and join the team! That way you won’t miss out on updates and details about the trip!

Register

Far, Far, Away…

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When your heart is consumed with a passion for missions, it can be frustrating when confronted with closed borders. With restrictions on travel it can seem nearly impossible to continue your missions work…or is it? This was how we felt at the beginning of March this year.

The Dilemma.

What do you do when faced with a global pandemic? 

Builders International construction teams missions trips are a vital part to the work. Not only are the lives of team members impacted, but the work itself is advanced for our missionary and national partners building places where people find hope!

With borders closed our projects no longer had the huge resource of teams, which brings physical labor, as well as project funding for construction materials.

The Answer to the Dilemma.

This is where the strength of our amazing network pulls together. In the middle of this global pandemic, churches have continued to send the construction funds needed, so materials could still be purchased and local labor hired. Our missionary and national church partners have been able to keep the work moving forward.

Because of this, great things are taking place this month!

Berea ChildHope School – Zacapa, Guatemala
Church #103 – Amazon River, Brazil
Church #1 – Flor de Maroñas, Uruguay

God Always Makes A Way!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Often I am reminded of the missionary work of Andrew van der Bijl, also known as Brother Andrew, the founder of Open Doors. During the Cold War, he traveled to the Soviet Union in a Volkswagen Beetle to encourage Christians who were living under great persecution. He smuggled Bibles into communist countries, earning him the name, Gods Smuggler.

If we have no eye for the lost around us, how can we then ever have God’s love for the people far away?

Because no one ever becomes a missionary by crossing the ocean. You are a missionary here or you’re not a missionary.

– Brother Andrew

We are very thankful to be a part of the Builders team and to all who have partnered together with us to bring HOPE to communities around the world, by assisting the national church with their construction needs.

I have committed in my heart, whether here or across the ocean, to share the love of God daily with those around me.

And together, we will build places where people find hope!

Deborah and John Sims

They thought loss, but God gave gain!

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The hallways were empty and silent on the campus of Continental Theological Seminary (CTS). The Coronavirus had invaded Belgium like the rest of Europe. Suddenly in one day everything had changed. 

It had been such a fantastic school year for the CTS students. Now the future was bleak and full of uncertainty. It was heart wrenching as the staff watched the students pack their bags and prepare to return to their homes and families.

At the peak of Covid-19, it was estimated up to 600 people a day were dying in Belgium. Like every other school and business in Belgium…and across the globe, CTS would have to close their doors too.

The CTS President, Dr. Joseph Dimitrov, explained how in moments of a trial like COVID-19, your dreams are tested and it is easy to question the plans God has given you. Discouragement can take over as the trial seems to dictate the circumstances. 

Dr. Dimitrov continued by saying, “I have never doubted about the faithfulness of God to CTS as we went through this coronavirus period.

James 1:2-3 says, ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.’ 

The Coronavirus was one of those trials. We learned new virtues of endurance and patience.”

What was Loss, Now was Gain.

Education in Europe is taught in a more traditional way in classrooms. During the time of the pandemic, the staff was given new tools and developed skills for teaching online. Three months later, every student passed their final exam after participating in these online courses! The graduating class of 2020 will have its commencement service on October 3! The new school year will begin in October, as well, with two first-time students from Greece and Honduras.

The school faculty and student body stayed connected, sharing testimonies of the goodness of God in challenging situations. Now, at Continental Theological Seminary they are redreaming the dream.

What was considered as a loss in the beginning, now is considered gain! 

The Construction Phase Is Happening.

The architectural and engineering plans are completed on the Continental Theological Seminary expansion for the Pentecostal Center. Now begins the Construction Phase for the new dormitory, cafeteria, and administration offices. The Pentecostal Center will prepare students to reach the post-Christian culture with the good news of Jesus!

I’ll leave you with a powerful thought Dr. Dimitrov shared: 

“Tell me what your God is like and I will tell you what your trust should be!”

Together We Build Hope,

Deborah Sims

Learn More about cts

SINK or SING

Published on by John And Deborah Sims2 Comments

Adrift on the deep lake and surrounded by cliffs, I couldn’t help but question the decision I’d made to get into the boat with my family. With every passing moment the lake was getting rougher and rougher! There was no place to go except into the steep ledges. With no life jackets on board, the tension was rising. We now found ourselves in a life threatening situation!

It was a holiday and we had spent the last two days with another missionary family from the church at Lake Atitlan. The beautiful lake was formed in a volcanic crater, expanding 50.2 square miles, with a surface elevation of 5,125 feet, and reaching a depth of over 1,120

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

In the early morning hours the lake had been peaceful, as I’d watched the sunrise from the dock. Then it was time to go. We gathered our things and headed for the dock only to discover the only water taxis (a lancha) crossing the lake were departing from a town called San Marcos. We’d heard rumors of dangerous drug trafficking in that area. This meant we were in for a long day of zig-zagging across the lake to get to our destination. 

Once we arrived in San Marcos we found someone with a boat willing to transport us. We boarded the boat only to learn we had another two hours of waiting before departure. Time was of the essence. No one wanted to be traveling at night. It didn’t take long to realize this was going to be an all-day affair. 

Out came the peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. Everyone in our group was hungry, so we figured the next best thing to calm the moods and stop the hunger pains was to introduce the famous Fluffanutter Sandwich. Before we left the states, my father had insisted we take marshmallow fluff and peanut butter with us as a trusty survival staple in a hard pinch. This time we were grateful to have it. 

Finally the time came for departure. We were relieved to be leaving San Macros and on our way to Panajachel on the other side of the lake, where we could continue traveling to our final destination. We settled in for the 30-minute ride across the lake. 

We all began laughing and reminiscing about the great weekend getaway, when suddenly, halfway across the lake the winds picked up and the waves became increasingly choppy. I could see the anxiety on everyone’s faces. John and I assured them all it would be okay; but I knew we needed to keep moving. 

Then it happened! The engine made a choking sound, accompanied with a strong smell of fuel, and followed by a black cloud of smoke rolling out from beneath the boat. We stopped dead in the water!

We were adrift! I looked to the shoreline for a place of safety. There was nothing to be found, only sharp cliffs rising abruptly from the water’s edge. The water was cold and dark with an eerie, bottomless feeling. I knew that, if we slammed into the cliffs the heavy steel boat would sink like a rock. We all began to pray. I tried to calculate who could save whom. Not everyone on the boat could swim. There were ten of us altogether. A missionary widow, her two teenagers, a two-year-old, my two sons, my husband John, the captain, and his assistant. The boat became a breach in the waves, causing a loss of control over it.

The captain ordered his assistant to go below to the engine room. We heard loud noises as he repeatedly hit the engine with a tool. The boat chugged and sputtered, but only produced more smoke. The captain called for him to return to the bow of the boat and take the wheel. The captain made his desperate attempt to fix the engine, but again no power was produced. With every minute, the ledges drew closer and panic was taking over among the group.

I suddenly heard singing! Unbeknownst to the rest of us, the Lord had spoken to John to go to the front of the boat and talk with the captain’s assistant. After introductions were made, John discovered the captain’s assistant was a Christian and the choir leader in his church. John asked him, “What is your favorite song?” He immediately began to sing with great passion and John joined him in singing! 

At that very moment, the captain called out from below, “Start the boat!” The motor chugged and we moved forward. As long as they continued to sing, the engine continued to run, propelling the boat forward. 

After an hour of singing, their voices were exhausted. They stopped for a moment’s rest, when to their surprise, the boat abruptly stalled again. John realized in order to keep the boat going, they needed to continue singing. We slowly crossed the perilous lake to Panajachel, singing all the way. By the time we arrived, the 30-minute water taxi ride had taken over two hours of singing praises to the Lord.

In 1914, Ernest Henry Shackleton led an expedition to Antarctica with a crew of 28 men in an attempt to reach the South Pole. The last 800 miles, he sailed a 16-days’ journey with five men in a small whaleboat. He navigated across the open ocean through terrifying conditions and circumstances with dead reckoning. (Dead reckoning is a navigation technique based on mathematical calculations of time, speed, distance, and direction. These measurements are taken with a tool called a sextant.) 

Adrift on Lake Atitlan, our song (the sextant) was the measure of our faith. And obedience to worship released a miracle that propelled us forward to the safety of the shore with dead reckoning. We sang with full hearts, praising God for His goodness.

2 Chronicles 20: 21-22a, “And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments . . .”

Life can challenge us in ways that cause us to lose our direction. How do we navigate with dead reckoning? I have found in those times the Holy Spirit can guide us when we exercise our faith, making our hearts glad with songs of praise! What seemingly looks impossible can change in that moment of faith. 

Act 16:25-26, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”

Together we build HOPE, 

Deborah Sims

*(This took place in 1998, while we were serving as missionaries to the country on Guatemala.)

Lake Atitlan 
Water volume‎: 16,000,000 acre⋅ft
Surface area‎: ‎50.2 sq mi
Surface elevation‎: ‎5,125 ft
Max. depth‎: ‎1,120 ft (est.)

Freed From Prison, Freed From His Past!

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I passed by the prison cell laden with stone and iron. The heaviness of the atmosphere seemed palpable to me. The night before we arrived I laid in bed wide-awake and pondered, “How would I tell these men God had delivered me from men just like them?” My stomach churned with nerves. They were murderers, rapists, and thieves, much like the men who had robbed us just weeks earlier. I needed peace. “Didn’t they deserve to hear about the love of God? But, what if they felt judged by me? And, how would I overcome intimidation and find the courage needed?” I tried to piece together words that would bear hope.

I was grateful for our team. Our interpreter and his wife were experienced in these things and seemed to be confident in the plan. They had invited John and me to share our terrifying encounter and rescue in this country of Guatemala.

The old Catholic convent now served as a prison for men, isolating them from society. Once we arrived, we were searched and given permission to enter. The thick stone walls and iron bars made for cold and lonely surroundings. There was nothing in the way of furniture nor personal belongings, except for soccer balls in the courtyard. My thoughts from the night before continued to weigh heavily on my heart.

We entered the courtyard where the games had begun. I was nervous. Quickly we were escorted into a room where a group of men stood waiting to hear what we had to say. I wondered, “What have I gotten myself into?” After introductions were made, it was my turn to speak. Suddenly, compassion overcame me. It did not seem important why I was there, but what God was doing. 

In the next few minutes, I shared John’s and my story of the highway robbery and the men who had attacked us. Silence fell over the group. As I dared to look in their eyes, I could see pain. Tears ran down their cheeks as I continued to share how God had rescued us from an impossible situation. If I could only help them to understand how much God loved them. At that moment, I was reminded of our primary purpose as believers; and my reason for being at the prison was clear. It was not to tell my story, but rather to be a manifestation of God’s love. For we had also received freely the forgiving love of God. 

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 1John 3:1

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 1John 3:16

It was hard to say good-bye. We prayed with the men and as we left they were kind and showed their gratitude. One young man had caught our attention. He stood out because of a serious, debilitating injury to his eye. His name was Pedro. It wouldn’t be until months later that we would come to realize the full magnitude of what God was doing that day in Pedro’s life.

The evangelistic crusade would be held in a three-top circus tent with capacity for 1500 people. People gathered out of curiosity to watch the enormous tent go up. The local soccer field near the busy food market was the perfect place. It took weeks of preparation and prayer. Daily announcements were made on a loudspeaker inviting people to the crusade. 

At the end of the week-long crusade, Pedro walked into the back of the tent. We couldn’t believe it! We greeted him with excitement! He explained how he’d just been released from prison. While in the courtyard of the prison he had heard the announcements on the loudspeaker coming from the street. The crusade was the first place he had decided he wanted to go. He had remembered our visit to the prison and wanted to know this God we had talked about. Set free from prison in one moment and from his past in the next, all in that same day! He became a new and changed man when introduced to the love of God. 

Pedro attended a training center where he learned more about God’s love. When he returned to his village at the foothills of a volcano, he was not the same man he had once been. Pedro decided to serve in his local church introducing others to the same love and forgiveness that had set him free.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

It is not only what God does in us, but it’s what He does through us. During this time of COVID-19, I am reminded of the opportunities we have to introduce people to God’s love. Instead of being consumed with fear, judgments, and intimidation, let’s do the opposite and use every opportunity we’ve been given to share the love of God with people just like Pedro!

Together, we build HOPE!

Deborah Sims