Even in the Tough Times

I have been having a hard time trying to figure out what to write this week. We spent the last week helping The Oasis staff and a medical team from Texas with a medical clinic in Zapote. It was a difficult week for many. Normally this group was led by the team coordinator Josh Ma. I have helped them with 8 or 9 clinics and he has been the lead on all but this one. He was not able to lead this time because he was very ill. He has been battling stomach cancer and it spread to most of his other organs. He lost a lot of weight because the tumor was so large he could not eat. He had a feeding tube placed in his intestines to try and get him some nourishment. Unfortunately the tube did not seal and leaked into his body cavity causing severe infection. On Thursday one of the Kid's Alive staff got frequent prayer updates and they culminated in the news that he passed away at 3 p.m. 

In my home Church there is a man that has been faithful to attend and pray for many years. He was an encourager for all that were there. He always had a hug and a smile for everybody. When he prayed for you, you knew that you were loved. A few months ago he was diagnosed with cancer as well. He had been going through treatment and when I was in Morris for Christmas I thought he looked good seemed to be doing well also. Chemo destroys he immune system and he got sick. He wound up in ICU a few days ago. This morning he passed away also.

Other than the fact that they were both Godly men and they both had families, their lives were very different. One was young, had left a professional position to pursue missions. The other had worked hard and lived in the same area most of his life. One had a young wife, a small daughter and another child on the way. The other lost his wife to cancer several years ago and his children were now adults with families of their own. Thy were different in many ways but the end of their life journey here has had a singular impact on me

The effect of these two deaths has caused me to question the direction of my life. I am missing time with family and friends in Morris. Someday I will loose people closer to me than these two friends. Will I regret not being there the last few years?  Will I be able to be at a funeral for a close family member or friend, knowing that I was not there when their time on earth ended? I have asked myself this question before but it seemed like there was a greater urgency to have an answer this time. Fortunately, God is faithful to let us know when we are where we are supposed to be.

At Josh's funeral on Saturday, a friend< Doug shared how Josh was ready to go and be with Jesus. He had held on for his wife and children but his heart was ready to be at rest with Jesus. If he was not to be healed, he wanted to go. That type of assurance can only come from a close walk with Jesus. He loved his family but was in the place that he knew Jesus could care for them better than he could.While he wanted to be there for them, he had confidence that Jesus would walk through this with them, comfort them and care for them in the future. He was ready to hear his Father welcome him home into his reward.

We all are going to go through difficult times. We have families that may suffer when we cannot be there for them. Life on this planet can be difficult at times and we are all touched by the brokenness that surrounds us. We have to know the love of Jesus and be confident in the course that He sets for us. Even more I think is that we have to know His love and care for our families. We have to learn to trust Him with their care. He can do what we cannot. He can give them life, both now and for eternity.

I need to remind myself frequently that I am not called to live for this world. That includes the people and relationships that are dear to me. I am called to live for eternity. That does not mean I cannot have real and deep relationships here but that I cannot let them be my motivation. If I follow Jesus I can trust Him o take care of the people that matter to me. My best reward will be eternity, filled with the people I love. I cannot get them there Only God can do that. I can pray for them and share truth with them but He is the one that draws them to a life giving relationship with Himself. As for me, I choose to let go of the here and now so that I can rejoice for eternity with those I love. Who knows,  if I do not obey God's voice one of the testimonies that He desires to use to draw them may not exist.

The best way to get through the tough times is to remember that we are not called to live for this world. The best way to find the courage to follow God in tough places is to focus on eternal rewards and not immediate gratification. Remind yourself that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow so we need to make our choice to obey today. God may not be calling you to leave your country but He is calling you to a risky and costly role. Obedience to Jesus will cost you but the rewards will be worth it.

When Life Gets Busy

It has been a busy month around here. We have had a team of women come and begin the dialogue about ending a culture of violence against women and children. We had our friends from Ohio and Pennsylvania come and help us get started on the construction of the new Church building in San Lucas and we had a group from McKinney Christian Academy in Texas come to build houses and also reach out to the kids in Zapote with the love of Jesus. Each week was different and good in its own way.

Violence in Guatemala is a major problem. Some of you may have seen the story from the government run children's home. Over 30 girls have died as a result of a fire that they set in an attempt to escape this place. They were locked in their dorm rooms like prisoners. The stories of abuse and overcrowding have been hard to read. On Monday night many of the children decided to take action in response to their living conditions. They rioted and 60 or so escaped at least temporarily. The children were returned to their rooms and locked in. That is when the fire was started. I will not share the rest of the story here but will say that you can read about it all over the internet. It is the biggest story here currently. I will say though that it is just one more sign of the need for healing in this country that can only come through Jesus. The conversations that this team of women started is a step in that direction.

Buses bringing people to celebrate

After this team of ladies left, we dedicated the new property where the Church building will be built. We had people from Churches in Zapote, Santo Thomas, Magdelana, Membrillal and Chimaltenango come for the celebration along with 2 teams that were here and leaders from the community and from the CMA. They came on 8 buses and there was between 700 and 800 people. When this building is complete, we will have a much better ability to reach out and help meet the needs of the San Lucas area. It was an exciting day.


Our Fairhaven team from Pennsylvania and Ohio came next. Every year when they come it is a time for celebration. There has not been a project that Galilea has undertaken in the last 17 years that this group has not been a part of. Their history in Guatemala and their friendship are invaluable. This year they worked on numerous projects to begin  the new Church building in San Lucas. They built a storage building with a living area for a guard. They removed many trees, helped establish the grade depth for the foundation, tied columns and footer grids and poured the first footers for the building. They also welded the new gates that will sit at the entrance.. Along with all of that, they encouraged all of us with their presence and their words.

Finally we worked with many of the senior class and  some staff and chaperons from the Mckinney Christian Academy.. This group returned for a second year and they built three houses in Zapote along with a stove. They also went to the school and had after school activities with the kids for three days.They had opportunities for several to share their testimonies with the kids as well as play games and renew some friendships from last year. This group was generous in every way and I would like to thank them for coming and working with  us
In the midst of all of this, God showed me a couple of things clearly. The first was for me personally. If I am not spending time working on my relationships, first with Him and then with the people that I am with, the work is not that important. It is in relationship that our work gains value. If my relationship with God suffers because I am to busy, I am no longer working with Him and it just becomes labor. The value is exponentially diminished because the one who it is for is no longer in the middle of it. If it does not build relationships with the people that the work is with and for, it also looses value. If we are not building relationship, how can we live in the unity that Jesus called us to. We have  just begun to work but without any of the things that give our work value.

The second thing that He was showing me was a different mindset that exists  between a son and an orphan. One leads to  a type of prosperity and the other to poverty. A son knows that he has a father, is loved and has  a reliable source of provision. An orphan feels abandon and needs to try and scrape by on whatever little they can claw out of the world. A son knows that their father has enough and that they do not need to be jealous of others. An orphan always feels like someone else's success has cost them. Orphans cannot rejoice at what someone receives because they feel left out. A son knows that all they have is a blessing from father and he is faithful not just to them but to all that will receive his provision. Not all prosperity is financial but it is all in a mindset that is content, knowing that their needs are being met by someone that loves them. Orphans,in spirit always feel like they lack something no matter how much they have. Their mindset locks them into looking at and comparing their  worth to others and they always come up short. I sometimes fall into the orphan category and am grateful for all of the reminders that I am a son and have received a spirit of adoption.

I am hoping to begin to send out support and prayer letters in the next couple of months. They will be more specific than the blog and will tell you how you can support and pray for me, Galilea and all for the work going on in our projects. If you would like to receive this, send me a message with your contact info and will get you on the list. Thanks

What Does It All Mean?

Many of you may be wondering about the name change of the blog and what I mean when I talk about the Father's love. We are all called to love so how is this love any different than what we already know, or is it? Even as I write this, I have had to think through some of these questions and reconsider what I believe this love to be. I would like to share with you a couple of my recent thoughts and observations about this and tell you how it impacts the work I am involved in here in Guatemala.

We have had 2 teams already this year but neither of them has done work that really involved me. I drove them both around but they were not doing the types of work that I normally am involved in.  Our first team was a medical team from Utah. They had a 4 day clinic in Membrillal. Although I have seen many Doctors on TV and I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Select, I am not really qualified to practice medicine.I spent much of this week helping do crafts with the kids. I have to admit that I feel almost as unqualified for crafts as I am for medicine. Fortunately, God knows my heart and knows that being with the kids is enough to bring me joy and it shows them that they are worth the attention.

If I was not qualified for the medical clinic, I had even less to offer for the following team. A group of women from British Columbia came to hold forums on violence against women and children, sexual abuse and to share information with mothers in the schools about women's  health issues. I had little to offer for these 7 days. Fortunately, that opened up a lot of free time for me. I did some electrical work at both schools but still had many hours to fill. God had plans for that time and He opened my eyes to help me see His heart for us a little more clearly.

One morning in Membrillal the kid's were playing and they had already warn me out with their calls to be picked up. They like to hang from my forearm and also they like for me to hang them up on the playground equipment so they can see how long they can stay up before they fall. After lifting 25 to 30 kids numerous times, my arms were spent. I could not lift the small children anymore, let alone the older ones. I went to sit down for a couple of minutes and recoup a little. While  I was sitting there many of the kids crowded around me. That is not at all uncommon but on boy who is in 4th grade I think came and sat down next to me. After about 2 minutes, he leaned over and was half laying on me. It was a little awkward but then I felt like God just prompted me to pray for him. So as he sat there calmly, I prayed that he would know the love of his true Father and that he would experience His presence in his life. God opened my eyes to His heart for the boy, for me and for humanity.

God loves us as a perfect Father. He knows the reasons that we were each created. He knows and cares about the smallest details of our lives. He is working behind the scenes to draw us into His will and to release us into our destiny. He desires that each of us would know the depths of His love and walk in it. He desires the same fellowship with each of us that Adam and Eve had in the Garden. He wants us to know the depth of His love. He wants to reveal what an extravagant gift of life the cross was. The Father wants us to return His love as an expression of a heart sold out to Him. He wants us to trust and obey Him in confidence that He is working out everything in out lives for our benefit, even when we  see difficulties and want to run. The Father's heart is a heart that wants us to freely return His love. He finds joy in our responses to His invitation. He does not desire to take control from us but He does desire that we would submit ourselves to His leading and prompting. The Father's heart is a heart enamored with His children and thrilled when they respond to His affection.

So often I want to tell kids to listen to me and do things exactly as I say. I want them to obey because I believe my way is the best. I feel like I can see what is ahead for them if they do not listen. I really want to control their lives. That is not the Father's way. He draws us to Himself. He tells us His desire. He lets us know that there are consequences to disobedience but He does not force us into a begrudging obedience. Jer 31 and Zeph 3:15-17 show the Father's heart toward us. It shows Him allowing the rebellion and the consequences to play out. At the same time it shows the loving Father eager to draw His children back to Himself and restore them. The story Jesus told of the prodigal is another great insight into this remarkable, selfless love of the Father.

As I ponder and pray about these things, I realize that the love of the Father frees us to become who He created us to be. It does not hold us in bondage or tie us to His will. It allows us to walk the path we choose while always waiting to draw us to Himself. My desire is that I would learn more daily how to direct my will towards walking in this love and then to encourage others to do the same.

Praying for 2017

Dear family and friends,

                Many of you have seen the change to my blog page. Last year I changed the title of the blog to “Papa Jorge.” I have not become a father but I felt like the change was necessary. The title comes from a word that a man shared with me about 3 years ago.

o. He had just met me and when I began to share with him about the work in Guatemala, he said that he felt like God was showing him my heart and that I was Papa Jorge. This resonated with me because of my love for kids and desire to see them safe, happy and knowing Jesus, but it has taken on new meaning for me in the last few months.

                I have felt like God is calling me to invest more in the missionaries that I know. Life in a foreign country can be difficult, especially when you have problems arise. There is often a feeling of isolation. In November I was starting to feel the need to begin reaching out to missionaries and looking for opportunities to encourage them. This would not be instead of working with the Galilea but would a second ministry. I know that most have pastoral care that visits from time to time but life does not always wait for your care pastor to be able to make travel arrangements. I am seeing the need to develop connections within our community to be able to reach out and encourage one another regularly and supplement the care being offered by the Pastoral Care ministers.

                As I think about it, this is not a second ministry but really an extension of what I am in Guatemala to do. We have a loving Father and He wants to reveal His heart of love to people. His heart is to encourage and build up. His heart is to help His children walk out their destinies. His heart is that His children would know His love and turn to Him always in every situation. He calls us to repent and live. He has called His children to overcome. Most of my time to date has been trying to do this with the children but now I sense it is also time to be Papa Jorge to a larger group. We all need to be reminded of our loving Father waiting to reveal Himself right now, right where we are. We all need a little help seeing Him sometimes. As I return, I am praying for open doors and God’s timing to begin to encouraging missionaries and building them up. I am praying for greater insight and revelation of the Father’s heart for me. I am aware that it is only as I receive that I can give. My desire this year is that people would see Abba present in their life and active in their circumstances and that I would be able to encourage them in that.

 I would like to ask you to pray regularly for a few things for this coming year:

1    1.      More revelation of the Father’s love and discernment to minister                 this to others.
     2.       Intimacy with Jesus and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
     3.       Eyes to see the opportunities to love people. 
     4.       Freedom in the Spirit to obey His leading without hesitation or                    fear. 
     5.       A father’s heart to become more evident in me.
     6.       Finances for the coming year, I need about $13,500. You can read               my budget in my last blog.
     7.       A reliable car so I am not limited by lack of transportation.
     8.       Wise use of time – Making time for rest and for fellowship with                 God and people during a busy team schedule.
     9.       Health and rest for all our Galilea staff and sufficient time with                    their families. 
     10.     Good rapport with each of the teams and fruitful work.
     11.     Ultimately, my prayer is that people would come to know Jesus                   through the work and outreach we are doing. I would love to see                 team members that do not know Jesus become followers on their                 outreach this year. We also would love to see many come to Jesus in           San Lucas, Membrillal and Zapote.
      Please keep praying this throughout the year.

Finally, I am looking for a person that would help me from the States. I need to send out mailings and write letters to inform people of the work we are doing and the needs that go with along with the work. I would also like to develop of people interested in the work from the U.S. and from our teams that come to work and send out prayer/support letters to them 6 times a year. If you can help with this, please let me know.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. You are a blessing to me

George Kresse

George Kresse

1240 E Southmor Rd

Morris, IL 60450

US Phone: 779-227-3812

Guatemala Phone: 502-5354-5720

E-mail: thegeokr@yahoo.com

If you would like to contribute to support the work in the continuation of this ministry, you can send checks to:

Life Church Morris

P.O. Box  679

Morris, IL 60450

Memo: Mission San Lucas

Looking Ahead

Last week I shared with you a look at what we were able to do in 2016 and hopefully was able to give you a glimpse into the projects that we are working on from Iglesia Galilea. It was a very good, productive and busy year. Because so many people came, worked with us, prayed for us and financially supported all that we are doing, we saw great strides in our work.

We are now looking forward to 2017 with eager anticipation. We will continue the work on all of our projects in Zapote and Membrillal. We are also looking to build a larger Church building in San Lucas. We will be looking for new and different ways to share the Gospel and to see the Kingdom of God expanded in Guatemala. We will host many teams and work with a few others also. This year we should see over 200 people come to work with us and help with the ministries we are working in.

I am writing to make you all aware of my needs for the coming year. I try not to focus on finances to often but it seems like an appropriate time of year to do that. These are strictly my personal needs and expenses. In the past my budget goal has been in the $1,000 a month range. I have looked at the minimum needed for living expenses and travel and set my target just above that. It is also the minimum that the Guatemalan government requires if I am going to seek residency in the future. I have done okay at this level and have not suffered trying to live on that amount but this year I am raising the goal by 50% plus. I would like to explain and ask you to pray about partnering with me in meeting this goal.

As I spend more time in Guatemala, it becomes more apparent that I need to buy some things that I have been doing without and my budget has not left room for those things. My computer is getting old and showing signs of needing to be replaced. I also would like to start getting some comfortable furniture. After a long day of working it is getting more obvious that my body needs a place to rest and recuperate. There is also the potential that I will need to find an apartment or small house this year. I need to get health insurance. I have not had it for the last few years and God has taken care of me but I still need it. The biggest expense is the need for a vehicle. I have been walking or using other people's cars for much of the last 4 years but I need transportation. The bus system is not always safe and not everything is available in San Lucas.

My budget for this year follows

Airline tickets            $1,800
Computer                   $1,000
Food                           $1,500
Clothing                     $   600
Medical Expenses      $1,200
Insurance                    $3,000
Recreation                  $1,200
Furniture                     $1,000
Phone                         $   350
Internet                       $   400
Incidental Exp            $1,200
Vehicle                       $5,000 to 8,000                          
Total                           $13,250 plus the cost of a car
This amount does not include rent, utilities or furnishings for an apartment

I am asking you to pray and consider if God is calling you to partner with me in this ministry .I know that He has called me to this work and He is my provider. As I look back, He has always provided and He has done that through people that have been His hands and feet. I cannot promise you a hundred fold return on your giving but I can promise that God is faithful and He has given us all a role to play.

I am asking God for the following

Monthly givers
20 people giving $25 per month
8 people giving $50 per month
3 Churches giving $100 per month
and in addition, 70 one time gifts of $100 for the purchase of a car.

I do not know how God is going to answer these requests but I thank you for your faithfulness to pray about these needs and if God leads you to give towards them. I do not want anyone to give from obligation but only in obedience if God is calling you. At the same time, these are the needs that I have for continuing in Guatemala. Please share this blog with your friends, family and Churches. I need your help to spread the word and keep doing this work. Thank you

If you would like to make a donation you can make a check to

Life Church Morris

P.O. Box 679

Morris, IL 60450

In the memo of your check write Mission San Lucas

A Video Review of 2016

This year was a very busy year at Galilea. We had 14 teams, built houses in 6 Zapote and also 3 others in Zorzoya, Escuintla, and Magdelena. We built about 20 stoves also. Our teams chipped up the cracked concrete floors in Zapote and tiled the school. They also repaired the underground drainage at the Zapote school and poured concrete in an unfinished part of the school yard. We hosted a medical clinic in Membrillal and worked with 2 others in Zapote. We finished the walls of the Church in Membrillal and put the roof on. The Church was dedicated in November.

Teams that came did Bible Schools, Special ministries to the kids after school. They did food give aways to families in need. One team did teacher training led by teachers and a school administrator. We were able to hold an evangelism event for the workers and drivers of the company that delivers fuel to the gas stations and another one for their families later in the day. We did street fair outreaches in San Lucas and in Membrillal and we walked the streets of Membrillal prayerwalking with one team and sharing the Gospel with another.

It was a year that kept us busy. There was such a variety of projects and outreaches that there was never time to get bored.

We finished the year with graduations at both schools and then a gift giveaway for the students. All of the students in Membrillal received backpacks ans in Zapote they received shoes. The schools had about 300 in attendance this year and we got to share the Gospel and demonstrate the love of Jesus to them on a regular basis. This is the reason that we are here.

I am going to stop writing but  I would like to share a video with you that shows some of what we were able to do this year.

The Kid's are Preparing to Move On!

In the last couple of weeks we had three graduations. Our 6th readers completed their school year in Membrillal. In Zapote the 6th and 9th graders graduated and finally, We got to go see Beverly graduate from law school in the city. She  was sworn in on Monday at the Supreme Court and now is a full fledged attorney in Guatemala. To me, seeing Beverly's graduation was incredibly encouraging. It is not only the end of a chapter in her life that required lots of hard work to write but it is also a source of hope for many others.

Byron has been around since the beginning.

A couple of times I have been in Membrillal hen the question was asked of students, "What do you want to be?" I have heard psychologist, social worker, teacher and chef along with many other things. Kids know how to dream about their future lives. It is good to hear them vocalize those dreams and get them thinking. In Zapote, Sonia, our valedictorian from last year wants to be a doctor. What an amazing dream for a young woman that grew up in a rural village and seldom ever had contact with doctors even. The first part of accomplishing anything is to imagine it or have an idea for it.

Unfortunately, most of these kids have grown up in rural areas with parents that were field workers or laborers in low paying jobs. The parents and grandparents grew up in a time of war and had no opportunity to have a better career because education was not available or was disrupted by the realities of war. After two generations, the poverty mentality and a willingness to settle for any job that comes along becomes a way of life. For many of our kids this has become their reality.

In our schools kids are allowed to dream. They hear about different careers that are available for them. They begin the education process that opens the doors for them to be able to continue on in school and even go to university. Most importantly, they are taught that they were created with a purpose. God did not stick them here by chance but He designed them and gave them a destiny through Jesus. They are allowed to believe that dreams can be more than just a fading hope killed by the realities of adulthood.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Romans. We all know 8:15+16. It tells us that we are adopted and that by the Spirit we cry "Abba, Father." Just after that though, there are some verses that intrigue me. Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³ And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.


In these verses there is a now and not yet sense. We read that we have received the Spirit of Adoption but there is also a waiting. Many read this to mean that it won't happen until we physically die and are in Heaven but I do not believe that. I believe that we are progressing into the reality of the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Creation is longing to see what each of us is going to become as we more closely resemble Jesus and as our position as sons becomes a greater reality in our lives. The world is missing many things that it needs, partly because of sin but partly because sons of God are still trapped in thinking that they are just fallen men and servants. The world is longing and eagerly waiting for what you are called to be.

I believe that Jesus wants us to know who we are in Him and then to help others discover their rightful places in His Kingdom. To make disciples means to help people walk into the revelation of their place in the Father's heart. It means to see people released into their gifts, callings and anointing. It means that they provide the things to the world that it desperately needs because the Father has entrusted it to them to give, in His name. The world is longing for sons to be revealed. Our job in the schools is to help them to know what their life is to look like as a son of God. Jesus was the firstborn but through the cross He made many others sons. We need to help our students and then their communities to realize this.

The 6th and 9th grade graduates at Zapote singing

In Ps 139, David had this revelation of who he was and more importantly, how good the Father was concerning him. I believe that it was this revelation that empowered David to be king. He faced lots of hardships first from his older brothers, then Saul and even some of his own sons. In the end, he continued on and trusted God. He became on of the wealthiest men and maybe the greatest human king ever. When we know who we are and we are secure in Whose we are, we can do almost anything. With Holy Spirit leading, we can remove the almost. We can fulfill every purpose God has for us. The world will be changed because sons of God knew who they were and they walked that out.


I believe that Guatemala and Latin America will be changed as our students come to know their place as sons. They will bring transformation as they become secure in the Father's love. They will become fearless in ministry when they see how God wants to use them. They will bring glory to the father as the name of Jesus is proclaimed in all that they do. I am looking forward to many graduations and even more to seeing how they bring the Father to the world.

I believe that this work is worthy of time and effort. These kids need us to be faithful in our lives so that they can see Jesus shine in and through us. I love the role that I get to play but I need your help to continue. It is not expensive to live here but it is also not free. Soon I will be coming up with a budget for next year  but I want to plant the seeds now so you can pray about your role if any in the support of this work. My personal needs for next year will be  between $12,000 and $15,000. This includes food, travel and normal living expenses and most likely housing and utilities. It does not include transportation. I am still in need of finding a reliable car and raising  $7,500 or so for it. Please be praying for these needs.

Other things to pray for:

• Where our graduates will be going to school or working now
• Reliable transportation for me
• New Church building in San Lucas
• Sale of the property in San Lucas
• My housing for next year
• Finding and hiring the right teachers for the next school year
• The teams that will be coming and the work that they will be doing next year.
• Health of the Galilea staff has been attacked.
  
  
  

If you would like to contribute you can send checks to:
Life Church Morris
PO Box 679
C/O San Lucas Mission
Morris, IL 60450