Daniel L. Sonnenberg, Regional Director for Timothy Two Project International in Latin America

I recently traveled to Guatemala for the first time in 45 years to teach Workshop 1, “Knowing God,” to a group of indigenous pastors and several missionaries. This trip marks the tenth Latin American nation in which I’ve had the privilege of teaching. And while there, I had the pleasure of meeting with old friends, making many new friends, preaching in a couple churches and visiting some historic landmarks.

Training Pastors

The group of pastors and missionaries below gathered with me at a local church for several days in the city of Villa Nueva to study the attributes of God.

Testimonials from workshop participants:

• Oscar Pacheco: God bless your life brother Daniel and continue to use you to bring those teachings of much edification both for our lives and for others. Thank you for sharing the wisdom that God gave you and he has now given us. We hope to see you here again soon.
• Marco Julio Agustin Arriola: Those moments I was in the seminar were a great blessing for my life and I hope the months will pass soon to see us again.
• Juan Antonio Carias Ortez: Brother Daniel may the Lord bless your life, and thank you for sharing your theological knowledge. It will be very helpful for our ministries.
• Maynor Danilo Castro: Many blessings to my brothers Daniel, Luis and Jaime for your support for the pastors who attended the seminar.
• Oscar Pacheco: God bless your life, brother Jaime. Thank you for the availability of your time to translate for us. God continue to use your life and brother Luis for motivating leaders and shepherds.

Old Friends

One of the highlights of the trip was a visit with Paul and Ruth Philippi at their home in Antigua, Guatemala. Paul and Ruth have been missionaries to Guatemala for 65 years, have been married 68 years and will both celebrate their 90th birthdays later this year.

Paul coordinated the first mission trip I ever participated in 45 years ago in 1976. Our Teen Missions team spent eight weeks in Guatemala rebuilding three church structures that had collapsed during a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in February of that year.

New Friends

We also visited Paul Branch (below) at the Central American Theological Seminary (SETECA) in Guatemala City. Paul is a Pastor and World Outreach Missionary with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), hails from Florence, SC and currently serves as the President of the seminary. Jaime Lopez (below) attended the seminary as a student in the ’80s, has been a missionary with SEPAL.org in Guatemala for 38 years and is serving as the coordinator for our Timothy Two workshops in Villa Nueva along with his partner Luis Gilbert.

Preaching

Finally, on Sunday, I preached and Jaime interpreted for three services at two different churches: the Evangelical Church of Jesus Christ Our Savior in Villa Nueva and the Family Restoration Evangelical Pentecostal Church in the village of Barcenas.

Landmarks

Click for more information about Timothy Two Project International, our workshops for pastors and ministry leaders, to subscribe to our newsletter, or to contact us.

Timothy Two Project International (TTPI) exists to serve a critical need around the world. We are committed to equipping and training indigenous pastors and ministry leaders with the essential truths of the Christian faith so they can train others. This way, the mandate from Christ in the Great Commission to “make disciples” can be accomplished in areas of the world where there is little or no formal biblical or theological training available.

What sets TTPI apart is the Philosophy of Ministry we use. We travel to cities and villages where pastors need training, but cannot leave their homes and families to go to a Bible College. The Lord raises up a host pastor, who invites 8-12 key pastors in the area to a workshop. This interactive training week enables local pastors to receive a foundation for their faith. TTPI is based upon 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” When a pastor finishes a TTPI workshop, he leaves with all of our material in his own language, plus notes he has taken from the dialogue we use to help transfer biblical truths from the head to the heart. He is ready to use this same material to train others. All of our theology is based upon the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Categories: Articles, Timothy Two Project International

Tags: Biblical education, Guatemala, Latin America, Theological education, Timothy Two Project International