Ministry Newsletter

Dear Friends of the Mordecai Project:

Thanks to everyone who prayed for me and the team that went with me to Guatemala in early July. I could most definitely feel the prayers! Below you can see that there were 27 people from Puerto Rico who came on that trip. They are all members of Casa del Padre, the church that is pastored by my friends Luis and Cynthia Roig. They were amazing! Not only did they all speak Spanish—which was such a blessing during the many altar ministry times—but they were able to lead services, share testimonies and minister to children in many cities.

I met Luis Roig almost ten years ago during a conference in Peru. I have preached in his church in Puerto Rico many times, and he has been with me to Guatemala three other times. You can see us below with Otoniel Morales (left), the pastor I have worked with since 2003. This was my tenth trip to his church in Rio Hondo, Guatemala. The community he serves has become like a second home to me!

Below you can see one of the pastors’ conferences we did during our 8-day trip. This one was in the city of Esquipulas. Luis and I preached in these services and the Puerto Ricans led worship and gave testimonies. I also had a disciple with me from Mexico whose name is Rodolfo. He met me when I taught in a ministry school in Mexico two years ago. Rodolfo grew a lot spiritually during the trip and I have no doubt he is going to be a powerful minister.

During one of the pastors’ conferences, I shared about the importance of humility in the life of a pastor—humility toward church members, humility toward other pastors and humility toward our wives. At one point I knelt in front of some of the pastors to show how Jesus treated his disciples. Then I had some of the pastors kneel in front of their wives to demonstrate the power of Ephesians 5:25-27. You can see one of the leading pastors of the region doing this below. God moved in this moment and something broke in the spiritual realm. God is tearing down the machismo spirit that causes Guatemalan men to abuse their wives!

The Lord is also raising up some powerful women in the region where I have been working for so many years. Below you can see me with Mary Larios. She has been a member of Pastor Otto’s church for several years. For the past three years she has been visiting a small community called Sunsapote, about 30 minutes west of Rio Hondo. She has developed a burden for this town, which has never had an evangelical church. She began having Bible studies, and people began to come to the Lord. Today she is ready to plant a church! One morning our team went to Sunsapote to pray for people in their homes. We worshiped the Lord on the ground that has been set aside for the church building. Then we laid a cornerstone, poured oil on it and consecrated the land for God’s purpose. The next week, a donor gave the money to buy the land for the church! Construction will begin soon.

You can see me and Rodolfo with the people who will be the founding members of the church in Sunsapote. It is so exciting to watch how the gospel is spreading throughout this region of Guatemala. Almost every trip I have taken there, Pastor Otto and I have dedicated land for a new church.

he most exciting part of the trip to Guatemala was seeing the progress on Casa de Ester, the women’s shelter we are building in Rio Hondo. You can see the building behind me in the photo below. We need less than $20,000 to finish, and a friend in the United States has committed to paying for the kitchen. Just yesterday another pastor from New Jersey said she is sending $1,000! Before too long we will be cutting the ribbon! Please pray with us for all the remaining funds. This will be the only women’s shelter in the entire state of Zacapa. The local mayor says the government will be referring women to our shelter and they are excited to have this resource in their community.

After a couple of weeks to recharge, I am now on my way overseas again, this time to the nation of Sri Lanka. This will be my second trip there. But as you know Sri Lanka has been in the news recently because some terrorists bombed some churches as well as hotels. I am asking that you pray for me during the entire trip, July 24 to August 6. Please pray for safety for me and for the church I will be ministering at during my time there.

Below you can see my friends Mich and Kayla Dinesh, who are pastors in Sri Lanka. Our plan is to launch a project for women there soon. Part of this trip will be to develop the strategy for the project. I will also be doing special Bold Venture-style events for men as well as for women, speaking in the church and encouraging local leaders. I need the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s anointing for this trip.

Thank you again for praying for me and our work around the world. If you’d like to give to our work—especially the projects in Guatemala or Sri Lanka—just go to themordecaiproject.org and click on the “Donate” button below to give online, or mail your check to The Mordecai Project, P.O. Box 2781, LaGrange, GA 30241. All gifts are tax-deductible.

We appreciate your commitment to us. And we love you so much!

Lee and Deborah Grady

The Mordecai Project
P.O. Box 2781
LaGrange, GA 30241