Missionaries David and Lindsey Owens continue work in Guatemala

David and Lindsey Owens continue their missionary work in Guatemala but have seen quite a bit of changes this past year.

David, a native of Manila, graduated from Manila High School in 2006 and Arkansas State University in May 2011, and Lindsey, a Prairie Grove High School graduate and a graduate of John Brown University, have been serving as full time missionaries in Guatemala for over four years.

David's mission work may have changed but not his desire to serve the Lord, and the people in Guatemala remains as strong as ever.

David works with pastors.

In March David felt it was time for him to step away from the organization that he and Lindsey helped establish. They were instrumental in the building of a boys school mentoring to young men from grades three through six.

"It was a surprise to me but one day I felt it was time for me to step away and wait on the new opportunity God would provide," David said. "In April our son, Cooper, was born. This in and of itself would have made for one of the craziest years of our lives. However, the roller coaster of a year brought a few more twists and turns soon after."

In June David was invited to join a ministry that educates and trains local pastors all throughout the country of Guatemala. This new ministry, Chosen People International, provides theological education where it is otherwise unattainable or too expensive.

"We offer a two year program which finds groups of 15-20 pastors meeting monthly for courses such as: Biblical Theology, Systematic Theology, Hermeneutics (the interpretation of the Bible), Preaching, Conflict Resolution, Marriage in Ministry, and more," David said. "Many of the courses mirror Master's level seminary courses, even down to the books provided to the pastors. The need for theological education is very important. According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, there are more than 2.2 million pastoral leaders globally, and of these only 5 percent are trained for pastoral ministry."

David has started his own weekly training with two pastors from Guatemala City and he hopes to be training a second, larger group in January.

Lindsey is still working along side single mothers from various rural villages, providing sustainable income opportunities, as well as support, encouragement and mentoring/discipleship.

The Boys School (their previous ministry) is also still going strong. A new building was completed and now there are as many as 100 boys studying every week.

The newest member of the family, Cooper, is now five months old.

"He is genuinely one of our biggest sources of joy," David said. "He smiles so much and if you are lucky, he will even laugh for you. He is loving all of the adventures we have thrown at him so far. We are very excited for everyone to meet him while we are back in the U.S. this fall."

The Owens hope to be in Arkansas from mid-October through mid-December. They have plans to be in Northeast Arkansas Oct. 24-29.

Their visit this year will be a little longer than usual. They will be sharing their work with others and raising the financial support they need in their mission efforts.

"We would love to sit down and share more about the ministry with people from the area while we are there," David said. "We look for opportunities to share with small groups. If anyone is interested, they can contact us at Lindseymae24@gmail.com. We will be available and look forward to sharing information about the work we do."

Throughout their ministry, David and Lindsey have stepped out in faith and followed their hearts. They love serving and appreciate all of the donations they have received from their supporters.

"It really has been a great blessing for us," David said.