Prayed for Every Step

JULY 24, 2023   |   4 MINUTE READ
JUSTIN GUEST, MISSIONARY IN STOCKTON, CA

Did you know Moses denied God’s call five times? Even though the bush was on fire and had a voice coming out of it, Moses still said, “Thanks, but no thanks,” (that’s a loose paraphrase). But as usual, when God calls, He makes it very obvious (not always as obvious as turning your hand leprous or making your staff into a snake). Sometimes, though, God will ordain multiple conversations to show you that He’s opening a door, and you need to walk through it.

The story below shows the incredible ways God showed up for Justin and Ashley Guest, WGM missionaries who were going through a major transition. In this period of change, God continued to show up in unexpected ways, confirming that when God calls, He provides a way through our Red Seas.  

Ashley (right) working with the children at The Center.

We want a change. But not that change.

When we first called our regional director to let him know we were considering a change in ministry locations, he immediately suggested Stockton, California, but Ashley and I said no. He put us on a call with another ministry who stopped us during the call to ask if we had considered Stockton, as they thought we’d be great for it. It was at that point we thought we should probably consider Stockton!

We have been continuously blown away by how God has moved and provided throughout this transition.

When we talked to our director, she told us she had been to a conference with Bob and Lisa Margaron, WGM’s missionaries in Stockton, two weeks earlier. She said the Margarons had mentioned they had been praying desperately that God would send someone to the field. We realized that it was the same day we felt God convicting us of the change.

We also came to find out that the missionary couple in Stockton had been praying specifically for a Spanish-speaking couple, as 43% of the population in Stockton is Hispanic.

We get the opportunity to invest in the children's lives through outings such as this one at a local In-N-Out Burger.

When we announced the move to our missionary family in Honduras, one missionary reached out to Ashley to say that she had been praying for a while regarding our next step. She knew before we did!

We’re moving to the States. But first, we have to sell everything.

When it came time to sell our things, a missionary group in the community next to us offered to buy nearly everything. They said they had gone through similar ministry transitions and knew how hard it was to liquidate everything and start new. They didn't want that for us.

We knew that to get our dog and many things to our new ministry location, we would need to drive from Honduras to Stockton, but there are rigorous requirements to bring a car to the U.S. as it had to be a car once registered there. After about a week of trying to figure out all the logistics, we had given up, as it didn't seem possible. Then God connected us with the one person who could help us navigate all the minute details and the problem was solved.

While trying to figure out the drive from Honduras to the U.S. we found a local in Roatán who had done the trip many times and gave us a step-by-step guide to doing it safely and easily.

What a joy to finally be at home in Stockton, California, after a long trip from Honduras!

The very first day we arrived in Stockton, one of our supporting churches called to tell us that if we decided to transition to Stockton, they would continue supporting us! Their national partners had just moved, and there was now an open spot to support a different U.S. project. This was incredibly encouraging!

How will our boys adjust?

Our boys' biggest concern during the transition was making new friends. After two days in Stockton, we went to The Center, where we will be working, and they made friends instantly! That night they were playing Roblox together online. They kept talking about how incredible it was.

House hunting and car shopping in a scarce market.

House-hunting was horrendous, and finding the right house at the right price seemed impossible. Ashley and I immediately fell in love when we went to one open house. We excitedly talked to each other about how we hoped this would be the one. As we asked the owner a few questions, he stopped, got very excited, and asked, "Ohhh, you’re Ashley? We love you guys!" They had seen our application before arriving and recognized Ashley. We were taken aback by this immediate expression of love and responded, "We love the house!" A few days later, we were approved for the house!

The next big hurdle was finding a car. I called every single dealership within 100 miles of Stockton and could not find anything available in our price range. Everyone I talked to said my only chance of getting a car was pre-ordering. This wouldn't work, as my loan offer was only good for thirty days.

Bob Margaron suggested I call a friend who worked at a dealership I had already contacted. The salesman had once been a missionary and said he would help us. The following day they got a new shipment of cars in, and they had the specific vehicle we were looking for. While we were at the dealer, we personally heard three phone calls they received regarding it, and two people came in to try to buy it. They told us they had received at least five calls before we arrived. God is good!

We love getting to take the kids to events like this basketball game at a local university!

The work in Roatán continues.

When we messaged a friend of ours to let him know of the transition, he replied that he had been praying often for us in the past few months, as we had been heavy on his heart.

The ministry in Roatán will continue! A year ago, locals came to us to let us know they had started the process of forming their own government-recognized non-profit. This was incredible, as it meant that even if we were to leave, the work we had been doing could continue. As we transition out, many new ministry projects are being started! They will continue to utilize the community center.

These are just a few examples of how God has moved and provided over the past few months. We have been blown away daily by His faithfulness. While we still face changes and decisions in this transition, we know He is in control and we have nothing to worry about.

We're still amazed at how God provided for our transition from Honduras to California!

ACTION STEPS

PRAY: Has God placed someone on your heart recently? Maybe He’s revealing something to you about their situation so you can lift them up in prayer. Ask for His hand upon whatever it is that they’re facing at the moment—or what they’re about to face. 

GIVE: You can bring the hope of Jesus to people in California! Partner with The Center, an afterschool program that provides support to inner-city kids and their families and shares the Gospel with them.

Author Bio: Justin and Ashley Guest serve in Stockton with their two sons. At The Center, they find ways to share the Gospel as they invest in children, families, and local leaders to bring about change in the surrounding community.