Jennifer Edgerton is a Nazarene missionary from Tennessee living in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Her husband, Todd, is the Mexico/Central America regional communications coordinator. Jennifer took a break from her busy schedule to share with Holiness Today readers.

HT: What countries comprise the Mexico/Central America (MAC) Region??

JE: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.

HT: Explain your main responsibilities.

JE: I collect, edit, and distribute news to be used on the region (for monthly E-mail newsletters and for MAC web site) and contribute MAC Region news to NCN News and to Holiness Today.

Todd and I work in the Communications office for the MAC Region. Communications produces videos and literature, supervises radio and the regional web site, and supports these areas with audio and graphic design.

HT: What is the most satisfying part of your work?

JE: This is the best office job a missionary can have! I love receiving news about all of the amazing things the Lord is doing here in these seven countries through many people committed to make a difference for Christ. I have learned much about the various ministries and the roles they play in making disciples.

HT: What do you hope that people in other areas could know about Guatemalans (or about people on the MAC Region)?

JE: The Guatemalans I know from church and other friends and acquaintances are nearly always smiling, very patient, and love kids. My experience here in Guatemala has been very positive. Relationships are very important. The Church of the Nazarene in Guatemala and many of the other Central American countries is very mature. We are excited about the passion to serve and share Christ with others as demonstrated by so many of the leaders.

HT: Have you had any cultural mix-ups with language and so on?

JE: Oh, yes! I think everyone who learns another language does. When we first moved here I confused "llantas" (tires) with "llantos" (crying/wailing) and then "ollo" (hole in the road) with "olla" (cooking pot).

Recently, we were doing a Vacation Bible School with a Work and Witness team and were singing a song containing the phrase, "Cristo, el dador de la vida" (Christ, the giver of life), and I heard someone singing, "Cristo, el dolor de la vida" (Christ, the pain of life).

HT: Were your children born in Guatemala?

JE: Kyle, age three, was 10-months old when we moved to Guatemala. Megan, age two, was born here, making her Chapin (Guatemalan).

HT: Are you Kyle and Megan bilingual?

JE: Their English skills are more developed because that is what we use in the home. However, Flori, a lady from church, takes care of them while we are working and we attend a Spanish-speaking church, so Kyle and Megan both get quite a bit of exposure to Spanish. For their ages, they can communicate fairly well in both languages. Kyle's first word was "agua" (water).

HT: Is there anything else that is unique to your situation that would be of interest to our readers?

JE: When many people think of the word "missionary," they picture someone trekking through the jungle, Bible in arm. The face of missions is changing as road conditions improve and as once remote places are becoming fewer and farther a part. Since the Church is so established here, our role is more of support to the local churches, districts, fields, and the region.

Holiness Today, March/April 2005

Please note: This article was originally published in 2005. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.