MINISTRY AREAS

Through sponsorship our students receive school fees, two pairs of school shoes, backpack, school supplies, books, access to internet and computer use at the ministry, homework reinforcement, materials for homework and projects and two school uniforms.  With your help we expect our students to have higher grades, more attendance and a better outlook than without.  
 
Our sponsorship program is not only about education.  Our primary focus is to teach our students about our loving heavenly Father and His word.  During our time with students, we have the opportunity to visit their homes and talk with parents as well.  Our goal is to share the love of Christ with each family as we help teach the children and encourage them in their daily lives.  Many of the families that we serve are one parent families.  We are able to minister to their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs because of the sponsorship program and feeding centers.  Not all of our sponsorship students attend our feeding centers, however the majority do.
 
We love to encourage communication between our sponsors and their students.  It is another manner of ministering to our students.  We will ask you to write a letter of introduction to your student as well as include a family photo.  We will translate your letter and share it with your student.  Many times, our students pray for their sponsors.  It is a beautiful thing to witness the connections between sponsor and student through pictures and letters.  Some sponsors do not write and that is a missed opportunity.  My prayer is that God connects you and your family to the student that needs your family in their lives.  May God lead us in this!

Feeding Center #1 began in February 2011.  God directed Danny to the mountain side of San Cristobal El Bajo through our home church to see the need of the children and families of this small community.  We began by providing breakfast each Saturday with VBS during that year while the building of the facility was being done.  In January 2012 we were able to begin feeding six days a week.  This continued for seven years.  Today we feed the children lunch five days a week with a Bible lesson each day and a memory verse for each week.  We have had a faithful cook for this feeding center for 11 years!

Feeding Center #2 began in January 2014 in San Pedro Las Huertas in the Ministerios Buena Vista location.  This feeding center runs 5 days a week with lunch being served as well as a Bible lesson taught each day and a Bible verse for memory each week.  Our ministry team in Guatemala is responsible for cooking and serving the children and their families each day.  An extension of the feeding center is providing dry food bags to families in need.  

Feeding Center #3 began in January 2019 in a special needs school in San Gaspar, a small community near our location.  We provide food for breakfast for 100 special needs students five days. 

In each of the feeding centers, we provide a nutritious meal, fruit and vitamin each day.  The feeding centers are funded by an annual auction that our home church holds in November.  We praise God almighty for his provision for the feeding centers since the very first auction in November 2011!

Many opportunities exist annually to personally visit and work alongside the team. Weeklong trips are scheduled during the Summer months, Spring Break and over New Year's. Whether you're a party of one or a youth group of 14, we have a spot for you. During the week, you can expect to participate in most areas of the ministry and we typically will build a home for a family in need in the community. You'll also get to meet with your sponsor children! Be prepared to get dirty, to work hard and to receive so much more than you can ever give. The need is great. Come, fall in love with Guatemala.

The Transition Ministry began January 2021.  God laid on our hearts to provide a job and a place to live for a young single mother.  She had been abused by her step father which resulted in a beautiful daughter (beauty out of ashes) and another pregnancy.  In providing a home and job for this young mother and her small family, we were able to turn it into a wonderful ministry of transition for young adults struggling to become independent.  We provided a home to three in need while others were able to live at home during the time in the program.  We were able to disciple each of them in their walk with Christ and share the Gospel message with those that needed to hear it.  Two of our students accepted Christ into the hearts during their time with the transition ministry!  Dependence upon Christ our rock is the biggest lesson.  We were also able to teach financial peace and job searching techniques as well as how to live as an independent adult who is neither dependent on parents nor parents being dependent upon them (this proved to be the toughest to teach).

Through this ministry we have been able to train up 7 young adults into disciples and independent adults.  One is now married and has graduated from the program, another has graduated from the program and will begin the Bible Institute at our church in early 2023, two are college students (one entering her third year while the other is entering her second year), another will begin her first year of college in January while looking to rent her own home!  She has lived at the ministry for almost two years.  The young single mother is still moving forward in her goals to become more independent with her children (6 years and 2 years).  Her goal is to find a full-time job by the end of next year and rent her own home by mid-year as well.  She has made strides in her goal to raise her girls up right.  The last student is new to our program and is still working on goals and plans for his future.  God has blessed the ministry in great ways by sending wonderful caring people to help us in training our students.  Thank you so much for all of your prayers for this ministry as we have been learning alongside our students!

Now in 2023 we have 4 new students who have been added to the Transition Ministry Program.  We have three new university students and one senior in high school who has moved onto the ministry property with us as well.