José Mario was 12 years old when we met him. He shows up at our house every Saturday to shine Michael’s shoes, turning the worn leather into a glossy sheen. We often gave him a snack and something to drink and Michael would sit and talk with him. Sometimes, José Mario works with Michael on …
Seeds in the Soil
A team of high school students from Resurrection Life Church in Grandville, Michigan, visited us in June and helped us with several outreaches and projects along with a team from a local church in the village of Chicua Primero. This church, led by a young pastor is growing rapidly as Pastor Carlos and his team …
Milk Program: Little Walter
Please pray for a little boy in the ASELSI Milk Program named Walter Alejandro. He is 1 year and 1 month old and only weighs 11 pounds and 12 ounces. He drinks watered down milk and other oatmeal type drinks throughout the day because his mom is trying to stretch the powered milk that ASELSI …
A Mourning Mother
Please pray for a mourning mom that I (Chrisi) talked to today at the ASELSI Milk Program. She gave birth a month ago to a 4 pound 11 ounce baby boy. He was born 1 month early. She stayed at the hospital for a couple days and then was sent home. He nursed well for …
Milk Program: Too weak to play
Angelina, is 1 year and 3 months old (shown here, held by her mom, at left). She only weighs 15 pounds — that’s the normal weight for babies less than half her age–and she was showing signs of malnutrition — weakness and docility. Chrisi recently met with Angelina and her mom, Josefina, at the ASELSI …
Not every mommy gets to hold her baby
In mid-January our friend, Juana, who helps Chrisi and is teaching Hudson to speak K’iche’ called us to tell us her 25-year-old cousin, Sebastiana, died after giving birth to her second child — a healthy baby boy. We were heartbroken at this loss that is more common that it should be here in the mountains …
Discipleship: Luis the Intern
Discipleship in Action Luis is studying in our intern program learning how to minister and grow in Christ. Luis was orphaned as a child. As a young teen he joined a gang and learned to steal and survive on the streets of Guatemala City. About three years ago, he was invited to church. That night …
An Update: Rosa’s Foot
We first met Rosa nearly two years ago. She was a joyful, but shy eleven-year-old girl who hobbled along on a bent left foot. Because of her twisted foot, her parents had never sent her to school and she only spoke a few words of Spanish since she’d never had the opportunity to …
Tomas and his rubber pants.
Tomas was born with legs that don’t work. His legs don’t work, but he does. Ever since he was strong enough to pull himself around on his arms, Tomas has been on the move. He learned to beg and earned enough to keep himself fed. Using a bicycle horn, he get’s peoples attention and pulls …
Raindrops and mudslides
In Chichicastenango, it’s finally nearing the end of a tough rainy season that has cost lives and destroyed infrastructure that is vital to the everyday life of the people here. After getting off to a slow start, the rainy season came on strong in September with torrential rains that swept away more than the lingering …
