Overview of our Work in Guatemalaangelina, 07/11/2007 12:24, Views: 1349 The Family International is composed of missionaries who operate on an individual, voluntary basis. We have been operating in Guatemala for several years, and currently have two locations in the city that our fulltime volunteers base out of. We live a cooperative communal lifestyle which enables us to make better use of our time, finances and resources. Our primary goal is that of telling people about Jesus and His love for them individually as a person, and we have found that there are many methods in which to convey this message through our activities with both the poor and those in need, as well as those who are upper and middle class. Over the years we have been involved in countless projects and initiatives, here we’ll go over our most recent ones along with our goals for the future. JOVENES EN ACCIÓN (YOUTH IN ACTION)
This includes a weekly visit on Saturday to one of several orphanages where we give the children and teenagers fun inspirational and morally based classes on a myriad of topics that are applicable to daily life and which will help them in their moral, physical and spiritual development.
Along with the classes, we also do a variety of fun activities with them each week. Not only is Jovenes en Acción a way to encourage and inspire the children at the orphanages and to help them along life’s way, but one of our goals through this project is to inspire the youth of Guatemala to assist us in reaching out to those less fortunate than themselves by joining us in our efforts each week. FOOD TO THE NEEDY
Thanks to different generous businesses and individuals such as yourself who are willing and able to help our work by either financially sponsoring our projects or donating items that we’re in need of, we’re able to often distribute donated food, clothes, toys, and medicine to many in need. One area in particular is near the Basurero in Zone 3 where many poor live where we’re able to give away fruits and vegetables that local donors at the market give us. VALENTINES BENEFIT MEAL
Every year, for the past 5 years we have organized a benefit meal in the center of town on Valentines Day in Zone 1, Concha Acústica del Parque Centenario. Each year we’re able to serve over a couple thousand plates of food to those living on the streets. MUSIC AND PUPPET SHOWS AT SPECIAL TIMES OF YEAR
We have a clown show and puppet theater which we use to impart the message of love and hope especially to those who are in greater need of physical support; those in hospitals, orphanages, and those who are mentally or physically disabled. We also often visit prisons and homes for the elderly during Christmas and other special times of the year to show them that God loves and cares for them and to cheer their spirits with music and the happiness that is conveyed through the shows that we do. YOUTH COUNSELING
We’ve found that the youth of today often are rather aimless when it comes to the meaning of life and what is the purpose of it all is. On a weekly basis we spend several hours out talking to the youth in the city, offering them the free gift of salvation, discussing deeper matters of life if they’re interested as well as giving them counsel from the bible for any questions they may have. We invite anyone who’s interested in more study of the bible to our house for our weekly Bible classes. BIBLE CLASSESEach week we have an informal meeting and class on Sunday afternoon covering various bible issues, as well as day to day topics such as “Relations with People”, “How to overcome Depression”, “Positiveness”, “Effective Work Habits” etc… as there’s a lot of helpful advice the bible has to offer on such day to day problems we encounter. YOUTH CAMPS AND ACTIVITIES
Several of our members are involved in organizing youth camps and activities for teenagers. Not only in Guatemala, but they also occasionally travel to Mexico to help host and staff training camps. In July and August 2007 several of our volunteers were involved in a month long missionary training camp for 17 year olds. Teenagers have so much potential to be a positive influence in the world, and one of our goals is to inspire them to give in some way of themselves to others, so that we together, hand in hand with them, can make this world a better place. As the saying goes: “You may not be able to change the whole world, but you can change your part of the world for the better”, if each of us does our part to help those around us we can change the world around us and make it a better place. RETREATSIn the busy world of today, it’s sometimes hard to find the time to take off with your family and children to tune into some of the important things of life, such as our relationship with Jesus, spending time in His Word and taking time off for spiritual retreat and time with our families. This year we’ve begun to host yearly Retreats - a time to take off from ones busy schedule to enjoy the beauties of nature along with spiritual infilling through the many classes which are taught and workshops held. In 2007 we hosted the Retreat “Crediendo Juntos” at the “Costa Verde” hotel near the Pacific coast. CHILDREN'S BOOK DISTRIBUTION
We in the Family International make it a priority to pour into children, as they are the future of the world. Towards this end we’ve produced a wide variety of educational material for children in the form of: Books, CD’s, DVD’s, and other positive learning environment material. Thanks to some generous donors, in late 2007 we were able to distribute 1900 books and 1000 Activity Booklets in the following locations in Guatemala:
Along with 2500 Children's Story Books, Activity Booklets and Puzzles in the following locations in El Salvador:
To those who have so little these books were greatly appreciated and treasured by each of the small pairs of hands which received them. 
SEMINARS
We regularly give employee seminars in companies on topics ranging from Work Ethic, Relations with People, Overcoming Difficulties in life, Marriage, Children and many more. |