JANUARY 2008

NEWSLETTER 

We are in our busy season.  This is our high peak time for bringing groups in from the US and Canada to collaborate with various projects.  It is a blessing to see “old friends” return for their annual trips but it is also exciting to see the first timers come and to watch their lives be impacted from the experience.

We had 2 teams come during the month of January.  The first was a large team from Michigan, sponsored directly under Servant Ministries.  Their main outreach was to come provide the labor for building a house for the pastor in the village of La Puente.  The team also provided an offering toward the construction materials although the majority of the construction fees were donated by someone else.  It is the first time that a team finished 100% of a building project.  This team not only finished it but they even took the pastors’ family a number of household gifts and planted flowers around the house.

“La Puente Construction”

The Michigan team also filled 800 school bags for our school sponsorship outreach, participated in a couple of church services and helped with a painting project.

Our second January team was a medical team from Tennessee that had medical outreaches for 5 days.  They saw between 1600-1700 patients.  They handed out school packs at 2 of our sponsored schools and participated in our Sunday church service at the ministry center.  What a blessing these teams bring!  They leave a part of themselves here and they go home with enlarged hearts for what God desires to do…in and through them! 

“Medical Team”

As a side note, one of the doctors from this team looked at Miguel 2 CAT scans; one that was right after his fall and one done recently before he came back to work.  95% of the mass in his head has disappeared!  They said that it is a miracle!  Let’s continue to believe for the last 5% to disappear too.

This is our 3^rd year of our “School Sponsorship Outreach”.  It began when a teacher came 3 ½ years ago and told us that all her students had to do their work was using sewing needles to scratch on rocks.  That showed us the importance of this kind of an outreach. The school year runs by calendar year and has just begun.  We continue to receive requests from schools and touching stories of how much this program is needed.  We handed out school packs in January at 3 schools and will continue to cover more schools during February.  A little help can offer a child a chance for a better tomorrow.  If you are interested in helping with this outreach, please communicate with Tamie at our US office at (810) 385-4338.

“School Sponsorship”

We have done a number of work projects in the last month or so.  We painted both stories of the workers’ housing area.  We are coming close to finishing the house behind the ministry center that we have been working on.  We have also started the foundation for a new church that we are building in the village of Ocumbla. 

“Workers’ House"

In January we began a new dental service in the clinic.  We now have dental service available every Saturday and can offer not only the extractions that we have been doing since November but new services that include cleanings and fillings.  We are charging minimal fees just to cover our costs and people are really responding.  We have most of our appointments booked more than two months in advance.  How exciting to be able to help people with their dental needs!

We have done a lot of planning for our outreaches for 2008 and look with anticipation to seeing them being fulfilled.  You are an integral part of keeping the ministry moving forward; through your prayers and financial support.  Together we are impacting this area of Guatemala.  Thank you for your faithfulness to be a part of what God is doing in Guatemala through Servant Ministries.