Guatemala Missions Team - June 10-17

Our team of 33 will be setting off for Guatemala on June 10-17! We will be partnering with Casas por Cristo and will be constructing two homes for two non-Christian families in need and sharing God’s love with them. We are so thankful to those who will be and have been supporting us all along the way, through your prayers, your time, or your donations. We couldn’t do it without you!

OUR DAILY BLOG

PHOTO ALBUM
(Coming Soon)

(will be available after our trip)
password is: guatemala2023

If you would like to see photos, you can find them on our CCCHS instagram page.

June 16, 2023 (Day 5)

   Today we went to Morning Glory Elementary School, where we helped with two bible classes and did some projects for the school. We built tables, painted, and wood stained one of their play structures. The kids loved the skit we performed and we enjoyed worshiping God with them! One of our favorite moments was when we got to sing "Lord I Need You" with the children in Spanish!

   This week has truly been a blessing to us and to others. We have had an amazing week glorifying God through our actions. Being Jesus' hands and feet by helping others is one of the greatest ways to share his love. We made so many memories together as a team and we will never forget the opportunity we had to share the gospel. Thank you for making this possible for us. We are so grateful!

   We will be traveling home tomorrow and would greatly appreciate your prayers for our safe return!

June 15, 2023 (Day 4)

   Today we had the opportunity to take a rest and celebrate finishing the homes by enjoying God's creation. We hiked to the volcano Pacaya where we absorbed the marvelous majesty of the tropical forest of Guatemala! It is truly amazing to see all that God has done for us, big and small. 

   Tomorrow we are heading to a school in San Raymundo called Morning Glory Elementary. We will be helping with two bible classes and preforming a skit for the children, We will also be doing some painting projects and building some tables for the school in the afternoon! We would appreciate prayer that we would make meaningful connections with the kids. Tomorrow will be bittersweet for us because it is our last full day in Guatemala before we head back home to Tucson.

Thank you for everything that you have done for us, we really appreciate it!

June 14, 2023 (Day 3)

   We finished our houses today! Both our teams had a ceremony with their families in which we gave them a Bible, a piece of artwork, and the keys to their newly built house!

   Team Leon loved getting to see how excited the family was and watch the kids run in and out, opening and shutting the windows. The team was worried about whether they would finish on time, but they persevered and got it done! It was such a a blessing to dedicate the house and pray over the family. This was an amazing project and they will all miss the wonderful Leon Family. Please pray that the Bible that the team left, as well as continuing ministry from Pastor Bildad, would open their hearts to Christ.

   Team Maria had so much fun finally putting their house together. It felt like the build went from a set of studs in the ground to a real home in the space of a few hours! It was amazing to add the finishing touches and finally hand a set of keys to Maria. During the ceremony the gospel was explained to Maria and her family by Pastor Bildad. Amazingly, many members of her family professed faith in Christ! Please pray that the seeds of the gospel would take root, that they would get plugged into a church community, and that they would grow in Christ.

   Today was a truly encouraging day for us all. We thank God for the way he provided for us this week! 

June 13, 2023 (Day 2)

   Today was a productive and joyful day! Both teams successfully raised the walls of our houses and began adding siding. Tomorrow will be the last day of construction, and we will be finishing the roofing and dedicating the houses.

   Today was the first day that the Leon Team had a fluent Spanish translator on site with them. This was such a blessing because they were able to connect with the family on a deeper level. For the last two days the Leon Team has been having trouble with timing. Please pray that they are able to complete tomorrow's work on time.

   As the Maria Team raised the wall of their house, Maria's son Sergio also helped them. The land where the house is being built has belonged to Maria's family for generations, and this house will probably house her children in many future years. We are so excited to think about how this home will serve their family for years to come.

   As a group we are trying to emphasize the Gospel and Jesus' sacrifice in our prayers with the family before we start the work for each day. We would also appreciate your prayer that our words would be impactful on these families. Additionally, several of our team members are not feeling well and we ask that you would lift their health along with us. Thank you for all your support and it is truly a blessing to have you helping alongside us!

Buenas noches

June 12, 2023 (Day 1)

   Today we split up into two teams to work on two different worksites. Both teams finished the foundations of the houses! Tomorrow we will be focusing on building the walls and starting the roofs.

   Our first group has been building for the Leon Iquic Vicente Family, which consists of the grandmother and grandfather, 3 daughters and their husbands, and 18 children. This family is currently living in a structure made out of tarps and metal. They were grateful to finally be starting the construction and welcomed us into their home. The children are very eager and curious, and it has been an awesome opportunity to make connections with them.

   Our other group is working with the Maria Cristina Iquic Vicente family. Maria and her family of two boys are also living in a makeshift home of tin, tarps, and wood. This morning she told us that, in the recent past, a group of people pretending to be missionaries also offered to build her a house. Devastatingly, they took her money and did not return. Our team has a unique opportunity to show Maria what true Christian love looks like by actually building her a home and investing in her family with no strings attached!

   Please pray today that our teams would find opportunities to share the Gospel with these families. 

• Pray that the gospel would break into the giant Leon family because we have such a great opportunity for generational influence. 
• Maria has been hurt by people claiming to be Christians in the past, but we have a chance to be a real light for Christ toward her family. Pray that our service toward her would cause her to want to know more about Jesus.

We appreciate all of your involvement and are so thankful for your support!

June 11, 2023 (Travel Day)

   Today was our travel day! We flew from the Tucson airport yesterday evening, and arrived safely in Guatemala this morning. We are so grateful that all our flights went smoothly and that we were able to get our large group safely through an international airport! 

   This afternoon we met the Casas Por Cristos missionaries that we will be working with on our worksites. They explained to us that tomorrow we will be laying the foundations of both of the houses! Please join us in praying that these first steps go smoothly as these foundations will set the precedent for the rest of the construction of the houses. 

   We will be studying 2 Timothy 4:1-9 this week, and our goal as a team is to grow together in humility as we work toward representing Christ. We are so excited to see how God works in us in the next few days!