September Ministry Update

Isabella & Margaret

Our new baby, Isabella, is 5 months old and continues to grow fast!  She’s a bundle of joy and energy, and we’re so blessed to have the new addition to our family. 

Margaret loves being an older sister, and loves to play with and help her little sister.  She enjoys learning to read, and is also very excited about her new glasses and about losing her teeth!

Celia’s Internship

Our school year ends in just a few weeks, and Celia, Sandra, Ana, Karla and Margaret are very excited about the upcoming vacation!

Celia is a senior in high school, and a graduation requirement is an internship.  She’s studying to be a preschool teacher, and for her internship she helps teach in a school near our house.  So every afternoon after she finishes her own classes, she goes over to put what she’s learned into practice. She’s very excited about graduating at the end of October!  Please pray for her as she begins her job search.

Ana is finishing 9th grade and has a big decision about what major to start studying next year.  Sandra is finishing her junior year in high school and will start her teaching internship next year, and Karla is finishing up 8th grade.

Pablo

Our Monday night Bible studies are still going well, and one man reached an exciting milestone.  We met Pablo a few years ago during our Sunday morning breakfasts that we give out to people in our town’s central park.  Many shoeshiner boys and poor come over for the meal, and we also get to know many who struggle with alcoholism. 

That’s how we met Pablo, and last year he started coming to our Monday night Bible studies, too.  He’s now following the Lord and this summer reached one year of sobriety!  We’re very happy for him as he’s now also going to a local church, holding a steady job, and back with his wife.  It’s amazing to see a transformed life. God is so good!

Please pray as we continue to reach the people of our community in Chimaltenango, Guatemala!

Volcano Hiking

We hiked a new volcano in July.  It’s much higher at about 13,000 feet and is the one we can see looking south from our house.  We camped at the top and watched the attached active volcano spew lava all night.  It was an incredible view!  It was also a new experience for them as the temperature was close to freezing and it was very windy, making it the coldest night that our girls have ever felt!

Thank You!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support for us!  We’re so grateful for God’s goodness and for all of your help.  We’re so blessed to be able to serve the poor, lost, and less fortunate here in Guatemala.  And even as our family grows and the expenses that follow, it’s such a help to have all our needs met. It’s a rare privilege to be able to do what we do.  Thank you!

Here are a few prayer requests for upcoming needs and events:

  • Pray for Celia as she looks for a job after graduation.  And pray for Ana who is finishing 9th grade and needs to pick a major to study next year as she enters high school.
  • Pray for our Monday night meetings, that we would be able to reach new shoe shiners, alcoholics & poor that need to know the Lord.  Pray that it would be a great time of reconciliation, growth, and following after our Heavenly Father!
  • Pray for our various end-of-the-year activities.  We spend about $500 for Christmas parties with the shoe shiners, children at Casa Shalom, and our own kids that live with us.
  • Pray for the kids that will come to live with us in the future.  We will be talking to some during the upcoming break from school about coming to live with us next year.
  • Pray that all of our financial needs would be met.
  • Please pray for Yuliza and her family as her father is terminally ill.

Thank you so much and God bless,

Brent, Yuliza, Margaret & Isabella