What does it take to build a brighter future for children in an unreached community in Guatemala?
Patience, sacrifice, connections, and a whole lot of prayer.
Many of you have stood with us as we reached beyond Tactic into the communities of Mocohán, Purulhá, Villa Nueva and Tierra Linda, and Chijulhá.
Now the Ministry of Education has asked Impact to reach into even more remote areas where there are few elementary schools and no junior high or high schools.
Will you help us build a brighter future for even more children? Until the end of the year, your donation will be doubled!
For many years, we’ve been focusing on the communities where we already have schools. And we’re continuing to go deeper with our current students, through existing programming and through curriculum development.
Recently, however, the local municipal powers and the department of education came to us. They’ve been taking note of what we’ve been doing in the past 22 years, and they began talking to the leaders of our Vida Schools. The Ministry of Education doesn’t have the resources, so they’re inviting Impact Ministries to step in. Isn’t that exciting?
The Guatemalan leaders are enthusiastic about opportunities in new communities. They see this as a missional opportunity within their own country. But they’re also clear-eyed about the sacrifices that it will take. So often, remote villages are wary of outsiders, and don’t see the need for an education past the very basics. It takes a lot of patience to build trust, and it’s a huge sacrifice for teachers to move into these communities
A team of our Guatemalan leaders have been exploring some unreached communities. They’ve found villages that have huge needs – lack of resources, education, and the Word of God. Now we build trust with the leaders and the families in these communities and see whether they are open – and whether this is where God is leading us next.
We’re not sure exactly what this will look like. Please pray with us.
This coming year, we anticipate taking those initial steps – sharing resources like food hampers, providing some health care, perhaps reaching out with some children’s ministry. Then, we will select one or two communities in which to offer the Vida Weekend Extension Program. This would provide distance learning for junior high and high school students (with weekly in-person meetings for academic support and a chance to learn together).
From there – who knows? We are holding our dreams lightly and waiting to see what God has planned.
Will you dream with us for a brighter future for more communities?
Thank you for building a brighter future for kids in Guatemala!