My First Trip to Guatemala!

These little guys persevered through the pandemic to graduate last school year!

I have known about Hope Renewed International practically since its beginning.  I attended church with Jason, the cofounder, and know him and his family well.  I loved the mission and vision of HRI.  I was involved with the church’s coffee shop and excitedly began purchasing Guatemalan coffee beans through Jason, in support of HRI.  

Dani and Diego - in Santiago, future home of the boy’s transition home. Click on the picture to read Diego’s story (a true miracle).

Our church sent several mission teams to support the work happening in Guatemala and I prayed for the teams and supported some of them financially.   I was even asked to join one of the trips. Several of my friends were going and I had some major FOMO (fear of missing out) but just did not feel the call to go on a foreign mission trip.  

A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER

A couple of years later, my dear friend Janice had become the Board President of HRI and I helped her with a couple of small projects.  I enjoyed the projects, loved working with my friend, but again did not feel called to invest in the ministry above praying for the work they were doing.

And then, the pandemic (how many of us say those words when referring to life these past couple of years?!).  I found myself at home with extra time on my hands.  I reached out to Janice to see if there were other projects I could do.  I did a few things, got to know the ministry on a deeper level and started feeling an increased passion for the work they were doing - and more importantly - the way they were doing it, empowering Guatemalans to make the changes needed in their lives and in their country.  The philosophy was totally in line with my own helping philosophy and other ministries that I support.  

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

When I was asked to join the Board of Directors for Hope Renewed International, I was unsure.  As I have said, I had never felt called to foreign missions, at least not to travel to a foreign country to do mission work, but I was becoming more invested in the ministry of HRI.  I prayed about it, read through the board documents, and thought the answer was an easy “no”.  One of the requirements in the board documents was that Board Members would travel to Guatemala at least every other year for a board meeting.   I could not commit to that, so I told Janice and Jason that with that requirement in the job description, I couldn’t say yes.  I knew God COULD change my feelings on traveling to a foreign country for mission work, but I didn’t know IF He would or if I would listen if He did.  

Janice and Jason, wiser than I realized, said it was okay, they could waive that requirement if that was the only thing that was impeding my joining the Board.  

PANDEMIC EFFECTS ON HOPE RENEWED

HOPE RENEWED STAFF working outside the preschool building distributing much needed food 2021

My traveling to Guatemala any time soon became a non-issue as the pandemic dragged on.  It hit Guatemala and Hope Renewed incredibly hard.  Mission teams were no longer allowed into the country (a major source of income and development of new ministry partners).  Board members had to make decisions and plans from a distance.  The financial hit to the ministry began taking a toll.  The Board worked tirelessly to trim expenses, without compromising ministry or the Guatemalan staff.  HRI, through God’s grace,  was able to continue to pay salaries for the staff throughout the majority of the first year of the pandemic.  The Ministry had to move to remote learning, a challenge for the world, but incredibly difficult for the areas where HRI operates.   The lack of technology access and understanding among the parents of our preschoolers made teaching them remotely a difficult slog!  Many of our scholars were without access to reliable internet so they struggled to participate in online classes.  Covid illness among the staff and their families made everything tense and incredibly difficult.  The staff persevered, assisting in food distribution in areas where HRI serves, preparing remote lessons, providing internet in Kimberly’s (our scholarship coordinator in Guatemala) garage and working tirelessly and creatively to support the students and scholars.  God continued to be faithful even as funding continued to decrease.  

As the pandemic dragged on, changes had to be made, ministries were realigned, staff was reassigned, and students and programs had to continually pivot to adapt to the new reality that “normal” was not coming back anytime soon.    

HRI WILL SOON HOST THE FIRST MISSION TEAM SINCE THE PANDEMIC!

Two years later, one of HRI’s staunchest supporters, a church in northern Illinois, has decided that with Covid rates finally declining, vaccination rates increasing and therapeutics improving all the time, they are sending a team to Guatemala.   We are so excited!  Working with the pastor and mission team has given HRI an emotional and spiritual boost.  YET, even as the world is opening up again to travel, life is very different now.  That means hosting a mission team will look very different in 2022 than it did in 2020, the last time a team was on the ground!  

Preschool assessments March 2022

Guatemala’s vaccination rate is lower than anyone would like and students are learning in a hybrid format. We have made changes to HRI programs, we no longer have the Guest House (where mission teams would stay when working in Guatemala) and the Sewing Center is now housed in the preschool building.   A very different environment for our teams.  

PLANNING FOR THE FIRST TEAM

So, the Board and Staff started working to make sure that the mission team has a safe, effective and impactful experience.  Mission teams are valued partners to the ministry of HRI and we want the time and money that they give to the work in Guatemala to have maximum impact, for the people of Guatemala and for the mission team participants.   

NOW I AM HEADING TO GUATEMALA!

What?!!  I can’t believe it - and I am even excited about it.  I have become passionate about the work that God is doing in Guatemala.  Even though we are a small organization, serving less than 100 people at this time, the work is life changing!  

Despite the pandemic, Hope Center opened! Now 24 women are learning sewing skills to help them secure jobs in the textile industry!

A small group of Board members are traveling to Guatemala to make preparations for this team, to encourage staff, to work through some of the tasks and planning needed to move HRI forward into a post pandemic world.

I am so excited to meet the staff team who I have talked to and seen only electronically.  I want to meet the kids whose lives are changing because of the commitment of people like you who support (or hopefully soon will support)  Hope Renewed International.  I want to experience what is happening, what GOD is doing, in Guatemala through the work that He has called us to do.  

I am looking forward to sharing more intimately about the work and ministry that is occurring.  I want you and others to see what I see, the miracles that occur because we serve a God who knows each individual person in Guatemala.  I want to introduce you to the children who are growing up in a small shack with parents who work in the Dump salvaging things they can sell to support their family.    I want you to see that your donations are making a personal and impactful difference in the lives of the people we serve.  Due to God’s grace through your support, these kids have an opportunity for a different future - and most importantly are learning about a God who loves them individually!

WE SERVE A GOD OF MIRACLES AND SURPRISES SO WE ARE PRAYING EXPECTANTLY

Hope Renewed International is currently financially stressed.  We prayerfully ask God for guidance to show us next steps for HRI.  We pray for additional mission teams to schedule time in Guatemala, serving and learning about all that He is doing there.  We trust that He will bring this need to the right people at the right time and that those who He calls to support the work will follow Him obediently.  

We know that HE is able to smooth out the financial hardships we are experiencing and ask for your prayers that we would remain encouraged and wait patiently on His timing.  We humbly ask you to prayerfully consider becoming a ministry partner with us.  We want God’s plan for you, for Hope Renewed, and for the people we serve in Guatemala to be fulfilled - we hope you will join us in prayer.  (And if you don’t mind….say a little prayer for me, I am excited, but just a little bit nervous)

If you want more information about Hope Renewed - check out our website hoperenewed.org  

If you would like to talk to someone about sending a mission team or just more information about missions - please email our Mission Team Coordinator at megan.twadell@hoperenewed.org

If you feel God is leading you to support HRI financially - please click here or go through the website to donate.  

I will post pictures and updates from Guatemala.  Watch for new blog posts.