What can a just turned 15 year old boy do to stay involved when his mission experience gets cancelled because of a global pandemic? He can give away the funds that he had worked so hard for to the people he would have met this year in Livingston, Guatemala!!! There are some really cool people involved in this story. Meet, Paiden, a selfless 15 year old who lives in Canada. Gavin, a committed long-term missionary from Ohio, serving in Guatemala. A beautiful community of soul

#sydney #deltazeta #livingston #nuevaesperanza #2018 #guatemala

June 25th, 2017. The day my life changed forever. The day I put all my trust into Jesus Christ. Beginning June 17th, I traveled to Guatemala to change the lives of others, but little did I know they would change my life. I stepped out of the airport in Guatemala and could instantly feel the pain of those around me. Although they were in pain, they all shared one thing, and that is their faith in God. On my first day of mission work, I was blown away by the environment that th

This photo was taken seconds before my life would change forever. Seconds before my very core would be shaken and I would leave sobbing on a dirt floor next to a woman who would never know the impact she made on me. It was the sixth day of our VBS mission trip and we were doing home visits in a little village named Patzun before we started our Bible lessons with kids. The entire week I had asked God to be breaking my heart for what breaks His. The pastor of the church had ask

Innocence on the face of a sleeping child is so very sweet. When my children were babies I would spend hours watching them as they breathed in and out, enjoying the sweet murmurs as they dreamed. Oh my, I am so very thankful for God’s Love in the eyes of my children. My greatest prayer is that all mothers know this blessing. As a young girl, I went to a Baptist Church. We had a revolving door of missionaries in and out sharing stories of children in need, families suffer

Quiche, Guatemala ~ God, the wonder of Your beauty never ceases to amaze me. I flew into Guatemala on Sunday and was assigned to an incredible experience the next morning. I had no idea what lay before me; but You already planned each moment - with Your presence standing there as I walked into it. By Your sovereignty, our medical team arrived to the far away town of Quiche safely. The drive was around 10+ hours, the drivers were focused and patient, the roads were continuousl

Summertime for believers in America often equates with raising money, gathering needed supplies, packing equipment, and strolling onto an airplane that will (hopefully) place us gently in a faraway land. Our well thought out mission projects include providing medical care, vacation bible schools, and/or construction assistance to those we see as less fortunate. The great commission tells us to 'go', right? So, eagerly, we pack our expensive luggage, hop on a plane, and feel

It was our third and final day of installing stoves in homes of the garbage dump community in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Our typical day, if there is such a thing here, was to install stoves and spend time encouraging the families by letting them know that there is a great big God that loves them enough to send a group of gringos to help improve their lives. As we finished our time at each home, we took the opportunity to pray with the family and we would ask if they had any

Job 11:7 asks us, “Can you fathom the mysteries of God?” The answer, of course, is no. But we do know of the love God has for us, and we can trust that God will not waver on his promise that He will work all things for the good of those who love him. Job understood this especially well. Even through his insufferable trial, he knew that God was going to use his struggle to create good. And God worked that situation to bring about much greater things than Job could have planned

This summer, I was blessed to go down to Guatemala City, Guatemala on a Vacation Bible School themed Mission Experience with Identify. It was an absolutely amazing experience because I learned that only God knows what is going to happen and I know I need to live according to His plan. After seeing the way these children, who had absolutely nothing, react to a herd of Americans they didn’t know at all with an outstanding amount of love. Although they had never heard our sto

Many people have asked me “How was your trip?” in the weeks after returning from Guatemala. Admittedly, I did not know how to answer, nor did I really want to answer especially those who’d never been on a trip. How do you sum up an ongoing life altering experience in a few sentences? But, thanks to help from Kristi & Identify, I was able to do it… I learned that God can and will use me powerfully when I’m obedient to His call and prompting, and I trust in Him to give me the w

VBS in Guatemala City This trip was much different than the first. The first trip was mostly taking it all in and the difference of this trip was that I knew what to expect, so it was purely an emotional trip this year. That's what I took away from this trip the most, the emotions I felt during the trip. I went through various emotions throughout the entire week: fear, excitement, love, sadness, joy and hope. The emotions that I have felt have pushed me to change my life here