Team Shelby

Welcome team Shelby Crossings!

Paige, Andi, Jeremy, Hannah, Liz, Lindsay, Chris, and Tia all arrived from The Church at Shelby Crossings’ college ministry in Calera, Alabama, to stay May 18-29. While they were here, they participated in four medical clinics, two of which were held in the local villages. They planned Vacation Bible School activities for the kids during our church services, using Bible stories, skits, and singing to try to effectively communicate Jesus’ love to the children. On the two Fridays they were here, they were able to go downtown to the Mary Magdalena House to help minister and feed the people who came. They were able to work with the street kids, from hanging out and playing “futbol,” to going out at night and sharing their food and their testimonies with them. It was a truly humbling experience, to say the least. The street kids, that Hearts for the Children Ministry targets, are all very young, and looking to drugs to cope with the fact that the street is their home. What they really need is Jesus, and our aim here at Hearts for the Children is to make them realize that need.

The team from Alabama also got to do some incredible sightseeing. They climbed the Volcano Pacaya, spent a day in the beautiful historic town of Antigua, visited the Guatemala City President’s Palace, and even spent some time hanging out in the Pacific Ocean. While all these things were definitely fun and exciting, serving the people in Guatemala seemed to be the highlight of those eleven days. Hundreds of people may not have come to Christ in that short period of time, but relationships were built and people were shown love.

Two of the girls from the Shelby Team, Hannah and Andi, have chosen to stay here until July 14. They, along with Karell ‘Katy’, are staying here to be interns. Katy has been here since May 11 and will be here until August 6. We are teaching these interns all about being missionaries and the tremendous amount of work that goes into a ministry like ours. They will be helping to lead the two groups who are coming in June to help with the construction of the church. Their vision for the summer is to serve the Lord in any way that He wants them to. They want to learn how to run a ministry and help God’s children all over the world. They would love to see these children come to know God and receive His salvation. They know that everything they do here is an opportunity to plant those seeds and cultivate the seeds that have already been planted.

Also...welcome team Bedouins!

While the Shelby Team was still here, we had a team of three come. Elaine, Keith, and Stephen, from an organization in Birmingham, AL called Bedouins International, came on Sunday the 24^th of May. They came for a very specific purpose- to make a picture documentary on the life of Lupita, a member of our church. They spent several days interviewing Lupita, as well as interviewing Tom and Elizabeth. They also toured the area that Lupita worked and learned about how she came to know and love the Lord. Lupita was a prostitute from an early age and struggled with drugs for a long time before she came to the ministry and accepted Jesus as her savior. He was able to completely able to turn her life around and use her to bless His other children here. They were able to take beautiful pictures, capture hours of audio, and translate Lupita’s testimony. They also helped the Shelby team with all other ministries including street kids program, children’s ministries, and medical clinics. While they were here they were also able to partake in some sightseeing. They went to Antigua, visited the Palace in Guatemala City, and even enjoyed time on the black beaches of the Pacific Ocean. This team was extremely busy in their 8 days here! We are looking forward to seeing the product that they are making from all of their work down here. It will be available for the entire world to see how God is blessing the people of Guatemala and the Hearts for the Children Ministry.

To find out more on Bedouin’s International, check out: www.bedouinsinternational.org

We will be receiving another team from Georgia on June 6^th. They are going to be here for the primary purpose of doing construction on our church building. While they are here, they will also be doing other ministry activities including participating in church services, VBS for the children, medical clinics, and helping with the street kids ministry.