UPDATE FROM KAREN HARRISON IN GUATEMALA

I am halfway through the three months in Guatemala. It has been such an amazing time getting to know the people involved with La Mano De Dios – the staff, the mothers and the children. My days are long and filled with hard work, but it is interesting and rewarding. I have had to practice my patience as I wait for the bus each day and everything seems to involve walking considerable distances – to the supermarket, to church and to the ministry.

The children arrive at the ministry at about 1:00pm after they have finished school for the day, so in the mornings I do a wide variety of different things – I help out in the kitchen every day to help prepare the lunch for 60 children and nine adults. I also prepare for the lessons, visit families, paint items, hand out donated clothes – basically anything that needs to be done.

The children arrive at 1:00pm and they sing songs, listen to a bible story and do an art activity along with learning the memory verse for that week. Lunch is served at 2:00pm and then the children go home or stay until 4.30pm to get help with their homework. Every second Monday morning I help with a women’s bible study and three mornings a week I teach English to some older children. The children come to the ministry four afternoons a week – Monday through Thursday. On Friday the staff get together and have a meeting, do a bible study then go and buy the food for the next week.

Prayer needs: there is a lot of sickness going around the community so please pray for the health of everyone – the kitchen staff, the director, myself, the children and the parents.

Distributing donated clothing at the El Hato bus stop

The kitchen staff

Bible Story