Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
Just as God provided for the Israelites in the desert, so too has He provided for the ministry and mission of Hope Renewed International (HRI). For HRI, these past couple of years it has often felt like walking through a desert - totally dependent on God to provide. Prior to the Pandemic, HRI was well funded, mission teams were regularly traveling to Guatemala, ministries were growing, and Guatemalan staff salaries had just been increased. It was easy to see God at work!
Make it stand out
Make it stand out
And then….the Pandemic. We thought it would be just a short disruption in our lives, ministries, and world - but it stretched into years. Each year, the mission and ministry of Hope Renewed had to be reevaluated, prayerfully determining where God was continuing to call us to serve, IF He were calling us to continue to serve. And He continually said, trust in Me - abide in Me, keep My commandments, walk humbly and watch.
As a volunteer Board of Directors our greatest concern was and is for our staff in Guatemala. Since they are the only paid individuals in HRI and there have been times we anxiously wondered if we would have the funds needed to continue to provide for their salaries - it was hard to wait, watch and trust. But we did (we are) and He continues to provide.
When I reflect on these last couple of years, I refer to it as a “waiting on the manna” experience. Doing everything we can do to provide for the ministry, walking obediently as we know how to, but dependent on Him and waiting for His provision. He has provided, testing our faith, never giving us more than we need, often waiting until what seems very last minute - but never failing. This time of humble testing reminds me that He is most interested in my faith.
HOPE RENEWED STAFF
You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:2-3).
GOD HAS PROVIDED - WE HAVE SEEN HIS PROVISION AT THE HOPE RENEWED SEWING CENTER
Hope Renewed’s Sewing Center is bringing hope to a community desperately in need of opportunity and change. The Center provides free sewing classes to students from both Zone 3 and La Limonada, giving them the opportunity to learn marketable skills for the textile industry. The ability to offer FREE classes to the women in this area is unique. Our students have shared that learning a skill was something they had not thought possible because the cost of education is too high. They are so grateful for God’s provision!
The Sewing Center opened at the beginning of February, 2022. The first class started with 30 women. 20 of these women completed the basic course and five of them graduated from the full course in November 2022!
To graduate from the full course the participant must complete and show competency in basic sewing, industrial machine operator, pattern making, and garment creation! Congratulations to our graduates!
In July we started our second group of women with 28 women. 12 of these women have already completed 2 of the courses, the basic sewing and industrial machine operator.
A special highlight is our student, Blanca Liseth, she and her 9-month-old baby come to the sewing center together and even though she had never studied sewing, she is working while caring for her infant, she has managed to stand out as one of the best in the July group!
We stand amazed at God’s provision! We have watched these women become friends, hear about God, feel His love through the trainers and HRI staff and learn a skill that they can use to help their families and increase their incomes!
GOD HAS PROVIDED - WE HAVE SEEN HIS PROVISION AT THE HOPE RENEWED PRESCHOOL
Just like in the United States, the isolation and lack of peer interaction has taken a toll on the children of Hope Renewed Preschool. Almost three years of doing preschool with minimal personal contact and attempting to do some lessons remotely has impaired the coexistence and psychosocial development of these little ones. We are thankful that in the middle of this year, Guatemala allowed us to resume face-to-face classes, starting with small groups and two months later a normal Monday to Thursday schedule.
Despite the challenges, we finished the school year with 13 preschool graduates. Through tears, the parents thanked the teachers and the organization for their support! Most of these kids have been with us for 2 years, the families have seen their meager incomes diminish, increased food instability and the loss of loved ones from Covid-19. Yet they have continued to work with our staff to promote the importance of education to their children. God’s manna allowed us to provide some food assistance (delivered to their homes at the height of the pandemic and breakfasts for the kids when the small groups were allowed to come to school), remote classes and even some parent education courses. Only God could provide that - when things were looking very grim financially, God would prompt a new donor to begin to give, or for an existing donor to send in an extra gift. Through these gifts and those who faithfully continued to give through the pandemic we saw His provision.
WE HAVE SEEN HIS PROVISION IN THE HOPE RENEWED SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Hope Renewed’s Scholarship Program continues to provide opportunities for life change to our participants. Our students, most of which live in LaLimonada, have worked through enormous challenges to continue their education. Most classes went remote, which is hard enough, but most of our participants do not have internet or access to reliable transportation to get to areas where internet was provided. They too faced the loss of income, increased food insecurity and illness and death due to Covid 19. Yet through God’s provision through HRI, most of our scholars were able to persevere and continue (or complete) their education. We were blessed with the ability to sell some property at a time when our cash reserves were low, we had a donor provide a large end of year contribution, just in the knick of time so that we could continue to pay for tuition, supplies and establish wifi in the garage of our Scholarship Coordinator for the students to use. We are so proud of the students and their faith, perseverance and obedience during these desert years!
A PRIME EXAMPLE - Arelis Cano
She entered the HRI Scholarship program in 2015 which has provided the financial support she needed to study. Thanks to God’s provision for HRI, she was able to continue studying despite the pandemic, she graduated this year! Arelis, a young mother, trusted God to provide and she is grateful for the opportunity to be empowered for her future.
Check out our Scholarship Page in order to see others like Arelis who have been given a chance to change their life!
Ashley entered our scholarship program in 2020, this year she graduated from High School with a specialization in Biological Sciences. She is ready to continue college and study technical Criminology.
God’s provision through Hope Renewed, is impacting many! Education is often not a priority in Guatemala. Many children and youth drop out of school every year because they do not have the financial resources to continue on after the government system that ends at 6th grade. But thanks to God’s manna, provided during this desert time, many will have the opportunity to receive an education.
Getting a Glimpse of the Promised Land - Our First Mission Team since the Pandemic
Recently we were blessed to see the return of the first mission team in almost 3 years! The mission team’s presence communicated God’s love in a tangible way to our staff and program participants. In a country where the poor are often ignored or demeaned, this mission team showed them they are seen, loved, and valued. The scholarship recipients and the young people from the team worked and played together - building bridges in a world that is way too segregated.
The preschoolers were treated to a trip to the zoo and a special lunch - something that their parents are not able to afford to provide. Our families around the preschool were visited, prayed for and encouraged. God’s manna showed up just at the right time and was used just as He intended - to provide sustenance for His people.
We look forward to 2023 and continue to ask God to provide for Hope Renewed International and the life changing work He has started through HRI.
We invite you to join us in praying for the ministry, by providing financial support, and/or by bringing a mission team to Guatemala City. We pray the desert time is coming to an end, that financial support will increase, that mission teams will return in force and that the work and mission of Hope Renewed International will grow - BUT no matter what, we will trust Him. This is His work, His people, we are blessed to be a part of it all! Join us.