This spring we were honored once again to host a team from Indian Run United Methodist Church of Dublin in Dublin, Ohio! Led by Kelly Mohr, the team also included Indian Run UMC’s pastor Jeff Allen and his family. This was Indian Run UMC’s fifth team to serve with us, and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces on the team once again, as well as to meet new members of the church—and new extended family members of other team members, as well! The team continued the construction on our public middle school kitchen project at the INEB Telesecundaria “Profesor Austreberto Velásquez Díaz” in the town of Godinez. During their week, the team tied rebar, formed and poured columns, and laid block. The group also planned and shared in activities with children from the nearby community of Chuisajcap on two afternoons! A big thanks to each member of this team—and to Indian Run UMC as a whole—for their hard work during this week, as well as for their energy and exuberance! We are grateful for your support and friendship! (fb)

At the end of January, we were honored to welcome a group of Methodist pastors and lay leaders from the Indiana Conference! Mission Guatemala’s roots within Indiana run deep, thanks both to our founder Tom Heaton’s years of serving Indiana churches as an ordained Methodist pastor, as well as to the incredible generosity and support that so many Indiana Methodist churches have shown over the years for the communities and individuals that Mission Guatemala serves. The team was led by Rev. Rodney Frieden, pastor of Epworth UMC in Indianapolis, Indiana, and by Rev. Jason Morris, pastor of First Wayne St. UMC in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Jason also currently serves as president of Mission Guatemala’s board. Their hope for the trip was to facilitate new connections with Indiana Methodist churches and to provide opportunities for a more in-depth look at the work Mission Guatemala is doing in the San Andrés Semetabaj area, as well as to experience a variety of aspects of the Guatemala culture. During the week, the group visited several projects that volunteer teams serving with us have completed over the years, including the Chuti-Estancia elementary school kitchen, the Casa del Maestro school administration building, the Xequistel middle school classrooms, and the basketball and soccer court at the “Nuestra Señora del Socorro” Catholic girls boarding school. The group also visited our current school kitchen project at the public middle school INEB Telesecundaria in Godinez. We are grateful for the opportunity to get to know this wonderful group of pastors and lay leaders from the Indiana Conference and to share with them about the work that Mission Guatemala is doing here in San Andrés Semetabaj. We hope to welcome them back to Guatemala sometime soon! (fb)