Guatemala 2025/26

​We are safe and sound and tucked into our beds at Casa Bernabe. It was a long day of travel but it was all worth it for the warm welcome of the children. There is so much love here. So many kids remembered my name and gave me hugs and it was the best gift I could ever ask for. Unfortunately, American Airlines did not process our group in a timely manner and 4 team members didn’t make it on our flight. It was a very frustrating experience, when we did everything by the book. We arrived at 2:30 for a 5:07am flight. Turns out they don’t open the checked bags counter til 3:30am. They had our group wait in a line (over 30 of us) and processed us one at a time…and they were in no hurry. By the time the last 4 got through security the door to the airplane was shut and there was no way they would open it. Please pray for our team members to be able to get some rest. They were able to get on different flights but won’t be arriving til 2am and then a 45 min drive here. I can’t imagine how exhau...

As I wrapped up school before break and finished all the Christmas shopping and baking, I've had some time the past few days to really focus on praying for our upcoming trip to Casa Bernabé. We will be completing a team devotional each day and had some pre-trip readings to do.  The book had us journal our anxieties and fears in a prayer to God.  I didn't think I was that worried until I started writing, and the words kept pouring out. We hope you will join us in praying for the following (and anything else God puts on your heart!): Health - lots of viruses going around and in the back of my mind I always wonder how the bug bite situation will be for me Humility - I like control; that's no secret.  I desire to surrender everything to the Lord and submit to His will, but sometimes my selfishness gets in the way.  I want to do things my way on my time.  Please pray that my heart will be humbled in challenging ways to grow in my dependence on Him. (Kara) Travel Merc...

Today we had the opportunity to serve in a local village where several of the children at Casa Bernabé come from. It is always a hard day emotionally. The poorest of the poor in the US are rich in comparison to this community. About $4000 (U.S.) of our team budget went towards purchasing food for the people of Jocotillo. The Lord provided 20 bags of corn, 20 bags of beans, and 30 bags of rice. We then divided up the food into quantities to hand out for families. Each family got 5 pounds of each item. I was told a few years ago that it would feed a family of 4 for about a week. I’m not sure that is 100 percent accurate, but it seems like an educated figure. By our estimate, we handed out food to somewhere around 350 families. A set of house parents, Marlon and Analu, have always dreamt of running this ministry on a bigger scale. Marlon was always involved with doing this “on the side,” in addition to being a house parent. Due to recent health problems, they had to leave Casa Bernabé. Al...

Each year the children give us a parting gift of a “Despedida” (Goodbye). They make the team cards, dance to songs, and bring people on stage to do games. What a beautiful display of gratitude is given to us by these special children…although it’s really us who should be thanking them for showing us God’s character throughout the week - kindness, humility, gentleness, strength, endurance, and so much more.

This morning we left at 5:30am (to beat the traffic!) for our excursion to Antigua. We started at Cerro de la Cruz with a devotional time and then headed to Finca Filadelphia for breakfast. It was delicious! There was an employee making tortillas by hand and she was so gracious to teach Hannah. Antigua is such a beautiful city and we had a lot of fun enjoying the culture, but to be honest, my hear was aching to be back at Casa Bernabé.

We spent a lot of the day cleaning up the NYE activities and finishing up projects. It was kind of a weird schedule this year because the next day was our excursion day and the day after that would be our day at Jocotillo. We kind of said our goodbyes to the kids because we weren’t sure what timing would look like for returning from the day trips.

Yesterday was exhausting but amazing!!! It was go time for all of the preparations the team has done and I have to say it was the best year yet. Plans were executed smoothly and the stress seemed so much lower. Our team works together really well and people just tend to jump in. No one seems to stand around and wait to be told what to do…even the new team members. I think it’s really awesome! I was so thankful that we had a lull in the morning. I took advantage of the time and went to see my friend. One night we were here she left the house at night and no one could find her. Thankfully she came back. I can’t imagine the pain and mental illness she struggles with and how hard it must be for the house parents to deal with her violence and attitude. No matter how she expresses herself, her house parents love her unconditionally. They are patient and kind and demonstrate the love of Jesus with sincerity. For R’s quinceñera, I sent her a Bible, the fun book labels, and highlighters. I aske...