After a week in Antigua, Guatemala we have arrived at our new home in Puerto San Jose. It is a port town located on the pacific coast of Guatemala. Our contact ended up being a guy that Amanda had met when she lived here last year. His ministry which is called Abdeel, which means God’s servant in Hebrew, is geared towards helping street kids. Felix, our contact, has more passion and desire than most people I meet. To hear him talk about these kids, almost has greater love than many people talk about their real kids. His ministry is to go and meet these kids and give them a place to stay as well as showing them the love of Jesus. He also used to be a professional dancer so he uses that skill with the kids and teaches them street dramas. It is such a huge testimony to hear Felix talk. He used to be a gang member and a thief and a murderer. He told us that at one time he would never even smile. To see him now, smiling and full of life it is hard to picture the old Felix.
We first ended up staying at their old ministry site in the town of San Jose, but after a couple of days we are now moved out to the home of their future site. This is an amazing story in itself. Felix many years ago had a dream for his ministry to have a big building and land and a basketball court. People would keep telling him about this property located out of town. One day after yet another person told him about it, he finally went to check it out. The first time he saw it he knew it was from God.
The property is absolutely amazing for what the ministry needs. It used to be a Christian retreat center and so it has a bunch of huge rooms, more bathrooms then I have ever seen in a place. A basketball court, Soccer field, its own lake, a swimming pool, tons of beautiful tropical flowers. It has its very own plot of land behind it full of bananas, plantains, lemons, avocados, coconuts, cashews and many other wild fruit. It has its own chapel and much more. They have been praying for this place for a long time and actually had it at one time and then lost it only to get it back. This place is amazing and the bank that was in possession of it practically gave it to him, all glory to God. One more thing is this guy is only 22. It has been so encouraging to talk with him and laugh with him and just hear his visions for this place.
We got here two days before it officially became his. We helped him move into the site on Tuesday. The ministry itself is taking a little break while in transition so it is just our team and Felix in this retreat center. The timing that we got here is absolutely amazing. We got to eat the first dinner ever at the property. The fact that we arrived just as he was getting possession of the property is so neat. It is so cool to be the first team to ever be at this place. And not only are we the first to stay here but we get the honor of painting the whole thing. We are so excited to know that we are just a small part of something that is going to change so many people’s lives. We are going to be here a little while longer doing lots more painting and other odd jobs around the place.
We are also trying to get involved with a church in town with our friend Ivan. We helped out at the church service last week and Emily preached her first sermon there.
