Guatemala Missionary News December 2015
Guatemala Missionary News, December 2015
December 5, 2015
2015 Ministry highlights from Timothy and Sharie Martiny, missionaries in Guatemala.
2015 Missionary Report From Guatemala
December 31, 2015
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Caring for Orphans is the Gospel

Caring for orphans in Guatemala
 

In our work caring for orphaned and vulnerable children in Guatemala, we see the heart of the Gospel.


If the Gospel is God doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves, then, when we reach out and care for children who are orphaned or in need, when we love them, feed them, teach them and provide for them, we are doing for them what they cannot do for themselves. Understanding that drives home the beauty of the love God has for us.

When we work with orphans, it makes us reflect on what God has done for us and when we reflect on what God has done for us it makes us want to do a better job of caring for orphans and on and on. It is through this beautiful cycle of loving and being loved that God is most glorified.

This has been an amazing year for us in ministry. In many ways we have started to see the fruit of 12 long years of seeding, watering and tending to the hearts and lives of those God brought us here to serve.

At the orphanage Fundaniños, where we’ve worked for the last 7 years, we have been blessed to be a part of the lives of countless children, we have seen them come to Christ, discipled them with the Bible, taught them life skills, seen them leave, strike out on their own, and, most importantly, been there for them when they need help. We given them a place to stay when things didn’t work out, helped them find work and get back on their feet and made sure they know that, we like God, will never give up on them. Tim has also had the opportunity of a bigger role in the home, assisting with public relations, fundraising, strategy and the independence program, helping children transition out of the home.

Our vocational training programs have been awesome. In our woodworking classes young children learn to make pens and crafts, in our engineering classes the students are learning CNC engineering and manufacturing, in the culinary arts classes they have learned to cook deliciously healthy meals and pastries. We are “teaching them to fish” and giving them the means to live a productive life.


But as important as our classes are, what matters most is the time we spend with them, it gives us the opportunity to build meaningful relationships, through which we can counsel them, speak into their lives, and point them to God.


At the Precious Moments School and Orphanage, the teachers we sponsor have done a wonderful job teaching and ministering to children who come from one of the roughest and most dangerous parts of the city. For the second year in a row, the teachers have run the computer classes in our classroom there and over 150 students are being trained. In addition we launched afternoon classes for the students who need extra tutoring and want to advance their tech skills.

But the most exciting aspect of our ministry there has been seeing the ladies form our local church come alongside us to help run vacation Bible school for the children, assisting with everything from planning, organization and activities to teaching classes that make it such a success. The spiritual growth in the lives of these children has been incredible.

It has been an amazing year, but you know what excites me most? It’s what God has in store for us this next year. I don’t think we’ve seen the half of it. So to all those of you who have been a part of making our work possible through your prayers, encouragement and support, Thank you! We couldn’t have done it without you.

If you would like to partner with us in this coming year, we would love to have you walk alongside us as lives are changed, hearts are restored and God is glorified as His people turn to Him.


 
Timothy Martiny
Timothy Martiny
Missionary in Guatemala serving the orphaned, vulnerable and disabled.