A Blessed 2012......

Greetings from Guatemala!!!!

What a blessing it is to communicate with all of you while we are serving in Guatemala! It is so exciting to be able to share all of the wonderful things that have gone on! I will highlight 10 praises/blessings:

PRAISE GOD THAT:

1-Mount Sinai Preschool finished with 34 students in October!

2-We had our first annual banquet in November!!!!!

3-Marito RECEIVED his visa!

4-Marito & I will spend Christmas in the states (IL).

5-We finally get to have  reception in the states and celebrate our lives with friends and family in the states!

6-Parents in Magdalena, Guatemala have already showed interest in enrolling their children in the preschool. This shows how God is growing the ministry.

7-God gave Pastor Mario & I vision on new projects involving a Special Needs group, Dental & Nutrition programs and opportunities to serve (when medical mission teams would travel here), & a Women's Group that is connected with Mount Sinai Evangelical Mission Church. THANK YOU LORD FOR DIRECTION!

8-God provided for specific needs: health, safety, etc.

9-Marito created a new carpentry site and the organization (SI) that he works with approved. He has one student attending the carpentry school. He loves serving others with wood and other projects. This is the perfect setting for him.  

10-We survived our first year of marriage!!!! PRAISE THE LORD! 

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God blesses in many ways. Sometimes it is the small things, in which God uses to bring us his pure joy! I am so thankful for 2012. I cannot wait to see how God will grow us spiritually and the ministry in 2013. As we are thankful for our supporters and prayer warriors, we have a few prayer requests for you:

PRAY FOR/THAT:

1-Pray for continued health and safety provision.

2-Pray that God will continue to make us a better husband and wife.

3-Pray that God would provide for our personal finances so that we can continue serving in Guatemala as missionaries. 

4-Pray that our trip to the states is smooth and calm without sickness or any other problems. 

5-Pray that we would effectively be able to serve God and the people of Magdalena in 2013. 

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support. We love sharing life with you. This Christmas season, we pray that God blesses you for all that you do and please know that you are blessing Guatemalan families and helping us bring Jesus to families and individuals who do not know him through your partnership in our work sites and our ministries. 

Blessings to you!

Merry Christmas,

Kara & Marito :)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

-Isaiah 9:6  

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Jesus Loves the Little Children

Greetings friends and family!

I am updating from Guatemala! I finally made it back to Guatemala after a blessed trip to the states in July and the beginning of August. I would love to share about my trip to the states.

While visiting the U.S. I was able to share with 5 churches about the preschool, the vision we have for the school, and find more child sponsors. What a blessing it was to share my passion and how God is at work here in Guatemala! A special thanks to Tapestry Church, Grace Baptist, Emmanuel Baptist, Bethesda Baptist, and Second Baptist in Granite City, IL. I know God prepared my path to speak at these churches for a reason.

I know He is working in the hearts of many people. I used to be afraid that this project would not be funded and that starting from nothing would not work out. Many people did not understand what is being done here. It is amazing to see how God is leading me to start a grassroots project. I like to compare this to baking cookies. Anyone can go to the store and buy cookies that are pre-made and are ready to go into the oven. However, it takes more effort to go find all the ingredients and make a batch of home-made cookies!

Now that I am home in Guatemala, I figured I would continue to share some of the stories of the students at Mount Sinai Preschool. One little guy I would like to share with you is Angel David.

Little David is one special little boy. I am so thankful to have him at school. He loves to play with his friends. He is very creative and love to write his numbers and letters. He has great handwriting for his age. Next school year (January-October) of 2013, David will enter Kindergarten. David's story breaks my heart deeply. He lost his father in 2011. I wish he did not have to grow up without his daddy, but life happens and sometimes we are left to deal with difficult situations. Please join me in praying for David and his family. He has an older brother and a baby sister. Pray his mother will continue to find strength in the Lord and that this family would continue to attend church. I pray one day David and his siblings will come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. When bad things happen, they do change our lives, but accepting Jesus will be the BEST change anyone can have. Also, pray that David would receive a Sponsor. This would allow him to continue his Christian education at Mount Sinai Preschool! :)

Thank you so much for your prayers! Know that we should continue to love on and pray for these Guatemalan children. Jesus loves them! My desire is that they know this. We sing the song "Jesus loves  me" almost everyday!

But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."
~Matthew 19:14

May we never forget how important children are to Jesus. May we continue to bless them and bring them to His feet.

Blessings from Guatemala!

Step by Step He Leads me Through....

Good morning to all of you reading this new post. Life has been so filled with the children's laugh, homework, projects, and planning for the new school year in 2013! First of all, thank you SO MUCH, for all of the financial support and most importantly the prayer support. I cannot express the gratitude I have for our special Prayer Warriors. Prayer changes things. The communication we have with our Heavenly Father is special. He guides us and provides for our needs, as well as keeping us safe. What a blessing it is to be able to talk to him.

In the month of June, we were able to teach the preschool children Jesus loves me in Spanish and we were learning more of the Alphabet too. The kids love to learn new phrases in English and color. Likewise, they LOVE to do centers. This hands on learning can consist of any subject. I am so thankful for this.

June 12th, we had our first visitor at the preschool. Seño (teacher) Emily came to serve at the preschool. She loved on the kids, helped us with projects, making posters for the walls, organization, and ideas. We were SOOOO thankful for her. Please pray a special blessing over her life for listening to God's call in her life to serve a month this summer in Guatemala with the preschool. I know the children also miss her greatly.

Out morning and afternoon class has begun a special project. We are buying snacks and then selling them at a cheap price during snack time. This is a way that the parents can invest in their children and help pay for our VERY FIRST FIELD TRIP! We are going to take the students to the Zoo! Oh how fun it will be! I imagined the look on the childrens' faces and knew they would love it. Please pray that when we send in the letter to the zoo that petitions a lower entrance fee, that they would be willing to bless our preschool, church ministry. We hope to take this educational field trip in early October. I cannot wait to read Noahs ark to the children while we are at the zoo. I think it will be a big revelation to them to realize that God created the bigger animals. I pray this will not just be an academic learning experience, but also a better understanding of how BIG GOD is and how he created us and this world.

For those of you who did not know, I was able to travel to the states to share how God is at work in Guatemala with 5 churches. I arrived here the 19th and return to Guatemala August 6th. It has been a lengthy trip and I feel that God has opened many doors. I know we have more Prayer Warriors and new Love Sponsors for the children. What a blessing! Thank you for your continued prayers.

Until next time!
Much Love from Mount Sinai Christian Preschool! :)

God's timing, Love Sponsors & Mother's Day at the Preschool!

Greetings from Guatemala!

I am now writing you from Guatemala after my 3 week trip to the states. God has really been teaching me so much and showing me his favor ahead of time. As I continue to place my faith in him, his word reassures me everytime that God is ready to do big things through me. He is using me, but his timing is so specific that for everything to fall into the right place and to see how he works for example, two people meeting randomly that end up needing information or how God arranges plans that are so perfect, his timing really is exactly when he has it. Sometimes we get frustrated, but we should not, because his plans are perfect and of perfect timing. I am so much more calm, after this trip to the states. I will let you know why.

1) The preschool project may have a few visitors this summer (aka-a few helpers) and these people all approached me and I never offered them a spot. When a group wants to take a trip or individuals want to travel and serve somewhere, I really never imagined that God would want that now. We are just a small project, BUT God is up to something and I AM SO EXCITED! I pray that these two students would grow and love serving and learn so much. Please pray for them as they prepare for their trips.

2) More people are hearing about the preschool and are praying for the preschool. We have about 16-17 pledged Love Sponsors for the students at Mount Sinai Preschool here in Guatemala. God is so good and I know he is sending his Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of people in the states. Please pray that I will finish organizing the project on the Guatemalan side. I do not want to let the families down by saying that they have a sponsor for their child and then the sponsor back out. I am praying for a meeting and the families that have a Sponsor that has already sending in Sponsorship can attend and we can officially start the program here. Please pray that God will touch more hearts and pray that the sponsors we have currently will be faithful in their giving as we start organizing birthday gifts for those that have birthdays soon and pray that we have the wisdom and strength to do this program.

3) After I returned to the Guatemala from my trip to the states we had funds for a great Mother's  Day party for the mothers at the preschool. Mother's Day is celebrated better than Christmas because the mothers are so important here. Most families have a father or father figure, but it is the mother that almost never would leave her children. In this village where Marito and I love here in Magdalena...the mother is so influential. Always caring for her children, the mother is constantly doing house chores and working the small market jobs or creating small jobs. I would love to start a work thing where we could eventually sell material the moms create to teams that come. We would be able to buy the material, give half to the preschool, and half to the mothers that worked. Maybe one day God will allow us to make our project bigger.

I really am so full of joy that God is in control and there is nothing anyone else can do about it. He is out strength. I was even able to share Jesus with the mothers at the party. I was nervous when God told me to do it, but it just came out of my mouth. He is my strength. He will fund this project to its' fullest and take care of all the details. Please pray that at MSP we can share more of Jesus' love to the children and that the love they receive will be taken to their homes.

Much love! Please contact me anytime, continue praying for us, and consider supporting if you have not already. So excited to hear from you when you let me know how you have been. I would love to pray for you too if you have a prayer request.

Love,
Kara Denton-Mendez

Habakkuk 1:5...

Good morning from Guatemala!

Marito and I are getting ready to take the youth on a picnic/outdoor day at a park in San Lucas which is a town not too far away. I am very excited to go because I know the youth need small excursions to hang out and grow together in Christ. When no one pays attention to the youth in the church, we have to wonder what will happen to them when the older people pass and then it's the next generations' turn to move up and take on leadership roles. Without planting seeds into the youth, the church will not continue once everyone else is gone. We are so happy to be the new youth leaders here at Mount Sinai Evangelical Mission church here in Guatemala. God will move and these youth will grow and hopefully they will learn to follow his lead no matter what, living a life that pleases him.

Another part of ministry we have here in Guatemala as many of you may already know is Mount Sinai Christian Preschool. We are planning for next school year, trying to make it a legal formal Christian academy. Part of that process requires creating new documents and executing all the steps needed. It requires lots of time and patience. A few Guatemalan ladies and I will continue to finish these requirements after my journey to the states for a while. In the states I will be sharing vision and programs with churches and individuals as well as fundraising for Marito and I to continue working here and the preschool. Both are so important. Funding the missionary and the project to have people serving and working with the people. Both are important to see that these people can come across Jesus' love. Please pray for us as we watch God at work. Please pray for funds and the trivia night fundraiser. Pray that people will come to join us, people will Love Sponsor the teachers and children and pray that people will share how God is at work with everyone they know. God is soooo good and so big! He loves the whole world and I feel so blessed to be apart of his work here in Guatemala...See you USA in about 5 days! :)

Blessings!
Kara Denton Mendez
(Feel free to contact me with questions or anything at my email.....
tapestryofloveinguate@gmail.com)

"My Big Fat Busy American Life".....

I hope that the title does not immediately offend anyone in any way. I do not intend to preach something disrespectfully, rather I have made some interesting connections between my new life and life in the states.

Observation #1: Busy, busy, busy......

After doing lots of time reflecting on my growing up years I realized how much time I was running. Honestly, I would not change a thing about my life. God brought me through challenges and I am who I am because of the life God blessed me with. My parents stayed together and just celebrated their 25th anniversary, which is nothing more than a perfect example for my husband and I as we just married. I cheered in high school, had a variety of friends, not necessarily in one group, and was very involved in church all throughout my entire life.

That being said....what made me think about my childhood and just breathe. Because life was sooooo busy. Why is it that as Americans we are so darn busy? I never found time for quiet time and my life was just SO FAST PACED. I do not mind having a to-do list of things to accomplish, but instead of relationships, my overall time was completely focused on things to do. I clearly remember high school and college. All I could focus on was my future and where I would continue my education and what I would do after college and who I would marry, and everything else that every young person is thrown into as they reach secondary age. I think that I have learned by living in Guatemala, that it is OKAY to have free time. Doing nothing, reflecting, loving on people, visiting people, taking time to just breathe. WOAH. Don't get me wrong. People here are not lazy, but they are not so consumed with the future, their plans, where to drive, what they need to buy at the store for the month, where they have to take their children. Guatemalans walk, buy their food at the market daily or for no more than a week, visit their friends, walk to someone's house rather than calling unless it is a far walk. People do not have all the distractions from technology and are capable of making time for what they want. I see families that allow their kids to play outside and visit family. The son does not have soccer practice because he plays soccer in the street with all of his cousins and neighbors. Life sometimes is stressful, but I feel such peace and so calm with my life here.

I hope none of you see my comments as a direct negativity towards you. I have just had some cultural eye opening moments, some that come to you when you are in other countries, or when you travel and have a larger world view.

I will continue my observations and reflections. I will wait for God to continue to stretch me and grow me and teach me. For now I will leave you with this. Find God among the craziness and seek his presence for peace regardless of where you live. We all need him, all around the whole world.  

:) Love, Kara

A daughter of the King....

Well friends and Family!

Marito and I are now officially married! We had our civil ceremony 1 week ago! And of course tomorrow makes the 1 week mark from the big church wedding! The music was beautiful and my entrance was breathtaking. I imagined it before....but I could never ever imagine a wedding as wonderful as I had. Everyone pulled together...there were plenty of people to calm me down and it was a Cinderella/romantic wedding just as I had always wanted. God blessed us. We received lots of appliances that we did not have, 220 cups and mugs, and other interesting gifts. I could not believe the total amount of people that came. We had over 900, YES NINE-HUNDRED, people come to our wedding! The biggest wedding I had ever been to myself and I have been to plenty in my lifetime!

The other exciting parts of the wedding were my drive to the hall, where we held both the ceremony and reception, the entrance, and the actual ceremony part.

1-On the way to the hall literally EVERYONE was waiting outside their house, store, or on the street to cheer and clap for my arrival...IT WAS SO FUNNY! I never felt royal until then. I was completely the center of attention and I was the princess, the bride to be wed, BUT in the same way I realized that this is God feels about us. We are sons and daughters of the King. WE ARE ROYALTY IN HIS EYES. He is there by our side to calm  us through the storms and loves us so much. Now I understand how my King feels about me....He loves me soooooo much that he wants me to feel that special all the time. He sent his son to die for me and my sins. That's real love.

2-The entrance was the second part that blew me away. I had no idea what to expect while walking down the aisle. The only thing I could see was family nodded their heads, and then immediately my eyes hit Marito's eyes. He was not scared and did not cry. He was not nervous to take me by the hand and lead me to my chair....He was secure and loving. I could again see another analogy. God has me in his care, his arms, his hands. He is there always secure. His love for me never fails. And when we read about how the church is the bride and Christ is the groom. I now understand. Not the materialistic or physical love that some young women search for continuously....it is the love of sacrifice and service and  a love that never fails. The way a true groom should love his bride is exactly how Jesus loves us. It is not a romantically perception. I always thought seeing Jesus or God as my groom was weird....but now I understand after doing some counseling and just how God revealed it to me at my own wedding...that marriage is soooooooo much more than the gifts, chocolates, date nights, single stem rose, or diamond jewelry. I am not saying that these things are bad, but the way Jesus loves us-there in no comparison. The best way to describe it is that God sent his own son. Jesus came to die for us. And if we take the free gift-eternal life by relationship, we have the chance to accept Jesus, surrender our life to him and then live with him eternally. I know Marito loves me. I saw it in his eyes....but this heavenly, miraculous love that Jesus has for us has no comparison. It's that grand!~

3-The ceremony was special because that was us taking the first part of our marriage and putting God as the center. IT was SOOO beautiful. I almost cried. Later on after the ceremony and reception...there was a time for wisdom and sharing. Someone sang and our families understood that they are not losing a son or daughter but gaining another. What a gift God can provide from marriage. I have extra parents and so does Marito. My parents gained a son and Marito's parents gained there "5th" daughter. We all cried and shared this beautiful time. We saw the people in our life who really care for us and reminded us of this. We should all be thankful for the people that God puts in our life. It is such a blessing to have this.

I will post picture when I get them. I still get butterflies when I think about the wedding. It was a fairytale wedding, in a most royal way. Seeing my Prince Charming at the alter waiting anxiously for me was only the beginning. I left the hall that day, December 3rd, understanding and knowing my God much more deeper than I ever had before. The commitment, honor, loyalty, and love a Groom has for his Bride  is learned from God. God is the ultimate. The way the Groom the loves and cares for his Bride-even AFTER the wedding, that is how Jesus feels and acts towards us....We learn love by his example. JESUS WILL NEVER FAIL YOU! His love keeps you going. His love is eternal. His love never fails.