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)