Guatemala 2021 -- I am going "home"

Twenty years ago this summer, my church, Peace Presbyterian PCA, in Cary, NC, sent their first international summer mission team to Huehuetenango, Guatemala. We were invited by Edwin and Evie Martinez, missionaries to Latin America, who we have supported as a church for many years. It was my privilege to be part of that team along with my 15-year-old (at that time) daughter, Lindsey, and 33 others from the church. Despite the beautiful mountains that surrounded us, it was not a “mountain top” experience for me. I was lonely – Lindsey was with her friends -- there were so many skilled workers that I had little to do, and, believe it or not, I am an introvert in large groups. That’s one way I know that it was God Who called me back in December that year. I wasn’t trying to recreate the time of my life; I was stepping out in spite of it. Since that first trip, I have been to Guatemala every summer except 2020. I have also been there several times between summer trips with teams from all over our country. I have personally prepared and led 13 teams myself. My daughters and I have been there on our own for some extended time in the past years. God has reconfirmed His calling on my life in so many ways through the past 20 years. Guatemala and her people are in my heart and I cannot image life any other way.

It was hard not to be in Guatemala last year but more than that, it was heartbreaking that we also lost a beloved member of the Huehue Ministries staff: Gail Davison. God called His faithful servant home last year on July 7th. As we mourn her passing and her presence in our lives and hearts, we also recognize that there is a major loss to the ministry in Huehue. She kept the house and kitchen running in Huehue and at the farm! One of my projects will be working with a small team to do such things as inventory the pantry and prepare linens for larger teams that will be arriving later this summer. We will also be doing some ministry with women and children in the Huehue area and in some villages on the mountains and in coffee country. I am collecting crochet hooks to distribute and, if the opportunity arises, to teach crochet to anyone who wants to learn. The ministry opportunities are immense but we want to stay open to the leading of the Holy Spirit as well – He may have work for us to do that we haven’t yet considered. Our team is small and there is much work to be done but God has the plan to make it possible.

 A special opportunity has opened for me to spend several days with Paco and Priscila Valdez at the Kairos Hospital House in Guatemala City when I first arrive in the country. My church also supports this ministry to families who must come to the city for medical care. Often these are children with terminal cancer whose families have no other place to stay. Imagine your child being in the hospital fighting for his or her life and you have to leave them there alone because you cannot afford to stay in the city for any extended time. Kairos provides that place to stay: a warm bed, nutritious food, clean clothes, and emotional/spiritual support. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a liaison between Kairos and my church this summer. Please pray that I will be a blessing to the Valdez family and anyone who is staying at the house as well.

 As in the past, I need you on my home team. My most important need is prayer support. It will be an unusual year without Gail -- I am not actually looking forward to walking into the house in Huehue without her there to greet us. In addition, Guatemala is still under COVID restrictions and masks are still mandatory. I covet your prayers for physical protection from violence and disease for all of us. I covet your prayers for emotional comfort as I truly face Gail's death in real time. Also, please pray for the family I leave behind, and especially for those who are generously coordinating care for my fur babies: three dogs and two cats. I cannot serve without their service. Please pray for my ability to communicate effectively with all that I encounter. Please pray that I will be a conduit of God's love.

While prayer support is vital, the fact remains that I also need financial support. My plane fare has been paid but I still need some support for in country expenses. As well as my room, board, and in country transportation, I would like to be able to give love offerings to Kairos and to the pastors we will serve. Even a few dollars make a big difference for these servants of God. 

Please pray for me as I prepare to travel next week. I leave on Wednesday, June 9th and return on the 28th. Please pray for God's provision of the funds I need to travel. I do not have a specific sending agency so I cannot offer tax deductions for donations but, if you feel led to support me, I promise that all funds will go to the ministry as detailed above. Nothing received will be used for any of my personal expenses. Gifts can be made through Google Pay or Venmo to AngelsLine@gmail.com, my PayPal pool at paypal.me/pools/c/8A1bpcaOiF, or by sending a check to me at my home address: 1210 Lexington Farm Road, Apex, NC 27502. No amount is too small. Many of you who read this will be regular supporters. Some of you are new to my ministry. Whatever category you fit, you are all critical to the success of our work this summer through prayer and/or financial support. I thank God for each of you and pray He will bless you for your faithfulness.

En manos de la gracia!

In the hands of grace!

Angela

Guatemala 2019 --19th Summer!

I recently finished my first full year teaching at Haw River Christian Academy. I spent the mornings at the front desk and taught seventh grade Omnibus I in the afternoons. Omnibus is an incredible curriculum that incorporates history, literature, and Bible/theology. Basically, it’s a great books program. Can you tell I love teaching it? I wasn’t ready for the school year to end! I had a great inaugural class to help me learn the material and constantly found myself taking notes on their observations. The school year ended rather abruptly. Our last full academic day was cut short because we didn’t have water to the building. I sent my class home with their final exam in hand.

With the school year in the books (pun intended) it’s time to turn my attention to Guatemala 2019! This will be the 19th consecutive summer that I have been blessed to return to my beloved Guatemala. My travel dates are July 10-31. I will be helping with a group from Idyllwild, California. I am also looking forward to visiting a school in Huehuetenango. The school year in Guatemala is January through October. Since I have a full three-month summer break, I can help teachers there by substituting when they need days off in our summer months. Because it is an English immersion school, I don’t have to worry about teaching in Spanish. This school primarily serves children without parents (some orphaned, some abandoned). What a blessing it would be to serve these children and their devoted teachers!

This year, God has already blessed me with an incredible ticket which is mostly funded. I am grateful that I only have one stop and no overnight travel. Like last year, it is a missionary ticket which allows me three checked bags. I have two musical instruments to transport to the ministry in Huehue and the extra baggage allotment allows me to take these gifts. Once my transportation costs are fully covered, the remaining funds will be directed toward a small gift of school supplies for a tiny village school in Agua Dulce, where the coffee farm is located, and then to the ministry in Huehue for my in-country expenses. All other funds collected will go to assist with some very necessary repairs to the guest house in Huehue which is our home base.

An education is a luxury, particularly for young girls in the villages of Guatemala. School supplies are hard to come by. The headmaster told me that one of the biggest needs is notebooks for the children to write their assignments in. For about $40 USD, I can buy a box of notebooks for the children in the school which will help them continue their studies. Depending on how much I raise, I might be able to purchase two boxes!

The guest house in Huehuetenango has been in use since 2001. In the past 18 years, it has been opened to hundreds of people. Through the years, various repairs have been made to upgrade the electrical system by groups from the U.S. however it has been increasingly hard for the city water supply to fill the needs of teams. We have routinely had water deliveries to fill the cistern so we can bathe and wash dishes. Just recently, Edwin, the missionary with whom I work, discovered that he can have a well dug through the garage floor. It was a successful venture but now we need a pump on the well. That is where any excess funds I raise will be directed. The well will increase our ability to serve those who stay at the house without dipping into funds that could be better spent elsewhere. 

As in the past, I need you on my home team. My most important need is prayer support but, as usual, I also need financial support. Please pray for me as I prepare to travel in three weeks. Please pray for God's provision of the funds I need to travel. I do not have a specific sending agency so I cannot offer tax deductions for donations but, if you feel led to support me, I promise that all funds will go to the ministry as detailed above. Gifts can be made through my PayPal pool at  https://paypal.me/pools/c/8fQte78GCQ, through Google Pay to AngelsLine@gmail.com, or by sending a check to me at my home address: 1210 Lexington Farm Road, Apex, NC 27502. No amount is too small. Many of you who read this will be regular supporters. Some of you are new to my ministry. Whatever category you fit, you are all critical to the success of our work this summer through prayer and/or financial support. I thank God for each of you and pray He will bless you for your faithfulness.

En manos de la gracia!

In the hands of grace!

Angela

Mission Guatemala -- 2018

Note: as summer begins to approach each year, my thoughts turn to Guatemala where I have been over two dozen times the past 18 years. Writing a support letter is a very daunting task. I don't like asking for money but I cannot serve without financial support. This year, my letter is different. You can read some of my past "standard" letters in my blog at AngelasLines.blogspot.com. This year I feel led to share some of what has happened to me since last summer. Please bear with me. I hope you see God's good hand in my life and testimony.

Every year, I find myself wondering what I am supposed to do about Guatemala, teaching, everything in life. This past year has been full of more questions than others. From time to time someone will remark about an event being "life defining." That's what the past year has been for me -- a series of life defining events. It started when I lost my job of 20 years. I had already been struggling with extreme fatigue and this brought depression that did not help. God guided me to a small school in Pittsboro, NC, which actually wanted me. I started with two classes for middle school students who were new to the school and thus not ready for Latin --  our students start Latin in third grade. By January, I had four classes. I worked hard to master the material I was teaching and I slept -- that's about all I had the strength to do. Along the way, I found this life defining change to be a true blessing and privilege. My new school family became my great joy as I felt God telling me that there was more for me yet to do. So grateful to be joining the staff of Haw River Christian Academy full time this fall! 

Looking for the cause of the fatigue was another life defining event. After repeated complaints to my medical care providers, one of them really listened and tested me for iron saturation. It isn't a common test to run, but as I am learning, it is very important. I was diagnosed with hereditary hemochromatosis, iron saturation disorder. It means my blood stores too much iron and then it goes into the liver, brain, pancreas, etc. Some of the symptoms are extreme fatigue and brain fog. The treatment has brought some good-natured teasing to me: phlebotomy -- taking a pint of blood out from time to time, depending on the results of blood work. Bring on the leaches! For the rest of my life, I will be monitored for iron buildup. I have to limit my intake of beef and other high iron foods but all of this is just inconvenient. 

The life defining moment came when my doctor gave me the results of scans to check for iron deposits in my vital organs. I have no significant deposits of iron in my body. The moment that gave me pause was when he told me that he expected the opposite. At my age, with hereditary hemochromatosis, at least my liver should have been compromised. When he said, "there's something in your body protecting you," I immediately knew it was Someone. God still has work for me to do. For me, this disorder that is life threatening, was a reminder of God's plan and orchestration of my life. My energy is returning and I am looking forward to seeing how God will use this in my ministry in Guatemala -- and beyond. 

I am returning to Guatemala for the 18th consecutive summer. I have been blessed to serve between summer trips as well.  This year I will be with a team from North Lake Church in Bellingham, Washington. I served with them last summer and was asked to join the team again and assist with women's ministries. The team dates are July 10th to 20th. I am pleased that I was able to obtain a "missionary" ticket which allows me to take three checked bags at no extra cost. In addition to the supplies we will need for the women's ministries, I will be able to take supplies for aid to victims of the volcanic eruption. 

Please pray for me as I prepare to travel in just over two weeks. Please pray for God's provision of the funds I need to travel. I do not have a specific sending agency so I cannot offer tax deductions for donations but, if you feel led to support me, I promise that all funds will go to the ministry. Gifts can be made through my Paypal pool at  https://paypal.me/pools/campaign/109493735876097809  or by sending a check to me at my home address: 1210 Lexington Farm Road, Apex, NC 27502.

En manos de la gracia!

In the hands of grace!

Angela Kennedy

Guatemala 2018 post coming very soon!

Check back here for my 2018 update! Meanwhile part of my 2017 update is still pertinent, but praise the Lord, I don’t have to spend the night in the Mexico City airport. That did not work out too well especially since I arrived in Guatemala City and immediately boarded a bus for Huehuetenango. My tummy was not happy for theee days!

Guatemala 2017 -- Two Weeks Away!

YES! It’s that time of year again!! Guatemala time! This year I have been invited to assist a mission team from Bellingham, WA, in Huehue. I will be traveling from July 12 to 27th. The team is focusing on repairs to the Guest House in Huehue including painting. The Guest House has been in use since 2001 and it is time for some repairs and updates. The team will also work in Arenales. One of my tasks will be to help translate for the women on the team and the women in Arenales. Please pray that my Spanish skills will be sufficient for the task!

Can you help me this year? I need both financial and, most importantly, prayer support. In addition to recall of my Spanish vocabulary, please pray for my travel time. I leave at 4:00 PM on Wednesday, July 12th and don’t arrive in Guatemala City until 9:20 the following morning. I have a 10-hour layover in Mexico City. I must admit I am apprehensive especially since it is an overnight layover. I have heard that the Mexico City airport is confusing at best but I should have enough time to figure it out. Gratefully, Edwin Martinez put me into contact with someone on the Bellingham team who has flown through Mexico City a couple of times.

Like last year, I do not yet have a sending agency, so I cannot offer tax deductible receipts for donations. I looked into setting up a Go Fund Me page but they take a percentage of the money.  My financial needs are not overwhelming but include the purchase of a ticket, baggage fees, and in-country expenses such as room and board. Any funds I receive over that will be given directly to ministries in Guatemala.

If any of you feel led to support me with a donation of any amount, please know that all funds will be spent only on my ministry costs or to support other ministries and not on personal expenses. Upon request, I will gladly report funds received and how they were used. Contact me at huehue2go@gmail.com for information on giving support.

Together in His Service,

Angela

Guatemala 2015? "Let us not grow weary . . ."

June 24, 2015

Dear friends,

Those who know me well know that I love thrift stores. I have a few favorites and because I shop there regularly, I have gotten to know some of the staff and they to know me. They know I am a teacher and they know I have summers off. They also know that I go to Guatemala each summer. Yesterday I had a few minutes to stop at one of my regulars. The store manager was working and remarked that I must be off school because I looked more rested than he had seen me in a long time. I admit that made me chuckle. I have felt very weary lately and actually considered NOT going to Guatemala this summer. God had other plans for me. Just as I thought I had made the decision to skip this year, I found myself drawn to Galatians 6:9, "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." After that, I could not get away from this message. My pastor preached it, the worship leader chose music about it, and my principal chose morning devotions with this message. But, I thought that I had all my reasons lined up – all the reasons that I am tired – all the reasons to take a summer off.

Since August of 2013, I have lost a younger cousin, three very close friends and, just last week, my uncle -- my father's only sibling. My dear companion, Riker, crossed the Rainbow Bridge last October and we have lost three of our four original series cats. My mother is in poor health and we are concerned for her. My “nest” emptied for real and one of my daughters was in a car accident (not her fault). Not long after that, I hydroplaned in another daughter’s car and totaled it. In addition I have been writing curriculum for the classes I teach at Cary Christian School while trying to keep up with other required reading not to mention grading papers. All these things together made me feel that I should skip a summer. Yet, that was not God’s plan for me and He continued to nudge – actually push -- me. He made a way for me to buy a ticket for a good price long after the time for good prices had past. I can tell that Satan is continuing his attempt to discourage me. I have struggled with my health for six weeks. As a result, I have lost some of the vision in one of my eyes. And yet, God continues to remind me not to grow weary. He is my strength and comfort.

So, I am going to Guatemala! In fact, I leave this Friday (June 26th)! But, I still need to raise about $1,200 in support. I have a ticket but I owe funds for it.  I am so far behind but God continues to confirm that He is calling me back to Guatemala.

I will be working with two teams in Huehuetenango. One of the teams generally serves with Edwin Martinez's sister, Delmi, and her husband, Carlos. They want to know the Martinez family ministry from Edwin's point of view. The second team is from Kalamazoo, Michigan. They are not a specifically Christian group but are led by Rob who brings groups from his church youth every other year. I enjoy working with Rob and his groups and look forward to this one as well.

I am also very excited to return to the community of Arenal. This precious group has had many serous trials lately. Last summer all three of their crops failed. They are subsistence farmers as it is. The loss of the crops was devastating and threatened the entire village. I am grateful that my sending church, Christ Our Redeemer PCA (COR), was able to send funds to purchase beans and rice for them. This was made possible in part from your support from last year.  Just recently I was overjoyed to see that a group was able to roof the new church building in Arenal. It has been sitting for several years waiting for funds to roof it.  This new facility will significantly expand ministry there. I have included two pictures of the church below.

As I was about to speak to my church group recently, I prepared to read Galatians 6:9 as part of my testimony. That's when I “just happened” to read verse 10, "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." God tells me not to grow weary -- and I am challenging those who have supported me in the past, or who are called to support me this year, with verse 10. This is an opportunity to do good not only to me but through me to the people I will serve in Guatemala. It’s not too late!

I covet your prayer support.  Prayer is the most important support you can give me but the fact remains that I need the financial support as well. If God is leading you to contribute financial support, there are steps that must be followed for your contribution to be tax deductible.

Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law and you will receive a report of all charitable contributions in January 2016, as long as you follow these steps:

• Checks should be made to Christ Our Redeemer PCA.
• On the memo line write, “Guatemala Ministry." Please do not write my name on the memo line. Checks with specific names on the memo line cannot be accepted and will be returned.
• Mail donation directly to:

Guatemala Ministry

Christ Our Redeemer PCA

131 Castlefern Drive

Cary, NC  27513

I look forward to what God has in store for me in Guatemala this summer – He wants me there and continues to confirm it. He has a ministry for me. Thank you for being part of my ministry team!

En manos de la gracia!

In the Hands of grace!

Angela Kennedy

Working on the roof in Arenal

The newly roofed church. The building to the right is where this congregation has worshiped for many years.

 

In La Antigua Guatemala, even McDonald’s has a beautiful garden. I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a cheesy photo.

Neither could the interns!