Community: Vista Hermosa, Union Cantinil, Huehuetenango
Project/Programs Currently Running:
- Kids with special needs Sponsorship program
- Education Sponsorship program
- Angel´s House Project
- Round tables with Guatemala Próspera.
- Health Clinic endeavor project
- Organizational strengthening
Latest update for the community as a whole:
1) Kids with Special Needs Sponsorship program, this program was launched on July 25th and 26th 2019. This program helps numerous kids with special needs; 4 of these kids are from Vista Hermosa. We are supporting these kids by taking them to the Rehab Center “Solidaridad con los Niños.” This center provides physical therapy, speech therapy and psychological therapy to our kids. Parents and community members were helpful when we were looking for kids. There are 2 more kids in this community that would fit in this program and we plan to get their information soon.
2) Education Sponsorship Program, Two of the schools from Vista Hermosa are included in this program. The schools are “El Mirador Primary School” and “Altamira Primary School”. With the help of donors, we will provide supplies for kids, supplies for teachers, provide a meal when the Government of Guatemala does not provide it. Most of our kids in the communities go to school without having breakfast. Also, we want to provide some benefits to the sponsored kid such as medical care, dental care (we are still talking about this). The help of the LC and the communities is needed to educate the students’ parents that there is more to learning that reading and writing.
3) Angel´s House Project
With the help of 410 bridge, Chick fill A, the LC, the Catholic Church and community members from Vista Hermosa, a house for Angel became a reality. Angel is a man from the community married and has one child. Angel and his wife are physically and mentally handicapped so is impossible for him to work in the fields and make money in the way the rest of the men from the community do. The shack where they lived was small and in winter, they had problems with floods caused by the heavy rains. Building his house was a project the Catholic Church desired to do for a long time so seeing all the community helping him was precious.
4) Round Tables with Guatemala Próspera, this is a 30 week program, following John C. Maxwell book “La transformación está en Mi”. This discipleship program wants to look for values in Leaders and decision-makers in our communities. Leaders from Vista Hermosa will be part of the first workshop September the 25th so later they can do round tables with 5 more people from their community so the impact will be bigger.
5) Health Clinic endeavor project, with the help of Tapestry Church, the community of Vista Hermosa and the Coffee association (ADESC) worked on improvements to the Health Clinic such as building a concrete fence around the clinic, installation of 2 toilets, installation of new metal sheet as a roof and installation of the front gate, windows and doors. Vista Hermosa is one of the largest communities we work with and is common to see people from other communities come to this health clinic because this is a coffee production zone and people from other communities come to work in the harvesting season. So, having an optimal health center is important.
6) Organizational strengthening, for more than two years, 410 bridge has been working alongside this community, empowering leaders such as pastors, authorities, catholic leaders, youth representative, women representative from Vista Hermosa. By strengthening socially, organizationally and spiritually we hope they can work on their own development and succeed as a community.
Biggest challenge the community is facing, if any?
Vista Hermosa’s economy is based around coffee and the money they receive from relatives living in the United States. The low prices in the coffee industry directly affect the life of the producers and the people that work for the coffee producers. All of this generates the immigration of many and as result these families are being separated and getting indebted. So, providing solutions and ideas for new ways to generate money is important.
Story of a beneficiary with quote:
Angel and his family life have been transformed. Angel is a handicapped man since he was born, and his wife has some mental issues. They both have a kid, Milton, who is happily attending to Altamira Primary School.
Despite his condition, Angel works hard. He is a very smart man and it is likely to see people from the community take their cellphones to Angel so he can fix it or reset the settings in their phones. He even did the electrical installation in his place with the help of his son. They use a solar panel and a car battery to have power in his place. But this panel got hit by a lightning once and Angel fixed. Angel is a very devoted man and with the help of a big speaker he shares the gospel by playing worship songs and he is totally sure that the changes that have happened in their life are miracles of God.
Even though all his talents the place where they lived was not in good condition. It was a small shack which would frequently flood due to heavy rains. The community leaders and the Catholic Church from Vista Hermosa had the intention of helping Angel and his family for a long time. Now with the help of 410 Bridge and Chick Fill A it was finally possible.
How can we be praying for the community?
- Pray for the Coffee crop that provides the biggest income to the community
- Pray for the safety of the kids and parents enrolled in the special kids sponsorship program when commuting from their houses to the Rehab Center every Friday.
- Pray for the health of the population of Vista Hermosa.