PiM Partnership with the Prince of Peace Home for Girls
Guatemala
The
purpose of the Prince of Peace Ministries is to provide for the whole
development (physical, spiritual, emotional, educational, and vocational) of
orphaned, abandoned, and abused Guatemalan girls in a Christian home environment
so that they, in turn, can serve the Lord and their own nation as godly women of
good character and training.
Brief
History:
1984,
Al Sanchez (then at Christian Service Corps in Maryland with his wife Marie in
training to become missionaries) came to Guatemala to investigate what the Lord
might want him to do there. What
captured Al’s attention more than anything else in Guatemala were the
children—hungry, dirty, sick, begging, many living in cardboard boxes on the
streets. God impressed on Al that the Home was to be only for girls because girls were the
most abused and vulnerable children in Guatemala.
July’86
Al received the first girl for the Home through the Guatemalan Juvenile Courts.
In 1987
the Home grew to over 20 girls.
Jan’91
the
Home moved to San Cristobal.
In
2002
for health reasons, Al felt the need to intensify their efforts to find a
replacement to continue the Home.
Paul Sanders (former member of PiM's Board of Directors) and his wife Lana
were found.
With 17 years of experience in directing a children's home in the U.S.,
with 10 years of
pastoral counseling, and coming to Guatemala to learn Spanish so they could
become missionaries, they seemed like the perfect answer for assuming leadership
of the Home. The
Sanders began praying about the possibility, and eventually said they felt the
Lord leading them to do so. Today PoP is home for 53 girls.
August 2009 Mission Trip to Prince of Peace Home (PoP)
It is our hope that the following pictures will give you a vision of what God is doing in and through the PoP Home for Girls. Our 9-member team from Arkansas built relationships with the staff and girls that will last forever. A common way to say "good bye" in Latin America is "don't forget us". After a week of playing with the girls at recess, sharing with them in their houses, eating and worshipping with them, it would not be possible to "forget" their faces, their smiles and even their tears of "good bye".
Mission Team to Prince of Peace
Girls Praise Team Who Led Us in Worship
Two Girls Worshipping Their Heavenly Father
(As Karvin watched these girls singing, he noticed a tear roll down the cheek of the girl on the right. Although abandoned by her earthly father, not so by her Heavenly Father.)
"Good Byes" were Not Easy for Anyone
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Click link below to read journals of team members and view their picture of this trip
http://dougwestgate.wordpress.com/
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For More Information about This Girls Home and Sponsorship
See Web Site Below