Sponsored By: Converge On Campus

While visiting Guatemala on a one week trip, the college student ministry from Jacksonville, FL, met Estella and her family.

Danny and Estella have 3 beautiful kids, Maivelyn (7), Katy (4), and Fernando (2).  Living in a cornstalk hut, their living conditions bring many challenges.

With dirt floors, the dust during the dry season and the mud during the rainy season make life difficult.  In addition, they do not have running water.

Having brought to Guatemala with them the funds to build a home for a family, it only took a few minutes inside this family's home and they knew this was the family they would sponsor.

As we visited with them, we all noticed a small piece of meat hanging on a string that ran through the roof of their home.  When we inquired as to what it was, we were told that it was their family's dinner for that night.  As if that wasn't shocking enough, Estella went on to tell us how much of a special treat it was on the nights that they have meat.  For us, this idea could make sense of it was a nice big pot roast, or set of ribeye steaks...  but this was a tiny, gross looking piece of dried meat that actually looked like a small bat (pictured below).

As the students got to know Estella's family better, they fell in love with them!  They spent several days there, planting a lettuce garden (micro-business) and just hanging out.  They also gave them a food basket, clothes, each a couple new pairs of shoes.  In addition to all of that, they left behind enough money to build them a functioning bathroom.

The impact that these college students are having on this family is truly special, and totally life changing.

In December of 2010, Converge returned to celebrate the new home.  It was a wonderful time together, giving glory to God for knowing and meeting our needs.  We sang, prayed, ate, and hung out together on this beautiful sunny afternoon.