Football...I mean, Futbol.

"Barca or Real?"

That was one of the first questions we were asked when we moved to Guatemala. Of course, like many of you, our reaction was "What?"

Barcelona or Real Madrid...two European soccer teams that the country of Guatemala is obsessed over. You can't live in Guatemala and not have anything to do with soccer, so we picked our side and are now fans of a team we once knew nothing about.

The point is, Guatemalans love soccer. And I mean LOVE.
Being from the south, specifically the panhandle of Florida, I know what it means to be passionate about football. Growing up, I was a football coach's daughter. My Friday nights were spent in a stadium cheering on my high school football team and my Saturday's were (and still are) spent watching college football.

While I still very much love American football, now most of my days are spent around the other kind of futbol.

As Mitch and Esaú were strategizing a way to reach the men in the communities we work in, something dawned on them; Guatemalans love soccer. They love to talk about it and watch it, but mostly they love to play it!

From that simple, yet obvious conclusion, we decided to start a soccer tournament between the 4 villages we're involved in. After only 2 weeks of planning, our soccer tournament commenced!

Every Saturday until May 9th we have over 90 men showing up to play soccer. Before the games begin, Mitch and/or Esaú have been sharing the Word of God with them.

This has been one of the coolest things we've done so far. We have been blown away about how excited these communities have been about this tournament. Because of this, we've been able to eat meals with several men and their families. Many of them are starting to bring up spiritual conversations as well.

As we continue to play this game that is so loved by the Guatemalans, join us in praying for the rest of our tournament. We hope to see more than just a good game of futbol...we hope to see men and families come to know the Lord.

Sobremesa

sobremesa

  (n.) The time spent around the table after lunch or dinner, talking to the people you shared the meal with; a time to digest and savor both food and friendship 

photo from here

Whether we knew the exact term or not, we've all experienced sobremesa. It's that nostalgic feeling of Christmas dinner around the table, hours spent catching up with old friends out to eat or in our case, sharing a meal with new friends.

The beginning of this year, we began to rethink our ministry strategy. We shifted our focus onto something we're all familiar with-food.

Every ministry day we bring food to family in the village and we eat with them.

The idea of doing life together around a table is so attractive. Who doesn't love food and good conversation? While we may not always have a literal table between us when we eat with these families, the practice of bringing in food and eating with one another has deepened our relationships with many of them and has given us a way to share the Gospel to an entire family. For once, ministry seems so simple.

Sit. Talk. Eat.

I can imagine Jesus doing the same when He ate with the tax collectors, fed the masses, and broke bread with his disciples.

Sometimes life and ministry can feel so rushed. But sitting down to eat with one another takes intentionality, from the preparing of the meal to the hospitality given and received.
Even though most of the villagers are receiving us into their homes, we have learned that we too must show them hospitality as we serve them and share the Gospel.

"Hospitality is rarely convenient. We must be willing to interrupt the lives of others and be interrupted in our own lives to truly experience hospitality as Jesus practiced." (Excerpt from She Reads Truth)

Through this ministry, we have become aware of so many personal needs these people have. And it has given us a way to personally pray over these families and their communities. Jesus was the greatest example of how life can be done with intentionality. I pray that we follow His example and our ministry will show people just how great our God is!

Perhaps more of life needs to be done around a table. More intentionality, more hospitality and more Sobremesa.

Buen Provecho!

The Thrive Collective

Happy 2015, everyone! I love the start of the New Year. It's the perfect opportunity to start fresh. With that being said, we have some exciting, new things ahead of us!

This past summer, Mitch was talking to me about how we could create opportunity for people in the villages. We've always felt a huge burden for the well-being of these villagers. Day in and day out we would teach the Bible and pray with people, but we wanted to be involved in their physical world as well as their spiritual. Kids are often hungry, families are without jobs and most parents can't afford to keep their kids in school. So how were we to hurdle this huge obstacle?

When we were in the States, we came in contact with some paper beads that are made by women in Africa and are sold in the States. I loved this idea. Paper is so simple and resourceful. We began tossing around ideas of what this would look like for the villages we work in. We thought that this could be extremely beneficial for the villagers and create awareness to the American people. We decided to give it a go and see if this could be a successful method of helping villagers rise above poverty.

From that, The Thrive Collective was born.

In most of our villages there is no economy, no opportunity for growth, and no hope. We're seeking to change that. Each woman will enter in learning to make beads, being paid for her work, how to manage finances, learn basic healthcare and how to study the Bible and teach it to others. Having learned a new skill set, they will leave within 3-5 years ready to start their own business that will bring economy and employment to their community. Our goal is to see these communities Thrive both spiritually and physically.

We are also partnering with some local artisans from Antigua who make beautiful bags! They will be for sale and will directly help bring income to the women we work with as well as the local artisans.

Our official launch is this Spring! We have been working hard to get everything ready by Spring(March!) so our website can go live, you can start shopping and our women can begin receiving an income!

I hope you'll follow along and be apart of this amazing opportunity to transform lives and villages in Guatemala!
Like us on Facebook.
Follow us on Instagram.

2015, may you be the best year yet.

Bread House

I've been thinking about bread a lot lately. I know it sounds strange, but stay with me. One of the great things about Guatemala (but not so great for my waistline) is the abundance of bakery's. Just about every other store in our town is a bakery; stocked everyday with fresh, warm bread. Along with their beloved corn tortillas, pan Frances (French bread) is practically a staple in most Guatemalan homes. And while I love this bread, it still leaves me empty and unsatisfied.

During this season of Advent we are anticipating the birth of The Bread of Life. He is the bread of Heaven that we can feed upon everyday and will satisfy our souls.
Did you know that Bethlehem means "House of Bread"? It makes me smile to see God's goodness in that. The Bread of Life born in the Bread House. God knew our great need and provided His only Son. And 33 years later, he broke bread with His disciples foreshadowing the breaking of His body for us.

This is the message we want our communities to grasp. As we've held several Christmas parties in the villages, our goal was always Jesus.  As fun as presents and cake are, I pray they would recognize the significance of Christ's birth too and that these sweet people will realized just how much God loves them. That The Bread of Life came and can satisfy them.

Tomorrow Mitch and I will fly to the States. We will go from a culture where the over-materialized aspect of Christmas is a sin, to a culture that celebrates the over-abundance of commercialism. While we are excited to be with family and friends, the simplistic way celebrating this holiday as they do in Guatemala will be missed. No matter where we are for Christmas, seek The Bread of Life. Only He can feed our hungry souls. He is our Enough.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!