By: Paula McNutt

When Chris and I moved to Guatemala last year, one of the desires that the Lord planted in our hearts was to use the vocational school in our village to provide an income to those in need. We dreamt of economic stability for the families living in Hope of Life village. Our dream, our calling is to see this small community thriving, bringing dreams of a better future and the realization of their God-given purpose.

Chris and I had many ideas as to how we could help them but we never imagined it would be through weaving canastas (baskets or totes). Over the last year, God has stretched us in ways I had never imagined. He took two operating room nurses and ask them to trust Him as he used them to start a project that would involve weaving and selling canastas. Through this journey, He has taught us so much about himself and His faithfulness. He has shown his strength in our weakness. That He is always working behind the scenes on our behalf and that He alone will equip us to fulfill His calling.

We have loved starting this project that is solely for the benefit of the village. Our team is a group of 4 teenage girls and a teenage boy. It has brought us so much joy seeing the Lord give them dreams and hopes. This month, one of the girls will go back to school on the weekends, at the age of 16, to complete elementary school. This project has provided her with the funds that she needs to make that dream a reality. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in her life as she pursues her dream of owning a bakery.

My hope and prayer is that, by God’s grace, He is using Hope of Life International and Chris and I to move this village from dependency to independency. It is a blessing to witness the hope growing in their hearts as they work each day. They enjoy working together, being in community together and realizing their value as a team and as individuals. They take pride in their work and they are proud of what they are accomplishing. Through this vocation, they are becoming independent. They have been given the power to make their own decisions about their needs and provide for themselves and their families. We are grateful to God for giving them this opportunity and for allowing us to be a part of this transformation.

For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many expressions of thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:12

If you would like to learn more about this project, please visit us at www.passion4guatemala.com/canastas. If you have any questions or would like to order a canasta, please contact us through our website or email us at passion4guatemala@aol.com.