Bonnie Cain came on a week long Guatemala mission trip in May 2019. She returned home and insisted that her husband, Matthew, go to Guatemala also. In September of 2019, Matthew visited Guatemala for the very first time. In October, I received an email stating that they believed God was calling them to serve as full time missionaries in Guatemala! To be honest, I dismissed the email because I thought they were simply acting upon emotions.
In October 2019, they placed their business and home for sale. No big deal, right? Their business was a chicken farm with more than 100 acres of land and over 90,000 chickens. They had worked very hard to establish their chicken business in order to provide for their family. At this point, we knew either they were absolutely crazy or very confident in their calling! In December 2020, the sale of their land was finalized.
On January 19, 2021, the Cains traveled to Guatemala for the very first time as a family. Their children are Elih, age 14, Gunner, age 11, Grafton, age 6, and Maddie Kate, age 4! How many people sale a business, a home, relocate to a foreign country with 4 children because they are confident in God’s calling for their lives?
Do they have seminary degrees? Nope. Have they been involved in full time ministry? Nope. Do they have a ton of knowledge about non-profit organizations? Nope.
Do they desire obedience to God? Yes. Are they willing to do “whatever it takes”? Yes. Do they have an eternal perspective? Yes. They are just good, country folk from Mississippi–Simply walking in faith and obedience.
They are independent missionaries with a registered 501(c)(3) organization. By being a 501(c)(3) organization all financial gifts are tax deductible, the ministry is accountable to a board of directors, and the ministry is financially accountable to the IRS. Their ministry is called Hands and Feet Ministry. You can follow them on facebook.
What will their role be with GRACE Ministries? They will work alongside GRACE Ministries in many ways. Matthew will serve as the maintenance man for the mission house and the school. He will be in charge of all grounds on the mountain as well. If you have a leaky faucet at the mission house, call Matthew! If you want better tools to build houses, call Matthew! If you need a shoulder to cry on, call Matthew! Bonnie will help with several programs at the school. We are preparing for her to begin a pre-school class in March! She will also begin a ministry for women by hiring them to cook for dinners for the teams.
How can we pray for the Cain family? Pray for their children to adjust without any problems. Children are resilient, but teenage years can be tough. Pray God continues to give them clear direction for their ministry. Pray for their family in the states. (On Friday night, Matthew’s uncle died very unexpectedly. They had been in Guatemala for 3 days and they are already experiencing tragedy). Pray God provides for them financially. Pray for their marriage. Pray for them to continue to grow spiritually.
Shining Light Abroad Ministries 