There are at least seventeen reasons why we returned to Guatemala. Seventeen reasons why we stay in the trenches and on the front lines every single day.
God has allowed us to be part of the lives of the absolute best seventeen young men and women.
On November 1, 2025, these young men and women will walk across the basketball court and receive a high school diploma. They will celebrate the accomplishment, and we will celebrate the first graduating class of Colegio JET. Many of the students were in the feeding center before we transitioned into a school. We have watched them grow physically, academically, and spiritually. We have watched them achieve more than they ever thought was possible, and we are not even finished with accomplishments! We have watched them be faithful to church and have leadership roles within the church. We have watched them love and serve others.
Everyone knows this group of young men and women have a large piece of my heart. They call me mom. They know that I deeply love them. They know that I will always push them to dream big. They know that I believe in them. They know that they are created in the image of a powerful God for a purpose. They know that they are going to change generations.
So we are enjoying a lot of “Senior” activities this year. A couple of weeks ago, we took Senior pictures in Antigua. As I watched them laugh and take pictures, my heart ached. They look at me as a mother figure, but they looked at Soy as a father figure. They have grieved. They continue to grieve. But my prayer is that they will see my faith in a loving, faithful, and good God. My prayer is that one day when life is unfair and seems to shatter then they will always look toward the cross. They will stand on a very solid spiritual foundation of Jesus Christ.
Oh, how I love them!
(Thank you Vernick Galindo for the great pictures!)
Shining Light Abroad Ministries 