Guatemala

In August, Potter’s House celebrated the opening of a fully operational kitchen at their Community Centre in Momostenango, providing space to serve surrounding communities with care and dignity. Over the summer, a second classroom was opened in Chiquimula, enhancing the education programme for sponsored children. Construction also continues on a new community centre in the Western Highlands. Ask God for provision as they build classrooms, bathrooms, offices and a kitchen, and for wisdom for staff as they welcome and support new families, including two recently widowed mothers receiving care through Potter’s House. Give thanks for these developments and pray that each one will be used to bring hope and healing to those in need.

We pray for our partners in Guatemala and their work with street-connected children. Pray for: - Wisdom for the team at our partners SKD Guatemala. - Good relationships within the team, with local churches, networks and connections. - Safety and improved lives for marginalised, high-risk, street-connected children and families. - More volunteer mentors and more UK sponsors. - Protection from gang violence and influence.

Continue to pray that God would call the right people to do various job roles at Potter’s House in Guatemala, including an administrative assistant and partnership development officers. Praise God for the opening of Potter’s House’s first dental clinic in Chiquimula. Ask God for provision in raising funds for the necessary equipment. Following the recent increase in violence in Guatemala, Potter’s House have shared the need for security around their Community Centres, particularly in the central region. Please pray for God’s protection in this.

Ask God for healing for the children at Potter’s House in Guatemala, as many are struggling with illness. Access to healthcare is scarce and of poor quality in the Western Highlands. Praise God that 23 children remain in the Potter’s House programme despite the relocation of facilities in Momostenango. Give thanks that three children are continuing their education in high school, where many typically stop after year six. Thank God for the seven volunteers who run the discipleship programme at Potter’s House. Three of them are alumni, who give up their time as a small way of giving back what they received.

There is often little educational parental support for children, especially girls, in Guatemala. Pray for Potter’s House as they seek to show parents why keeping their children in school is important and beneficial. Praise God with Potter’s House for the life and legacy of staff member Josue Vides, who sadly died from leukaemia last month. May his wife, son and all who knew him know God’s comfort.

We pray for our partners in Guatemala. Our CEO John White is visiting this project until 7 Feb. Please pray for safe journeys, energy and good health for John, wisdom for the team at our partners SKD Guatemala. Good relationships within the team, with local churches, networks and connections, safety and improved lives for marginalised, high-risk, street-connected children and families. More volunteer mentors and more UK sponsors.

For the last three years, a church in Guatemala has generously let Potter’s House use its building as a base for one of their community centres, but it will shortly become unavailable. Pray that they would quickly find another space to host their community programmes. Thank God as well for the work and expertise of Dr Isabel, a dentist at Potter’s House’s Medical Centre. From October 2023 to July 2024, she served 214 patients! Praise God that she has blessed so many.

As CMS mission partners Azaria and David Pocasangre journey with young people in Guatemala, pray for young people’s hearts to be open to Jesus. Pray also for the families of these children as Azaria and David look to support them. Pray too for David as he starts leading music workshops with children and young people.

Potter’s House in Guatemala would like us to pray for families who lost their homes and belongings in a recent fire. Please pray that, with support, they can rebuild their houses quickly & safely. Also, ask God to provide Potter’s House with funds to buy hats, water bottles, electrolytes, sun cream and calamine lotion to help the children they serve to cope in the recent extreme heatwave.

Give thanks to God that new children have been enrolled into the Potter’s House education programme in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Pray the support they receive will help them to succeed in school. Pray as well for God’s protection over children supported by Potter’s House in Guatemala City - there has been a wave of violence in some communities near the rubbish dumps.

Potter’s House would like us to praise God that communities they support are becoming increasingly open to receiving psychological care. People are using the tools they’ve been taught to move forwards. Pray also that Potter’s House would be able to find a larger facility for their community centre in the Western Highlands. They would love to have the capacity to serve even more Treasures.

Potter’s House would like us to pray for God to lead them to the right people to bring onto their microenterprise programme. Pray those who need it most would get the opportunity to advance their small business. Praise God for the way that Margarita has improved in her health and studies since being supported through the Potter’s House nutrition programme. She is on track to become a preschool teacher!