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The backgrounds and family situations from which our young people come are varied, but many of them come from low resource situations. One of the families that we work with live out in a small village an hour's drive away over steep and bumpy terrain. Their house is a relatively simple wooden structure with bundled leaves for roofing and with a dirt floor.  Thanks to a generous group giving a donation to the work of Pure Joy we were able to offer this family (who, if I recall correctly, have had ten children, though some grown and moved out) to give them a cement floor in part of their property (they have two separate structures for their home). At the end of July, having consulted with a builder and having procured materials, we were able to go along and help out with making their new cement floor. CLICK on any of the below images to see the process of installing this flooring.          After we had left they had the process done so that the floor was smoothed out and they send a couple of photos later on after they had started moving furniture back in. The family is so grateful to the donors who made this possible and we are glad that Pure Joy was able to help coordinate this. Thank you to all of you who are a part of Pure Joy Missions by your giving, prayers, and support. This work is a testament to the love of God and of His church who He works through!  
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      Want to know how you could help these kids from afar? Read below to find out more! It only took 16 months but eventually we were able to return to in-person tutoring - and the young people (and several of their parents!) were ready for it! We are pleased to report that most of them have adapted well to learning from home and having to be self-motivated to get their work done because we can tell you that there have been several times when they have come along to the sessions even though they didn't have any school work to do! But this shows you how keen they have been to have a reason to get out and go somewhere other than home. It's been a tough almost year and a half for everyone, and for some more than others when it comes to these kids, so we're pleased to be a place they feel safe and happy to come to. Obviously things are different this time around and there are some things that are nicer, and some not as enjoyable. One blessing has been that the owner of the factory around the corner from the community where most of these teenagers live offered to let us use the space in front of their guest house for our tutoring times. It's a lovely little building in a nice green area, shaded and breezy, which is really important here! Three mornings and one afternoon a week we use this space with small groups of students (no more than seven). The other day of the week we meet with the students who live further away than this (a group of about seven come to that too) in our apartments. The less fun side is of course what we are all more or less used to - temperature checks, masks, hand gel, etc., to try and be as safe as we can be to protect the kids, to protect ourselves, and to protect all those we come in contact with.   One thing we have been encouraged by is that we have been able to spend some more time in sharing devotions with them. The first week we talked with them about the importance of having a regular quiet time and shared some tips for how to do so effectively. The week after that Yeni & Wendy shared their testimonies with them and the week after that Francis taught on principles that can help us in hearing God's voice.
We asked them in that first week to write down for us any ideas or themes that they thought they would like us to bring some teaching on - not just limited to faith but anything in life - and we received a variety of ideas to do with God, family, career, and more. If you think you'd be interested in leading a 15 minute devotional that would encourage teenagers in growing up and/or in their walk with God please do get in touch and we'll see how we could make it work (we can find a way to translate for you) - Email purejoytutoria@gmail.com or leave a comment below to let us know - we'd love to have you share with them 😃 Praise God we were able to start our tutoring time in-person for the first time in almost a year and a half! We are having much smaller groups every day to be able to social distance and we have masks and other protocols in place but we are so pleased to finally be able to see the young people like this! Please continue to keep the students, missionaries and the program in your prayers!      "Kathy, there is an elderly man that just showed up here, without a family or anything. What should we do?" Silvia asked me on my recent trip to Puerto Barrios. The team and I were handing out care packages to the Project Valor students when Silvia, a mother who works at the dump, told me about the lost elderly man. His name was Israel. He was a sweet man, but obviously a little confused and lost. He remembered his name and some parts of his background, but he didn't remember completely how he got to Puerto Barrios, why he was there, where his family was, or even how old he was/when his birthday was. As we talked to several people who live near the dump, they shared that Israel had been there for two nights and that he gotten off a bus on the main road with luggage that later got stolen. He was left with a walking stick and a black plastic bag with a water bottle and an empty plastic container. It was obvious that Israel needed help, but none of us where quite sure what was the best way to help him. Did he have a family? Did he have dementia? Where was he from? Was his family looking for him? We reached out to a police officer of the neighboring town who Silvia knew. We were all concerned about him spending another night outside, so the police officer said to bring him to the police station and they would see if there was a missing person case filed under his name. We shared with Israel that we wanted to help them, but he was very hesitant to come with us. It took quite a while, but eventually he agreed to come with us, thanks to the patience of our missionary Wendy, who patiently and kindly shared why and how we were going to help him. As we got into the pick up truck, Israel got unsettled when he was in the passenger seat. Wendy, recognizing this, hopped into the passenger seat too and put her arm around Israel and comforted him. We arrived to the police station where we met several policemen. They all quickly showed concern for our new friend and started calling governmental agencies. Unfortunately, there was no missing persons case under his name. When we heard this, we called the two nursing homes in Puerto Barrios-- the one we visit each week and the new Christian run nursing home that was started by a pastor a few months ago. We had recently learned about this new nursing home from a friend who called the pastor and shared with him the needs of our new friend Israel. The pastor said he would gladly take Israel if he needed a home. Per the police protocol, they said it would be best to take Israel to the hospital to get checked out and the social workers there would work on reuniting him with his family or find another home for him. They graciously offered to take him there, and we said our goodbyes to Israel. Later that evening, we told the pastor from the nursing home that Israel went to the hospital, and he said he would check on him and see if there was anything he could do. Several days later, I got a message from the pastor with a photo of Israel safe in his new bed at the nursing home. We still don't know if Israel has a family, but we are so thankful that the community came together to help this elderly man. I have been reading through the Old Testament, so the word Israel has such a deeper meaning each time I hear it. It reminds me of God's faithfulness, unending love and mercy. He is such a good father who loves his children. Just as God faithfully loved the Israelites, he loves our friend Israel. Please pray that if Israel does have a family, that they will be reunited. Pray for his safety. Pray he doesn't feel alone. Pray for this new nursing home. Pray their needs are met and that they can continue to bless the elderly that need a home.  Recently, our team went to visit the new nursing home. They were able to visit Israel. Praise God, he is doing well! We are so thankful for Pastor Mario and this new home for the elderly in need.  Each month, we continue to provide care packages for the Project Valor teens and their families. We are in the process of starting the tutoring program (YAY!), but when the tutoring program does start, we will not be eating lunch with the teens like we usually do due to COVID restrictions. As a result, we will continue to provide these care packages each month. Thank you Project Valor sponsors for your continued support! COVID is still affecting how we are able to work, but we are thankful for our dedicated team who keeps serving this community! Since we haven’t been able to do the tutoring program in person yet, our missionaries take time each week to call the students and see how they are doing, check in on the parents and every few weeks call the school to check on each student’s progress. Each week, they also spend time praying for the prayer requests of the students. Prayer requests-- -For our missionaries- continued dedication, passion and safety -The elderly at the nursing home- for protection and for comfort. Pray they don’t feel alone -The students- that they do well in school and continue to learn, even though they can’t be in person yet. Pray for safety in their homes. Pray we can start the tutoring program soon! -The families at the dump- for provision, that God would meet all their needs -The children at the orphanage- for good health and safety, pray that we are able to visit them again soon. We miss them!! -The government- pray they make decisions would be most beneficial for the people. -The Pure Joy car- during a huge rain storm that flooded the streets, water got in the motor and the car has been in the mechanic for weeks. Pray the repairs get completed this week! Thank you for your continued prayers and support! With the funds we would have used for the tutoring program lunches for the Project Valor teens, this year, we started making care packages for their families instead. Thank you Project Valor sponsors for your support!! Since we are not able to host the tutoring program yet and therefore aren't purchasing lunches for the students, we have been able to use the Project Valor funds to purchase care packages for the students and their families. These packages include Guatemalan staples like rice, beans and corn flour, and a variety of other items including sugar, milk, cereal, salt, coffee, a nutrition drink, spaghetti and sauce, cleaning supplies, etc. We are thankful we can support the students and their families in this way. Dropping off the care packages also gives us an opportunity to check up on each student and see them in person. Please pray we can start the tutoring program soon! "This is a moment to thank God for his mercy, because He has protected us from this disease that is attacking humanity; But it is also beautiful to remember that he gives us the privilege of serving others and to know that by helping we can bear witness that Jesus is in our hearts and that God loves them. I feel blessed to see the faces of the teens from the tutoring program and some of their parents when they received the food and school supplies that the sponsors have donated. I can see the gratitude that is in their hearts. That fills me with joy and my heart feels satisfied knowing that I can be a part of this blessing." -Wendy   It has been one year since we have entered into isolation due to the COVID 19 pandemic. It was something that shook us all, none of us were prepared for this sudden change. We couldn't go out, go to school, go do our jobs, go to the park, or go to church. We felt like prisoners with fear in our homes.
With this, we were not able to do various ministries as we do regularly. Club Exploradores was one of the most affected ministries, and we still cannot bring the children together. I was surprised that one year into the pandemic, I received a call from a mother asking when we would start Club Exploradores again. "We miss very much that our children hear the Word of God," the mother shared. "We want the program to come back soon," she told me. That fills my heart with joy knowing that they want to hear the Word of God. We know that this seed is falling on fertile ground. -Yeni, Pure Joy Missionary Pray with us that we will soon be able to start Club Exploradores again! In March of 2021, Francis and Andrea became the new Guatemalan Directors of Pure Joy Missions. We are thankful for their dedication to the ministry and willingness to serve in this new role. Francis and Andrea both have God-given leadership abilities, and we are excited to see how God uses them to grow and strengthen Pure Joy. Check out their update below! This year so far has had it’s aspects that have stayed the same and those that have changed. The continuing constant in our lives is that of Covid-19, a pandemic that, at least in Guatemala, doesn’t look to be finishing up any time soon. The restrictions around it haven’t changed much, except that they did and then they didn’t. The school year here was delayed in it’s start and so kids started back in February rather than January, and we were able to help Project VALOR students register for their courses and get equipped with school supplies. The day that schools started Puerto Barrios was actually downgraded from being a Red Zone (according to the Ministry of Health’s colour coded system of Red, Orange, Yellow and Green) to an Orange Zone, meaning that after months of remote learning students were going to be able to go to (reduced) in-person classes, typically one day a week. We were in touch with them as we heard about how it was working at different schools and we started to gear up to start in-person tutoring times, making plans to have them in reduced group sizes, developing protocols, and coordinating locations and supplies. Then after about a month of classes the Ministry of Education released updated information on restrictions within the different colour zones. Schools went from being closed in Red, hybrid in Orange & Yellow and open in Green, to being closed in both Red & Orange and hybrid only in Yellow. And so we find ourselves again back where we were. The orphanage and old folks home remain closed to visitors (though we still deliver practical helps as best we can), and the senior center has not started back up yet (but is under new management so we will need to see what effect that may have). Schools being closed means that Club Exploradores cannot run, and the advice we have received from the Ministry of Education is that our tutoring sessions should not go ahead yet either. We are, to say the least, frustrated that where we were ready to start working with the kids in person again this has been almost immediately blocked once more. But we continue to do what we can to help them. We are in touch via phone calls regularly to see how they are, have offered to print off & deliver any work they may need that done for, are speaking with teachers to check how they are doing, and are sending them weekly devotionals to encourage them in their discipleship. We have been able to deliver care packages to their families and hope to develop this a bit over the coming weeks too, hopefully being able to deliver some activities for the younger kids of these families, in lieu of running Club Exploradores. Please pray for us to have wisdom as to how best to minister during this time. For us personally as a couple and as a family there have been some big changes very recently. We were asked by the Board of Directors whether we would be willing to take on the role of local directors for Pure Joy here in Guatemala, which we have accepted. However, we have only been able to do that in a limited capacity so far because of impending maternity & paternity leaves. And, on April 6th, 22 days early (and over a week earlier than even we thought) we were delighted to welcome Liam Matthew into the world! Charlie & JJ are both thrilled to be older sister & brother respectively and both Andrea & Liam are healthy and doing well. We are taking some time off right now as we adjust to being a family of five and are so happy to be together like this. We are also grateful to Yeni & Wendy who are carrying on without us for a little while, but look forward to coming back together as a team soon to continue to work together in seeking God for how to develop this ministry going forward. Thank you for your support of Pure Joy Missions and the work that is being done here in the name of Christ to raise up young people who can influence the country for the Kingdom. God bless you. -Francis & Andrea  The majority of our Project Valor students are starting off the school year with online learning again. As a result, in addition to receiving the beginning of the year school supplies, shoes and backpacks, we are also providing the students with monthly internet packages. This enables them to do their school work at home. We hope and pray that COVID-19 numbers decrease, so these students can safely return to school. Please pray with us! Check out some photos of our Project Valor teens receiving their school supplies. Thank you sponsors for helping make this possible! Ana served with Pure Joy over the last five years, starting out as a volunteer, then serving part-time, then full-time, and lastly becoming the assistant director of the ministry. In February of 2021, Ana, who is also a law student at the local university, felt called to take a step back from Pure Joy and focus on her studies and practicum for school. We are so thankful for Ana's dedication and passion for the ministry over the last five years. We will miss her dearly, but we know God has great plans for her. We asked Ana to share a little bit about her time with Pure Joy.  My name is Ana, and I live in Puerto Barrios Izabal. I am 27 years old and I study Legal and Social Sciences, Lawyer and Notary Public at the Public University of Guatemala. Throughout my life, I have attended the Evangelical Christian Church where I have served since I was very young. In 2015, a sister of the Church, Heidy, invited me to participate in a Christian ministry and I accepted. It was Pure Joy Missions. From the first day, I liked the ministry. I started as a volunteer supporting the Explorers Club ministry on Mondays in the afternoon, with the children of the Piedra Parada School. There, each child gained a place in my heart. Participating in the ministry for me was a great blessing. At that time, I did not have a job since my parents wouldn't let me have a job, my father took great care of us; But I was very surprised that when he found out that I was going to participate in the ministry on a voluntary basis, he allowed me to continue helping. For me, that was a great blessing because he did not deny me the right and the obligation to serve God and the community. Later I attended the other ministries, and the second one I attended was the nursing home on 22 Street, where I also came to love each elderly resident in the love of God. Every day, they are in my mind and my heart. Later, I attended the city dump with the Pure Joy team. As time went by, I became part of the Pure Joy team and I was loving the ministry and each activity. Each ministry I did with a lot of love knowing that my work was for God and to serve the people who need it.  Pure Joy is a great ministry that not only helped the people of the garbage dump and surrounding villages, it also helped me, in my spiritual, emotional, work growth, etc. And I always dreamed of seeing Pure Joy much bigger than it already is; where more people want to join together to help and with their own facilities, with an office where everyone who needs help can be received, I hope in God one day my eyes can see this dream come true. It was approximately 5 years that I was able to experience the love of God in my life, in each of the ministries, each day that passed. I thank God for the beautiful opportunity that He gave me to have, in addition to a work experience, a very gratifying Spiritual experience. I thank Kathy to the Pure Joy team in the United States and Guatemala for this growth that they have directly and indirectly helped me to have. God bless and take care of you always.  Thank you for your dedication and service, Ana. We love you! En Español:
Mi nombre es Ana, vivo en Puerto Barrios Izabal, tengo 27 años y estudio Ciencias Jurídicas Y Sociales, Abogado y Notario en la Universidad Pública de Guatemala, durante toda mi vida he asistido a la Iglesia Cristiana Evangélica en donde he servido desde muy pequeña hasta la fecha. En el 2015 una hermana de la Iglesia, Heidy Herrera me invitó a participar en un ministerio cristiano y acepte, se trataba de Pure Joy Missions, desde el primer día me gustó el ministerio comencé como voluntaria apoyando en el ministerio de Club Exploradores los lunes por la tarde, con los niños de la Escuela de Piedra Parada en el cual cada niño se fue ganando un lugar en mi corazón, participar en el ministerio para mí fue de mucha bendición, ya que en ese tiempo no tenía un empleo ya que mis papás no me dejaban tener un empleo, mi padre nos cuidaba mucho; pero me sorprendió mucho que al enterarse que iba a participar en el ministerio de forma voluntaria no se negó a que asistiera, para mi esa fue una gran bendición porque no me negó del derecho y la obligación de servir a Dios y a la comunidad. Posteriormente fui asistiendo a los demás ministerios, y al segundo al que asistí fue al asilo de ancianos de la 22 calle, en el cual, también llegué a amar en el amor de Dios a cada ancianito y cada día están en mi mente y mi corazón, y luego asistí al vertedero de la ciudad con el equipo de Pure Joy en ese momento. Conforme iba pasando el tiempo me convertí en parte del equipo de Pure Joy y fui amando el ministerio y cada actividad, cada ministerio lo realicé con mucho amor sabiendo que mi trabajo es para Dios y para servir a las personas que lo necesiten. Pure Joy es un gran Ministerio que no solamente ayudó a las personas del basurero de Piteros y aldeas alrededor, también me ayudó a mí, en mi crecimiento espiritual, emocional, laboral, etc. Y siempre soñé con ver a Pure Joy mucho más grande de lo que ya es; en donde más personas se quieran unir para ayudar y con instalaciones propias, con una oficina en donde se pueda recibir a todos los que necesiten ayuda, espero en Dios un día mis ojos puedan ver este sueño hecho realidad. Fueron 5 años aproximadamente en donde pude experimentar el amor de Dios en mi vida, en cada uno de los ministerios, cada día que pasaba. Agradezco a Dios la hermosa oportunidad que me brindó de poder tener además de una experiencia laboral una experiencia Espiritual muy gratificante. Agradezco a Kathy al equipo de Pure Joy en Estados Unidos y en Guatemala por este crecimiento que directa e indirectamente me han ayudado a tener. Dios les bendiga y cuide siempre. Going into 2020, I knew there would be some challenges. Our team in Guatemala had a change in leadership and new missionaries were also joining our team. The location of the tutoring program had to change, someone on our team needed to learn how to drive, and each missionary on our team had to pick up new roles and additional responsibilities.
Although I was confident in the team’s abilities and excited for new opportunities, I knew it would be a process that would take time. However in the first few months of 2020, I was so impressed by how our team quickly adjusted and grew into their new roles. I watched Yeni grow as a director and lead the team with grace and wisdom. She also faced her fears and learned how to drive. Ana became the assistant director and did a wonderful job managing additional responsibilities such as creating weekly financial reports. Wendy stepped up and helped the team become more organized. Francis and Andrea brought new ideas and became a vital part of our team. Then COVID-19 shut the country down. For months, strict government restrictions prevented us from doing nearly every ministry. However, our team rose to the occasion, thinking of ways they could continue to reach others safely. They created a whole new ministry to help encourage local pastors. They started recording lessons and devotionals for the children and teens online. They kept in contact with the directors of the nursing home and orphanage and met many physical needs. They became more faithful in prayer and they grew as a team. They also saw the physical needs of the community and created care packages on multiple occasions. Then two hurricanes and major flooding came to Puerto Barrios, and again, our team rose to the occasion. As a team, we were able to create 200 care packages and deliver them to communities most affected by the flooding. We were able to hand out Bibles, pray with the families, and offer words of encouragement. Although 2020 was not what we had planned, we are thankful to God for guiding us through these challenges. He has been so faithful. We are so thankful for our supporters, too, for their generosity and prayers! We could not do this without your generous hearts. Although the pandemic prevented us from starting the building project for our Project Valor tutoring program, we have many dreams for 2021 and pray that in God’s perfect timing, they will come to fruition. Thank you for partnering with us! -Kathy Jacobs, Director of Pure Joy Missions  This year 2020 has been a great challenge since we have not had a normal year due to the different events that have been emerging internationally and we could even say globally. We tried to let it not affect our ministry and tried doing everything that we do in a normal year but it was impossible due to COVID19. One of the hardest things was knowing we could not see the elderly. It was quite difficult to know that we cannot visit them, talk to them, sing with them, give them the message of God's word the message of hope, listen to their stories, see their smiles, listen to their requests and thanks, sit by their side and sing together, give them their snack and hear them say “I don’t like it” or ask “is there more?” It is quite painful not to be able to visit them; To see them from afar and not be able to chat or give them words of encouragement, to leave their food at the door and not be able to give each one of them their snack, to see their sad faces from afar knowing that we cannot be with them. What comforts us and encourages us is knowing that their health is good. Despite the fact that COVID-19 is still in Puerto Barrios and that we are the department most affected by this disease, the elderly are healthy. The staff at the nursing home tell us that they are grateful to Kathy and that through the team, they always bring the elderly a snack and always remember them. They say they miss us, as we do them. As a sign of the love that the Pure Joy Missions’ team have for them, we have bought them their Christmas gifts like every year. We hope that the gifts give them a little happiness in these difficult times (photos below!). We are very grateful to God because through the difficulties, He has shown His power and has allowed us to get even closer to Him. Every Tuesday after leaving the snack at the nursing home, we have a moment of praise and prayer where we intercede for each of the ministries of Pure Joy Missions, for the board of directors, the children, the elderly, the tutoring program teens, for the life of each person who collaborates directly and indirectly with Pure Joy. We also thank God for the team here in Puerto Barrios and for those who were a part of forming Pure Joy in past and for the opportunity it gives us to serve others. Best regards, Wendy  Just a year ago, I received a challenge, for me, a great challenge, and that was to lead the ministry of Pure Joy Missions in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. I remember I felt that I could not do it, and I asked for time to pray. I told God if You go with me, I go. I prayed, “Lord, Pure Joy Missions was born first in Your heart and is Yours Lord. I want to please You and do things well for You.” After praying, I felt the confidence to do it. I then realized that I had to learn to drive a car. It seemed very difficult to me, but God was faithful and I learned to drive. Then on March 16, Guatemala was closed by the pandemic, something unusual and a situation that we did not know how to handle. We didn’t know how to continue with the ministries if we couldn't visit and get together. It really became a challenge. I praise God for our team. The ideas began to flow on how to maintain the support of the scholarship students of Project Valor, how to continue the Bible classes for the Explorers Club, how to take the snack every Tuesday to the elderly at the nursing home, and how to support the children of the orphanage in some needs. God is still faithful. I know that I have made many mistakes, and I have a lot to learn. I praise God for each member of the team. I love to see the love with which they carry out each ministry and that they are always willing to go the extra mile. They are a great team, and God is still faithful. Although many times I have felt insecure to continue, God has shown me that He uses the weak of this world for His service. Like a loving Father, he teaching me how I can serve in the best way. In everything I do, I want to please God and be a blessing. May God guide me where He wants, and my prayer has not yet changed: IF GOD GOES WITH ME, I WILL GO. THANK YOU, PURE JOY MISSIONS. From, YENI  En Español:
Este año fue toda una nueva experiencia en mi vida, muchas cosas importantes pasaron en mi vida. Justamente hace un año, recibí un desafío, para mí, un gran desafío, y ese fue liderar el Ministerio de PURE JOY MISSIONS en Puerto Barrios Izabal, Guatemala recuerdo que sentí que no podía hacerlo y pedí tiempo para orar y le dije a Dios si Tu vas conmigo yo voy. PURE JOY MISSIONS, nació primero en tu corazón es tuyo Señor y quiero agradarte y hacer las cosas bien para Ti. Sentí la confianza de hacerlo, me di cuenta que debía aprender a manejar carro y me parecía muy difícil pero Dios fue Fiel y aprendí a manejar carro, luego en marzo 16, Guatemala es cerrada por la pandemia algo inusual una situación que no sabíamos cómo manejar como continuar con los ministerios si no podíamos visitar, reunirnos, realmente se convirtió en un reto. Alabo a Dios por el equipo, las ideas empezaron a fluir de cómo hacer para mantener el apoyo a los chicos becados de Proyecto Valor, llevar las clases bíblicas al Club Exploradores, llevar la refacción como todos los martes a los abuelos del asilo de la 22calle, apoyar a los niños del Orfanato en algunas necesidades, Dios sigue siendo fiel. Sé que he cometido muchos errores, y tengo mucho que aprender, Alabo a Dios por cada miembro del Equipo, me encanta ver el amor con que realizan cada ministerio que siempre están dispuestos a dar la milla extra, son un gran Equipo Dios sigue siendo Fiel. Aunque muchas veces me he sentido insegura de continuar, Dios me ha mostrado que de lo débil del mundo tomo Dios para su servicio y que como un Padre amoroso me enseña cómo puedo servirle de la mejor manera, todo lo que hago deseo que agrade a Dios, ser de bendición, que Dios me guie hacia donde El quiere, y mi oración aun no a cambiado SI DIOS VA CONMIGO YO VOY. GRACIAS, PUERE JOY MISSIONS .  As a Pure Joy Missions team, we felt the need to go and support the people who lost everything due to the storms and flooding. We have been working hard trying to find food to give to the community called Quetzalito in Entre Rios where access is very difficult. There were many challenges. The community was still flooded and families did not have food to eat. It was also difficult to find food such as rice, beans, corn flour, and nutrition drinks here due to road closures. By God's grace, we managed to get the necessary food to be able to take it to Quetzalito village and Cacao Frontera village. There we distributed New Testament Bibles with each bag of food in order to bring them not only physical food but also spiritual food. We were also able to pray together with the families of the community. Something that moved us was there were not enough food packages for the entire community of Cacao Frontera since the need is very great. We also ran out of New Testament Bibles, and people asked us for more New Testaments. We felt that in the same way that they needed the physical food, they also were spiritually hungry for the Word of God. We thank God for the opportunity he gave us to go and support the families affected by Hurricane Eta. Please pray for all those families who at this time do not have food to eat. -Ana, Assistant Director of Pure Joy  This year has been a year full of challenges for everyone due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it has also been a time that has helped us grow and create new strategies to develop our work as a ministry. Although we have not been able to achieve many goals that we had for this year, we have achieved much more in other different areas. One of them being becoming more technological than ever before. This has been a great advance for us since this was an area where we did not place too much importance on developing before. For me (Andrea), being in charge of producing and editing the videos for the Explorers Club and Project Valor has been something very interesting, entertaining and also edifying. You may wonder how this has impacted my life. Well, I can say how this time with the team has helped us in our unity and coordination as we prepare the themes and messages that we want to share with both the children and adolescents. Also in developing the ideas of how to make scenery or choreography for them, we have had to plan new ideas for everything. This has been something very exciting and fun. I love when we think of crazy things that are very fun for children and teens who see us on social media. Anyway, the moment I get home and can edit these I have realized that God speaks to me through something that, although we have already recorded at the time of editing, God speaks to me clearly and I am very surprised about this. It has really helped me to be able to get closer to the team and to God in those moments, that is why we strongly encourage you to see our videos (although they are only in Spanish, I hope that soon we can give them with English subtitles). It amazes me what God wants to do through this resource, and we hope it will be a very blessing to all who see and enjoy them in the same way that we have enjoyed doing this for you. -Andrea, missionary A few clips from our future Christmas program! En español:
Este año ha sido una año lleno de retos para todos debido a la pandemia de Covid-19, sin embargo, ha sido un tiempo que nos ha ayudado a crecer e improvisar nuevas estrategias para poder desarrollar nuestro trabajo como ministerio. Aunque no hemos podido alcanzar muchas metas que teníamos para éste año hemos logrado mucho más en otras áreas diferentes...siendo una de ellas el volvernos más tecnológicos que nunca antes y ésto la verdad para nosotros ha sido un gran avance ya que antes no creíamos que era un área en la que pusieramos demasiada importancia para desarrollar. Para mí (Andrea), el estar encargada de producir y editar los videos para el Club Exploradores y Proyecto Valor ha sido algo muy interesante, entretenido y también edificante, pero se podrán preguntar como esto ha impactado mi vida, bueno, puedo decir que como equipo éste tiempo nos ha ayudado en nuestra unidad y coordinación de cómo preparar los temas o mensajes que queremos darle tanto a los niños como adolescentes. También en desarrolar las ideas de como hacer escenografía o coreografías para los mismos, hemos tenido que panear nuevas ideas para todo y eso es algo muy emocionante y divertido, me encanta cuando se nos ocurren cosas locas que son muy divertidas para los niños o para los que nos ven en las redes sociales. En fin, el momento que llego a casa y puedo editar estos me he dado cuenta que Dios me habla por medio de algo que aunque ya hemos grabado al momento de edición Dios me habla claramente y me muy sorprendida de ésto y de verdad me ha ayudado a poder acercarme más al equipo y a Dios en esos momentos, por eso es que animamos mucho a que puedan ver nuestros videos (aunque están solamente en español, espero que pronto podamos darlos con subtitulos en inglés), me assombra lo que Dios quiere hacer por medio de éste recurso y esperamos sea de muchisima bendición para todos los que los vean y disfruten de la misma manera en que nosotros hemos disfrutado hacer esto para ustedes. When this year started, we obviously anticipated our ministries, such as Project Valor, to continue as usual, with only a few changes and improvements. One of those changes was having a new location for the bi-weekly tutoring program. We had just about settled into the place feeling like home when we had to shut it all down in line with the government response to the pandemic. We weren’t the only ones thrown off by this- in fact it took most schools here at least another couple of months before they were at a place to start sending school work home to students. The kids who benefit from the Project Valor scholarship program not only get help with paying their school fees and with things like purchasing school supplies and uniforms, but they also receive lunch at the tutoring program and have their travel both to and from school covered. In light of this, we were able to redirect the money we were no longer spending on lunches and transportation to be able to put together care packages for the families of all of the Project Valor beneficiaries. The packages included both staple food items as well as some common household supplies to help meet the needs of these families who were already disadvantaged before the pandemic came along. We were able to go out to do this more than once, and could extend the offer of these kinds of helps to others beyond just this group in some of the most struggling communities thanks to the generous and continued donations of Pure Joy Missions’ supporters. Regarding their schooling, although we have been unable to re-initiate in-person tutoring times, we have been in regular contact with all of the teens, their parents, and their teachers. For those in need of it, we were able to cover some of the cost of network data to enable these young people to participate in online learning and complete any school work that required internet access. We have also sent out weekly devotional videos via Facebook, in lieu of the devotional times that would have taken place during the tutoring program and have been available to try and offer any other help they have requested. We are now in the midst of preparing for next year’s programs - getting students registered for Project Valor, finding sponsors to pair with them, and developing plans for both possibilities of schools reopening or remaining closed. The Lord alone knows what 2021 will hold for these all these kids, but we continue to pray for and work towards the best outcomes for them. Thank you for being a part of this work done in the name of Christ. Yeni's story: We had the opportunity to help our community after a natural disaster, and I had many different feelings: sadness, amazement, helplessness, but also joy. What caused me joy was to see the people calm in the middle of great difficulty. Even when they had just lived the experience of going through the flood, many on the roofs of their homes with their family for three days, without food and watching the water rise, when we told them that God loved them and to trust that He will be their provider, they showed great confidence in this message. Never before have I seen that where a street used to be, today is a new river. The water reached levels that it had never reached before. Seeing the people not complain about God but instead allowing us to pray for them was wonderful. I saw people trying to dry their Bibles in the sun because they also got wet. That gave me a feeling that they are always fighting to have the Word of God. God, work in every heart and bless my Guatemalan brothers and sisters who lost everything. To our sponsors, they send blessings to all the people who donated to the cause and allowed us to purchase the care packages. Thank you. Thanks to the generosity of many, we were able to provide care packages of food and hygiene and cleaning products. In addition, we also handed out Bibles. En español:
Tube la oportunidad de visitar un lugar después de un desastre natural, y tube muchos sentimientos diferentes tristeza, asombro, impotencia, pero también Gozo, y lo que me causo Gozo fue ver a las personas tranquilas en medio de la dificultad que aun cuado acaban de vivir esa experiencia de pasar la inundación en los techos de sus casas con su familia por 3 días sin alimento y viendo el agua aumentar, cuando les decíamos que Dios les ama y que confien en que el sera su proveedor mostraban confianza en ese mensaje. Nunca antes vi que donde antes era una calle hoy es un nuevo Rio. El agua alcanzo niveles que nunca antes había alcanzado pero ver que las personas no se quejan de Dios y permitirnos orar por ellos fue maravilloso. Vi personas dando sol a sus Biblias por que también se mojaron eso me dio un sentimiento están luchando por tener siempre su palabra. Dios obre en cada corazón y Bendiga a mis hermanos Guatemaltecos que lo perdieron todo. Y ellos envian bendicones para todas las personas que donaron para la causa. Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are all facing severe flooding due to hurricane/tropical storm Eta. Puerto Barrios is experiencing the worst flooding they have in years. There will be many needs once the waters go down, and we are preparing to help. Many families and businesses have lost everything. We ask for your prayers not only for Puerto Barrios but also for each country affected. If you would like to make a financial donation, you can do so through our Facebook fundraising page (link below), on our website at www.purejoymissions.org/donate or by check (made payable to Pure Joy Missions and sent to 316 Golf Course Road, Milton PA 17847). Thank you for your prayers and support!  Last week we were able to deliver more food packages to families in need. Further outside of Puerto Barrios, people here speak Q'eqchi' and many of them don't speak much Spanish. Thanks go also to our translator and former Project Valor student Mariela for helping with that! See the video by following this link:  The situation we are experiencing has impacted me a lot. Every day, there are more people infected with COVID. However, despite the crisis that we are going through, God is working in the church and in the ministry. We have tried to continue working, and we have tried to help and show a lot of faith to help motivate people. It has been quite difficult to change the way we do ministry, but with God's help, we are gradually adapting. Many of the families are in great need, and we also have the challenge with the teens of Project Valor. We need to help them a little more, and we need to find the best way to support them so that they can continue with their studies at home. It makes me a little sad not to see the teens, but I know they are well with their families. It is very sad to see the elderly at the nursing home alone. They await our visit every Tuesday, but it is impossible for us to be with them since we must make sure that they do not get infected. It is painful to know that they are waiting for us, but we cannot come in and greet them with a hug or a handshake and ask how they are, listen to them sing, watch them eat their fruit and know that they are fine by seeing them face to face. I thank God that we can do this ministry. For me, it is a very great privilege to be able to share God's love with people and also to bring the message of God's word to children, even though I cannot see them now. I know that God will have mercy on each one of us and heal our earth and his creation. This is the confidence that I have in these difficult times that we are going through. En Español:
Me impacta mucho la situación que estamos viviendo y que cada día hay más personas infectadas, pero a pesar de la crisis que estamos pasando Dios esta obrando en la iglesia y como ministerio hemos tratado de seguir activando y hemos tratado de ayudar y mostrar mucha fe para motivar a las personas. Ha sido bastante difícil cambiar nuestra forma de hacer el ministerio, pero con la ayuda de Dios poco a poco estamos adaptándonos. Hay mucha necesidad en las familias, pero también tenemos el reto con los chicos del proyecto valor, necesitamos ayudar un poco más, pero tenemos que buscar la forma correcta de hacerlo y no afectar sus estudios y que sigan estudiando en sus casas sin que se descuiden de hacer sus tareas. Me pone un poquito triste no ver a los chicos, pero sé que están bien con sus familias. Los ancianos del asilo es muy triste ver que están solos, ellos esperan nuestra visita cada martes, pero es imposible poder estar con ellos en estos momentos ya que debemos cuidar de que no se contagien, aunque es doloroso saber que nos esperan, pero no podemos entrar y saludarles con un abrazo o un saludo de manos y preguntar como están, escucharlos cantar, verlos comer su fruta y saber que ellos están bien al verlos cara a cara. Gracias a Dios porque podemos hacer este ministerio para mi es un privilegio muy grande el poder compartir del amor de Dios con las personas y también el llevar el mensaje de la palabra de Dios a los niños, aunque ahora no les pueda ver. Se que Dios tendrá misericordia de cada uno de nosotros y sanara nuestra tierra y a su creación es la confianza que tengo en estos momentos difíciles que estamos pasando.  I am very grateful to God for his love and mercy. It has been approximately five months that we are not carrying out the ministries as we have always done. I miss the children, the elderly, and the teens at the tutoring program. These have been difficult days for many. We have totally changed the way we carry out the ministries. In the nursing home, for safety we cannot go in and give them hugs, sing praises and pray with them. But, it gives us joy to see them, even from afar, every Tuesday and give them a snack. Visiting my “grandparents” every Tuesday has been a great blessing to my life. With Club Exploradores, we cannot bring the children together to sing and teach them. We are trying to record videos for them so that they can always listen to the word of God. I pray that each video reaches all people and children that need to hear from God and can feel God's love right now. At the beginning of the year, we did not imagine that this year we would be able to carry out the ministries as always, but I know that God's plans are perfect and I trust God that He will help us through this global crisis. Soon, we will be together teaching his word to the children at Club Exploradores, singing praises and praying with the grandparents of the nursing home, helping with the children in the orphanage, and supporting the kids from Project Valor to become professionals. I am also looking forward to meeting soon at the church that I am a member of and being able to serve. Prayer requests: -For every family that has lost a relative due to Covid-19, or that has a sick relative, may God strengthen their lives and give peace in these difficult times -For people who have lost faith, who can feel the presence of God and believe again -For every child, young, adult, and old that is a part of Pure Joy, may God protect and bless you. -For Kathy, her family and board of directors in the United States and supporters, may God bless and protect you from any illness or danger, each by name En Español:Estoy muy agradecida con Dios por su amor y misericordia, llevamos 5 meses aproximadamente que no estamos llevando a cabo los ministerios como siempre lo habíamos hecho, extraño mucho a los niños a los abuelitos y a los chicos de la tutoría.
Han sido días difíciles para muchos, hemos cambiado totalmente la manera de realizar los ministerios, en el asilo por seguridad no podemos entrar y darles abrazos, cantar alabanzas y orar con ellos, pero nos da alegría verlos, aunque sea de lejos cada martes y dejarles su refacción, visitar cada martes a los abuelitos ha sido de gran bendición a mi vida Y en el club Exploradores tampoco podemos reunir a los niños para poder cantar y enseñar a los niños, estamos tratando de grabar videos para ellos y que siempre estén escuchando de la palabra de Dios, oro para que cada video llegue a todas las personas y niños que necesitan escuchar de Dios y puedan sentir el amor de Dios en estos momentos. A inicio de año no nos imaginábamos que este año no desarrollaríamos los ministerios como siempre, pero sé que los planes de Dios son perfectos y confío en Dios que el nos ayudara a pasar esta crisis mundial, y pronto estaremos reunidos enseñando su palabra a los niños en el club exploradores, cantando alabanzas y orando con los abuelitos del asilo(los dos asilos) ayudando con los niños en el orfanato, y apoyando a los chicos de proyecto valor a ser profesionales. También estoy ansiosa por reunirnos pronto en la iglesia a la que soy miembro y poder servir. Peticiones de oración: Por cada familia que ha perdido a un familiar a causa de covid-19, o que tienen algún familiar enfermo que Dios fortalezca sus vidas y de paz en estos momentos difíciles Por las personas que han perdido la fe, que puedan sentir la presencia de Dios y vuelvan a creer Por cada niño joven, adulto y anciano que es parte de Pure Joy, que Dios los proteja y los bendiga. Por Kathy, su familia y directiva en Estados Unidos y apoyadores, que Dios les bendiga y proteja de cualquier enfermedad o peligro, a cada uno por nombre  Well. It has certainly been a different year than anyone in the entire world was expecting. I agree with whoever it was that quipped that everyone in 2015 who was asked the question “where do you see yourself in 5 years time” was most likely answered incorrectly!
We enjoyed being able to be a part of the usual running of Pure Joy in the first quarter of the year, this being our first year as full time staff, and it was great to build relationships with the children, young people, and seniors that we interact with in our different projects. But it’s been quite a change since then. Other members of the team will be able to recount a bit more about some of the things we have been able to achieve with those we reach during normal ministry times, so I’d like to share about three different things that I’ve been able to lean into as a result of being at home so much during lockdown. Firstly, I was able spend time getting a lot of administrative work done for the organization, developing some draft documentation which is now in the process of further development. This included some proposed policy documents such as a Child Protection Policy, Crisis Management Procedures, and Health & Safety Principles. These are the kinds of things that can fall to the wayside in the midst of “doing ministry” but are important to have thought through and put in place in case of future need, so it has been great to get these put forward for implementation. It also included developing a staff manual that looks at things like having a clear vision and mission, the structure of the team and various responsibilities or its members, and expectations of all staff. All of these are under review by the Board of Directors, to be followed up by discussion by the team here in Guatemala, so that improvements and changes can be made before they are officially adopted. Secondly, I have been able to start an online ministry (giving Pure Joy another international reach of sorts) offering training to new missionaries in support raising. As staff from a background with YWAM (Youth With A Mission), we raise our entire financial support to be on the missions field and so have friends, family, and a couple of churches that generously give to support us and our work. Being at home has offered time to use zoom and other platforms to engage with and train those who are preparing to join the mission field who will be raising support to do so. It has been great to encourage new missionaries in Africa, the UK, The Carribean, and the US, with some interest from other places too, and it’s encouraging to be able to contribute to global missions this way, even whilst stuck at home. Thirdly, I have been able to take advantage of some web-based training opportunities for myself during this time. Part of this has been training related to coaching and support raising teaching, to better prepare and equip myself to teach those that I have been engaging with in that ministry. Another part of it has been training in Member Care (how to care for missionaries), through two online courses offered by the Global Member Care Network. The two of us are also currently completing a leadership school offered by a church in the US called the Square, which is focused on spiritual leadership. Finally, although not ministry-related per se, we have been doing a course called the Marriage Sessions, offered by Care for the Family in the UK. Admittedly, this time during lockdown with limited options for going out has also involved more Netflix than usual, but it has been good to be a part of all of the things I have mentioned, as well as continue to be involved with the rest of the Pure Joy team. Thank you for your support during this unprecedented (however overused that word has become) time - we hope to come out of it better equipped for ministry than ever, and to make as much of a difference during it as we can. -Francis & Andrea  In this time of the pandemic, we have been affected because we cannot carry out the ministries as before the pandemic. However, I am sure that God is in control of everything, even though we cannot see. On Tuesdays, as always, we continue to bring a snack to the elderly at the nursing home. Although we can no longer sing, pray, give a message of the word of God and spend time with them as we used to, we still come to the door to leave the snack and call the nursing home for updates.
A testimony that impacted me greatly was knowing that one of the elderly residents who recently passed away was singing to the Lord Jesus shortly before his passing. Hearing that gave me great satisfaction because the main objective for me of what we do in Pure Joy Missions is to present the Love of God and the plan of salvation, and knowing that even though we are not with them for now, the seed that was planted is growing.  Recently, we also began to call local pastors who have been affected by the pandemic to offer prayer support, encourage them, and see if they have any needs that Pure Joy can cover. I was very happy to listen to them and establish this relationship. God is good and knows what He is doing. I trust that this will pass and we will go back to doing the ministries as before. In the meantime, I hope that God continues to surprise us as only He knows how to do. -Yeni, Guatemala Director of Pure Joy Missions En Español...En este tiempo de la pandemia nos hemos visto afectados porque no podemos realizar los ministerios como antes de la pandemia, pero estoy segura que Dios tienen el control de todo, aunque no podamos ver. Los martes como siempre continuamos llevando la refacción a los abuelos, aunque ya no podemos cantar, orar, dar un mensaje de la palabra de Dios y pasar tiempo con ellos como acostumbrábamos solo llegamos a la puerta a dejar la refa y llamar para preguntar por ellos. Un Testimonio que me impacto mucho fue saber que unos de los ancianos que falleció en estos días pasados estaba cantado al Señor Jesús poco antes de fallecer y eso me dio mucha satisfacción porque el objetivo principal para mí de lo que hacemos en PURE JOY MISSIONS es presentar el Amor de Dios y el Plan de Salvación, y saber que a pesar que por ahora no estamos con ellos la semilla germina en su momento.
Ayer iniciamos a llamar a pastores que por lo de la pandemia se han visto afectados para brindar apoyo en oración, animarles y si tuvieran alguna necesidad que sea posible para PURE JOY cubrir, me dio mucho gozo escucharles y establecer esa relación de comunicación. Dios es bueno y sabe lo que hace confío en que todo está pasara y volvamos a hacer los ministerios como antes, mientras tanto espero que Dios nos continúe sorprendiendo como solo El sabe hacer. -Yeni, La Directora de Pure Joy en Guatemala |
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