Felix and Aoilia often see the hand of God working in their lives, and receiving a new home would be another sign of his enduring love.
Despite the hardships that poor families in rural Guatemala endure, they are resilient people. They live in dirt-floor dwellings pieced together with scrap metal panels and leaky tarp roofs — but still many cling to their unshakable faith in the Lord.
By the grace of God and the ministries working in Guatemala, the prayers of these impoverished families can be answered. Ministry partners in the Diocese of Suchitepéquez-Retalhuleu want to build 70 stormproof homes, at a cost of $11,043 each, and your support can help them put those incredible plans into action! You will also be helping over 300 impoverished families create bountiful home gardens and improved corn and bean crops through the diocese’s agricultural outreach.
With your help, we can bless 10 families with safe homes in the Diocese of Suchitepéquez-Retalhuleu. The homes feature:
Your generous support will empower more than 300 hardworking families to access nutritious food through their own home gardens and fields of corn and beans. The Diocese of Suchitepéquez-Retalhuleu will provide essential seeds, fertilizer, and agricultural training, helping both families and gardens flourish together.
In October 2017, we embarked on a mission trip to Guatemala that unexpectedly transformed our lives.
We encountered families living in unimaginable poverty, hearing their struggles for survival and witnessing their dire living conditions firsthand. Their children suffer from malnutrition, and most lack access to even basic education.
Then we met Maria de los Angeles Chanta.
The depth of her family’s hardship broke our hearts. When we asked what we could do for her three children, she simply replied, “Pray they do not become sick.”
When we asked what we could do for her, she answered, “Pray I will be a good mother to them.”
This remarkable woman, who needed everything, asked for nothing but prayers.
Her unwavering faith and incredible strength touched us deeply, and we knew we couldn’t simply return to our lives unchanged. We had to act.
We are committed to building homes for ten families through Cross Catholic Outreach’s partnership with Cáritas of the Diocese of Suchitepéquez-Retalhuleu. Additionally, we aim to support the diocese’s agricultural outreach, which will enable hardworking families to establish thriving home gardens and improved crop fields in nurturing environments.
We cannot achieve this vision without your support. Donations of any size are welcomed with gratitude, and every contribution, no matter how modest, makes a meaningful difference.
All donations remain anonymous. Donors are encouraged to email a short message so Nicholas Matas and Paul Neville can personally thank you and share how your donation is helping build a better future for the people of Guatemala.
Juan, Rafaela and their three children couldn’t resist. The diocese built them a new home last year, and they simply had to move in immediately — even though the rest of the community members were waiting until after the houses were blessed.
“They said, ‘Don’t. The house blessing is tomorrow,’” Rafaela confirmed. “But we could not wait, so we brought over our mattresses and slept on the floor.”
And what a joyful night it was! The family was warm on a cool December night, safe from storms and protected from animal attacks. Their old dirt-floored home had one room and was built of wood scraps that were infested with termites. The new home is built of concrete blocks and will last for many years. “This house will be a good foundation until the Lord calls us home,” Juan said.
Nearly 60 percent of Guatemalans live in poverty, with the harshest living conditions in remote villages. Many families in remote villages try to grow their own food, but without proper tools and fertilizer, their yields simply aren’t sufficient to meet their needs. Most parents also can’t afford the cost of educating their children, so their sons and daughters drop out of school and give up the dream of a better life. Each day, as their hope is drained by living in a makeshift home that offers little protection, these men, women and children can only turn to God for help, praying fervently and daily for that deliverance.
Partner Since: 2018
Partnership Outreaches:
Housing, food, water, scholarships, agricultural support, medical, microenterprise, and office and distribution center construction.
Commitment to Families:
Poor families in Guatemala have a friend in Jesus — and they are experiencing his love through the Diocese of Suchitepéquez-Retalhuleu!
“We try to change their entire lives,” Bishop Pablo Vizcaíno Prado said.
As an ambassador of the Lord, the bishop is committed to following the model of Jesus, who didn’t seek convenience but “searched for the poorest.” Rather than simply address the situations that come to them, the diocese’s Caritas outreach team goes on this search regularly, traveling up to two hours
on extremely rough dirt roads to reach poor families in remote villages.
Bishop Vizcaíno said the Caritas team carries a simple, but powerful, message: The people must “commit and fight” to overcome the extreme poverty they face. No single handout will be enough. Instead, it’s up to the families to use the resources provided by Caritas to prepare themselves “to build their own futures.”
— Bishop Pablo Vizcaíno Prado
Leaders of Caritas Suchitepéquez-Retalhuleu hold spiritual workshops for housing beneficiaries and are amazed by how the Lord is changing people’s hearts. Housing recipients have been baptized and joined the Church, while others gratefully participate in diocese outreaches to strengthen their faith.
Despite her daily hardships and unsafe home, Darly refuses to give in to sadness. Each morning, she thanks God for a new day and rejoices in the love of her family.
“Every single day when we get up, we thank God for a new day, and then we ask God for help,” Darly said.
Catholic ministries in rural Guatemala are empowering families to overcome their daily challenges—leaky homes, hungry stomachs and back-breaking labor. Their hope is rising as they envision a better future. Your generous donation will help the Church bless even more families with missions of mercy that are Transforming Lives in Guatemala!
Donations from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for this project incurred through June 30, 2027, the close of our ministry’s fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry.