Learning About Jesus in Guatemala

Kids jumping up and down and so excited to come to Vacation Bible School!  The first day we were overwhelmed with nearly 160 children from ages 2-14!  What a day and what fun to share God’s Word with all the children.

Listening to Bible stories………

Learning Bible verses……..

Doing Crafts………..

and of course playing games and singing songs!

Many of the children have not heard about Jesus and we are so pleased to introduce them to the life saving news of Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to have received a grant from the Lorenz Foundation to help us present VBS to hundreds of children in Guatemala.

Two of the artisan groups that we help have already told us that the children are asking when we are coming back for VBS again.  If we receive sufficient donations into our Vacation Bible School fund we will continue sharing God’s Word each year with as many children as possible in Guatemala.  Learn more about our Mission trips to present VBS or just learn more about our work in Guatemala at our website.

Good News Gospel Bracelets — Spanish and English

We have just received a shipment from our artisans of more Gospel Bracelets and we also received a shipment of the newly designed card sharing the Gospel story in the Spanish language.

Spanish Salvation Bracelet

These bracelets are such a fantastic tool to share the Gospel with your friends and acquaintances and now we have them in both an English and a Spanish version!

If you are going on a mission trip into a Spanish speaking country be sure to order lots of these to give out to the children you meet on your trip.  Our webstore  has them in quantities of 1 dozen but if you need a large quantity we do sell them in bulk quantities too.  Be sure to email us!

Choose from English or Spanish and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Perfect gift for your Sunday School or Vacation Bible School classes! These bracelets are made by our artisans and they receive a fair wage for their work which helps them feed and educate their children.

Your purchase of these will help you share the life saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and also help an artisan support her family!

Education And …………….. More

Recently a supporter asked why the name  ‘Education And More’   for the organization when we do so much with artisan groups and helping them earn a fair wage– “What has that got to do with education?”

Maybe we don’t often explain the reason for our name, but we are all about education.

We believe education is vitally important to reducing poverty and there are many types of educational opportunities that we offer. Just helping a student with a way to attend school isn’t often enough in a developing country because the students face so many problems outside the classroom.  They lack sufficient food in their daily lives and are often less healthy –  therefore are at a disadvantage in learning.  By focusing our work on helping in many aspects of their lives, the students, their families and communities  can look forward to a better future.

What types of educational help do we offer?

1. Sponsorship to Public Schools — Primary grades, Junior High grades, High School, Career schools, Technical school, and University
2. Practical Education — sewing classes;  marketing,  technical , and product design help and education
3. Christian Education through Bible study, Vacation Bible School presentations, Christian films
4. Schools — we offer help to small schools by providing the administration and teachers the tools they need: textbooks, computer labs, school supplies for the teachers as well as students, repairs and upgrades to the school building, and more.

What is the ‘And More’ in our name…………..

1.  help to artisans through a Fair Trade wage.
2. increased self worth and dignity to the artisans and students because of achievements in their handcraft businesses and in their education
3. sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
4. building relationships with trust and  friendship
5. interest free micro-credit loans to help them expand their handcraft businesses
6. giving cash advances for family emergencies
7. long term relationships with the students and parents so they know someone cares if they succeed

We would love you to become involved in helping us provide Education ……….And More!

Sharing The Gospel

Our January trip was special because we presented Vacation Bible School in Guatemala!  Our artisans had all invited us to bring VBS to them and their children and in January we had the first sessions.  The children just loved all the activity of VBS – Bible stories, crafts, games, songs and of course the refreshments.  Most if not all of the children and mothers have never attended VBS before so it was a new experience to them!

Even the tiniest had fun at VBS!

We presented a special Bible Study hour to the mothers of the children through the Magdalena film from the Jesus Film Project.  After the film we presented a short study on Psalms 66 and what God has done in our lives, then we let them listen to the Bible in their own language on a Proclaimer from Faith Comes By Hearing.  A Proclaimer is a simple black box that has the Bible downloaded into it in the native language of the listener and in this case it was in Kakchiquel.  The women (and children too!) have never had the Bible in their own language.

The Proclaimer is a unique tool to share the Gospel because it is very simple to use, it can be recharged by solar, wind-up or by electricity, and the volume can be turned up so that approximately 300 people can hear the Word.  We left the Proclaimer with one of our groups to use until we return in a few months and then will let another group use it. We would like to purchase one for each of our groups and are looking for donations. The cost is $100 each so if you would like to help share the Word please donate today!

Join a VBS Mission Trip to Guatemala

Education And More has just posted the dates for VBS mission trips to Guatemala for 2013!  Come join us and see this beautiful country while sharing God’s love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

We would like to thank the DCE’s (Director’s of Christian Education) at Trinity Lutheran – LCMS in Shawnee, KS and Mission Ks for developing our Vacation Bible School program!  What a lot of work  Rhonda and Deb have done to take the materials of Campiones de Fe / Champions of Faith and develop it into 5 days of classes. Lot’s of fun will be going on as we share our faith with the children!

Our artisan groups have invited us into their communities to present VBS and the children are really excited!

Learn more about our Vacation Bible School  mission trips on our website then consider coming with us on one of the trips!

She Wants to Help Abused Women and Children

There are many young people in Guatemala who would like to be able to continue their education but never get beyond Junior High or High School because of the cost. Floridalma is one.

We have added her — a wonderful Christian, young lady– to our list of students needing help to go to the University.  She has been out of school for several years and has not been able to go to university because she cares for her ailing father and works whenever she can find a job so she can help pay for their food and other needs.

Her dream is to return to school – the nearby University – and study to become a Clinical Psychologist so that she can help women and children who have been abused as well as other women who need counseling and help.  She is a very intelligent and compassionate person and we feel will be a great candidate to return to school. She speaks Spanish, Kakchiquel,  some Queche, and is learning English!

The University she wants to attend has a program for working adults so they can attend classes on Saturdays and keep their job during the week.  Floridalma cleans homes  for people because that is the only work she can find.

She will be a wonderful asset to her community and especially to the women and children! If you would like to help Floridalma return to school please contact us for the costs per year for a sponsorship.   Perhaps your Bible study group or your women’s group could work together to sponsor her for a year.

Please pray that she will be able to return to school!