Bringing Christmas to Paraíso

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Engadi Ministries welcomed long-time partners Anderson University back to Guatemala on Saturday afternoon. We are grateful for their yearly December trip to serve with us. One tradition the team continues yearly is to bring Christmas to Paraíso with an annual children’s toy handout. This year, the team came prepared with hundreds of dolls, stuffed animals, and other toys to give to kids who likely will not receive anything else for Christmas.

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To start the afternoon off, families lined up around the block in Paraíso to wait their turn to pick out a toy. Each child was numbered while the team set up “Santa’s Workshop” in a nearby house. While the crowds of people waited, the opportunity was seized to present the Gospel message and the true Christmas story to those standing in line. People were told of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection to pay for their sins, and the hope that they can have through placing their faith in Him. Afterwards, a prayer was led allowing people time to pray for their children, thank God for the gifts, and surrender their lives to Him.

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The team form Anderson worked together with the boys in Engadi’s Derek Program and each child was allowed to pick out a toy or two to keep. Parents were also provided personal hygiene items such as toothpaste, floss, and deodorant while children selected toys. The children greatly enjoyed the time of fellowship with the team from Anderson University, and Santa even made time to make an appearance at the event! All in all, toys were provided to 379 children, and families were presented with the Gospel message of salvation, making for a very merry Christmas in Paraíso!

#engadi #brotherhood #hope

Anderson University provided gifts to 379 children in 2015.

Students from Anderson University spending time hanging out with children in Paraíso.

Anderson University provided toys to 379 children in 2015, and the Gospel message was shared with families at the event.

The Gospel message was shared with families at the event.

Anderson University provided gifts to 379 children in 2015.

Many of the children who came are likely to not receive Christmas gifts due to the poverty in which they live

Anderson University provided gifts to 379 children in 2015.

Children were allowed to select one or two toys each to take home.

Anderson University provided gifts to 379 children in 2015.

Anderson University provided gifts to 379 children in 2015.

Children were ushered to a nearby house by the boys within Engadi's Derek Program where they were allowed to pick out a toy for Christmas.

Children were ushered to a nearby house by the boys within Engadi’s Derek Program where they were allowed to pick out a toy for Christmas.

Children were ushered to a nearby house by the boys within Engadi's Derek Program where they were allowed to pick out a toy for Christmas. Santa even made an appearance!

Santa even and an appearance to see the children in Paraíso pick out their toys!

Anderson University hanging out with children in Paraíso before the event.

Anderson University hanging out with children in Paraíso before the event.

The Final Whistle- Camp Week Ends

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Today closed out the week of soccer camp in Paraíso hosted by Engadi Ministries. The past week has allowed children to hear Biblical messages each day, improve their soccer skills and have a constructive way to pass their time while not in school. It has been a huge success within Paraíso, and has let Engadi further assess and better meet the needs of the kids we work with.

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A concluding devotion was given by Engadi’s Director of Discipleship, David, which was followed by a scrimmage tournament for each age group. To close the week, each participant received a certificate of participation from Engadi.

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Two of the young men from within the Derek Program presented certificates of gratitude on behalf of Engadi to the weeklong volunteer coaches, Tato and Jose, who freely gave their time to help Engadi host the camp this week.

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Children were also provided bread from their coaches as they departed as it was recognized that most had not eaten breakfast in the mornings and fatigued quicker than expected during the soccer camp. Engadi is extremely thankful for the generosity and partnership from Tato, Jose, and Andy, and for their devotion to providing both hope and brotherhood to the children of Paraíso this week.

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Tomorrow starts a new week for Engadi with the team from Anderson University arriving in the afternoon. We will update with their progress throughout the week. Stay tuned!

#engadi #brotherhood #hope

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The brotherhood of boys within the Derek Program have participated throughout the week.

Paraíso Soccer Camp Photos

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Engadi Ministries has had the opportunity to reach out to the children of Paraíso this week by hosting a sports camp in their neighborhood. Over fifty children from preschool ages through high school have attended the camp, hearing a Biblical message and improving their soccer skills with the help of coaches Tato and Jose, who have partnered with Engadi this week to reach out to Paraíso. It has been a fantastic week of creating brotherhood and bringing hope through soccer in Paraíso! Above are some highlights from the week so far-

#hope #engadi #brotherhood

Camp Week Update

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Soccer Camp Sebastian

Engadi has had a great turnout this week whole hosting a free week long soccer camp for children living in Paraíso. Over fifty children have attended throughout the week, heard a Biblical message and have had the opportunity to sharpen their soccer skills while on Christmas break from school.

Sebastian Soccer Camp

Sebastian, seen in photos, lives very near the soccer field in Paraíso and has attended the camp throughout the week. He just passed his grade in school, and is striving to be a lawyer when he grows up. His favorite thing to do is play games, such as soccer, with other children in the neighborhood. Engadi continues to work in Paraíso to serve children like Sebastian, giving #hope to their dreams, and creating #brotherhood within the community.

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Soccer Camp Kickoff!

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Soccer Camp

This week, Engadi Ministries Intl. is hosting a free soccer camp for kids in Paraíso. While children are on a break from school for Christmas, many who live in Paraíso are left to the streets while parents work. As a service to the neighborhood, Engadi has initiated an annual soccer training camp to provide children with a constructive and wholesome way to fill their time.

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Engadi has partnered with two local soccer experts, Jose and Tato, who have agreed to donate their time, knowledge, and love of soccer to help train children in Paraíso. In addition, Engadi’s Director of Discipleship, David Medina provides children with a Biblical message each day to deliver #hope to Paraíso. Today’s message was about finding, strengthening and harnessing the talents that God has provided each individual. Around 45 children, ranging from preschool through high school aged boys and girls, heard todays message and were involved in the soccer training, including the boys involved in the Derek Program.

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Check back throughout the week to see updates and stories of how Engadi’s camp is bringing #hope and #brotherhood to children living in Paraíso.

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Step by Step

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This week, Engadi staff held a quarterly meeting to discuss ministry in Paraíso and bring together the roles of each staff member to reach out to the youth with an increased focus on the young men in the Derek Program. During the meeting, plans were finalized to host a free soccer camp for children in Paraíso next week during the end-of-the-year break from school. Staff also gathered to create personalized action plans of how we can best help individual young men within Engadi’s Derek Program.

While it is often easy to stereotype and group together all of the children living in Paraíso, in reality, each child comes from a different background, has a different story and faces different struggles. Engadi’s drive is to meet each young man where he is and walk with him through his trials. We want to be his coach, mentor, and supporter while teaching each boy to pursue Christ in all that he does. Engadi seeks to find the hopes, strengths, and dreams of each young man in order to refine them and help them flourish. Through providing #hope and #brotherhood to each of these boys, Engadi is step by step transforming the community of Paraíso.

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Engadi Transformation Center

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Today, Engadi signed a lease on its first permanent location within the community of Paraíso! Thanks to a generous start-up donation provided by Living Hope Church in Athens, Georgia, Engadi has been able to procure the Engadi Transformation Center within Paraíso to conduct ministry. The two story building is central to all ministry-related activities within the community and will allow Engadi to have a more stable and evident location within the community. Community events such as meetings, Bible studies, and future cooking classes will now have a reliable and secure area in which they can be held and people from within the community can gather. Praise God for His provision for Engadi!

Transformation Center

Over the next several months, we will begin conducting some repairs on the building which will improve safety and allow it to best serve the needs of the community and the ministry. We want to thank Living Hope Church and several of the upcoming teams who will be partnering to revamp the Center into a place that the community can identify as a place of #hope that will bring lasting #restoration and #legacy to the community of Paraíso.

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Family Values Classes- Partnering with Families

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Over the next three weeks, Engadi Ministries will be providing Biblically-based Family Values Classes to parents within the school systems of Paraíso. The classes are designed to provide Biblical parenting strategies to bring families closer together and promote healthy relationships within families. David Medina, Engadi’s Director of Discipleship, will be providing the classes Monday through Friday at several intervals throughout the day. David’s passion for families and gift of teaching has created a special bond between him and the students and families of the local elementary schools.

Families are able to elect classes with topics that interest them, and attend classes at times throughout the week that are convenient to their schedules. Many of these parents have students who are enrolled in Engadi’s annual scholarship program. Parents of these children must attend at least four of the classes as a part of the students’ requirements to earn school supplies.

We are asking for prayers for David as he leads these classes and discussions over the next several weeks. Pray also that parents are receptive to the ideas and messages that he brings them.

#engadi #hope #engadiministries

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Turning Bottles to Cans-

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The boys involved in #Engadi’s Derek Program are committed to bringing #hope to their neighborhood through serving. Over the past several weeks, the Derek boys scavenged their community for plastic bottles littering the ground that they would be able to repurpose. They worked together turning the collection of bottles into a collection of cans- trash cans, that is.

This past week, the boys painted power poles at a local soccer field in Paraíso and attached the newly fashioned trash cans to the poles. Each boy will be responsible for maintaining the can that he made and emptying it as needed. Through this service, the boys hope to hope to convert the image of a derelict, polluted soccer field to a safer, litter-free common area that families can enjoy together.

Together, the #brotherhood of young men are restoring their community and creating a legacy step by step.

#engadiministries #esperanza #hermandad

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Synergy Conference Visits Paraíso

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Today, Engadi had the privilege of hosting a group of visionaries, pastors, mission leaders, and urban developers in Paraíso. We had the opportunity to guide a group of individuals and demonstrate many aspects of community transformation that Engadi is currently involved in such as bringing #hope to the local schools through painting and rejuvenation, and developing a #brotherhood of Mighty Men who can continue the legacy within their community. We also visited several families and community members that Engadi works closely with.

Tomorrow, as the closing day of the 2015 International Synergy Conference, we will be part of a round table discussion further learning about urban development, other urban ministries, and ways we can improve current strategies of community transformation in Paraíso.

#engadi #engadiministries #esperanza #hermandad

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