Updates and Blessings from our Recent Teams
There are so many people who make Casa Bernabé such a special place, but not all of them live in Guatemala. Over the years we've welcomed hundreds of mission teams to our campus, and we've watched as God continually sent people from far away to give of their time and resources to help build Casa Bernabé, sustain the ministry, and encourage our kids and staff.
2020 brought many challenges, one of which was not being able to welcome teams. We saw what a year with no visitors was like, and we learned a lot from it. Over the last couple years, our teams program has been changing, growing, and reawakening after the pandemic, and now we're back in full swing hosting teams and completing many much needed projects on campus. There have been too many to share in one update, but here are some of the recent blessings our teams have brought to our staff and kids.
Cornerstone EPC from Michigan came and provided some needed maintenance to our campus. They helped paint the school classrooms and worked on the drainage canal to help prevent the water that flows down the hill during rainy season from eroding the soil. They also cooked dinner for each of the houses and threw an amazing glow-in-the-dark New Years Eve party for all the kids.
Cornerstone Baptist from Morton, Illinois visited in January. They were the largest group we've hosted in a long time, and they were able to work in many areas of campus at once. The team installed a new roof on the medical clinic, finished up some painting projects in the school, helped Tony in the garden, hosted a medical clinic for the local community, gave haircuts in the salon, put on a VBS with sports and crafts for the kids, and provided all our staff couples with a date night with dinner and portrait painting. They were also here during the first week of school, so they got to pass out a new backpack full of school supplies to each child so they would be equipped for the new year ahead.
Mercy Hill Church from Ohio came next, and they were able to finish up the roof project at the medical clinic and complete some painting projects in the main building, including painting our secretary's new office. If you send physical items to Casa Bernabé as donations, they are stored in our bodega while our staff decides where they're most needed. When new donations arrive, organizing the bodega can become quite a task, and our staff is always so thankful when a team volunteers to organize it like Mercy Hill did. They also got to host a special dinner and game night for the house helpers and young adults on staff who can sometimes be overlooked, and they were very appreciative.
Heritage Christian Academy visited, and they were very helpful with several projects on campus. We're working on a new park/playground area next to the school, and first the ground needed to be leveled and the extra dirt and debris had to be removed. It's fun to see a project completed, but we're equally grateful for people who are willing to serve at the beginning of a project and prepare the way for the teams that will follow. The Heritage team also worked on painting the outside and inside of the clinic, and they hosted a Galentines night for the women on our staff with music, crafts, and community for them to enjoy.
Next Christ the King Church came and continued helping us improve our campus. They cleaned and painted the area outside the medical clinic, including the wall that runs along the main highway above campus. One of the things everyone was grateful for while Christ the King was here was the shoe distribution day they hosted. They collected and brought enough new pairs of shoes that every child was able to come and choose one. They finished the week with their despedida, the goodbye party we throw for our visitors, and a pizza party with the whole campus.
Our kids and our house parents love when teams bring games and sports equipment for them to use, and with a large campus and about 100 children sharing them, these things can wear out quickly. We asked Peyton Tolley, our onsite missions coordinator, what are some things she suggests as good options to bring if you're visiting soon and want to bring a fun gift to share. There are always bigger needs on campus, and we appreciate when team leaders reach out to us before visiting to talk about how your team can be most helpful with your time and resources, but if you're looking for ideas for small items to bring along, here are some ideas:
Craft/art supplies
Card games (bonus points if they're in Spanish)
Frisbees, soccer balls, basketballs (you can ask the sporting goods stores to deflate them so they're easier to pack and bring a pump with you)
Beads/yarn for bracelet making
Sidewalk chalk
English/Spanish vocabulary flashcards
Markers/crayons/colored pencils and coloring books
Board games
HotWheels cars
Marbles
Legos
Kids books in Spanish
Peyton wanted to share her thanks to all our recent teams and visitors:
"On behalf of all children and staff of Casa Bernabé, thank you! Thank you to the teams who have already visited us or are planning to visit us. Thank you for supporting us and walking with us every step of the way. We could not do what we do here without each and every team. TThe way you all pour into every single person here, whether that be the children or our staff, is inspiring, and we look forward to welcoming you all back here. The kids ask me daily, “when will the next team come?” so please know you are impacting their lives even though you may not physically be here. Please continue to uplift the people of Casa Bernabé and keep them in your prayers. Thank you again for all you do for us, and we cannot wait to see you again!"
If your church is interested in serving at Casa Bernabé in the future, you can reach out to us HERE.
