Guatemala: Casa de Gracia

Mission partners Azaria and David Pocasangre, who support young people and families through the local church, have recently been connecting with a new ministry called Casa de Gracia (House of Grace). This ministry seeks to provide a safe, supportive home for young adults who have no family to support them as they transition into independent adulthood. Pray for the Casa de Gracia team as they prepare to welcome their first young women later this year, and for God’s guidance for Azaria and David as they consider how to best support this ministry.

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Guatemala: preparing to step into new ministries

Mission partners Azaria and David Pocasangre are exploring where to invest their time as they prepare to move on from working with vulnerable young people and families in a community called Bethania. Pray for Azaria and David to hear from God as to how and where he wants to use them.

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Guatemala: a season of change

“Please join us in giving thanks for the years we were able to serve in Bethania, and for all the wonderful children, young people and their families,” write mission partners Azaria and David Pocasangre. Though Azaria and David have now moved on from serving in Bethania, they will continue in their roles of supporting vulnerable communities, especially young people and families, through partnership with the local church. Pray for the community of Bethania as they navigate this season of change, and for God to move powerfully through the local church.

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Guatemala: supporting young people and families

Mission partners Azaria and David Pocasangre, who were recently on home leave in the UK, ask for prayer as they settle back into their ministry of supporting young people and families through the local church. Pray for Azaria as she supports fellow mentors and refers new mentors to start serving in local children’s homes. Pray for David as he continues to disciple and work with church worship bands.

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I used to sleep in church. My mum would take me to church when I was young and I remember I didn’t want to be there.

My first impressions of hearing about Jesus weren’t very good.

Growing up, I was a very angry person. I had a terrible attitude, I didn’t listen to people. My whole world was going to work with my mother at a large local rubbish dump. When I got a bit older I started smoking, drinking, stealing from people so I could buy drugs. I didn’t like being around my mum. I didn’t want to work.

I saw no purpose to my life. I was just existing. It’s not like I had any hopes or dreams; I was just living for the moment. I didn’t think about tomorrow. I wasn’t making good decisions. Nothing really mattered. Then one day I came to Street Kids Direct (SKD) and I met a guy called Jonathan, who listened to me talk about my life and he encouraged me to get closer to God.

The best decision I ever made

I hadn’t realised how much I needed someone to talk to, and it was good to learn that I could also talk to God. I realised God was the only one who could help me change my life. God was the best person I could have ever met. I decided to follow Jesus.

Things didn’t change for me overnight. It took years. My friends tried to respect my decision and the fact that I wasn’t doing the same things I used to, but a distance grew between us, and this was difficult. My family saw good changes happening in me, but it has taken my mum a long time to get used to the idea that I had changed. We are still on that journey together to be honest. But I still think it’s the best decision I ever made.

Because the thing is, God never abandons you. There have been times when I have been distracted from faith, or I’ve struggled to understand, or I doubt. I think we all do. But sooner or later, you always find the light in the dark.

The most important lesson I’ve learned from God is forgiveness. God is the perfect example of forgiveness and I have had to learn to forgive, to let go of some things from the past and move forward. To not let things build up.

When things are tough, I pray and I talk to the people God has put in my path. The people around me like Duncan (SKD’s leader) and Azaria (a CMS mission partner) have helped me think differently, to see life differently. They know life can be difficult and thanks to them and God, I think I have changed a lot. I feel God has done a lot for me in my life and I try to reflect that. I am not a millionaire so I cannot pay them back for what they have done for me, but I thank them for not giving up on me. You can’t give up on people or assume they will never change. You have to give them a chance to be different.

I know what it’s like

I want other people to know that following God’s way is the best option. I think the best thing I can do is listen to other people’s stories and share my story. Because I know what it’s like to feel alone, to feel empty and angry at the same time. I know what it’s like to always feel like you need something more, but you don’t know what so you look for quick fixes to make you feel better. I know what it’s like to be outside of God’s things, to not know where to turn. But I want them to know it’s never too late. You can be happy.

That’s the thing. I do feel happy. It’s hard to describe, really, but I feel like a different person. It’s difficult to put into words, but it’s something that God has given me and it can’t be compared. It’s a love I feel and I feel good in myself. And I think the most important thing is just to keep going, with the help of God and others.

Give now

Many people might have ignored or given up on Danilo, but God never left him and neither did the people in mission who continue to walk alongside him. Please give to help more people like Danilo become disciples of Jesus.

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More stories of Jesus bringing hope

The post Azaria and David Pocasangre, Guatemala appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Azaria Spencer, a mission partner working with street-connected children and young people, reflects on her first three years.

I’m frequently asked, “What do you enjoy most about your work?” The answer is always the same: relationships with the people I serve and seeing their lives transformed.

Letting go of doing

Often we focus on numbers but some impact cannot be counted. Relationship and transformation are not easily measurable, but they are what God is all about and are what he has been doing in me and through me in Guatemala.

When I arrived in Guatemala I had all kinds of expectations of what I might “do” or “achieve”. Even when I tried, it was hard to surrender my desire to “do”. However, it is through that surrender that God can work more holistically.

Through working alongside Street Kids Direct (SKD) I was led to working closely with a group of teenage boys. In a moment of searching and questioning, a close friend said to me, “Azaria, the love you have for the youth comes from God. Why else would a lady from Yorkshire love a bunch of Guatemalan youth so much?”

From football to faith

Retrospectively I can see how God led me to work with them. It began through facilitating a weekly football outing, which even as I type seems utterly ridiculous to me.

I don’t particularly like football and I certainly cannot play, but they love it and with my limited Spanish back then it was a great way to spend time with them, to build trust and show love.

Through consistency and relationship, and as my Spanish improved, we started a weekly “family time” activity consisting of food, films and fun. This then grew into short Bible studies and eventually into more one-onone mentoring-type sessions, fulfilling a sisterly or even motherly role in their lives. This has led to the absolute privilege of seeing these young men grow and transform.

Much loved, slow to anger

Take Danilo, for example, when I first met him as a somewhat stroppy 13-year-old. He was intent on making everyone’s lives difficult. Over time he softened and began to share more of his story, a lot of which at least gave context as to why he was so angry and broken when I first met him. Through support, guidance, help with education and by far most importantly love, I have seen him completely transform. Now he volunteers and serves in our centre, he is full of fun banter, he is succeeding in school and is exploring deeper relationship with God. He is not simply someone I work with or serve; he is my friend.

One young adult with a particularly difficult and complex background was once angry, quick to place blame and easily provoked. The other youth frequently teased him and he would always bite, it never ended well. He was unable to sustain a job or finish school.

Through consistency in love and forgiveness and substantial support, his whole life has changed. He has moved away from his old context, is supporting a younger sibling, working hard to earn his own way, learning English to further his education and more importantly he has a strong and joyful faith. One of his passions is sung worship. Now he is slow to anger. Recently I witnessed some of the youth try to provoke him and he didn’t rise to it at all – this is a huge transformation.

A place of safety

One 16-year-old, who is not comfortable in his own skin and hasn’t quite worked out who he is or found his full identity in Christ yet, will often ask if we can go shopping to buy a new T-shirt or socks (with his money). I realise now it is not because he necessarily needs these items, but rather because he wants to spend time with me: to talk, to escape his home life, to be accepted, heard and loved. There was once a time when he wouldn’t go near or open up to anyone. God is working in him, slowly transforming.

When I first met Maria, she was incredibly shy and had little self-worth. She had missed a lot of schooling and was not confident, regularly saying, “I can’t do it.” Over time SKD has helped her to attend school, provided her with a fantastic mentor and been a safe place of acceptance and love for her to try new things and see that she can do it.

I translate the children’s sponsorship letters and recently Maria wrote: “Thanks to you I can study, and I know I will be somebody in life and I am going to achieve a lot with effort, it doesn’t scare me to be someone important.” Simply incredible!

These are just a few examples of lives transformed. To have played even a small part in the journeys of these young people is an honour. The impact is lives transformed by God and heading to much brighter futures. Imagine how many more lives God will use them to impact.

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