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EUM Mission
Teams Serve Families Living in Guatemala City Dump
Destination Known, the mission ministry of EUM Church, recently
returned from two back-to-back mission trips to Guatemala. This is
EUM’s eleventh year partnering with Potter’s House Association who has
been investing in serving at risk children and youth for 30 years.
Over the years, EUM mission teams have been blessed with the
opportunity to build fourteen sturdy, safe homes for families that live
in one of the sixteen shanty communities surrounding the Guatemala City
garbage dump. This dump is the size of twenty-two American football
fields and is the largest dump in Central America. During the first
week, January 30 – February 6, a team built two additional homes for
families living in the dump.
The second team, serving February 6 – 13, consisted of medical
professionals including a doctor, nurses, EMTs, a flight nurse and even
a nursing student. This week was spent providing medical care to the
people living in the Guatemala City dump and to a community called
Chiquimula – which is over three hours outside the city. Chiquimula is
a small community that has a smaller garbage dump where approximately
one hundred people work and live. The families living in the dump have
no resources, and most often their medical needs go unattended. A
clinic was also made available at the local police department to care
for the local police and the Guatemala swat team.
Many people, young and old alike, are seen walking around the garbage
dumps with no shoes. Their feet are badly damaged from the litter of
their surroundings. Another noticeable trait is many children’s hair
turn a dark reddish color. This is caused by extreme malnutrition.
These kids are starving as they compete with the dogs and vultures for
food found in the dump.
Both teams were able to participate in prayer visits with some of the
families. Team members spent time getting to know the family, offered
prayer for their needs, and talked about their relationship with Jesus.
Each family visited was also given a bag of food. The mission teams are
able to provide much in the way of physical needs – homes, food,
medical care – but none are more important than sharing the love of
Jesus with the people in the dump communities.
Being part of such a great ministry not only affects the people that
are served, but it also changes the lives of team members that go on
the trips. If you have felt God nudging you to go on a mission trip,
don’t wait… it will change your life forever! For more information
contact Cliff Rapier, Missions Coordinator, EUM Church, 111 Devor
Street, Greenville, Ohio 45331, crapier@eumchurch.org, or 937-548-3211
ext. 212.
Jeff Harper is Lead Pastor at EUM Church. The contemporary worship
services are Saturday at 6:30 pm and Sunday at 9:00, 10:30, and 11:59
am at the Worship Center located at 1451 Sater Street and a traditional
worship service is Sunday 9:45 am at the Downtown Campus at 111 Devor
Street in Greenville. Kidmunity Children’s Ministry is available
for kids age birth through grade six at the 6:30 pm, 9:00, 10:30 and
11:59 am services. The Downtown Campus, 111 Devor Street, houses the
offices. For more information, go to www.eumchurch.org or call
548-3211.
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