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GIFTS Program
Growing in Faith Through Sponsorship
Child Sponsorship Program for
Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala
Growing in Faith Through Sponsorship
Child Sponsorship Program for
Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala
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The GIFTS Program is a child sponsorship program for the poorest children living in the village
of Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala.
The sponsorship program helps to provide an education to these impoverished children.
An education is the first step in breaking the cycle of extreme poverty.
The GIFTS Program is administered entirely by volunteers from the First Unted Methodist
Church of Reynoldsville, PA allowing 100% of the money to benefit the children.
All donations are 100% tax deductible.
of Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala.
The sponsorship program helps to provide an education to these impoverished children.
An education is the first step in breaking the cycle of extreme poverty.
The GIFTS Program is administered entirely by volunteers from the First Unted Methodist
Church of Reynoldsville, PA allowing 100% of the money to benefit the children.
All donations are 100% tax deductible.
Santa Maria de Jesus sits near base
of Volcano Hunapu.
The children below are available for sponsorship.
Testimonials from Sponsors
All throughout our week in Santa Maria de Jesus, I kept looking at all of the kids who sort of resembled Marvin, based on the photo that we had of him. But from what I could tell, he wasn't there when we were there. Robin had seen Marvin in the middle of the week, as he had come to have his photo updated with her. She told him that we were in the village but out on our work crews. She also made sure he knew that we would be able to meet him on Sunday during our sponsorship celebration with the children and their families.
When we got to the villiage on Sunday, I kept looking for Marvin. At the same time, eager parents were reading our name tags hoping to find their American sponsors too. A woman pushed her way through the crowd and stood before me pointing to my name tag. It was Marvin's mother. I reached beneath my shirt collar to show her the necklace I was wearing: a pendant with Marvin's photo on it. She smiled and threw her arms around me and began to cry. I asked her (in the best Spanish I could muster up) if Marvin was here, or coming. She told me that he was at home, as he had slept in ( because he is a teenager you know!) Within a short time Marvin arrived at the community center. He was dressed in what must have been his best clothes. He smiled and we hugged and he kept saying "Gracias, gracias, gracias". My oldest daughter Liz was using her years of Spanish to begin talking with Marvin, and he was eager to try out the English that he had been learning in school. We used our Spanish and his English to begin to learn more about Marvin and to tell him how much we were glad to see him.
I was excited to give Marvin the things that I had brought to give to him, but I have to admit I was nervous. I had never bought for teenage boys before! We gave him a cinch sack, a new ball cap, some Axe body spray, combs, and hair gel of course. We also gave him a cross pendant made from carpenters nails. We told him that we wanted him to remember God's love and our love whenever he wore it. We had gifts for his mom: new plastic cups, bowls, and plates, as they are very useful there. But we were most excited to give his family a Spanish Bible. It was a beautiful illustrated Bible, one like we might find on a coffee table in our homes. These simple gifts seemed like true treasures to Marvin and his mom. Marvin wanted to tell us something that he had been practicing in his best English all week long. He said (in perfect English) "Thank you for accepting me into your family."
By Lisa Keller
About a year ago, my wife and I felt compelled to sponsor a child through the GIFTS Program. We selected a young boy's photo from the group and later received a packet of information including a bio on a boy and his family. Jose Luis Santo Rojo's picture was placed on the front of our refrigerator in the midst of other family photos. Several seeks later we received a thank-you letter along with a photo of Jose's family with him standing in front waving and this picture was also displayed in our home. We thought about Jose, talked about him and prayed for him often over the following months, developing a very strong connection to this little Guatemalan boy we had never met.
This past July, as a result of a mission trip, I had the chance to personally meet Jose and his parents. They were very humble, gracious, and extremely grateful for sponsors who provided hope that Jose would be able to stay in school and get a good education that they could not have provided on their own living in extreme poverty.
The moment we met, I felt an instant "family" connection to Jose and his parents that convinced me this was God's design, because there could be no earthly explanation for the feelings I had.
I would highly recommend you consider sponsoring a child through the GIFTS Program. For a very minimal sacrifice on your part of
less than $1 per day, you can change the life of a child exponentially; and the rewarding feeling you receive is priceless. You can make a difference, even if it is only through one child. "The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
By Monty Kunes
Meeting our sponsored children was very humbling. The term "Muchas Gracias" took on a whole new meeting. When you have a child thanking you for helping them stay in school with tears in their eyes, the importance of education comes full circle. They take
the privelege of attending school very seriously. The other choice is going to work to support the family at a very young age.
Meeting their parents, brothers and sisters was also very special. You begin to understand how much a difference $1 per day can make, not only in a child's life, but the life of the entire family. Thank you GIFTS Program for allowing me to be part of a child's dream of attending school.
By Ann Dixon
All throughout our week in Santa Maria de Jesus, I kept looking at all of the kids who sort of resembled Marvin, based on the photo that we had of him. But from what I could tell, he wasn't there when we were there. Robin had seen Marvin in the middle of the week, as he had come to have his photo updated with her. She told him that we were in the village but out on our work crews. She also made sure he knew that we would be able to meet him on Sunday during our sponsorship celebration with the children and their families.
When we got to the villiage on Sunday, I kept looking for Marvin. At the same time, eager parents were reading our name tags hoping to find their American sponsors too. A woman pushed her way through the crowd and stood before me pointing to my name tag. It was Marvin's mother. I reached beneath my shirt collar to show her the necklace I was wearing: a pendant with Marvin's photo on it. She smiled and threw her arms around me and began to cry. I asked her (in the best Spanish I could muster up) if Marvin was here, or coming. She told me that he was at home, as he had slept in ( because he is a teenager you know!) Within a short time Marvin arrived at the community center. He was dressed in what must have been his best clothes. He smiled and we hugged and he kept saying "Gracias, gracias, gracias". My oldest daughter Liz was using her years of Spanish to begin talking with Marvin, and he was eager to try out the English that he had been learning in school. We used our Spanish and his English to begin to learn more about Marvin and to tell him how much we were glad to see him.
I was excited to give Marvin the things that I had brought to give to him, but I have to admit I was nervous. I had never bought for teenage boys before! We gave him a cinch sack, a new ball cap, some Axe body spray, combs, and hair gel of course. We also gave him a cross pendant made from carpenters nails. We told him that we wanted him to remember God's love and our love whenever he wore it. We had gifts for his mom: new plastic cups, bowls, and plates, as they are very useful there. But we were most excited to give his family a Spanish Bible. It was a beautiful illustrated Bible, one like we might find on a coffee table in our homes. These simple gifts seemed like true treasures to Marvin and his mom. Marvin wanted to tell us something that he had been practicing in his best English all week long. He said (in perfect English) "Thank you for accepting me into your family."
By Lisa Keller
About a year ago, my wife and I felt compelled to sponsor a child through the GIFTS Program. We selected a young boy's photo from the group and later received a packet of information including a bio on a boy and his family. Jose Luis Santo Rojo's picture was placed on the front of our refrigerator in the midst of other family photos. Several seeks later we received a thank-you letter along with a photo of Jose's family with him standing in front waving and this picture was also displayed in our home. We thought about Jose, talked about him and prayed for him often over the following months, developing a very strong connection to this little Guatemalan boy we had never met.
This past July, as a result of a mission trip, I had the chance to personally meet Jose and his parents. They were very humble, gracious, and extremely grateful for sponsors who provided hope that Jose would be able to stay in school and get a good education that they could not have provided on their own living in extreme poverty.
The moment we met, I felt an instant "family" connection to Jose and his parents that convinced me this was God's design, because there could be no earthly explanation for the feelings I had.
I would highly recommend you consider sponsoring a child through the GIFTS Program. For a very minimal sacrifice on your part of
less than $1 per day, you can change the life of a child exponentially; and the rewarding feeling you receive is priceless. You can make a difference, even if it is only through one child. "The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
By Monty Kunes
Meeting our sponsored children was very humbling. The term "Muchas Gracias" took on a whole new meeting. When you have a child thanking you for helping them stay in school with tears in their eyes, the importance of education comes full circle. They take
the privelege of attending school very seriously. The other choice is going to work to support the family at a very young age.
Meeting their parents, brothers and sisters was also very special. You begin to understand how much a difference $1 per day can make, not only in a child's life, but the life of the entire family. Thank you GIFTS Program for allowing me to be part of a child's dream of attending school.
By Ann Dixon