We’re already a third of the way through the year—it’s flying by quickly, but we’re doing our best to make the most of every moment. With that in mind, we’re excited to share some updates with you.
Personal
Our days in Aceituno are long and full—typically around 12 hours on site, plus an hour of travel each way. We do this three days a week, so the recovery days in between are a real gift. At the same time, we’re beginning to ask what is sustainable long-term. Please be praying that God would give us wisdom as we establish healthy rhythms and a schedule that allows us to serve well while also taking care of our health.
In our last update, I shared about Maudilio and his friend Wilson drilling a well for a ministry in Quiché, Guatemala. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as expected. During the drilling, there were strong indicators of a good water source—multiple water veins were hit, and confidence was high. But when Maudilio and I returned this past Thursday to test it with a pump, we found no water. We were both shocked and deeply disappointed.
Even so, Maudilio is committed. He gave his word that he would help provide water for this ministry, and he intends to follow through. Likely he and Wilson will head back to begin drilling a new well pretty soon. If this does happen, it will require significant time and resources, so we would deeply appreciate your prayers—for God’s favor over the entire process and that they would find a plentiful, reliable water source.
On a more personal note, we celebrated four years of marriage at the end of April. We had a very difficult start to our marriage—those early days were heavy and uncertain, and there were moments when we didn’t know if we would make it. By God’s grace, though, we now have a strong, loving marriage built on Him. That challenging beginning has made every milestone even more meaningful. We share this often, not only to encourage others who may be walking through hard seasons, but ultimately to give God the glory. There is no way we would be where we are today without Him, and we never want to stop pointing back to His faithfulness.
Feeding Program
Things with the feeding program have been going far more smoothly than I would have imagined just a few months ago. God has truly strengthened our team in so many ways, and we’re seeing that reflected in how well things are running day to day.
At the same time, we’re beginning to feel the growing pains. Yesterday, we had an incredible turnout—every one of our regular tables was full, along with the two new tables a team built for us last month. Even then, it wasn’t enough. Some people ended up sitting out in the street to eat.
It’s a beautiful thing to be able to serve so many, but moments like this remind us how urgently we need to finish the dining room. We’re eager to create a space where everyone can sit, eat, and be cared for with greater comfort and dignity.
One clear need we’re seeing right now is to grow our monthly support for the Aliento feeding program fund—the fund that covers all of our food costs. While one-time donations have been a huge blessing and continue to help sustain us, they can be unpredictable.
Our hope is to build a stronger team of monthly supporters who can provide consistent, reliable support, allowing us to plan ahead and serve with greater stability. Would you prayerfully consider joining our donor team and partnering with us in this way?
Construction
We’re continuing to make steady progress on the dining room, even if it hasn’t come without a few unexpected challenges. The foundation phase took much longer than we anticipated because of a massive boulder sitting directly beneath the building site. We kept digging, thinking we’d eventually find its edges—but we never did. When we started digging on the opposite side and hit the same rock, we realized it stretched all the way across.
Once it became clear there was no removing it, we shifted our plan and decided to build on top of it. The team worked hard to break it down as much as possible and level the surface, then drilled the rebar straight into the rock itself. Talk about building on the rock!
The result is an incredibly solid foundation. And now, thankfully, that phase is behind us—the walls are starting to go up, and it’s exciting to finally see the structure take shape.
Exciting New Project
Recently, God has placed something on my heart that I can’t stop thinking about—and I’m genuinely so excited about it.
We began noticing a pattern among the kids: not just younger children, but 11-, 12-, even 13-year-olds who are unable to read. As someone who loves reading, this has been deeply heartbreaking to see. But it’s about so much more than simply not being able to read a book. This affects every part of their lives. Reading shapes the mind, fuels imagination, strengthens logic and critical thinking, and opens the door to learning, growth, and opportunity. It gives children the ability to discover new interests, develop skills, and engage with the world around them.
Because of this, we’ve decided to build a library as part of Centro Aliento de Vida. Alongside it, we’ll be starting a reading program to help children who need extra support. We truly believe this will have a lasting impact on the kids of Aceituno, and we couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities.
But we can’t do this alone—we need your help. We need books… and lots of them! If you have Spanish children’s books, from beginner readers to chapter books, we would love to receive them. Our goal is to offer a wide variety—books about science, the world, culture, history, and most importantly, books that point to God. We want to give these children the chance to explore what interests them and to grow in both knowledge and faith.
Will you consider joining us in this?
As we get things set up, I’ll share a wishlist of specific books we’d love to include. If you’re planning a visit, you’re welcome to bring books with you. And if you’re not able to come, we can connect you with someone traveling down so you can send books with them.
That said, even before the wishlist is ready, we would be grateful for almost any Spanish children’s books you’re able to give. Every book helps open a new door.
Thank you for faithfully reading our updates and for being such an essential part of our support team. Your partnership makes it possible for us to walk in the calling God has given us, and we are deeply grateful for each of you. We look forward to sharing more with you next month!
