Our churches have been coming to Guatemala for a few years now, and we've fallen in love with the mission of PBM and the people they serve. This last trip in July was no different. Our team of youth and adults were able to build three homes as we've done in the past, which is always an incredible experience. The interaction with the community and prayer over the home is always impactful. This year, we were also able to finish a church in a village we adopted 5 years ago, and it was so special seeing the keys handed over to the pastor and listening to the first sermon in the church with over 100 people present! Many of our students, present company included, were moved by the way the village community prays and seeks the Lord. God moved in our team's lives in a special way on this trip. As I write this, our students just spent the day at an amusement park, and while in line, one of our students was sharing with his friends how that trip to Guatemala and time with Jesus changed him. The experiences we had in Guatemala didn't stay there, and our students are sharing them with their peers. Thank you, Paradise Bound, for allowing us to partner with you. Your impact is reaching further than you know.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of serving on a number of Christian music tours, church camp outings, and international mission trips. Each event had its own focus. But my week with Paradise Bound was different than all others on several levels. During our time in Guatemala, we built five homes in 2 days and dispersed food and medical supplies to over 200 families. The team spent hours engaging local children in games and sports, singing bible school songs with motions, and ministering to entire villages through skits and preaching. All of these efforts and gifts were given with a single focus in mind, reaching Guatemalans with the Gospel for salvation.

God impacted me throughout the trip by providing healing in my heart for the passing of my mother. I was also impacted by the children through God. Seeing their smiles blessed me so much. God is so much bigger than any expectation you can have about this trip. Through serving others, it’s amazing how much you grow and how much you are filled with God’s love.

Wow! What a trip! I was honored to be able to serve the people of Guatemala through Paradise Bound Ministries. I went to serve but truly felt served myself. More blessed myself, beyond what I could imagine. My heart was softened. These people have so very little but live with so much fervor. It was eye-opening and frankly embarrassing for me that I and others live with so much discontentment with having so much. Never have I ever had that much intentional time with God. Another gut punch: why do we allow our day-to-day things in life to surpass our time with our One True King? Just some thoughts to ponder as I return to “normal” life. The family we built for were some of the kindest people I’ve met. They didn’t know me or any of our team but treated us as family immediately. Their kids gave us the best hugs, took about 1,200 pictures of us, and couldn’t stop smiling. What a great experience to be a part of! Like most serve projects, you really don’t know what to expect when you get there. Paradise Bound Ministries did a fantastic job lining up the service part, feeding us, and keeping us safe. One thing they did well that I didn’t expect, was them feeding us spiritually. The devotions, worship time, and emphasis on prayer kept us zoned in on what we were there for. If you’re looking for a ministry to serve through, look up PBM.

“The hardest week I’m glad I didn’t miss.”

Guatemala - WOW, let me try to put this mission trip into words. First, a huge THANK YOU to all who helped make it possible for Morgan and I to go to Guatemala on this mission trip through Paradise Bound Ministries. PBM also gets a huge THANK YOU!! The leaders that were sent to guide us were incredibly knowledgeable and full of compassion. I loved them all! They also have fantastic staff that is from Guatemala and works for PBM they also deserve a huge THANK YOU. They worked so hard behind the scenes making us food, setting up our bunk areas and making sure we had all we needed, they were incredible! There aren’t words powerful enough to describe this life changing experience. I was so excited to go serve and bless the people of Guatemala but they blessed me beyond anything I could imagine. They have next to nothing and they are the most humble content people I’ve ever met. They had never met us before but they showed us more love than many people in our community/neighborhood that we’ve known for years. They didn’t look at us and judge us in any way. The way they take care of each other and live in community, like God has commanded us to do, is unmatched. Being with this family and building this sweet family a home gave me a new perspective on life. Our days were filled with a lot of van rides, home building, devotions, worship, fellowship and lots of laughs with people I had never met before who I know consider great friends. I’ve explored my faith during this week and grown in a deeper more personal way with God. I had the privilege of sharing the gospel, building relationships, and seeing that although our cultures can be very different, God loves us all the same. The last day seeing the people of that village was the hardest. We had to say goodbye to the Guatemalan families and the little kids we had grown so attached too and they to us. As we said our goodbyes the mom of the house said to me with tears in her eyes that we would see each other again in Heaven. It brought me so much joy thinking that I will see them again one day. This mission trip moved me beyond anything I can put into words, I know that God used our amazing group to spread love, plant seeds and impact others for Christ’s Kingdom! The friendships I made on this trip I will cherish forever, praising God for the group of people He allowed Morgan and I to be on mission with. Morgan and I can’t wait to go back, only next time it will be with Kaitlin & Addison too!