For some people, joining Students International is the beginning of a new adventure. For others, it feels a little more like coming home.
That’s true for one of our SI Guatemala staff members, who grew up as an SI staff kid. Originally from Guatemala City and now living in Antigua, Guatemala, she has officially served on staff for a little over a year—but her connection to Students International goes back much further.
“I grew up as an SI staff kid,” she says. “So I guess you could say I’ve been part of SI for as long as I can remember.”
Today, she is helping build something new in Magdalena: a social work ministry site focused on community development and child sponsorship.
Caring for Children and Communities
The new site continues to coordinate Students International’s child sponsorship program in the Magdalena and El Gorrion communities.
Currently, 101 children are sponsored by individuals and families who have chosen to invest in their lives. But there is still a great need. Another 78 children have been identified who are waiting for sponsors.
Child sponsorship is about more than financial assistance. Through home visits and ongoing relationships with families, the team can better understand the needs of each child and their community. Outreach participants serving at the site have the opportunity to join this ongoing, multifaceted community development.
Because the site is still developing, there is plenty of work to be done. But there is also tremendous potential.
Every home visit is an opportunity to listen. Every relationship is an opportunity to encourage. Every child is an opportunity to remind a family that they are seen, valued, and loved.
More Than Serving
When asked what she loves most about her work, her answer captures something at the heart of Students International:
“I love to see the people of Guatemala and the students from the US come together, learn from one another, and in so doing bless each other.”
That is the beauty of cross-cultural ministry.
It isn’t simply about one person traveling to another country to serve. It is about people meeting one another, learning from one another, and discovering that everyone has something valuable to give.
A student from the United States may arrive thinking they are coming to make a difference in Guatemala. Along the way, they often discover that their Guatemalan friends and ministry partners have changed them just as much.
That mutual relationship is what makes ministry with Students International so meaningful.
A Future Filled With Hope
The verse she holds especially close is Jeremiah 29:11–13 (ESV)
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
It is a reminder that God has plans for His people and invites us to seek Him wholeheartedly.
Her work in Magdalena is still developing. There are children waiting for sponsors. There are families who need support. There are new relationships waiting to be formed.
But there is also hope.
Hope for children who will have greater opportunities because someone chose to invest in them. Hope for families who will experience the support of a community that cares. Hope for students who will come to Guatemala ready to serve and leave having been changed themselves.
And perhaps most importantly, hope that God will continue to bring people together across cultures, languages, and borders for His purposes.
Through Child Sponsorship in Guatemala, Students International is helping create those connections—one child, one family, and one relationship at a time.
