"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13
 

Santos, Julio, Mingo, and Manuel

God has provided a great opportunity for Home of Life, Guatemala, that will help us expand our LifePlan mission of providing for the children He has placed in our care.  We have been praying for a long time for land and/or a house for our young people who have reached the age of 18 but are not yet done with their studies and ready to fly solo. Just this week, God has brought to our attention a house that is for sale that meets our needs perfectly. We are very excited about this opportunity and we need you, our supporters, to help make it happen.
 

The Guatemalan government does not allow children over 18 to live inside the Home. Many of the children who come to live with us are behind in their studies and have not finished their High School education by the time they reach 18. Therefore, an integral part of the LifePlan is providing housing for these young people who have reached 18 but are still completing their education and transitioning into adulthood. We are the only family most of these kids have, and without us extending the love of Jesus and helping them through this big step in life, they would be left to fend for themselves with little, if any, resources.
 

We desire to keep these young people under our care, as if they were our own, until they finish high school and/or college, while at the same time abiding by Guatemalan regulations.  We currently have 4 young men over 18.  Santos and Manuel are currently finishing up their high school studies.  Mingo has recently transitioned into a job and Julio has finished high school and is starting studies at the police academy.  This house will give them a place to live outside of the Home and progress towards independence, while they continue to be very much a part of the Home of Life family. They will spend their days in classes, working, studying at the Home of Life under the supervision of a tutor, and helping with the household chores.
 

This past year Julio and Mingo lived in a room we rented here in town. It worked well, but was not ideal. Now that Santos and Manuel are in need of housing, this situation no longer serves our needs.  Looking to the future, there are other teenagers in the home that will also need assistance as they turn 18.  As always, God's timing is perfect and this house became available right when it was needed. 

Our immediate need is for $43,400 to purchase the property.  We currently have $11,000 saved for such a purchase.  In addition, God has provided a donor for a matching funds grant.  Any donations you make up to $10,000 will be doubled!  That leaves us with only $22,400 to complete the purchase on the home.

Phase Two will be to make the home safe, livable and comfortable.  This phase will require $3,000 to put in a new secure garage door, tile portions of the home, repaint and purchase furniture.  Our goal is to have the funds to complete this phase by March 1st.

Phase Three is currently in the very early planning stages.  This phase will convert a portion of the property into a separate apartment and requires additional walls, a second bathroom and kitchen.  Estimated cost for this phase is $4,000 to $6,000 with an early 2016 target date.

As you can see we are already almost halfway to reaching Phase One. Please pray and ask the Lord if He would have you help these young men with a financial donation.  When you give, please mark your donation "Lifeplan Guatemala House Purchase".

The House!

We are very excited to tell you about the house.  We believe it is exactly the place God has provided for Hogar de Vida Guatemala.  One of the great things about the house is that it is less than a 5 minute walk from the children's home.  

The property itself is approximately 2200 square feet and includes the house, corridor, and a parking area nestled between a field and another home. The cement block home runs perpendicular to the road and is totally enclosed by the wall of the structure on the property line and a separate cement block wall that runs along the edge of the rest of the property so it will be a safe place to live.

The house has 4 bedrooms that are large enough for 2 people in each room.  This allows us a capacity of 8 people as our needs change in the future.  There is a nice living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom with a shower. 

This house is only 3 years old and in excellent shape. It is move-in ready and meets the needs of the Home of Life perfectly in size and location. See below for more pictures of the property and the floor plan.