Transition For Our Friend & Team Member

After serving in La Limonada for the past year, our good friend and co-founder of Lemonade International, Leah Craver, is getting ready to return to the US and reacclimate to life here. Reflecting on her time in La Limonada, Leah said,

"What started as a dream over 5 years ago to live and work in Guatemala alongside Tita in La Limonada, has now come to pass and has been incredible."

As she moves on to a new chapter of her life, she will continue working with us in a key role with our Child Sponsorship program. Her role will include:

• continuing to keep all sponsors updated regularly through emails, photos and phone calls
• keeping weekly communication with the Guatemalan team to keep sponsors as up to date as possible
• continuing to provide photography needs for Lemonade website and sponsor cards
• raising awareness for the Child Sponsorship program locally in churches as well as through house parties

As is the case with many non-profit organizations that do not have the means to increase staff, Leah will raise her own support to work for Lemonade International here in the US. So we are asking for you to consider supporting her through prayer and finances - and to help enable her to continue to devote her life to this work.

While Leah will be living as minimally as possible in the states, it will cost a bit more for her to live here than in Guatemala. The monthly support she needed in Guatemala was $1,300 per month, but here in the US it will be $2,000 a month.

Many of you know Leah from here in the US. Some of you know her from time you spent serving with a short-term missions team in La Limonada. However you may have connected with her, I am confident that you are aware of her heart and her passion for the people of La Limonada.

To support Leah, you can make a secure online donation through the Lemonade International Donation Page - by clicking on the donate button below:

In the "Fund" drop-down menu, choose "Support A Team Member" then click on Leah's name. Recurring monthly donations would be the most helpful at this time.

Leah has been a vital part of our team and was instrumental in the establishment of this organization. However, our connection goes way beyond our work together. She is a dear friend and our friendship is deeply intertwined in our common passion for the marginalized and forgotten people of La Limonada.

We would be grateful if you would help to create a sustainable means for her to continue to serve the people she loves so much from here in the States.

Bill Cummings
Stateside Director

Communidad de Fe - The Church In Action In La Limonada

Last week a group of us converged upon Guatemala City to follow up on a process that began in August of last year when we set out to explore the possibility of establishing a faith community in La Limonada.

Working together with Joel Van Dyke, Director of EdT in Latin America, who leads a network of ministries focused on the hardest places in Guatemala City, we assembled a group of individuals who have been supporting this exploration process over the past five months.

The group included Tita and our Guatemala Team, Joel, Rick Grove and Devin Chance of Life Of Hope in Joplin, MO, Paul Taylor and Jeff Sharp of Rivers Crossing Community Church in Kings Mills, OH, Jon Allis of Vineyard Church Of Campbell County in Newport, KY, Lemonade Int'l board member, Ray Strecker and his wife Carole from Cincinnati, OH, and Erwin "Shorty" Luna from Guatemala City.

We had several meetings over a few days to hear from Tita and Shorty from the five months of exploration and to collaborate together about this "Worshipping Missional Community". It was a beautiful time of listening, prayer, dialogue and dreaming!

We can summarize our time together by saying that we all realized that "Communidad de Fe" ("Community Of Faith") had already been organically established in La Limonada and that God was looking for us to continue to be involved where He was already working.

"It amazes me to tangibly see how we all need each other. I see different gifts each one is putting on the table to be used to start this Comunidad de Fe and to continue what God has been doing. The greatest of all this is to feel, give, and receive the awesome love God has given us... and to see each one doing his or her part to bring God's Kingdom on earth!" - Tita Evertsz

"It's a privilege and honor to be a part of the work that God is doing in Community de Fe. It's been amazing to see lives being changed and relationships being built through Shorty, Tita and the Guatemala team. God is truly at work here." - Leah Craver

"I sense that the partnership being formed for the 'Community of Faith' in La Limonada will be more than we are currently dreaming. God is already moving and it will be exciting to follow. I was greatly encouraged by the new friendships made last week." - Rick Grove

"Our meeting in La Limonada was such a powerful reminder of the connecting power of the Holy Spirit. I had been praying fervently for God to speak clearly through our brief time with Shorty and Tita and the rest of the team in La Limonada. He did speak and I am excited that Rivers Crossing will continue partnering with the community of faith that is spreading the hope of the gospel in Guatemala City." - Paul Taylor

With "Shorty" continuing to serve as a pastor to the community, "Communidad de Fe" will exist in partnership with the schools in La Limonada and will consist of gatherings in homes throughout La Limonada, Bible study, prayer, discipleship, and will include a special focus placed on the young adults in the neighborhood.

You will be hearing more about Communidad de Fe as an official, ongoing aspect of our work in La Limonada.... and you will be given an opportunity to support this "church on the streets" in the weeks to come!

PURE SUGAR: Telling Stories Of Grace

The Center For Transforming Mission (CTM) is the parent organization of Estrategia de Transformación (EdT) which is led by Joel Van Dyke who is a partner and close friend of Tita's in Guatemala.

We spent some quality time together in Guatemala last week with an incredible group of servants to pray and dream about the next steps in the planting of a "Worshipping Missional Community" (otherwise known as "church") in La Limonada (more to come about this in the next couple days).

While we were together, we also heard from Joel and Shorty about the untimely, tragic death of their friend and co-laborer, 38 year-old Daniel Antonio Puac Calderón (nicknamed "Azucar" or "Sugar" in English) - who was shot and killed this past Friday night as he was closing up his little cell phone store in Guatemala City.

Please take some time to read Joel's email about Azucar here:

Words From Below: PURE SUGAR: Telling Stories Of Grace

And watch a video tribute of Azucar's life from our friends at Athentikos here:

Azucar: A Tribute Video

I am with Joel in wanting "to scream 'BASTA YA' (Enough is enough!). When will this violence ever stop? Where is justice in the face of such a terrible tragedy?".

May Azucar's life serve as an inspiration to all of us as we pray for and support God's Kingdom and His justice on earth.

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2009 Contribution Statements Are On The Way

Over the past couple weeks we have been working to organize, print and mail all contribution statements for tax-deductible donations made to Lemonade International in 2009. We wanted to let you know that all statements have been completed and mailed as of today, so you should expect to receive your statement in the mail within the next few days.

We want to thank everyone who donated in 2009. From the smallest amount to the largest contribution, all of you have combined significant efforts to make a huge impact in the lives of the children and families of La Limonada in Guatemala City.

For those who may need some guidance from the IRS on tax-deductible charitable contributions, here is a link to a page on the IRS website that can prove to be helpful:

IRS - Charitable Contributions

Thank you again for your generosity in 2009. We began work on our 2009 Annual Report and will be providing that to you by sometime in March at the latest. We are very excited about what 2010 has in store and will be sharing more of that with you as well.

We are grateful for your partnership as we pursue a calling to be a physical presence of God's love among the people of La Limonada and as we educate and empower children and families in the community!

-Cherie Cummings

PA Medical/Dental Team - A Week in La Limonada

The medical/dental group, led by our friend Nani, not only brought incredible gifts in what they provided for the children from their medical and dental expertise, but they brought so much love and joy to give away to this community. They treated approximately 80 children and their families each day, and also visited homes throughout the community delivering much needed food.

One of the men they treated on Monday waved them down in the street the next day, simply to relay the sentiments of, "thank you so much! I feel so much better now. God bless you." They joked that they've never had that kind of "follow-up appointment" with a patient before.

Each day, the team’s lunch break was spent with the families in the community, loving on them and praying over them. I've heard a few of the team members mentioning they never imagined that they could receive so much from those who have so little.

Many people come to La Limonada to serve the people of the ghetto with their abilities and talents, but are taken aback by how blessed they are in return. The unselfish servitude of those who willingly come to La Limonada is returned tenfold in gratefulness and love.

The Excitement Of A New School Year

It's probably a little strange for most of us to be thinking about January being the start of a new school year, but there is a certain excitement and anticipation that comes along with returning from break to another season of learning. It's no different for the children and teachers at the schools in La Limonada.

A few weeks into the new year and school is in full swing at both Escuelita Limon and Escuelita Mandarina... with new teaching materials, art projects, math lessons, sewing classes and so much more! And all of this is made possible by individuals and families here in the States who support our work through child sponsorship, teacher sponsorship and TEN2END.

It's our goal to help you feel as connected as possible to what is going on week to week at the schools and in La Limonada - even though so often it seems like it is a world apart. Because of our closeness to this community it is easy for us to know what an impact you are making. We want to make sure that you can see that as well.

Here are a few photos from Leah Craver documenting the last couple of weeks as the children settle into the new school year and a new season of learning that can help break the cycle of poverty in La Limonada.

We'll be posting photos of the children receiving their shoes, backpacks and school supplies soon!