A Year of Blessings & Challenges

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We hope that the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you in this time of Advent, when we celebrate having received the gift of salvation.

We are almost ready to close the door on another year, a year full of blessings and challenges, a year in which our good God sustained us in his merciful hands.

As part of the end of a year in the ILAG, we also celebrate the end of another school term in Guatemala, as the school year in Guatemala goes from January to October. This past month of November we celebrated the closing ceremony of the El Mirador Lutheran School, giving thanks to God for the successes of the 85 students who finished the year. Also this month we are celebrating the end of the educational term for the students who belong to our scholarship program. These students all finished their studies successfully.

We know that educational opportunity is at the root of the development of a society, of a community, of a family. Many teenagers and children do not have this opportunity, and, therefore, the ILAG has granted 28 scholarships each year for middle school, vocational high school, and university.

The chosen young people between the ages of 11 and 25 in the ILAG scholarship program are committed to their education, and each one of them has taken on the commitment, as part of their scholarship, to teach at least one other person in their community to read and write. The average amount needed per student is $1,500. As the ELCA is funding ten students, we are still in need of approximately $27,000. Any gifts received will be used to change the lives of 18 more students.

At this time we would like to remember all of you who keep these young people in your prayers. We hope that the ILAG can collect the necessary funds to continue with this program which raises hope in families who cannot pay for education expenses.

We thank you for all of the support that you sent us during the 2015 school year, which permitted many students to finish one more year of study. Without your help it would have been impossible.

Thank you for your solidarity and Christian love in sharing your blessings as a demonstration of gratitude to our God and Lord.

We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 2 Thessalonians 1:3

Peace,
Pastoral Team
Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala