(Logo courtesy of Family Christian)
Guatemala (MNN) — What does the Body of Christ look like? For Family Christian Stores, it looks like a ripple effect.
Everything starts when U.S. Christians buy products that help their spiritual growth, or donate to one of the causes Family Christian supports. This simple transaction begins a process that holds eternal ramifications.
Committed to fulfilling the commission in James 1:27 — “to look after orphans and widows in their distress,” Family Christian donates 100% of their profits to ministries reaching people for Christ. Through the work of these ministries, more souls are being added to God’s Kingdom.
On a recent mission trip to Guatemala, Family Christian’s Graphic Designer Nik DeGraaf got to see it all first-hand.
“There’s such a widespread effect that happens, you know, through everybody donating or purchasing through Family Christian,” DeGraaf shares.
“The money is going towards building houses, repairing them, food for the feeding clinics.”
Reaching “ChiChi” for Christ
(Photo courtesy of Family Christian/Nik DeGraaf)
Pray America, or Manos de Jesus (Hands of Jesus), is Family Christian’s ministry partner in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. As stated on their Web site, Pray America is a “Jesus-centered ministry committed to loving the hurting and marginalized people in the Chichicastenango area.”
Learn more about Pray America’s work here.
During his short time in “ChiChi” with Pray America, DeGraaf helped the ministry care for residents in Christ’s name. He helped build houses for widows in the community, install stoves needed for cooking and heating the homes, feed vulnerable children, and supply them with shoes required for school.
After the widows’ houses were built, the team held a “dedication ceremony” where they explained to the community what compelled them to serve in this way.
“This is from God, it’s not from us; this is just us being the hands and the feet [of Christ],” recounts DeGraaf.
The team also gave solar-powered audio Bibles to the widows, so they could hear God’s Word in their heart language. Some of the team members used children’s picture books to communicate the Gospel with the widows.
(Photo courtesy of Family Christian/Nik DeGraaf)
“Most of the Mayan women can’t understand Spanish or English, so [the picture books] are a nice resource to have,” DeGraaf explains.
“It’s so amazing to see the amount of work being done, and almost so ‘quietly’ as it goes on in Guatemala.”
