Many women in the community of Herencia Maya, Guatemala, looked to the future with a sense of hopelessness as an increasing number of men in the community chose to leave to go in search of employment opportunities abroad. The migration of their partners left the women feeling abandoned and overwhelmed by the responsibility of becoming sole providers for their families.

Through God’s grace, a group of these women are now looking to the future with hope.

With the support of World Renew and local partners APIDEC and TRIPAN, the women formed a group to work together on a community vegetable garden and poultry activities. This work is making it possible for them to generate enough income to meet their families’ needs. The time they spend together has also led to the strengthening of bonds between members of the group.

The women report that, in the past, their husbands’ migration left them worried about the future, but this has changed because of the support they have received from each other, and from World Renew, APIDEC and TRIPAN.

The women say that they feel empowered and better equipped to provide for their families. They want to keep working and showing their new-found strength and ask for your prayers so that blessings like this continue to come to their community and to the lives of other women.

By Corstiaan Van Aalsburg

• Pray for opportunities to open up in their homeland for people struggling with income insecurity in Guatemala who are contemplating migration as a solution.
• Pray for courage and perseverance for World Renew staff and our partners in the region as they work to extend God’s love to the vulnerable, while navigating the challenges of conflict, extreme weather, and rising food prices.
• As gang violence continues to impact the people of Honduras and Haiti, please pray for peace in the hearts of all and wisdom of leaders to find solutions to resolve conflict.