Home is Where Their New Story Will Begin..

We Did It!!! Thanks to so many of our For the Love of Mateo supporters/family we were able to help make Victor & his families dream a reality! They are now home owners!!!

A few quotes come to mind before I share the pictures and message from Victor that I told all of you I would share with you once I had sent him the money for the apartment and he was able to get the papers signed.

"There is a crack in everything, but that is how the light gets in."

" A house is made of bricks and mortar but home, that is made by the people who live there."

After seeing with my own eyes living situations the of families living in extreme poverty in Guatemala, I've come to realize that any real 'needs' I thought I had, weren't really needs at all. (They were wants.) Everything I have ever really thought I needed, I already had; love, good health, a safe home to live in, a warm bed to sleep in, clean water to drink, food to eat..my list goes on and on.

Experiencing families receive a home that they can now call their own is at the top of my most favorite life memories. Getting to watch the children of these families jump on their new bunk beds giggling and laughing with their siblings, it moves you in a way no words could describe.

When arriving back home at the end of my mission trips, I cannot help but finding myself silently thanking God for every little thing I previously took for granted. From the warm bed I get to sleep in, to the safe home I get to call my own, to the hot shower I get to take, to the plumbing we have that allows us to flush toilet paper versus having to throw it away in a trash can; I find myself giving thanks.

You can watch commercials about lives of children and families living in a third world country, you can donate to charities advertised on tv that move you to tears, but UNTIL you have seen true poverty with your own eyes up close and personal, there just really isnt a way to truly understand what life in a third world country is like. To witness the impact these experiences have had on the families, kids and teens that travel to serve alongside FTLOM, it warms your heart. I know they will all go home as a different person, someone who looks at their life with a whole new perspective. The things they once thought were hard suddenly become very small in the grand scheme of things.

Once you have seen things for yourself, once you know..you cant unsee. Each experience leaves an imprint on you that will most certainly change the way you live your day to day life.

I am currently gearing up to head back to Guatemala next week for 18 days to serve alongside two back to back mission teams I am leading and at the same time,I am planning our December 2026 mission trip. If you have ever considered traveling to Guatemala with us to experience what you see us sharing, I invite you to join us! Going on a mission trip with FTLOM will give you the opportunity to see & experience life outside of 'the bubble' we live all live in here, with your own eyes. You will be guaranteed to go home with a completely different outlook on your life.

Please read the messages Victor sent me below. Take the time to look through all the pictures he sent me to share with you. I hope you are able to SEE HIS VISION of what is possible. There is not a doubt in my mind that his apartment which right now looks like it needs alot of TLC, will end up transforming into a beautiful home for his precious family to live in. YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE IN HIS LIFE! THANK YOU!

Messages from Victor:

" Hi Val, Yesterday was finally " The Big Day"... All the apartment documents had to be updated. THe owner hadn't done that in years, so everything was delayed. Although he had already handed us the keys, so yesterday we formally signed the document at the real estate registry that certifies us as owners. So its now a beautiful reality. Our lives have changed thanks to an incredible and beautiful gesture. I will never stop thanking you and all these incredible people who made your contribution possible."

" As I told you, the apartment has been abandoned for many years, so it looks in very bad condition, but we see it as beautiful, and we see it restored in a very short time with our furniture and above all with the warmth of our home. Its located in a central area of the city, very close to supermarkets, a bus stop, pharmacies, bakeries and some cafes."

" Our current lease expires in September, so I can make some repairs myself to fully restore it before moving in. Its now a reality...a beautiful reality thanks to your immense hart and your infinite will. I know...I know you feel my happiness and that of my family, your hearts are huge. I haven't been able to sleep, but I know well that now its the anxiety of happiness"

Hi