Thank you! We appreciate your financial and prayer support. It is through people like you that we are able to continue ministering in the way that we feel God has called us. We are in the midst of hosting teams and enjoy serving with them and seeing the many ways God is blessing the teams and the locals here in Guatemala. Our staff is one of the best and we appreciate how God has put this team together. We feel that God is pleased with the work we are doing because He continues to bless our ministry efforts. We've seen growth in each ministry area and look forward to what God has in store.

Global Partners is encouraging us to visit our supporting churches. We have decided to dedicate 2015 to knock on doors and ask for time to come visit and share how God is blessing our ministry efforts. It would be an honor and privilege to visit with you, our extended family in Christ. We are a little behind in our support and are seeking to reach out to all of our supporters and to even find additional ones. Please contact me ([email removed]) to arrange dates, or the staff person who handles my calendar, Sarah Poythress ([email protected]). I would really like to get dates on the calendar as soon as possible and visit each of you in 2015!

A bit about our ministry efforts. Happy Tummies is an afterschool program that provides a nourishing meal, daily vitamins, teaching the importance of personal hygiene, a certified teacher to help with homework and study areas students need extra help with and of course a daily Bible story and scripture verse. We have 42 children participating. Within the next two months construction on a second Happy Tummies site in another impoverished area where children are suffering from malnourishment will be completed. We have a waiting list of over 100 children for that area. Abuelitos (means "little grandparents") is a program for the elderly who are lonely, hungry and neglected. There are 17 elderly who come ach day for a nutritious breakfast and spend the morning hearing a Bible story, visiting and doing a craft when available. The culture here believes that those who work to bring home money and food get to eat first. If there is anything left, children and the elderly may eat. Many times, both children and the elderly go without food or perhaps only have a cup of coffee and a tortilla each day. These are some of the reasons we started Happy Tummies an Abuelitos. It is making a difference in the lives of everyone who participates. Another very important ministry effort is Training pastors and leaders. I am teaching and helping to equip them through monthly Training sessions, an annual Pastors Congress, an annual Youth Camp, teaching and preaching in individual churches and leading crusades whenever possible. Dinora is very involved in Happy Tummies, Abuelitos, co-leads a monthly Ladies Sewing Ministry, and works with the Ladies Leadership Committees from all our churches.

You are a part of our ministry and share in it every day. Our words of thanks seem to fall short of expressing exactly how much we appreciate your support. We know that God has been good to us through you and we pray that He is sending blessings your way because of your faithful giving to help expand His Kingdom. We look forward to hearing from you about a visit in 2015!

Serving Christ with you,

Luis & Dinora Martinez