Impacting a Community

One Life at a Time

In 2020, Alejandro and Kathryn Ortiz, members of Central Church, heard the call to serve God in Alejandro’s home in Guatemala. Answering the call, they moved their family to Cubulco, a small town in the mountains north of Guatemala City. There, they are bringing the Good News as Alejandro ministers to a congregation in the mountains outside town.

Central has partnered with Impact Hope, formerly Missionary Ventures Canada to support the Ortiz family in their efforts to make a positive lasting difference in the surrounding community around Cubulco.

Facts About Cubulco Guatemala

Population of 54,869 of which 80% are of Mayan descent
The unemployment rate is high
Many men leave their families for 3 to 6 months and travel several hours away on the coast to work on sugar and coffee plantations. The conditions on these farms are very poor.
Upon their return home, many men are in poor health due to poor working conditions. Much of their earnings are spent to treat their illness.
The water that is available and collected every morning is not clean and contains many parasites causing illness.

The Ortiz Family

Alejandro & Kathryn along with their 4 children are moving to serve the Mayan Achi community in Cubulco, Guatemala.

Alejandro is originally from this community and still has family living in the area. In the late 90’s he worked in church planting, Bible translation, community development as well as literacy and a weekly Christian radio program in the local Achi language. It was during that time that Alejandro met Kathryn, the daughter of missionaries working in the area. After 10 years he and his family moved to Canada, where he volunteered with a local mission outreach to seasonal migrant workers in addition to participating in the Mission Committee at Central.

After a time of prayerful discernment, the Ortiz family believes that God is leading them back to serve the Achi people of Cubulco. They are eager to return to this beautiful but needy area, that is part of “the dry corridor”—a geographical area of Central America that has seen many people attempt to migrate North to survive. Alejandro and Kathryn are convinced that with appropriate projects that offer food security and employment opportunities the community can thrive holistically under God’s blessing. Eventually, Kathryn will be working in maternity health with local midwives and women empowerment through community projects.

Alejandro and Kathryn will be focusing on:

Discipleship Training
Leadership Development
Community/Development efforts in the areas of:
- Education
- Food Securing
- Maternal Health
- Clean Water
- Empowerment

The vision of the local leadership includes a third stage involving agricultural initiatives, water purification, opportunities for education sponsorships and more.

How to Support – Through Impact Hope

PAD – Monthly donations can be debited on or about the 15^th of every month
By Check to Impact Hope
Through the direct link :
https://impacthope.kindful.com/?campaign=1120508
By Electronic Fund Transfer – bookkeeper@mvcanada.org
By calling the office of MVC

A Note from Impact Hope

Spending of funds is confined to approved programs and projects. If any given need has been met or cannot be completed, the understanding is that the gift will then be used where it is most needed or where another opportunity of similar nature exists.