CLOUD FOREST CONSERVATION CENTER,
COBAN, GUATEMALA
We returned from Guatemala over the weekend, and wanted to share a brief email with you. The Prayer Canvas was a tremendous experience, and a highlight for the children of a local village school who participated with us. Our group brought a 6’ x 6’ canvas divided into small squares, as well as several tubes of paint, brushes, and pencils (that we left behind for the school).
We were hosted by the Cloud Forest Conservation Center, located outside of Coban, Guatemala. The local village had a 1-room school for about 30 students (9 preschoolers) and 1 teacher – from very poor families of Mayan descent who are farmers and laborers. In total, there were 21 students from the village school, 4 adults (teacher and 3 fathers), our group of 11 travelers, and 5 from the host facility/school including their founders and staff. It was a wonderful couple of hours as we prayed together, sang together, and shared our hopes and prayers through art. It was so meaningful and amazingly quiet as we wrote and painted shoulder-to-shoulder.
We wanted to thank you so much for sharing your idea with us, and allowing us to share ministry this way!
Intentionally, only about 1/3 of the canvas was painted. The leaders at the CFC were so moved that they wanted to share it with other visiting groups. They have a congregation visiting from South Carolina in July. We left the entire canvas at their facility – where (once dry, paint doesn’t dry quickly in the rain forest!) a portion will be cut off for display in the village school as a reminder of our trip. The remainder will be used at the CFC for other groups – and photos shared with Melissa and me (which we’ll continue to share with you).
I’ve placed some photos in a shared Dropbox – you should have just received the link.
God’s blessings… and again our thanks to Chuck and Peg.
Paul
We were hosted by the Cloud Forest Conservation Center, located outside of Coban, Guatemala. The local village had a 1-room school for about 30 students (9 preschoolers) and 1 teacher – from very poor families of Mayan descent who are farmers and laborers. In total, there were 21 students from the village school, 4 adults (teacher and 3 fathers), our group of 11 travelers, and 5 from the host facility/school including their founders and staff. It was a wonderful couple of hours as we prayed together, sang together, and shared our hopes and prayers through art. It was so meaningful and amazingly quiet as we wrote and painted shoulder-to-shoulder.
We wanted to thank you so much for sharing your idea with us, and allowing us to share ministry this way!
Intentionally, only about 1/3 of the canvas was painted. The leaders at the CFC were so moved that they wanted to share it with other visiting groups. They have a congregation visiting from South Carolina in July. We left the entire canvas at their facility – where (once dry, paint doesn’t dry quickly in the rain forest!) a portion will be cut off for display in the village school as a reminder of our trip. The remainder will be used at the CFC for other groups – and photos shared with Melissa and me (which we’ll continue to share with you).
I’ve placed some photos in a shared Dropbox – you should have just received the link.
God’s blessings… and again our thanks to Chuck and Peg.
Paul
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