AGI CORK COMMUNITY CHURCH


In November/December 2010 Pastor Emily returned to volunteer work in Guatemala for three weeks. Based with Kim Fitzsimmons, the Embrace coordinator in Camotan, Emily lent a hand in anyway she could, especially in the ongoing task of fighting malnutrition amongst the infant and child population. Faces of the children and their world. The girl on the right has lost her hair due to malnutrition.

Measuring the weight to height ratio of the children		Kim and Emily sorting donated Embrace supplies

Visiting local residents and the local pastor's wife		Visiting a village rebuilt after devastating floods


Kim Fitzsimmons speaks about Embrace. Out of a dream eleven years ago, sprung Embrace and with it many arms have emerged to reach out in different ways to help the children of Guatemala. Your sponsor child has medical and dental benefits, many of the families have received fertilizer for their crops, most have received a latrine, and many have received water filters, blankets, lanterns and much more. They have been very blessed. Our Embrace program is geared towards children between four and eleven years of age. I felt that we were missing a very important step in the lives of the babies and toddlers. It is very important both for physical and mental development to receive proper nutrition in order to grow strong and healthy. Through our Servant Ministries Clinic, parents of these little ones pay a small fee to have their child evaluated when they believe their child is malnourished. We have through team donations of canned baby milk and formula been able to help many over the years. The need is rising to save these precious children before it is too late. In 2009 we received a generous donation for Embrace from Vince and Karen Ciccone in Canada. I took a portion of this donation and bought infant and toddler milk. Because of this donation we were able to help 16 infants and toddlers out of severe malnutrition. Sometimes these little ones only need eight months to a year of milk and they just seem to blossom! I cannot begin to explain my gratitude to the Ciccones. They have taken children away from the brink of death through their donation, and you can help too! A malnourished baby on arrival at the centre and (in the middle) happy and healthy after treatment. There are many more babies brought to us in similar conditions on a regular basis; tiny fragile lives with eyes that are pleading, feed me. Mothers, who come with these precious ones, breathe a heavy sigh of relief when we are able to provide life saving milk. I am looking for donations to continue. If you are able to help please contact: casadekim@gmail.com

Other Ministries working in the area are all doing their part to improve the lives of the local communities. Emily was fortunate to meet with two dedicated missionaries Cameron and Marla and experience first hand their good work.

Marla presents the Christmas story in a way that the children can understand that we all have something to give to the Lord. Using the little drummer boy video she reinforces the fact that even though he was poor he gave from his heart and that is what the Lord wants, our heart, first and foremost. Then we can be a blessing to others and please the Lord with a life of giving, no matter how little we have. www.guatemalamission.org		Cameron Tommey working in Panajachel, addresses deforestation, integrating sustainable methods into traditional practices and developing understanding of environmental problems in the mountains of Guatemala. You can follow his work on his blog at http://cameroninguatemala.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/a-return-to-pacren/ He is working through the Compton Foundation, www.comptonmentorfellowship.org.


March 2010. Our Pastor in Guatemala.
		Our Senior Pastor Emily Wall traveled to Guatemala in March 2010 on a short missions trip. These images show conditions at the Cemontan Medical Center, which is staffed by Dr. Juan Manuel and 2 nurses. The staff here are always looking for baby food, mainly powdered milk & liquid vitamins.
Images of the Canadian Ministry called *Embrace*. Kim Fitzsimmons is their link in Guatemala and Emily spent some time getting to know Kim and finding out about her work. The average daily wage is 2 dollars per day and some children start work as young as three years old. There's a very high rate of school non attendance, despite the fact that the cost of funding a child's education ( a school pack) is 8 dollars per year.
EMBRACE A few words from Kim Fitzsimmons, Coordinator Guatemala There have been many problems with hunger here it is an ongoing problem, but it gets no easier to see a small baby crying with hunger and a mother crying uncontrollably as she watches her child suffer. And, I wonder how I can help and if I am making a difference? Am I helping Lord, I ask, after yet another baby dies? He is so faithful to answer, yes, if but one child is rescued is that not better than none? I know I cannot save them all but; I will do what I can to save the ones in front of me and not turn or walk away. I was at the malnutrition clinic in Jocotan recently, I went down with some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, and there was a little 5 year old girl who was so swollen with malnutrition her skin was cracked she just lay there in pain and suffering. She had long since lost her appetite and refused to let anything cross her mouth. I asked mum if I could pray for her and I lay hands on her and asked the Lord to relieve her pain, to give her back a feeling of hunger. Shortly after I handed out the cookies and this little girl sat up and ate it! PTL!! The Doctor, nurses and mum were shocked. God is so good. A few of our Embrace children have slipped back down from Green (a healthy weight) to yellow (beginning stage of malnutrition) this is normal this time of year to see. However, there are many more this year than usual. We make a continuous effort to stay on top of this by weighing our children regularly and changing the contents of the bag of food to help get them back to a healthier weight faster. Thank you to Covenant Love Church and my faithful sponsors who continue to give to help keep the work going. God bless you abundantly. If you would like to partner with me please contact: Pastor Kevin and Rosemary Sambrook at *7715042561* Field address: Ruta a la Frontera, El Florido, Barrio Shalom, Camotan, Chiquimula, Guatemala C.A 011-502-5375-0349 casadekim@gmail.com
		A Pastor's conference that took place during the trip; Kevin and Rosemary Sambrook are seen here encouraging the local Pastors. Kevin and Rosemary organized this particular missions trip.
A typical local family, but with a difference; this is the wealthy Mercedes family who live in the mountain region of Cemontan. There are 4 generations of the family living on the same site. Emily can be seen doing what she does best, encouraging new life!
A MOMENT TO SHARE Last Saturday was an Embrace day, many families come to receive their food bags and listen to devotion, both in the morning and in the afternoon. I love to interact with the children and say hello to as many of the mum’s and dads as possible. I was talking to one mum and her little girl came up to me and tugged at my skirt. (This child is a sibling of one of our Embrace children) I bent down to chat with her, she hugged me, and kissed me, I was surprised this child does not come every month with her mother and so I had only talked to her a few times. I of course, hugged and kissed her back then she said “Te Quiero” (I love you) I took her to the stairs and sat down with her put my arms around her and told her “I love you too” She told me that she is so happy that “I” am giving her food, they had nothing in their home that morning to eat and she was so excited for today. I explained to her that there was a family in another country that was paying for her food bag, that I was just here to hand it out. “Why would they give us food? They don’t know us,” she said. I told her “but Jesus knows you, and He put your family on the heart of another family far away, so that they would help you” Well, you should have seen her face! Priceless! First, a bit of shock, then a huge smile, her mum called to her, she hugged and kissed me again and went skipping on her way! What a moment to remember. Kim Fitzsimmons Embrace Coordinator Guatemala

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