After a few years off, St. John's is sending another mission team to Guatemala in June of 2014. The team will be comprised of youth and adults from the parish. The team will spend about 5 months preparing for the trip. The prep time will include training and fundraising. Once again the team will partner with Bethel Ministries International.
St. John's sent its first team to Guatemala in 2009. Long time parishoner Tony Banks cast the vision after visiting the country with the Leavenworth Rotary in 2007. He, his wife Marcia and two other parishoners visited Guatemala in February of 2009 to meet with Bethel, and plan the mission trip. In June 2009, after several months of fundraising and training sessions, a 15 member team, which included 5 youth, spent 8 days building houses, distributing wheelchairs and spending time with disabled children in a hospital in Antigua. Two more teams would follow suit: one each in 2010 and 2011.
Bethel Ministries International is an inter-denominational ministry that serves children, youth and adults with disabilities all over Guatemala. For more information please visit their website at www.bethelministriesinternational.com.