New Life and Peace Ministries
December 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters
It is strange how time went very fast. The year is almost finished and we are very close to celebrating Christmas again. We really appreciate all the support that you gave us the whole year. This time of year means a lot to us because we can bless the children and the men of the rehab centers with something special. We are family to the children and men and we want them to feel the love of God through us by having a special dinner and some gifts that can encourage them to feel loved.
The children really enjoy this holiday time. In the first week of December they decorate the Christmas tree, and of course they already know what kind of present they would like to receive. It might not be a big present but the fact is that they can count on us for that.
Also, the men at the rehab center will receive a present that they probably are not expecting. When they receive the present, it breaks my heart when I see the happiness in their faces because some of them have never received a present before. We also want to give a financial gift to the staff that works at the rehab centers here and in Nicaragua. They don’t receive a salary for the work that they are doing they live by faith.
If you have it on your heart to help us with a special one-time donation for Christmas gifts and offerings, please make the check to Christ Chapel and memo NLPM. Please include a separate note designating it for Christmas. Please don’t write this on the check for IRS purposes!
The kids are now in their vacation time until the first week of January. We are happy because all of them passed into the next grade and they have improved in many different areas. They are excited because they have a few activities planned like climbing a volcano and going to a camp overnight.
One thing that we are very happy to share with you is about Antony. Some of our children have sisters in another home nearby and they go to visit them once a month. One month the staff was surprised to see a girl who looked like Antony. It turned out that she is Antony’s older sister. She is unable to talk or walk and we are praying for her healing. The next morning after meeting his sister Antony, without prompting, began to pray asking the Lord to heal her, and it really touched our hearts. When he prays, he does so with a strong faith. We thank the Lord He is filling and healing Antony.
The rehab center in Nicaragua is doing well. Praise God the men are doing a very good job. They are growing in different areas in administration and also in their spiritual lives. There are 20 men in the program and we really pray that they are going to allow the Lord to change their hearts and to give them a vision to continue doing this work. In Guatemala we have two men from Nicaragua that are doing a yearlong commitment to learn how to run the center. It is very strange how God works in us and sometimes we don’t realize the great job that he is doing.
In the rehab center here in Guatemala we have 32 residents. Some of them are really allowing the Lord to change their hearts and others are just hanging around. We know that God’s mercy is great and He is going to perform his plans in his time. Last month a man came back into the program because he was doing very poorly. He had asked his family to bring him back to the program because he felt really bad. We accepted him on Tuesday and he was doing ok for a few days. Then on Saturday he started feeling bad and early Sunday morning he died. I think he came back just to die in a secure place, and not to die in the streets like a dog. We are very happy that the Lord allowed him to come here and repent before he died.
We are very happy to share with you all our experiences and the different things that are happening here. Thank you for your faithfulness. Only God can give you a reward for everything that you are doing.
We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
God bless,
Victor & Chici Barbella & Staff
Written by: Sandra Morales
We went to the Rehab Center on Christmas Eve to put on the Nativity play and give each resident a gift bag of treats as well as a sandwich and juice. The men really enjoy our visits and it teaches our kids how to share the love of Jesus with others. 
On Christmas Eve we went to church. Our kids did the Nativity play, we had worship and a sermons, then ate tamales (a traditional food for Christmas Eve). 
Once we got home from church, it was time to open presents! The kids each have a bag with small presents inside. Everyone opens at once and it is an exciting and loud time of opening presents and showing off the things they received. 
On Christmas Day we invite missionaries from the church to eat with us. It is a fun time of eating and fellowship. 
