Guatemala has been described as the worst place in the world to be a child.                                                                        1.            More than 660 children were murdered here in 2014, the Office of the Public Prosecutor says, while a case of sexual violence is reported every two hours. Teen marriage is common in a country where the legal age for a girl to wed is 14. But the recent case of a 12-year-old girl who was married to a man almost twice her age has made headlines. It was officiated by the local mayor who could now face prosecution. Pray this is followed through in the courts.                                                                                                                 2.            In a Newsbeat article: "They really are not living a healthy life."They get pregnant at a very early age and their bodies are not prepared to have children. They stop being children, literally, to start working as women."  "Traditions such as paying for a bride" are common, through the exchange of money or usually land, and that often a teenage girl must marry a man much older than her.                                                                                                   3.            Between 1960 and 1996, Guatemala experienced a devastating civil war, in which 200,000 people were killed and 45,000 people were "disappeared". Four out of five of these were of indigenous Maya ethnicity. The UN later ruled that "genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity" had occurred during the conflict, but last year the government in Guatemala denied the genocide. Now ordinary people are protesting against the government over these and other issues. Pray for them and the protection of the judges who must try these crimes. Current and past presidents and other officials are being brought to trial. Pray for the youth of Guatemala to sustain their efforts for a just change with a wisdom that comes from above.                                                                                                                                                                              4.            Small farmers in Central America’s “dry corridor” stretching from Panama to Guatemala, including parts of Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, are hardest hit by Central America’s drought, brought on by a particularly strong El Nino climatic effect this year. Guatemalan farmers have suffered drought for the last three years. The corn crops are their income for the entire year. They need new crops and methods to sustain their families.  Peje Armado, where we work is part of this. Pray. ( Pictures are of dried, dead corn)                                                                                                                                                 
5.            Doctors are having to go outside hospitals to get even the basics of medicines. Some vaccines are not even available in Guatemala. Surgeries are being postponed or even denied to the very poor by public health departments due to lack of medicines and surgical equipment. Please pray for the public health doctors of Guatemala as they attempt to do their jobs, some of them are very dedicated men
Please keep these children and people in your prayers In His Love Chici Barbella

Beautiful happy Day filled with God's Blessings

     
                                 Maria's Quince Ano's Fiesta with her brother Angel 
                                 What a Blessing from God these two have been !
                             Thank you Padrinos for making this happen it was a beautiful day filled   with                                                                            
                                                                   God's Love 

Uder construction :)

Sorry no pictures everything disappeared ! But we have a friend trying to help us ,all the info is still there please be patient with us !God Bless all of you.

New wall

In His Love we remain

New Life and Peace Ministries

www.newlifeandpeaceministries.blogspot.com

April 2015

Dear Family in Christ,

          As I write this letter, it is the time of the passion of our Lord: just before Easter Sunday.  Christians all over the world are getting ready for their Easter morning service and at the same time, many Christians are being persecuted.  Even the United States of America has turned away from our values of right and wrong and is taking the reason of good morals out of our government and many of our churches.  There is a lot of division between people on some very important issues and many churches are divided on issues of belief.  In Mark 4:24, Jesus said:

And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.  And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;  And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.  For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

        I believe what Jesus is saying here is to be careful of your desires because your desires determine how and to what you listen.  And, what you listen to determines what you get.  Then Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God.  He says it is like a seed that is planted and grows.  How it grows is a process:  first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.  The blade was the early church that came about from the former rain.  The ear is what stays on the stalk and goes through the period of waiting for the full corn in the ear to grow.  This, many times, is a dry parched time; a time when the farmer waits for the latter rain to come to produce fruit.  I believe this is where we are.  We need the latter rain of God to produce the full ear of corn.  The kernels represent the maturity of the individual members of the body of Christ.  This means that we will be joined together and our interests will no longer be just for our own good or for my own welfare.  God’s purpose needs to mature in us so that we identify ourselves with His interests in others.  Right now, there is dryness because it’s easy to see the interest people have in what they want to do and for their own welfare.  I don’t think that the last move of God will be to bring millions more into the church.  We have built enough monuments to ourselves.  What God wants to do is mature those who are already in the church.  Funny, that before Jesus spoke, He said:  take heed of how you hear.  We need the Holy Spirit moving in our lives and moving in His corporate body to hear and to live.

            Here in Guatemala, we are looking to the future of the ministries and now own two new properties.  We need to first put a wall around the properties, and then I would like to build a home for the workers who work with the children and have a family to live in.  We are also working with Naomi, the girl from Canada who has a home for “special needs” children, to build a home for her and these children.  The properties are big enough for these houses, but we need your help if it is to come about.  One of our boys who is now 22 years old, Miguel, has decided that he wants to work with us in the ministry.  He speaks English very well and has a heart for the Lord.  We are hoping he will be able to help us with the new responsibilities of working with groups and with our office work.

            Chici and I are now pushing the 70’s and still have a lot of work to do, but we are training the people here in Guatemala who have a vision from God to serve others for the sake of Christ to start taking over areas of the ministry.  I’m hoping that this land and homes that the Lord has given to us will serve not only our needs but the needs of others in the body of Christ.  It’s really great to see how the Lord puts things together, kernel by kernel.

Thank you for all of your care and support. 

Without the body of Christ, none of this would be possible!

God bless you all,   Victor & Chici Barbella

If You would like to help with this work please make out checks to : Christ Chapel

memo NLPM 

Please no names on checks for IRS purposes 

Send to :

Christ Chapel 

3051 Cloverdale Rd.

Florence Ala. 35633


Praise God we have started the wall ,excited to see what God is going to do !

 

Different Activities before to end the Year

We are ending the year with a lot of different activities but we are very thankful with God for his love and care for all of the children during the whole year. 
 Edgar is 22 years old and he finished his trade career in November, he always wanted to be a mechanic since he was a child and this year the Lord Jesus allowed him to finish his career. After the graduation ceremony we went to a restaurant to celebrate Edgar´s achievement.

Edgar with Victor & Chici

Edgar walking with the parents

Engler receiving his Diploma

 Engler is 15 years old he finished 8th grade with very good remarks and last month he received a diploma because he was the best speaker in the science exposition, we are very proud of him. 






Fernanda and Luis finished 6th grade this year and they had a very nice activity at school with all their classmates to receive the diploma. Luis and Fernanda were really happy and proud because for them it means that they are beginning a new stage in their lives.

Luis with a big smile in the center

Fernanda in the center with her friends

After all the activities at the different schools the children started having different activities on their vacation time. Christmas began the last Saturday of November with the decoration of the Christmas tree, every year the children have a very good time decorating the tree all together a with a guatemalan family that comes to help them with the decoration and they  bring a very delicious typical dinner to celebrate the beginning of the Holy Days. Last week the children went to an excursion with some friends from the church to have a pic-nick and to enjoyed a very delicious roast beef, beans, grill patatoes, and sausages. They children enjoyed long walks but for us the adults it was very tired. 
Last Tuesday three guatemalans families came to prapare a very delicious breakfast for all of us and we could feel the love that they have for all the children, it was a very good time to have fellowship. We are very thankful with all the brothers and sisters that have in their hearts the desire to share the love of God with our children. 

Decorating the Christmas tree

Dinner after decorating the tree

Excursion

Enjoying the pic-nick

Delicious breakfast

 Now the children are counting the days before Christmas because they are very exciting about the gifts that they are going to receive. We really appreciate the support that you gave to the children because they are going to have a very nice Christmas and we can do that because of all your help and support.
God bless all of you.

After Breakfast with the three Guatemalan´s families

Birthdays and Vacation time

All the children are very happy because they are on vacation and for them it is really nice to be at home playing and doing different projects. Last month we celebrated El Dia del Niño at home with ice cream cake and they really had a very good time.
The last two months were very busy for the children because they finished school but now is very nice to see all of them enjoying their vacation time playing soccer, wathcing movies, playing their game boys and wii, they also love to go hiking.

Child´s Day celebration

Fernada´s  Birthday 14

Fernando´s Birthday 12

Fredy´s Birthday 12

 We have been eating cake for the last two months because we had many birthday´s celebrations and the funny thing is that all of them ask for their favorite flavor cake. But it is really nice to see their happy faces when they see their cake and the little present.

Engler´s Birthday 15

It is really a privilege to share the love of God with them.
Thank to all of you that are supporting them because it is really a blessing to see all of them happy and secure.