Caroline's Promise News

Please join us for a picnic with Pastor Carlos & Delmi Rivas. Saturday, October 3, 2015 Shady Grove Wesleyan Church Fellowship Hall 119 N. Bunker Hill Road, Colfax, NC Look for Caroline's Promise sign and balloons 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. We will have a fabulous meal with NC pulled pork barbeque sandwiches and all the fixings! Ages 12 & up - $8 Under 12 - $5 (hot dog or barbeque) Kids 3 & under eat free Purchase your ticket and reserve your space here Deadline is Wednesday, September 30 All proceeds go toward construction of the 3rd floor of the school!

Many of you have heard about the political unrest in Guatemala.  It's so hard to know exactly what is going on but one thing is sure........ we need to pray.   For the past several months we have watched our friends protest in a peaceful manner.  I (Lisa) was there during one of these protests and the energy was electric.  The order and unity blew me away.  This article explains how the protests began.  Corruption has been exposed and the Vice President has been arrested.  Guatemalans are asking that the President resign.  Presidential elections are scheduled for September 6 and most of our partners and friends feel like the candidate that is most likely to win is just as corrupt as the current President. As Delmi and I talked by phone yesterday I heard the concern in her voice regarding another issue:   The lack of rain.   A quick search led me to this article that explains how the current drought situation could threaten to ...

Wilson Community Church sent 17 team members to serve at Casita Adonai and Gerona the last week in July. Among all of the amazing moments of the trip, here are a few highlights:                    In Gerona, the team was able to take part in the first Quinceañera! As this event was a big deal for the community, just being able to attend and sing Amazing Grace for them was an amazing experience. In preparation for the trip, the team collected formal dresses and hair/make up supplies for the girls and their moms. Seeing them all dressed up was a very special moment.                  Each year the current sixth graders go on a special trip to Pana as a graduation gift. Our team was able to pour into the 11 sixth graders by having one-on-one time with them to play, swim, and pray. God really showed up during the...

October Vision Trip to Guatemala Have you ever wondered what our work in Guatemala is all about? You've heard us talk about our partner church.  Have you ever thought about joining us? We are praying for new partners who are passionate about education, child sponsorship, business skills training, business training, micro loans, and of course ministry of all types! In October we will offer a unique opportunity for pastors, business leaders, and individuals to join us on a short vision trip.  You'll visit our ministry sites and meet our partners. Your only cost is your airfare! If interested, please contact LisaHolbrook@carolinespromise.net or 336-669-7340

On one of the last nights of our trip the women’s team decided to read the lies and truths that the women from both retreats (Pana and Gerona) wrote.  We cried as we heard the ugly things satan has spoken over them. Lies: I’m never going to prosper – get ahead – I’ll go to hell.  I’m not worth anything.  Noone loves me.  Jesus doesn’t listen to me when I pray.  I’m not worth anything.  My family is bad.  I have no future.  I can’t pray for anyone. God doesn’t exist.  Who would believe in God?  God can’t forgive you.  You are a bad mother.  You are a sinner.  God doesn’t love you. You’re not a good mom.  You’re not a good wife.  You’re not a good daughter.  God cannot use you.  You are weak.  You don’t have any ability.  You can’t be happy. Nobody values me.  I’ll never be successful.  I’m not worth it. I don’t do things that the Lord finds pleasing.  God...

Our partner church, Iglesia Adonai is planting a church and holding services for kids and women every Sunday afternoon.in the community of Gerona, right outside of Guatemala City.  There is a beautiful Christian camp there called Shama. As we are blessed to know the owners of this camp, our ladies team was able to join the women’s ministry team from Iglesia Adonai to host a retreat for women from both communities. Twenty ladies from Adonai and Gerona arrived on Friday afternoon for a 24 hour retreat. Upon the arrival of the women from Gerona, the ladies from Adonai greeted them with corsages, and our team placed beautiful gifts on their bed, at the table for each meal, and in the services.  After the warm welcome and corsages, their first stop was a Mary Kay makeover. While walking them through this process, Ruth and her team spoke life over them. After makeovers, the ladies got their hair cut and styled…and of course had their nails painted! You could see the beauty they hav...

Our vision for the women’s team was to invest in the women’s leadership team from Iglesia Adonai (our partner church) and then help them lead a retreat for women from their church and the community of Gerona (where they are planting a church). God gave us three things that we felt like He wanted to accomplish: Help the ladies feel and understand God’s love. Establish unity by walking them through the process of forgiving themselves and others.  Encourage them to believe what God thinks of them and begin walking in the beauty of who He created them to be. Teachers, students, moms, worship leaders, speakers, first timers, and veteran mission team members, all between the ages of 11 and 46, created a very diverse team. Despite the unexpected challenges and changes that the first 24 hours of the trip brought, God helped us fight through the frustration. Our diverse team of 13 boarded a bus with 15, full of laughter and excitement, ladies from Iglesia Adonai as we travelled to...

Our next teams to Guatemala will begin in October and you have a choice! Graduation/Vision Trip - October 27 - November 2 with the option of staying through the VBS trip. This team will assist with 2015 Graduation and visit our projects in Guatemala. Vacation Bible School Team - October 31 - November 7, 2015. This team will focus on assisting our partner church with their annual Vacation Bible School.  In the morning you will serve at Iglesia Adonai where they average 1200 people for VBS.  In the afternoons you will serve in the community of Gerona where we expect 200 kids. This trip is open to children age 10-16 accompanied by a parent and adults 17 and up.  You need to love working with kids and be able to handle organized chaos! Cost is $1000 plus airfare.  Cost of airfare is dependent on your location and can be booked by Caroline's Promise. Application and $100 non refundable deposit are due by August 25, 2015. You can find the ...