Do you ever walk into a space, place or home, and it feels like well HOME. The very first time we stepped our feet in the compound of Power at Work, we felt so much peace and you could feel the Holy Spirit just resting and smiling.
It was a Sunday morning...Waffle Sunday! The place is packed with kids and families, all waiting for their number to be called for waffles. It's chaos but relaxed. It's laughter, it's fun and it's good old-fashioned waffles and coffee! You had me at waffles!
Here is a 4-minute video on Power At Work:
YouTube Video ⬆️⬆️
Kids make the waffles and serve them (empowering!)
Waffle Sunday
The Leaders:
Antony Van Engen, who has been here for over 20 years (he came as an 18 year old) is a carpenter, soccer player, one of the great people you will meet in life. His heart pours out on these kids each day.
Grant Lamb: Grant is one of those awesome guys who loves kids, works hard, and doesn't know any spanish, but that has never stopped him one bit from building deep relationships with people. He has been coming here since 2010 after he sold his farm, and now is able to support himself fully. Grant is a doer and makes stuff happen, its a real treat to be around him!
Carol Lamb: Carol has been coming to Guatemala since 2015. It seems impossible not to like Carol. So lovely, caring, kind. You can feel her warmth, and so do the families and kids. I feel like she is the glue that holds most things together! I could hang out with these guys all day long they are awesome!
The local leaders who work F/T at Power at Work are, Nim & Estaphania who do a ton of stuff including outreach, feeding programs, and translating. Edwin who graduated from the program at power at work now helps run it by empowering and teaching the kids to fix bikes and carpentry skills.
What? In their custom workshop, they create wooden picnic tables, bunk beds, and other wood items. All built by the kids. They fix bikes for the community, again all done by the kids and led by Edwin, who is teaching these kids valuable problem-solving and life skills.
What do they do...well in a word they LOVE. They love these kids and families, and it's evident...that is their WHY. How do they do it? They have created a safe environment for kids to flourish, and feel empowered, all while creating practical tools to do this.
What? In their custom workshop, they create wooden picnic tables, bunk beds, and other wood items. All built by the kids. They fix bikes for the community, again all done by the kids and led by Edwin, who is teaching these kids valuable problem-solving and life skills.
They help them with their education, by sponsoring them with food and require them to have a certain standard at school to be in the program. They have nutrition programs.
Each day is a new activity and it feels like there is something fun for everyone.
They have their own soccer field with games 3-4x per week. They go for a bike ride up the mountain and to a creek 3 days a week where you can bike or hike with the group. Waffle Sundays!
Generally it's a happening place anytime you walk through the front door with something going on any time of the day. (Still don't know when they ever rest)!
Ephesians 3:20 gest put on all their tables/bunk beds
Anthony
Grant & Anthony
T-Shirts
Parker in the workshop
Bunk BED
Outside of complex - looking at workshop
Grant!
Grant, Carol, Anthony, Estephanie and Nim
along with the Jansens
Check out their website - they are doing some super amazing things here in Guatemala!
