Guatemala

Ricardo Duarte met Chad Hambrick, one of our Eagle Leaders, on a mission trip to Guatemala. Chad introduced Ricardo to Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry. Ricardo applied this in his church and caught the vision for equipping other youth leaders.

Now an Eagle Leader, Ricardo has trained eleven other youth leaders who in turn have trained 83 more—in one year! In one year he conducted six JFYM Forums for youth leaders. In the coming year, working full-time in training youth leaders, he will lead a JFYM Forum every month in Guatemala and other Latin American countries as well. Ricardo expressed his heart for equipping youth leaders in Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry this way:

The work in JFYM is very important for me, the future of Guatemala and Latin America. I know that my working full-time is very necessary for growing OUR VISION I have the conviction that the Lord Jesus is asking me to serve him full-time. My heart is full of expectation about the ministry in Guatemala. Writing this letter I cried because I felt God's presence in all of this.

Ricardo certainly will multiply the influence of Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry to the younger generation in churches, cities and countries in Latin America.

The Need:

Much of the population of Guatemala is poor. Public health is moving quickly towards privatization, which leads to little or no health services for the poor. Combined with a huge economic need, many children are pushed into the workforce. 49% of the population under the age of 17, and 65% under the age of 25. This massive number of young people face tremendous obstacles in every area of their lives.

The Ministry:

Reach Out conducted a Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry Forum for the youth leaders in Ricardo's church. His church has implemented it. Then Ricardo became certified as an Eagle Leader. Since then, Ricardo has conducted six JFYM Forums in Guatemala. The youth leaders there have caught the vision for mentoring other youth leaders in their country. One of the Forum participants said: I'm thankful to God for the opportunity to attend the JFYM Forum. Form and method have been given to the vision which God placed in my heart. Now I count not only on the knowledge and tools to release that vision but also on the support, love and mentoring of the JFYM leaders in my country.

The Plan:

In 2007, through Ricardo Duarte, Reach Out will...

• Conduct one JFYM Forum per month in Guatemala
• Conduct one JFYM Forum in Puerto Rico
• Conduct one JFYM Forum in Honduras

The Resources:

Working with World Hispanic Publishers, Reach Out has translated and printed these resources in Spanish:

• Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry Kit
• Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry
• Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry Power Point Presentation
• Moving Toward Maturity Series
• Getting Started

The other Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry resources are being translated into Spanish over the next two years