Newsletter #1: Here We Go!
Feb 5th, 2020
...And just like that, January has flown by and we are officially into our second month of 2020! Looking back, the past couple of months can be summarized by a few words: celebration, excitement, gratitude, conviction.
We received the long-awaited approval of our charitable status application on Nov 6th, 2019, and were finally able to celebrate our new identity as an official registered Canadian charity! As many of you know, this was not a simple process. Despite the two-year journey of repeated application, rejection and legal advice, God's hand was shaping our team and this ministry in the way He wanted it to be, and we are in awe of His faithful and intentional process.
We were amazed at the incredible turnout at the 3rd annual EDUPAVI Craft Fair on Nov. 17th, which saw over 200 customers and 18 vendors that donated a portion of their proceeds totalling $3,500! We were so grateful to not only host such a successful event, but also to receive so much encouragement and support from so many people.
December and January were both busy months filled with prayer, meetings, brainstorming sessions and video calls with our partners in Guatemala as we worked to determine our best strategy in blessing the community of Zaragoza. We were blessed and excited to partner with our first monthly donors, and spoke with many others who wanted to discuss future collaborations. Although progress seems slow, the ball is definitely rolling and excitement is building for what is to come!
On Feb 2nd, we had a small soft launch, which was an info session for a few people from Fraser Lands Church who expressed interest in getting to know our organization. We were honoured to be able to share in depth our passion for the work God is doing, and our conviction to take action with the resources we have been blessed with here in Vancouver. We hope to do a larger celebration in the near future with those of you who have been involved/supporting us in the past!
Please keep us in your prayers! We have so much to look forward to, but also so much that we covet your shared petitions to the Lord for. Some of our requests are:
For the Lord's guidance in the remaining set-up of this organization. This is all of our first time starting a charity, so any successes we experience are definitely not by our strength alone!
That God may ignite a desire in the hearts of many to take part in His mission through spiritual and financial support. We are currently at about 30% of our annual goal of $27,000 but only 7% of incoming funds are in the form of monthly donations. Pray that more may feel called to partner with us in an ongoing and more sustainable way!
For encouragement and strength as the teachers in Guatemala prepare for a new school year. The program at Educando Para La Vida begins within the next week, and there are about 90 children who will be coming for educational support!
Thank you for reading, and for your heart for this mission. May God have His way with this organization, and continue to do amazing things through those who desire to glorify His kingdom!
With love,
Team EDUPAVI Canada