New Life Network Annual Meetings

 Red Nueva Vida (New Life Network) Retreat

Part of Ben's time in Guatemala was spent in meetings with Red Nueva Vida. We meet every year in a different country to share, celebrate, plan, pray and strategize for the following year.

We started our time visiting and seeing the ministry in Guatemala. There are currently two churches and two generations of disciples and churches. There will hopefully be a third generation soon. The first service was an international service celebrating the work being done globally through New Life Network. Here are some pictures of that special time:

Disicpleship before service

Servicio Global

Our friend Yeison from Colombia was ordained as Pastor

Time and service in Santa Lucia the first daughter church in Guatemala.

We had meetings Monday through Wednesday in which we learned and shared together. Here are some of the pics from that time. We started by sharing prayer requests and praying for each other.

Praying for our first missionary being sent by Guatemala to help start a new work in Honduras.

Here are some of the things we celebrated as a network during last year of ministry:

• We planted 1 daughter church in Santa Lucia Milpas Altas
• National Convention Colombia 2023
• New Churches in Growth Cycle
• Refine creative work method

• Villa Mella Church (new group)

• Finances to hire full time coordinators  for Columbia, Chile, and Dominican Republic

• Coordinator for USA, Guatemala and Europe in place

• Discipleship DNA in 2 churches

• We have made 3 mission trips

• Completed local leadership training course

• Contact with new Pastor Elido entering the network

• We started prayer time with pastors

• New church starting

• Built relationships with pastors

• Spiritual Retreats

• Recorded and edited videos for Church Planting Certificate for Institute New Life Network

• We opened 2 new regions (Plantar CRNVC, Huasco-north, Chile Chico-South)

• Recorded Certificate for Pastoral Care lessons in New Life Institute

• We opened 2 Discipleship groups

• Introduced the network to 4 Pastors/Leaders

We set goals for the coming year as well. One big goal as a network is moving into at least one new country. Please pray for these efforts!

We of course took some time to have fun together. One evening we went to Antigua and our last day together we went to Lake Aititlan.

Developing and Comissioning Leaders

This has been an amazing time to see how the Lord is raising up new leaders, pastors, disciplers etc to lead this next phase of ministry at both Love Guatemala and New Life Church. Check a few "commissioning" times we have had over the last few weeks recognizing the leaders and pastors God has called and raised up.

A little over a week ago we finished what has been 2-3 year process for some of these guys who were commissioned as pastors. They will serve as the board of elders leading New Life Church along with Carlos Lopez. Check out some pictures from this historic day. Please pray for Josh, Eswin and Yosimar!

We also had a good meeting with our new leadership team locally here at Love Guatemala. This team will support Katy Lopez the new General Director. We shared the history of Lg, shared some things we hoped that they would carry forward in this new season and we finishe our time praying over them and empowering them for the work of leading LG in this new season.

Transition Dinner, Prayer and Celebration

We had a special weekend celebrating Katy and what God has done in her life. We had several guests down to celebrate with us including representatives from our board of directors. It was a special time. 

Amy (LG board president) giving words of encouragement and praying for Katy

Katy's parents giving words and praying for her. 

Ben giving words of encouragement. We all believe in her so much and can't wait to see how God uses her in this new season of Love Guatemala. Please pray with us for Katy!

Time of prayer over Katy officially installing her as the new general director.

Amy encouraging the LG team.

Katy had a special gift for Amy that was a painting of the first school in Magdalena.

Ben got to share some words with the staff and express how proud he was of them all. They had all shared how they arrived at LG and how God was working in their lives. Almost all of them shared how much they had grown in their faith in their time at LG. It was a special time.

They all then circled Ben to pray for him as he transitions out of LG.

Thanks for all your prayers during this time of transition!