Hogar de Vida

Hogar de Vida y Nutricion (now Hogar de Vida) is a mission organization that I am quite fond of. It’s translation means Home of Life. Children in Guatemala (especially in the Quiche region) were malnourished and underfed, and the founders Tim and Dena Stromstad noticed the need and came to fill it in San Andreas Sacabaja.

This home was one in which families learned how to cook meals, understand food groups, and how to properly feed their children. Overtime some children started staying long-term in the home. The home, noticing the need, slowly started morphing into an orphanage in which children would stay until they turned 18.

The government, however, started shutting down orphanages, wanting to prioritize children staying with relatives. Home of Life then had to become a Children’s Home, a place were children who are in unsafe familial situations would temporarily get sent to while the government is looking for another family member that can take them in.

The missionaries had to learn to be flexible while things were changing in Guatemala and were able to make the best out of their situation. They saw a need and filled it, and once that need changed so did they to help meet it. And despite the struggles with the government they were able to stand firm in their beliefs and help in the best way they can. They even opened up a branch in Costa Rica.

The home has a strong Christian foundation, they have devotionals together, children and staff, every afternoon and they bring the children to church every Sunday morning. They invite missionary teams to come for weeks at a time and are fully funded off of donations. This home has been affiliated to our school for over 20 years through ICO Guatemala and it’s such an amazing opportunity to be able to visit it and help in any way we can.