Ways We Serve

At the heart of OHG is bettering the community we serve in.

Based in the outskirts of Guatemala City, Open Heavens Guatemala works with underprivileged families in the deserving communities of San Lucas, San Pedro, Santiago, San Juan, and others. In everything we do, we aim to mentor people in the ways they can serve and honor God, and we coach them in living according to Biblical principles.

Our desire is to break the chain of poverty in Guatemala by removing barriers and equipping families with the tools and skills they need to overcome obstacles in their lives. To help position people for success, OHG provides support and assistance with educational needs as well as medical and practical needs.

Meeting Educational Needs

Open Heavens Guatemala exists to help people to continue their education and create a better future for themselves. A main focus of OHG is to ensure that the students feel supported, not only financially but also spiritually and emotionally. OHG works with a network of volunteers who are professional business owners, teachers, accountants, and psychologists. These individuals invest their time by tutoring, mentoring, and discipling the students.

Vocational Testing

In Guatemala, children go to high school and at the same time they get a technical degree at the end of 2-3 years, such as accounting, computer science, secretarial skills, or teaching. Students must pick a career path that they feel inclined toward and are qualified for when they are in ninth grade. At this time, we offer extensive testing, interviews, and guidance to help them make a decision on what to study at a professional level.

Workshops and Entrepreneurships

Students move from the theoretical to hands-on by participating in different workshops and entrepreneurships that we offer. They discover and develop their different God-given abilities by exploring with creativity. In art, they make various arts and crafts. In cooking, they make things like empanadas with pineapple jam. In carpentry, they learn how to carve wood as well as to use different tools, measure spaces from different angles, and make relevant mathematical calculations.

Parents’ School

Educating children is more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. There are so many factors that contribute to a child’s success in school — being nurtured and loved at home, having a nutritious diet, regular and sufficient sleep, a clean environment, time to play and be a kid, and so much more. Parents play a key role in students staying in school and reaching the finish line of graduation, so we come alongside them weekly to listen their needs and dreams, as well as share encouragement, correction, and simple strategies to help them in their parenting skills. Of course, we mix in food and fun because even parents want to forget their realities and act like a kid every once in a while! In these ways, we hope to break the educational and financial cycle that has repeated itself within these families for generations.

Student Sponsorship

A core part of the ministry of OHG is our student sponsorship program. With a contribution of only $45 per month, you would be providing a scholarship for a child to attend American Educational Center of Guatemala. Without your sponsorship, this child would be unable to attend school. Your monthly support will open up doors for future success that would otherwise be impossible.

Pay it Forward

One of the requirements of every OHG scholarship recipient is a 2-year volunteer commitment upon graduation. This experience is something the students look forward to. They are active in mentoring the younger students, working alongside other volunteers, and being coached in leadership and service.

Meeting Medical Needs

Each year, we hold a medical outreach. Nurses, doctors, chiropractors, dentists, and optometrists join forces and see hundreds of people. We also have a dedicated team that focuses mainly on foot care. All of these work as volunteers and help so many.

Meeting Practical Needs

Happy Feet Party

Every year OGH celebrates Christmas with the children of the program and their families. Students and their siblings each receive a new pair of shoes, while the family receives a gift basket filled with food and snacks. The children also get to enjoy at least one toy or something fun to put under the Christmas tree. Everyone is always thrilled to receive their gifts, and much gratefulness is expressed. Sometimes words fail them, but tears and joyful smiles are communication enough. If you would like to participate in this annual outreach, $20 will buy a pair of shoes and $40 will buy a Christmas basket for a family.

Help and Hope Delivered

To date, we have built and furnished seven homes for very deserving families.
We have helped our students’ families and others in the community with food and practical assistance.
When transportation and work have been scarce, we helped with regular distributions of food and other necessities.
Each year, before the start of school, we furnish backpacks brimming with school supplies for each child.
We provide additional emergency aid when needed.