The Virag's plan for 2011! Please partner with us.

We had a great 2010 in Guatemala!

Quick recap of 2010:

-Relief work when tropical storm Agatha ripped through Guatemala...repaired and cleaned homes, provided beds, stoves, food, water, clothing and much more.
-3 office addition for local school
-Repair toilets at orphanges
-Regular maintenance for local orphanages
-Construction of library at orphanage
-Electrical and plumbing repairs at orphanages
-Painting
-Provided food, clothing, medicine, shoes, candy and toys to local orphanges
-Started a youth ministry which meets every Saturday with free skateboarding, biking and inline
-Built a portable skate park which is used for our Saturday bible studies as well as big events throughout our city.
-Obtained land through a donation for our permanent skate park
-Started construction at skate park...cleaned land and installed fence posts
-Dramas at local schools telling about the Love of Jesus!

Salvations!

As Emma and Carsten performed dramas in schools, hands went up all over the gym to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior!

I remember the time we spent the day skating with locals. Before everyone left for home the Word was shared and 5, rough and tough, tattooed and broken skaters, accepted Jesus! With heads bowed, knees on the concrete in the middle of the city, they invited Jesus into their hearts!

In 2010 we had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with 100's of people. We were honoured to have been a part of over 250 salvations this year in Guatemala!

When we left Canada in 2009 we had little idea what we would end up doing for God. 

We now know what we are doing, the direction we are going and the things God wants us to do.

In 2011 we plan to:

-Continue our monthly support to local orphanages with food, clothing, medicine, shoes, candy, toys and more
-We are currently working with 2 local churches with construction projects. We will continue these 2 church projects into 2011
-Our skate ministry will be a big focus for 2011. We plan to complete the biggest indoor skate park in all of Central America.
-We will continue our weekly bible studies with the youth every Saturday and provide a free and safe place to skate and bike.
-Chantelle and I are planning to complete our Pastoral Training in order to become Ordained in 2011.

We are so excited about what God has for our family and ministry as well as the local Guatemalans in 2011!

We will be doing things that have never been done before in the history of Guatemala. We are expecting good things in 2011 but we can't do it with out your support.

Would you please consider supporting us in the upcoming year. Without support it is impossible to continue God's work.

Our biggest project for 2011 is our indoor skate park. The projected cost is $150,000. There is such a need for this park. The youth tend to hang out in the streets because there is no where else they can go. This park will act as a recreation center for our city. It will be a safe place for the youth to come and hang out, as well as receive the Word of God, help with life choices and encourage them to be all that God has made them to be. Please consider helping us make this a reality.

You can help us in 2 areas, prayer and financial donations. Both are vital and necessary.

We thank all of our supporters that contributed in 2010. We thank you for your prayers and financial support. YOU are a part of our team. Even though none of you have the last name of Virag, you are all a part of The Virags and Missionaries in Action. We are a team and each one of you have a part is what was done in Guatemala in 2010.

For Donations please read below:


Thank you all again for being a part of something huge in Guatemala and making 2010 AWESOME!

The Virags
Missionaries in Action
SoZo Skate
www.thevirags.com

Mail Canadian donations to:
WIA
151-10090 152nd  St, Suite 314,
Surrey, BC
V3R 8X8
write VIRAG on separate paper 
tax receipt provided
or use PAypal at www.thevirags.com


Make US donations to:
Shining in Florida Inc.
PO Box 120966
Clermont, FL 34712
tax receipts provided 
or  through PAYPAL at www.thevirags.com

Merry Christmas Everybody and Happy New Year!!!!

Thanks to my dear friend Barbara I am back to blogging again.  I know my friend Barbara will be reading this even if no one else is and we will have an amazing account of our journey on the mission field. We hope others will share this experience with us.  Your interaction with us is vitally important.

We have been in Guatemala for 14 months now and it has been delightful, painful, fulfilling, overwhelming, joyful, easy, eye opening, extremely difficult, and ultimately life changing.  This is the experience of a missionary family and we wouldn't trade it for the world.  I can honestly say there is life to be found in serving others.  This is the way Jesus designed life, ^" He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." ^{Matt 10:39}


Personally speaking, Shawn and I are attending a computer based Bible School and are studying to show ourselves approved with the goal of being ordained as Pastors.  We are thrilled to dive deeper into the Word and are grateful to both Pastor Brad and Pastor John for leading us in this direction.  Thank you.  We are very proud of Addison, Carsten, and Emmariah.   Addison is committed to being apart of our missionary family team until he goes off to University in two and a half years.  We are believing God to give him clear direction and guidance.  Carsten is passionate for missionary work in Japan and has spent three weeks on his own with YWAM training and ministering in Guatemala City and Livingston, Guatemala in preparation for going to Japan.  Thank you to all of you who helped make this happen for Carsten.   It is encouraging to see God birthing a movement and a plan in our son.  It is just a glimpse as to how God longs to reach the lost all over the world.  Oh, how He loves us.  Sweet Emmariah is as content as could be living out her dream to be a missionary in Guatemala.  She has a huge heart for children and we can see her with a house full of her own one day.

Skate Event November, 2010...3 salvations that day!!!

Ministry wise, God is up to something big here.  We had three big skating events this year ranging from 150-403 people.  Xela is made up of 40% youth and there is a huge need to reach them with the love of God, the gospel.  God has provided a place to store our ramps and do weekly Bible Study Skate groups through a dear man here in Xela who has become or friend.  We have already outgrown that location and a small church has offered FREE LAND to use for four years to build our Sozo Skate Park on.  We are so in awe of the God we serve, Who "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think."
Eph 3:20

We look forward to continuing to work at the orphanages this coming year in whatever ways we can best serve them.  We have all been busy helping to build a new library in San Marcos and helping to set up a new library in Cantel.  Emmariah and I are looking forward  to weekly book time with the children in Cantel.  All of these children are so precious and have so much love to give as well as receive.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJj-1k2kOhE  Here is a link and our Christmas greatings to you.

WHAT WE NEED!

We need continual prayers and financial support.  Please do not feel pressured.  I know many of you would love to do so much more and can not do so.  That is okay and we appreciate every bit of support, communication, and prayers that we receive.   We know that we are where we are suppose to be and we are looking for you to prayerfully consider partnering up with us so that we can meet our family's financial budget and give to the youth and children in Guatemala.  We can not have an impact on people here if we can not continue living here.  God has been faithful every step of the way.  Will you please be His hands and make a difference here where we live by helping us help them?

Thank you so much for sharing this experience with us.  Your interaction with us through email, Facebook, telephone, and this blog are inspiring and keep us connected to the world we left.  You are a part of us being here in Guatemala.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

May you experience the joy of knowing Him like never before in 2011.

Merry Christmas!
Shawn & Chantelle, Addison, Carsten, and Emmaria

Mail Canadian donations to:                                                     
WIA, 151-10090 152nd  st. suite 314,                                      
Surrey, BC V3R 8X8                                                                 
write Virag on separate paper                                                                                
tax receipts provided                                                                     

Mail US donations to: 

Shining in Florida Inc.,   

PO Box 120966 Clermont, FL    

34712  

make checks out to Shining in Florida Inc. 

tax receipts provided                                                                                            

All donations can be made at PAYPAL at www.thevirags.com