Unaffordable Healthcare
During these visits, we also discovered that many individuals had unmet medical needs, simply because they couldn’t afford to see a doctor. While Guatemala technically offers “free” public healthcare, that coverage is limited to hospital staff services. It does not include medicine, lab tests, treatment, blood, or basic necessities during a hospital stay.
As a result, people often avoid seeking medical help. And even when they do, they frequently leave feeling hopeless due to the high cost of treatment. In response to this need, we created our medical sponsorship program.
1 in every 2 Guatemalan children is malnourished *
This is a shocking statistic—one that, sadly, becomes less surprising after spending time in the rural communities of Guatemala.
A vital part of Bethel Ministries is the home visits we conduct. These visits allow us to step into the lives of some of the poorest families in the country. We take time to listen to their stories, understand their circumstances, and identify their most urgent needs. Our goal during each visit is to share the love of God in every way possible—which includes providing food.
Every family we visit receives 50 pounds of food along with a Bible. But we don’t stop there—we cannot stop there. Many of these families are facing extreme hunger, and a one-time bag of food is not enough to sustain them in the months ahead. That’s why we launched our nutrition sponsorship program.
* According to a 2019 study by UNICEF