St Peter’s has been sending mission teams to Guatemala since 2011. Team members range in age from teens to seniors. The focus of the trip is building relationships and enjoying fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ and others we serve. Team leaders and our missionary partners in Guatemala envision where we can work alongside in projects which we typically fund. Projects have included simple building, family photography, teaching, serving food at a nutrition center in a remote area, and visiting with those we are serving. In the past, teams have brought soccer balls and jump ropes. The children love to play games especially with the teen team members.
Our goal as a team is to look for needs. Open our hearts to feel compassion, to act by gathering as a team, and to pray to determine how to allocate the financial resources gathered. We also base the needs of the Guatemala missions on what we have observed during the mission week and by listening to the needs expressed by the missionary leaders. Team members return from Guatemala feeling they have received more than they gave and many hearts are changed.
If you think God may be calling to you serve in this year's Guatemala Mission Trip. Please click the "Get Involved "link to let us know.
Todd and Maureen moved from Leesburg, Virginia to Antigua, Guatemala as a family of 5 in 2010. They have served in a variety of capacities during their time in Central America. Todd currently serves on the pastoral team of Iglesia del Camino. IDC is a local bilingual church with a significant outreach to the community. Their outreaches include feeding programs, Celebrate Recovery, the National Police Chaplaincy program and house building as they strive to partner with local ministries in the Panchoy Valley. Maureen has been a teacher for over 30 years and uses those skills by teaching English to students in the local village of Santiago Zamora, to young professionals in Antigua and to a group of students from Costa Rica. "English with a Purpose" is a relational strategy designed to not only teach English but to also open up avenues for conversation about spiritual things. Thank you, St. Peter's for partnering with our work in Guatemala.
Katey grew up within ministry her entire life and when she was sixteen, she moved with her family to Guatemala. Since then she has worked in both the Antigua and Izabal area. She loves to work with children and youth, especially through mentorship, discipleship, and providing the space for them to truly connect with God.
Luis was born and raised in the Izabal area. He is a hard worker who loves to connect with the people around him as they work. He is very compassionate and lends a helping hand to anyone who needs it. Luis and Katey currently work in Coban, Alta Verapaz in association with AMI (Acts Ministry International). They work on the AMI ministry campus (which houses an international school and church). Luis is the maintenance supervisor for the campus. He is in charge of making sure all of the construction projects are done well and taking care of the natural beauty that is found on campus. He also loves helping with the other ministries happening around campus. Katey is the children’s director for the church. She is in charge of children’s church services as well as the other ministries with children throughout the week (such as tutoring, English classes, and scholarships).
St Peter’s has been supporting Michael Sie in Liberia for several years now. We have truly found a trusted partner and leader in Michael. St. Peter’s first became acquainted with Michael over 10 years ago when one of our parishioners, Paul Miller traveled to Liberia with St. James Episcopal Church of Leesburg. Michael was assigned to act as Paul’s host in Liberia. They became well acquainted, spending time discussing the harsh civil war in Liberia.
Michael spoke of the days when he was a young altar boy. Michael would have to “rent” a white shirt from a friend for Sunday service, afterwards would have to clean and iron it, and promptly return it. Five years later after Paul's visit to Liberia Michael arrived in the United States to study at the Virginia Theological Seminary. While at seminary school Michael ask a friend to drive him to St. Peter's, where he met up with Paul again. Michael now returns annually to spend time with Paul and and his wife, Laurraine.
Michael graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in May 2013. He is now the Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Monrovia, Liberia since September 2017. The congregation is 500-700 people. It is an extremely poor parish. When he gets to his office on Monday morning there is a line of people waiting to see him to ask for help. 
Michael is a true leader and has recently initiated his dream project for his church community in Liberia. With the help of St. Peter's and others he was able to purchase land to develop a farm for his church. After spending months clearing the land, the project was able to start providing jobs and food for the congregants, with the potential for a future revenue stream. They planted cassava and expect to have their first harvest in 2021. His is the only episcopal church in Liberia with a sustainable project – they are hoping to be a case study for other churches in Liberia. Michael is planning to expand the project to include pigs, chickens, and growing corn.