Six years ago I was with a group of students participating in our summer outreach to Guatemala. Our group did a series of dramas, testimonies, songs in the Central Park in Antigua and at the end of the program a man, Manuel, approached me and asked if I would go to his house and pray for his wife. His wife, Ana, had been diagnosed with cancer of the cervix and was receiving treatment. I told him we would come the next day and pray for her. The next day Manuel escorted us to his humble home and the students and I gathered around her and prayed for her healing. We did not know the results of our prayers until I returned to Guatemala in the fall of 2005. Manuel was standing outside of Higher Grounds Coffee House and when I came outside he confronted me and asked if I remembered him. I said I did and he recounted the story of the group coming to his house to pray for his wife. He then told me that God completely healed his wife of cancer as a result of our prayers!
Recently Manuel and his family returned to Antigua after living for some time in another city. He came to the coffee house looking for me but I was gone on an outreach at the time. When I returned I met with him and he shared Ana's tragic story. Six months ago while they were living in another city, she was hit by a Tuk-Tuk, a 3 wheeled taxi. She was knocked unconscious from the collision and the driver fled the scene. She was taken to the local hospital to be treated for a fractured hip. She had three areas where her hip was broken. The doctors operated and put some metal rods to stabilize the hip and make possible the fusion of her broken bones. Her bones never healed and they were out of alignment yet the doctors did nothing to help her. When I met Manuel a couple of months ago he was seeking help from doctors in Guatemala City and they told him she needed another operation
to reconnect her fractured bones with some other material. The rods that were inserted were finally remove as they were causing infection and were not helping connect her bones. In order to have the operation he has to buy the materials they will use to connect the bones, each of the 3 pieces she needs cost $1000. Manuel does not have the resources to buy these. He works at night but the money he receives is hardly
Ana's Storyenough to feed his family. Ana spends her day in bed as she cannot get up because of the pain she constantly experiences. The home that they live in was made available to rent for a low cost but it is only a metal shack with one room and a dirt floor. I went to visit and pray with Ana today and take some pictures to share with you. It was at least 100 degrees inside the home as the heat pours through the metal roof. Manuel had a small fan hooked up so she could have a little relief from the heat. Manuel has been seeking help for her almost everyday but up to this point only a few people have done anything for Ana. She needs to have this operation as soon as possible. So I present this story to you and ask that you will
pray for her and if you would like to help with the medical expenses I know it will be a huge blessing to this family. I have attached pictures of Ana, her family, their home and a picture of the x-ray that she had taken last week. I do not mean to gross you out but it is very clear in the picture where the fractures 
are located. Ana needs a miracle again but this time it looks like it will come through prayer and medical attention. If you are able to give please send it to the YWAM Chico address below and attach a note to designate that it is for Ana's operation. The hospitals do not extend credit so Manuel has to have the money in advance before anything will be done. I have been helping him with some of his expenses and will continue to help this family until she gets the treatment that she has been waiting for these past 6 months. Thank you for responding to this need.DTS: We are excited for the students who will be coming in September for the 5 month DTS. We have students from the USA, Guatemala and England at this time and another from Ghana who wants to come as well but it is quite complicated for someone from Ghana to get a student visa. It will take a miracle to get him here and I ask for your prayers on his behalf that God will have his way. There are a couple more students who are in the process of making a decision about attending our DTS. I know that God has something special for them and we are blessed to be a small part of their journey of faith.
ArtReach Group: We have one more group coming to Antigua in August, a group of college graduates who are artists. The have a project called ArtReach and they will be distributing art supplies to orphanages in Belize and Guatemala. They plan to stay with us for about a week. We also have a young lady from England volunteering with us for a month and another young lady coming in August to volunteer at the coffee house for a couple of months. We are grateful to the Lord for sending the help we need. Several of our staff are on vacation this summer and the volunteers have been a huge blessing to our work.
Students we sponsor: The students we are sponsoring in school are all doing well and truly enjoying the opportunity to attend. A good education is one of the keys for a successful future and with a solid Christian foundation these young people will be able to make a difference in their culture.
Thank you for your partnership in the ministry in Guatemala. The needs are always great and at times I do not know who and how many people I can help at one time. Your gifts of support have blessed many people in need and I thank you for being so generous and thoughtful. I pray God will multiply the seeds you have sown and give you even more seed to sow into many ministries that you support.
For Him,
Bruce
Correspondence address:
Bruce Ahlberg
3ra Avenida 1-30; Zona 6
Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala
Contribution address:
YWAM Chico
15850 Richardson Springs Road
Chico, CA 95973
(Please attach a note indicating your designation)
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