“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these…ye have done it unto Me.”

Matthew 25:40

 Behind the Story

 1984 --- In 1984, Al Sanchez (then at Christian Service Corps in Maryland with his wife Marie in training to become missionaries) came to Guatemala to investigate what the Lord might want him to do there.  The word “ Guatemala ” had been coming to his mind day and night for some time.  What captured Al’s attention more than anything else in Guatemala were the children—hungry, dirty, sick, begging, many living in cardboard boxes on the streets. 

In December of 1984, Immanuel’s Church of Silver Spring , Maryland , commissioned Al and Marie to establish a Home for Girls in Guatemala .  God had impressed on Al that the Home was to be only for girls because girls were the most abused and vulnerable children in Guatemala .  At that time there was just one home for girls there, but many for boys.

Al and Marie went to Guatemala from January to April of 1985 to study Spanish and serve as interns at Lily of the Valley Home for Girls in San Lucas.  During this time they arranged verbally to rent a large house in the Panorama section of Antigua for a Children’s Home starting in January of 1986.  That house, which had eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms, was already being used as a Children’s Home by another missionary who planned to vacate it in December of 1985.

1985 --- Al and Marie returned to the U.S. in April of 1985 in order to gather supplies and furnishings needed for the Home and to raise the necessary funds to begin.  While visiting family in the U.S. , they were considering possible names for the Home.  Marie asked Al what he thought of “Prince of Peace Home for Girls.”  Al’s response was, “What a beautiful name!  What better name could there be for a Home for orphaned, abandoned, and abused girls who so much needed Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to restore their broken lives.”

Al and Marie left the U.S. for Guatemala in August, 1985 to continue studying Spanish more and prepare to open the Home.  After driving over 5,000 miles, Marie was killed instantly in a tragic automobile accident about one mile from where the home was to be located.  Their van and trailer were demolished and their belongings scattered along the highway.  Al, overwhelmed with shock, grief, and his own personal injuries, felt that the vision the Lord had given him was over.  About one week later, Al returned to the States, thinking he would never return.  A pastor friend told him that if he had been in God’s will, this never would have happened.  While Al was struggling with this, the Lord asked him if he believed God had called him to Guatemala .  Al replied, “Lord, You know I did.  I never would have gone if I hadn’t believed it.”  Then the Lord showed him that he had to go back and complete to call since “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29 ).  Al asked the Lord how he, as a man, could possibly start a Home for Girls in Guatemala by himself.  The Lord promised that He would send the necessary help.

Although Immanuel’s Church was concerned about Al’s returning so soon, they agreed that he should make an exploratory trip to see if he could withstand the pain and stress of returning to Guatemala .  They also urged him to receive counsel from a missionary pastor recommended by Pat Robertson.  After the exploratory trip, the pastor concurred that Al should very definitely return and continue the work as soon as possible.

The Original Vision

• Five houses with 20 girls in each for a total of 100 girls on own land
• One of the five houses to be a Baby House (infants to 5 years old)
• Houseparents for each home
• Central kitchen and laundry
• Multipurpose  building with large salon
• Office/Administrative building with conference room
• Medical and dental clinic for the Home and surrounding community
• Prayer tower for quiet reflection
• Workshop

1986 --- When Al returned to Guatemala in February of 1986, he found that the large Panorama house had been rented to another ministry since the owner felt that Al would not return.  Al’s van was placed in Customs until the legal papers to bring it into the country could be arranged.  He rented a room in Antigua and rode the bus (an experience!) almost every day for three months into Guatemala to try to speed up that process with his limited Spanish.  He also began the necessary legal paperwork with the Guatemalan Government in order to start the Home and obtained temporary permission to begin while the papers were being finalized.

In the spring of 1986 Cindy Miller from Immanuel’s Church joined a team coming from Maryland to Guatemala .  While there, she helped Al find a small house in Jocotenango near Antigua which seemed suitable to start the Home.  Cindy prayerfully considered the possibility during the trip that God might want her to come to Guatemala to help, but she returned to the U.S. with no confirmation from the Lord about this. 

In June of 1986 Cindy took the early retirement from her job and began to work full time for Immanuel’s Church, as planned for some time.  The morning of her first day on the job, her devotional book seemed to scream at her with neon lights flashing:  “Arise and depart, for this is not your rest.”  This was followed many times by this and other Scriptures and readings.  She became convinced that God was definitely about to send her off somewhere—probably to the mission field—but not necessarily Prince of Peace.  She continued to seek the Lord prayerfully, and argue with Him, for several months concerning this.  She explained to the Lord all the reasons why she shouldn’t go to work at Prince of Peace, and He systematically did away with each argument.  She finally let go of all the details and asked the Lord to just tell her whether to go to Prince of Peace or not.  The struggle was over when a Christian brother came up to her and said, “I don’t know if this will mean anything to you, but the Lord has given me one word to pass on to you, and you will have to decide what it might mean to you.  That word is:  “GO!”  So in September of 1986 Cindy arrived in Guatemala , committing herself to stay for three months to help Al.  The three months, however, somehow turned into 17 years!

Meanwhile, in July of 1986, Al had received the first girl for the Home through the Guatemalan Juvenile Courts.  When the officials who brought the girl asked for his signature confirming that he would receive the girl, he asked himself, “Do I really want to commit to caring for her—and all the others who will follow?”  After hesitating about five minutes to seriously consider the question, he signed it, hired a woman to work, and the Home was begun.

By the time Cindy arrived, there were three girls—Sarah, Janet, and Ana.  Shortly afterwards, Violeta and Elvia came, followed by Rosa Linda.

1987 – As the need increased, it became obvious that the Jocotenango house was not large enough.  In January of 1987, Al was offered the Panorama house to rent as it had become available again.  A 5-year contract was signed—from February 1, 1987 to January 31, 1991 .  During this period of time, the Home grew to over 20 girls, and again more space was needed.  Although the house was beautiful, it did not allow for future expansion and the fulfillment of Al’s vision.  A search therefore began for a suitable property to purchase that could accommodate it all.

1988 – A beautiful 8-acre tract of land was found in San Cristobal , just outside of Guatemala City , where most of the Home’s business was conducted.  The land, however, had no water, sewer, or electricity, which made the real estate agent think would make it undesirable for us.  On the contrary, it was perfect because it was inexpensive, and we preferred to install these utilities ourselves.  One of Al’s friends told him prophetically that in nine months he would have the funds to buy the land, and the owner agreed verbally to sell it once a deposit could be paid.  Later that year, on the very same day that a $5000 deposit was given to the Home, a prophecy was given in Immanuel’s Church that the Lord had given the land to the Home.  The person giving the prophecy knew nothing about the deposit money being given.  But when Al tried to draw up a contract with the $5000 deposit, the owner said he had changed in his mind about selling it.

1989 – Al wondered how this could be, but early in 1989 he made an appointment with the owner to explain his purpose in desiring this particular piece of land and asking if he would reconsider selling it.  The owner reconsidered, changed his mind again, and sold it to the Home.  The balance of the price was provided anonymously, and the dedication of the land was held on July 23, 1989 —a wonderful present for Al’s 60^th birthday.  One hundred balloons were released into the air, symbolizing the one hundred girls who would one day call this land home.

Even before the closing on the land, Engineering Ministries International, sent a team of seven different kinds of engineers to consult with Al and Cindy and draw up plans for the best use of the land to accomplish the Home’s purposes.  They also provided plans for the girls’ homes.

The land had only one small, very simple guardian’s house on it.  A guardian was hired, a workshop was built to safely store the supplies, and building materials were purchased.

In 1989 we rented a house in San Lucas to be used as an independent living house for the older girls who could travel by bus to their school in Guatemala City and learn more of the skills of responsibility and independence.

Meanwhile, Al had a stroke, requiring him to be in the hospital in Guatemala for some time and then in the States for three months.  By the time he returned near the end of the year, the Home at last had obtained its final legal papers signed by the President of Guatemala on his last day in office.  Had it been one day later, the whole process would have had to be started all over again!

1990 – A 3-bedroom apartment was constructed on top of the workshop, and drainage ditches were installed.  As the time for the move from Antigua drew hear, a house was rented near the land to provide office space with telephone service (which was not yet available on the land) and space for work teams to stay.     

Vilma, who now works full time for Prince of Peace as a Social Worker while pursuing a Law degree, arrived at the Home.  She quickly began to thrive and blossom as did many of the other girls who lived at Prince of Peace Home. 

Work was begun on the first girls’ house, with work teams coming regularly.  The move to the land was anticipated for January, 1991.

1991 — The Home moved to San Cristobal in January so that the girls could begin their new school semester in time, even though their house was not yet completed.  The apartment and workshop were re-arranged slightly so the girls and Vicki, our first housemother (who still works with the Home) could live there.  The number of girls had been allowed to drop to about twelve so that the move would be simpler.  There was no running water on the land so water had to be purchased and stored in the tank built for that purpose.  Electricity was provided only at night by a small generator to produce necessary light in the evenings and enough power to pump the water from the storage tank to the apartment.  Cindy moved into the house rented as an office, and Al rented an apartment in San Cristobal .

1992 — As usual, construction of the beautiful big house for the girls took longer than anticipated, but the girls and staff finally moved in and Cindy also moved into the house.  The dedication of Casa Agape was held on August 15.

When a cook was needed, Vicki recommended her sister Desi, who promptly joined our staff (and still continues with us).   

1993 — When a new guardian/chauffeur was needed, Vicki and Desi recommended their sister Romelia’s husband, Edgar.  Edgar soon demonstrated that he had many other talents, and he began doing the Home’s accounting, and eventually became Assistant to the Directors.

This was also the year when a 600-foot deep artesian well was installed, producing a more than adequate supply of water.  When the water was pumped into a second, larger storage tank, it provided tremendous water pressure as it flowed down by gravity from the top of a high hill. 

1994 — Edgar and Rome along with their two children (later three) moved into the renovated guardian’s house at Prince of Peace.  The wall dividing Prince of Peace from the neighborhood was started, an entrance gate was put into place, the Prayer Tower was built over the water tank, and construction of the Multi-Purpose Building was begun.  Ground was also broken to provide a larger home for Edgar and his family.  The old guardian’s house was then used temporarily for a school.

1995 — Construction continued at Prince of Peace.  A separate school building was built near the Multi-Purpose Building , and the septic system was expanded to accommodate the additional population and use of the property.  Many teams and individuals came to help with all these projects.

1996 — With 23 girls at the Home and the need for space growing each day, Al felt impressed that it was time to start the second house and the land was leveled—a tremendous job.  However, the special sand that was dug out was sold to the contractor who then charged the Home about $35 for approximately two weeks of very hard work!

1997 — The team house, a styrofoam structure, was donated and built as an experiment by an engineer from Delaware who wanted to see if it could be done in Guatemala.  It was a challenge, but it worked and It continues to serve us well.

There were also new additions to the wall that surrounds the grounds, and the dirt road was paved.  The groundbreaking for Casa Bethel, the second house, took place in late summer. 

1998 — Casa Bethel was finished, enabling the Home to be able to receive many more children.  Additional school rooms and an office of the school were added inside the Multi-Purpose Building .. 

1999 — It became obvious that some additional living space was needed to house staff, guests, short term missionaries, etc. so a building with three apartments was started.

2000 — Having so many girls and staff required that we build a central kitchen and laundry.  In addition, concrete was added to various sections of the road to make driving a little smoother.  Shortly afterwards, Immanuel’s Church provided the funds to design and begin construction of a beautiful office building. 

2001 — Construction continued on the apartments as well as the office.  An ongoing search for people to carry on the ministry became more concentrated.

2002 — For health reasons, Al and Cindy felt the need to intensify their efforts to find a replacement to continue the Home.  After talking with many candidates, Paul and Lana Sanders were found.  With 17 years of experience in directing a Home in the U.S. , 10 years of pastoral counseling, and coming to Guatemala to learn Spanish so they could become missionaries, they seemed like the perfect answer for assuming leadership of the Home.  The Sanders began praying about the possibility, and eventually said they felt the Lord leading them to do so.  Their vision for a Children’s Home was incredibly similar to that of Prince of Peace. 

2003 — Al and Cindy moved back to the United States after many years of faithful service at Prince of Peace Home for Girls in Guatemala .  Paul and Lana picked up the vision that God had placed in Al’s heart and continued the work of Prince of Peace.  Edgar and his wife Rome , with their many years of working with the Home, were invaluable assets to the Sanders and the smooth continuation of the ministry.  With a competent staff in place; the Guatemalan Foundation with its General Assembly and Board of Directors; and the U.S. Non-Profit 501(c)3 Corporation with its Board of Directors established, Al and Cindy were assured that the Home was in very good hands.

Late in 2003, with help from Hope Community Church the construction of the Medical and Dental Clinic was well underway. 

2004 — The work on the Hope Medical and Dental Clinic was continued as teams came from Florida , Kentucky , and Missouri to work on it. A new roof was put on Casa A and Casa B was painted outside.

2005 — The dedication of Hope Medical and Dental Clinic took place on March 19th and was a day that many will never forget. The wedding of Vilma took place on March 20^th at the Home.

After the restoration of the original guardian’s house on the land was complete, the Independent Living Program came into existence on the grounds, a continuation of a similar program begun in 1989. 

A second level was also added onto Edgar’s house. 

2006 — Because of the need for additional housing in the Independent Living Program, a second house was constructed. 

The 20^th Anniversary of the Home was celebrated at the Home in grand fashion with Al and Cindy present, and some of the girls who had grown up in the Home.

It is slightly smaller than the state of Tennessee. The estimated population in 2001 was almost 13 million people. The capital, Guatemala City, has a population of about 4 to 5 million people.

The official language is Spanish, but there are over 17 Indian dialects. Some English is spoken, especially in the business areas of the cities and tourist areas.

The climate is tropical hot and humid in the lowlands and cooler in the highlands. The altitude of the area where the Home is located is about 5,000 feet. While the average temperature is between 68 and 75 degrees all year around, near freezing weather can occur in the mountainous regions, and temperatures may climb to 100 degrees in the coastal regions. There is no heat in the buildings unless there is a fireplace so it can get quite chilly. The rainy season is from about May to October.

Standard American plugs and 110 Volts are used in Guatemala.

Guatemala is in the Central Time Zone (but no Daylight Savings Time).

Violent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are fairly common.

It is a politically unstable government. The U.S. Embassy may be contacted for updates concerning the safety of travel within Guatemala and recommended shots..

Agriculture is the main occupation in the rural areas. Coffee is the leading export crop, of which over two million bags are exported to Germany and the United States. Guatemala is a big exporter of bananas, pineapple, cotton, sugar cane, roses, macadamia nuts and other tropical crops. Guatemala is called The Land of Eternal Spring, but in the midst of all this and beautiful natural landscape, there is an enormous amount of poverty.