Who they are: This is the Radford family. Lee and Angel are the parents to two spunky and lovable kiddos, Parker and Anna Kate! This is the type of family that when you meet them, you can't help but smile from ear to ear! The Radfords have this infectious zeal for life--they are passionate, inviting, and encouraging beyond measure!
Where they serve: The Radfords are centered in the small town of Panajachel, Guatemala. They are located right on one of the most picturesque lakes you will ever lay your eyes on, Lago Atitlan. Although a majority of their work is done in Pana, they also travel out to Patzutzun regularly to work in the schools and with the families in the neighboring village.
How they got there: A few years ago, Lee and Angel went on a short term mission trip to Guatemala and fell in love with the pace of life, the people, and the inevitable closeness of the Holy Spirit in this beautiful country! Upon the return of their short term trip, this couple felt a tug on their heart to go back. Within a year of returning from their initial visit, they had sold their home, sold all their possessions, and moved their family of four to live in Guatemala full time! 
What they do: In their initial trip and the beginning months of living in Guatemala full time, they worked with an orphanage. However, an idea was bubbling up inside Lee and Angel! They saw the opportunity to intercede with families before they had to give up their children...they wanted to be proactive change the dynamic of families splitting up as often as they did in this country. Thus, Redeemer's House International was born! The heart behind this organization to let local Guatemalan's change the hearts of other Guatemalan's through the love of Jesus. They equip a team of Christian locals to help serve families that are in need. Lee and Angel are constantly working to build relationships with families that have struggling dynamics in a variety of ways: they build beds so that the children have a place to sleep in their parent's home (many families here don't even own a bed), they bring stoves to the homes so the locals can have a safe way to prepare food, and they also do everything they can to just become friends that can walk through life with these families!! 
How our paths crossed: In June of 2015, my involvement as a small group leader at McKinney Churches high school ministry turned into an opportunity to travel to another country with the high school pastor, my co-leader for small group and a group of 10 high schoolers that were eager to see what God was doing overseas! Our small team spent a week with the Radfords and RHI. We built a bed, a shelving unit, and then the real work started! Our group of 10 girls and 3 guys spent two and a half days hand-mixing, pouring, and leveling concrete in a house for a woman name Josefina and her 6 children. Josefina had been praying for a concrete floor for her small house for 7 years--they lived at the basin of a mountain and the rainy season in Guatemala (a majority of the spring and summer months) would always wash away their dirt floor and cause her family to get sick...we were the answer to her prayers! The hours of hard manual labor were laced with love, Josefina had her concrete floor!!
Long term vision: The thing I love so much about RHI is that it is focused on locals helping locals. They constantly are equipping Guatemalans so they can serve other Guatemalans and increase the reach and impact of Jesus's love. Lee and Angel's dream for RHI is to have it be fully functioning by locals, and to see more Guatemalan's come to know the Lord by the way the members of RHI serve them!
How you can help: If you visit their website, http://redemershouse.org, you can read more about them and their ministry of orphan prevention! You can elect to support them by a one-time or even a monthly gift of support! If you are a praying person, you can absolutely pray for their ministry, their reach as a company, and for God to continue moving in the local's hearts!
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