Healing begins with a friendship
At Ánimo, we walk alongside men in Guatemala—helping them find freedom from addiction through discipleship, community, and meaningful work.
Ánimo!
It’s the Spanish word for encouragement! People say it to each other as if to say, take heart! You can do this! We love the word because it describes exactly what we want to give the people we work with! Everyone needs someone who believes in them wholeheartedly. We’ve discovered that being a true friend can change someones life dramatically.
Ánimo Initiatives
-
Street Ministry
In the streets of Panajachel, we meet men and women trapped in cycles of addiction with the simple gift of friendship and hope. Through prayer, food, and conversation, we remind them they are not forgotten and invite them into a path of healing — even offering a safe place in a rehab facility for those who are ready to change
-
Rehabilitation
Right now, when men want to join our program, we first help them complete a stay in one of the local rehab centers. Our dream is to purchase a 14-acre farm in Tzununa where we can begin offering a different kind of rehab — one rooted in faith, friendship, and the healing power of working the land — before men continue their journey in our Ánimo halfway house.
-
The Ánimo House
In Panajachel, we operate a men’s halfway house for those exiting rehab—a safe place where men can rebuild their lives, find accountability, and walk in friendship as they reintegrate into daily life. The men participate in therapy sessions 3 days a week and hold each other to daily accountability
-
Coffee Roasting
Our coffee roasting ministry provides men in recovery with hands-on skills, purposeful work, and a way to meet their daily needs—keeping their minds engaged and their hands busy while they learn to provide for themselves and the house. We sell locally in Guatemala and are exploring shipping to the United States
-
Discipleship
Our discipleship process centers on living in community, with three weekly therapy sessions led by Victor that combine scripture, worship, sharing, accountability, and 12-step principles, along with a weekly men’s Bible study and Sunday worship together as a family.
When I studied at Asbury Seminary, a quote on every light post challenged us to attempt something so big that unless God intervened, it would be bound to fail.
For us, the opportunity to purchase La Posada de Los Encuentros is that step of faith.
This is not just a property—it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish a permanent home for Ánimo in the heart of Panajachel. A place where everything we do can come together under one roof.
As Ánimo has grown, so has the need. We have outgrown our current space, and with that growth comes a clear calling: to create a place where men can not only recover—but truly rebuild their lives.
At La Posada, we envision a community where men coming out of addiction can live in stability, encounter the love of Jesus, learn to walk in sobriety, and discover their purpose. A place where healing happens through friendship, discipleship, and meaningful work.
This property gives us the opportunity to expand everything God is already doing—housing more men, creating spaces for job training through coffee, woodworking, and other trades, hosting mission teams, and building a community that restores dignity and belonging.
We believe this is the next step in changing the story of addiction in Guatemala—not through programs alone, but through people, relationships, and a place to call home.
The cost is significant. It stretches us beyond what we can accomplish on our own. But the vision is even greater.
We believe God is opening the door for a permanent home where lives are restored, families are reunited, and a new legacy can take root for generations.
We have stepped forward in faith. Now we are inviting others to step in with us.
If you would like to be part of securing this home and shaping the future of Ánimo, we invite you to join us.
“Attempt something so big that unless God intervenes, it’s bound to fail.”
-Jamie Buckingham
Ánimo Stories
It all started with befriending a blind man named Victor.
We asked a simple question, “How can we help you?” Victor said, “I need new pants and some friends”. So we committed to being good friends to Victor and it changed everything!
Victor now can see, walk, and has his own bracelet business. Not only that he is running a half-way house for men in recovery from alcohol and drug abuse.
A need for a house of Encouragement
God continues to bring men into our lives who need hope and healing. The video to the right shares the stories of the first three men we committed to walk with through the ups and downs of recovery. Because of that commitment, we provide them with a safe home as they rebuild their lives and find work. Three times a week, Victor leads Bible study and worship in the house, creating space for discipleship, encouragement, and growth in faith.
