Two Shipments to Help Fight Malnutrition in Guatemala

September 18th, 2026 Newsletter

Last month, a team from Midwest Mission traveled to Guatemala to meet with our partners, Food For The Poor and the Order of Malta, as well as beneficiaries of the items you’ve helped send over the last several years. The trip was full of learning, listening, and asking, “What can we do to help?”

As the team visited place after place, Melissa Brookens, Midwest Mission’s Director of Mission, was taking detailed notes and formulating future shipments in her head to meet the needs the team was seeing.

One of the most shocking things we learned was that almost 50% of children under five years old in Guatemala are chronically malnourished. That is the highest chronic malnutrition rate in the Western Hemisphere. Chronic malnutrition is a long-term lack of nutrients that can cause slowed growth, stunting, and delays in cognitive development.

Many children experience malnutrition even before they are born when their mothers cannot access enough nutrients to properly support both their own health and their baby’s development. Once the child is born, a mother may not have enough nutrition to nurse her child, while proper nutrition through formula can be expensive and unattainable for many families.

And so the cycle begins.

A child who does not receive adequate nutrition may not be as prepared cognitively when they start school, which can lead to difficulty with understanding and focus. Eventually, they may fall behind or even be unable to finish school. Without an education, they may have fewer opportunities to find well-paying jobs later in life, making it difficult to provide for their families. When food and funds are limited, families often have to choose what they can afford, which may not provide the nutrition they need. If that family then has a child, the cycle can repeat itself.

It’s a sad reality, but our partners in Guatemala are working hard to break the cycle, and our Rice and Soy Blessing Bags are a big part of that.

When a child comes into a clinic and is found to be malnourished, the clinic might send the family home with an entire box of Blessing Bags to help provide food for the month. During that time, they also work with the family to provide nutrition education and help them develop a plan for better nutrition in the future.

After seeing this firsthand, we came back with an even greater fervor for getting meals to Guatemala. Melissa worked hard to put together a shipment that would meet these needs, as well as other needs that became evident during the trip.

Just two weeks after the team returned, two shipments were ready to go out to help fight malnutrition.

The first shipment went out Tuesday, September 15, and the second followed Wednesday, September 16.

Altogether, we sent:

• Rice and Soy Blessing Bags to provide meals

• Bikes

• Personal Dignity Kits

• Home Care Kits

• Sewing Machines

• Two 275-gallon tanks

• Tarps

• Crutches, shower chairs, orthopedic supplies, hospital linens, and walkers

Total combined weight of both shipments: 64,226 pounds

Total combined value of both shipments: $184,010.00

It was a very inspiring trip, and we look forward to sharing more about what we learned and the people we met in the coming months.

If you want to join the fight against malnutrition, consider hosting a Blessing Bag Pack with your church, school, or businesses. For just $2 per bag, you will provide six people with a nutritious, tasty meal that will give them energy and health for their future. 

To learn more, visit midwestmission.org/mission-events.

Emmanuel UMC Hosts Successful Annual Serving September Event

For the last few years, Emmanuel UMC in Noblesville, Indiana, has hosted a Student Kit Assembly event during Serving September. Members of the church donate supplies and funds, and then gather together to assemble the Kits.

This year, they were able to assemble 125 Student Kits. Twenty-five of those Kits were assembled by residents of a local assisted living facility that the church has developed a relationship with in recent years.

Pat Baumer, a member of Emmanuel UMC and Midwest Mission Ambassador, shared this event with us and said: “We love that this has become an annual event, one that so many look forward to participating in.”

It's amazing to see churches like Emmanuel UMC find ways to make serving part of their annual rhythm. Thank you, Emmanuel UMC, for continuing to show up and provide school supplies for children in need!

If you are participating in Serving September, we’d love to hear your story! Email Mallory Webster at mallory@midwestmission.org with stories and pictures from your events.