ALL ABOUT US
About Pat & Yesenia
Pat and Yesenia were born 2,000 miles and a world apart. One was raised in a middle-class New York City suburb and the other in a mud brick home without electricity or running water.
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Their paths didn't veer far from their youthful homesteads. But God was at work making sure the two would find each other in His perfect time.
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Pat grew to distrust religion, and roamed New Jersey content with his personal relationship with Jesus. That changed when a friend introduced him to a Presbyterian mission church and its welcoming congregation.
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Yesenia grew up in the evangelical church, one of which her parents pastored for many years. Eventually, she moved to work with another pastor and his mission team.
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2010 brought Pat to Guatemala with his new church family, where they partnered with Yesenia and her team for two weeks of medical clinics and disaster relief.
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And the rest, as they say, is history.
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Pat already promised God he would do more mission work when his circumstances allowed. So, when he got laid off in 2012, Pat headed to Guatemala, where Yesenia waited to help him find mission opportunities and learn about the country.
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They worked with several local and international organizations as translators or clinic staff. By 2014, they knew they wanted to do more and do it together. So, they incorporated as a Guatemala charity based out of New Jersey, and then set up a Guatemala civil organization the following year.
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By that time, the pair were already married, and Pat became a permanent resident of Guatemala. In 2016, their little miracle, Catalina, was born in Guatemala City.
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Pat and Yesenia eventually assumed control of her father's feeding program and church. They added several other locations and functions over the years. Today, they operate four children's ministry sites with feeding programs, and several other ministries.
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They live in a secure community near Yesenia's childhood home and within minutes of their city mission sites. Catalina recently entered second grade of a local Christian school.
PAT, YESENIA, AND CATALINA RECEIVE SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM A PAIR OF U.S. CHURCHES. BUT THEY CAN ALWAYS USE MORE HELP.
ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION:
A Couple of Christians Foundation (ACOC) is a 501(c)3-certified charitable organization in the USA and follows the regulations of the Internal Revenue Service and the State of New Jersey. (As such, all donations are tax-deductible.)
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Misioneros Cristianos Unidos (MCU) is a certified civil organization operating under the laws and purview of the Guatemalan government.
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Both entities are licensed to provide charitable services and receive donations in support of those services, as well as to receive and distribute emergency funds and supplies in the event of disasters in Guatemala and New Jersey.
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MCUGuatemala.org is a communications and information website for the two organizations.
Unless otherwise stated, all projects and programs are managed by MCU in cooperation and with the financial, logistical, and spiritual support of ACOC.
