In Aldea El Triunfo, Guatemala, getting a notebook or a pencil wasn’t as simple as walking to the nearest store. Until recently, children and young people had to travel to Casa Grande or Buenos Aires—a long journey of about an hour—just to buy school supplies.This reality limited access to education and created additional expenses for families. Many children couldn’t bring the materials their teachers requested because the distance and travel costs were prohibitive. For families without the means to make the trip, simply obtaining basic school supplies felt impossible.It was during the training programs offered by 410 Bridge, such as Business Start-Up Training (BST) and Foundation for Farming, that Meily Danely Solís Figueroa realized this gap wasn’t just a problem—it was also a business opportunity.With vision, faith, and determination, she decided to open the first bookstore in Aldea El Triunfo. What started as a solution to an urgent need soon became a project with economic, social, and personal impact.

High in the mountains of Unión Cantinil, Guatemala, lie the villages of Las Lomas, La Nueva Independencia, and El Triunfo. Here, families have long lived on the edge of survival—sometimes with just enough, often with less.In these communities, more than half of the population lives in poverty. One in six families cannot even afford the minimum cost of food. Jobs are scarce. Women are often left behind. And perhaps most painful of all, many people have come to believe that their situation is permanent. That they were born to survive, not to thrive.But hopelessness is not the end of the story.

Across the hills and valleys of rural Guatemala, you’ll find classrooms filled with potential. Children eager to learn. Teachers devoted to their calling. Communities that believe in the power of education to transform lives.But too often, what you won’t find are the basic materials needed to make education truly effective.

Ronaldo Solís Gómez, a 47-year-old man from Aldea El Triunfo, Guatemala, has faced many challenges in life that have tested his resilience and strength. From economic hardship to the heartbreaking loss of a child, Ronaldo's journey has been one of overcoming adversity with unwavering determination.

This February, a team of staff members from Guatemala, the United States, and the Dominican Republic gathered for a memorable Trips Summit. Our mission? To prepare the Dominican Republic to host mission teams, grow stronger as a unified team, and brainstorm ways to make each mission trip a truly transformational experience—for both the communities we serve and the teams that visit.

Over the course of more than forty missionary trips in Guatemala, we shared God’s Word and experienced deeply emotional moments where His presence was undeniable. The hearts of missionary groups, community leaders, translators, and even our team were touched as we worked together to uplift these communities. It has truly been a year of transformation.