The dream of a pool is coming true!
Progress as of April 9, 2026
Artist rendering of finished pool
In 2009, the students at Mana de Vida were taught to dream of a future filled with hope instead of an endless cycle of poverty. They were asked to dream big dreams like they had never dared before. Soon after, when the school needed to move to a larger location, the children were asked to dream the biggest dream they could think of for the new location. By far the most amazing thing they could imagine would be that the new school would have a pool. Not only did they dream, but they prayed for a pool. In case you haven’t been, Escuintla is very hot and steamy EVERY SINGLE DAY. A refreshing pool would be an impossibly big dream come true. In God’s providence, the school was offered an amazing property to rent and it had a pool! The pool became a symbol of answered prayer. It also became a community asset as families gathered around it on Sundays after worship. It served as a recreation option for young people rather than other much less desirable activities. The children all learned to swim, and many were even baptized in this amazing gift. The school outgrew the rented property and the terms became untenable, so the school began building the current facility and moved in during the pandemic. From the beginning, a pool has been planned for the new facility, but almost 4 years later it still did not exist. The children continued to dream, and we believed together with the school that the time was right to dream big and see what God wpould do. The cost of the project is close to $150,000. This seemed like an impossible ask, but we put it before you and prayers have been answered, so that construction began in late February. This pool will again provide a community resource that will reap great benefits to all who are invited to use it. With good weather, the pool should be complete before the end of summer. The design incorporates various depths to provide for differing ages and abilities to swim. We thank Watermania in Guatemala for their generosity and skill in creating the perfect design for a school of over 500 students from 4 years old to high school.
The students’ excitement when Watermania came to begin the project.