Connecting the Dots/Continents

Historical events have a funny way in connecting to other historical events across the globe. Okay, not funny as in "ha-ha" but more of a "ah-ha" moment of making sense of why an event happened and why a country is the way it is. Bare with me for a few moments.

Guatemala

Italy

Europe was in a cris during the 16th century from contagious diseases, poor harvests, destructive wars, an obsession with 'death', etc. (Glad to not have been living there). The (orthodox) Catholic communities met (officially known as the Council of Trent) in 1545 to 1563 with a total of 25 sessions. The main topics discussed was the concern of the clergy's morality and to clarify the true Catholic teaching that would refute the theological positions of the various Protestant reformers and become a rallying point for a disintegrating Holy Roman Empire (Early: 2012, 91). Keep a Medieval Europe context... The result was a creation of Tridentine Catholicism. Now in Guatemala, the priests were, for the most part, absent from Mayan communities. As the result of the absence of priests, bishops, etc. the Mayans adopted Catholic practices and beliefs into their traditional culture and religion. A kind of syncretism. In Europe, the Catholics wanted to implement a basic framework that would hold for the next 400 years, but this was difficult to apply in Guatemala because 1. the Maya communities were isolated from the colonized pueblos and 2. there was a language barrier of translating the prayers, sermons, rituals into the native languages (there were over 23!) 3. when the priests did preach to the Maya communities, they were unaware of their culture (a.k.a. ethnocentric) which easily absorbed elements from other 'systems'. Big picture take away point- the Catholics were missionizing to the indigenous Maya population predominantly from the 1500s to the 1600s.

Connecting to another "dot" 400 years later--- there is a shift from Catholic missionizing to Protestant missionizing. Why? For one, the goals of the Council of Trent were not making enough of a dent in the issues that Mayans were facing such as: hunger, malnutrition, land loss, unusable land, poverty, lack of access to water, low literacy, lack of education... Thus, evangelism came on the scene in Guatemala. Interesting point- when I was researching the trial of former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt, I read an excerpt that he claimed himself as a born-again Christian who gained quite a large following, almost having a 'mythic status'. Montt called for Pentecostal missionaries to come to Guatemala to provide food, medicine, and 'spiritual guidance' (Little: 2009, 44). Do not forget, Montt was responsible for the worst crimes against humanity in Guatemala's history (1982-1982) as he conducted an all-out genocide and scorched earth campaign against the Maya population (also known as la violencia). This shift from Catholicism to Pentecostal between 1976 and 1983 accounted for an increase in Pentecostal congregations in Guatemala by up to 35%.

Maya and Catholic Cultures in Crisis

Mayas in Postwar Guatemala

Alrighty, those are some big leaps and a lot of dots to connect. On the bright side, will have plenty to analyze for the final write up.

"First comes creation, then comes country."

Jon Sobrino, SJ

November 20, 2014

Little This and a Little That

To be in (somewhat) a chronological order, the focus of this week was how Guatemala achieved Independence from the Spanish Crown. Do not worry, I will not take you through a hundred years worth of history... but to be brief, Spain was losing its control and presence in Guatemala in the last twenty years of ruling the Kingdom (comprised of present day Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and others). Napoleon's invasion of Spain and the decline of the Bourbon monarch threw Guatemala (and much of Latin America) into chaos. The colonial economy was in severe decline. From 1811 to 1818 was deemed the Bustamante Period which was seven years of turmoil. Then General Carlos de Urrutia took charge of the administration of the Kingdom until 1821. By then independent political parties were beginning to form: Caos and the Gazistas. On September 15, 1821, Gabino Gainza declared the "Act of Independence of the United Provinces of Central America" along with 19 articles and a preamble. In comparison to other Latin American countries who gained independence through a violent struggle, Guatemala declaration of independence was accomplished peacefully. Gavino Gainza continued as chief executive. From this point- I think I will not research into great detail the post-colonial era for now. Instead, I want to focus more on the role of religion in Guatemala and then specifically focus on Zacapa.

To jump ahead over a hundred years, I am researching the trial of Guatemala's former dictator Efrain Rios Montt for another class. Here is a brief outline of Guatemala's civil war that lasted from 1960 to 1996 with the signing of the Peace Accords. The bloodiest years were during the 1980s when the army began its counteroffensive strategy to combat guerrilla groups.

• March 1982- General Montt along with the help of other discontent army officer seized power in a military coup d'etat which ousted Romeo lucas Garcia.
• Montt became the first evangelical dictator in Guatemala and lead the counterinsurgency war that targeted indigenous Maya communities and declared a state of seige
• July 6, 1982- Finca San Francsisco: over 300 indigenous residents were massacred
• Reime of Montt- to create La Nueva Guatemala by usng psychological and ideological influence as military control
• Fusiles y Frijoles (rifles and beans)- over 1 million were displaced and over 200,000 Mayans were disappeared, tortured and/or killed, and the decimation of hundreds of indigenous communities
• Scorched earth campaign to exterminate the Ixil population
• Montt was not put on trial until 2012 and was found guilty of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity but the case has been thrown out on the basis of technicalities. The trial is to resume in 2015

Here are a few links to news articles about the trial:

Huffington Post

New York Times

ABC News

From the Precolonial Era to Independence

Trying to fit all the moving (literally) parts for this Independent Study has become a grand project.
To get my thoughts into somewhat of a row of ducks...

Puzzle Piece #1- Scholarly research is going very, very well. This week was focused on completing the history of the Precolonial, Conquest, and Colonial Era of Guatemala. Key figures in Guatemala's history include: Pedro de Alvarado, Dona Beatriz de la Cueva, Francisco de la Cueva and Bishop Francisco Marroquin, Licenciado Alonso de Maldoado, Father Pedro Pardo de Figueroa, Felipe V, Pape Paul III, Bartolome de las Casas. Key Concepts: Popol Vuh, Mixton War, personalismo, Habsburg Bureaucracy, Bourbon Reforms, Catholic Church, Audiencia de los Confines, Intendency System, repartimiento/encomienda systems, cofradia, Enlightenment, syncretism...

Puzzle Piece #2- Crossroads Community Church held a fundraiser for Omar de Leon and his young daughter. Omar was offere a significant raise at his current job here in Illinois, but he turned it down to be a missionary in Zacapa where he will help raise-up leaders of all ages. Enough donations were made to cover his expenses for all of 2015. Also during this fundraiser, the Celeste Centro/Mission Center was presented in order to get the "full picture" of why Omar is ready to commit to moving to Guatemala. All fundraising for the Centro will be allocated by and through Share the Hope Missions- Crossraods.

Puzzle Piece #3- After the fundraiser, I am seriously considering changing from a nonprofit corporation to a private business. One reason being that if I were an independent, I could get up and running much faster and not have to worry about the IRS... Just a thought.

Deuteronomy 16:17

Every man shall give as he is able,

according to the blessing of the Lord your God

which He has given you

Want the 411 on Guatemala?

If it were even possible, I would definitely be a VIP for Loyola's library with the amount of books I have collected about Guatemala. This week's main focus was to gather basic information about Guatemala such as:

• Geography (42,000 square miles)
• Location
• Climate/Weather
• Geographical Areas
• Coastal Plains/Lowlands
• Piedmont/Transitional Zones
• Highlands/Mountains (2/3 of the country)
• Terrain/Topography (3 Geographical Zones)
• Tierra Caliente
• Tierra Templada
• Tierra Fria
• Mountain Ranges
• Sierra Madre
• Sierra de Cuchumatanes
• Volcanoes 

  

  In Antigua- puff puff

• Tajamulco
• Tacana
• Acetenango
• Fuego (my awesome photography skills)
• Agua
• Atitlan
• Pacaya
• Natural Resources/Agriculture
• Natrual Hazards
• Environmental Issues
• Population
• Age
• Growth Rate
• Ethnic Groups
• Language 

  

  Click on the link on the Left

Recognized Languages

• Urbanization
• Major cities
• Religion
• Literacy Rate
• Demographic Profile
• Income Level
• GDP
• GNI

Like I have mentioned before, the above bullet points will be in much more detail in my final write up. It is important for those going to Guatemala to know the basics, so all of this information will be provided prior to departure for missionaries.

Making progress folks!

Proverbs 3:27

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in your power to do it

Commence Phase 3

Now that all the research in regards to forming a 501c3 has been completed (Phase 1) and having gone to Guatemala twice this year (Phase 2), I can now-finally- begin Phase 3. From now through November the plan is to research Guatemala. That sounds like a very daunting task, but having nearly completed a minor in Latin American Studies, I have a solid grasp on how to go about studying a country. Also, from conducting research on a separate project (Uncovering LUC's Solidarity with El Salvador- my other blog) I learned how to efficiently go about research engines and finding reliable information. In case you are curious about what all goes equates researching a country...

1. Basic Info.- (Demographics from 2013 Census, Hispanic Pew, World Bank; Geography, etc.)
2. History- (Precolonial Era, Colonial Era, Independence, Civil War, Cold War, etc.)
3. Religion- (Precolonial Mayan religious practices, Catholicism, shifts away from Catholicism, Lutheran dominance in Conevisa, Zacapa etc.)
4. Case Study of Zacapa- (more indepth analysis of the state and Conevisa if possible)
5. Current Status- (Guatemala today and what it means to do mission work)

The goal of researching Guatemala --> Zacapa --> Conevisa in my mind is logical and relates to the whole purpose of why I chose to do this Independent Study. In my opinion, if you truly want to "make a difference" by doing mission work in another country, the best way to do so is to know the area- understanding why the community is the way it is. By having basic background knowledge on the area in which you wish to serve will give you a much better understanding in how you can help make a difference. My hope is that if and when this nonprofit gets up and running, churches will take the time to learn about Zacapa before embarking to do God's work. I will help teach the churches that simply going on a trip to a Third World country building, teaching, etc. for a few days does not make a difference (I call these band-aid trips) and in fact, usually worsens the community because a dependent relationship is being formed. Wanting to make an impact is not enough, you have to understand the how and the why in order to build relationships- now THAT will make a difference.

Romans 12:11

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Back to the Books

So close to finishing "Section One" (the legal aspect) of this incredible project! Here is a quick blurb about about what I learned about applying for 501c3 tax exempt status after having filed the articles and after having prepared the bylaws- Although, I still do not understand 1023 versus a 1024...

Preparing the Tax Exemption Application

1. Part I- Identification Applicant
2. Part II- Organizational Structure
3. Part III- Required Provisions in your Organizing Document
4. Part IV- Narrative Description of your Activities
5. Part V- Compensation and Financial Arrangements with Officers, Directors, Trustees, Employees, and Independent Contractors
6. Part VI- Your Members and Other Individuals, and Organizations that Receive Benefits from you
7. Part VII- Your History
8. Part VII- Your Specific Activities
9. Part IX- Financial Data (thus far)
10. Part X- Public Charity Status
11. Part XI- User Fee Information (of course you have to pay to have the IRS to look over this)
12. Then you send in your user fee, EIN, Parts I-XI, completed schedule, articles signatures, and name of the organization
13. Wait, and wait, and wait for approval as a public charity- or else be a foundation, which I do not want.

The tax exemption application looks to be one of the larger paperwork hurdles in starting a nonprofit organization. Basically, you must comb through line-by-line in the application. I am thinking about having a lawyer look it over because taxes just confuse me to no end. Only a few more posts about legal "stuff"- I promise!

Deuteronomy 31:6

Don't mistake God's patience for His absence,

His timing is perfect, and His presence is constant.

He's always with you!

What a Week!

Back in the USA and what an incredible week it was in Guatemala! God used the team to do His work in Conevisa in so many ways. For one, many of us were able to help a mother in Antigua by purchasing her handmade scarves, stuffed animals, and threaded goods of which all the money went to supporting her children. Doc, Julio, Mari, Mary, and Angie were able to provide dental cleanings, extractions, and fillings to approximately 70 men, women, and children in Conevisa. The municipal government of Zacapa reached 100% agreement to donate the 2.5 acres to construct the Celeste Mission Center on the mountain in the community and are willing to clearly the land for free as well as provide a bulldozer to begin construction in 2015. God blessed Omar and his daughter with providing a house in a very safe neighborhood so that they can move to El Maguay in December (only a few blocks from Nilss and his family!). God moved the heart of Doc on a whole new level, he is helping to sponsor the school and medical surgery expenses of a young girl in Zacapa- her life truly is forever changed. David is on fire to make the floor plans (I still want to call them blueprints but apparently that is an "old school" term...) for the Celeste Mission Center and the kids fell absolutely in love with him this past week. He had a constant following of little ones who wanted to help him on the computer, take pictures of anything and everything, and to play soccer. The team had the extra funds to buy over 160 pairs of Crocs for all the kids in the school as well as for those who are unable to attend school in Conevisa. This may seem like a small act of love, but it is much larger than one would think. In the past, the community has been promised by others groups time and time again that they were be supplied with shoes and never followed through on the promise. The kids are very excited to receive their new shoes in class on Monday morning. Also, by purchasing the majority of the shoes from the local market, we were able to support the local economy instead of the mass box stores ( I will not bore you on my position on the disadvantages of the large multibillion dollar industries that directly contribute to the cycle of poverty). How God used me this week- I will be frank, I usually do not play a whole lot with the kids while in country due to the constant meetings, construction of projects, etc. On Wednesday everything on our schedule got wiped out for whatever reason and THAT got me to play with the kids all day long. God brought little Ines into my life that day. She is about three years old and hardly ever speaks. She is dragged around by her older brother and was constantly covered in dirt and lice. She would hang out on the periphery whenever I was with the kids. On Friday when we went to say goodbye to everyone in Conevisa, she grabbed my leg and wanted to be carried. She clung to me so tight and did not want me to put her down. I am going to talk to Magalay (Magalay's heart is all about teaching little kids about Jesus as she hosts Bible studies in her home) about finding a way to sponsor her in some way.

God has plans for you and I, trust in Him and He will then make our paths straight

Carrie Underwood: Keep Us Safe

God keep us safe, safe tonight

Keep our eyes towards the sky,

Send out an army of angels to make us brave,

Keep us strong and unafraid,

God Keep Us Safe

God saw that it was Good

Breaking News: the municipal officially donated the land to Pastor Donnie! The entire city council (as in 100% people!) is all for the community/mission center to be constructed in Conevisa. The Vice-Mayor said, after signing the paperwork, that the reason that they want to donate so much land to us is because we are being disciples by going out to do God's will. Having heard him say that, a few of us were thinking, "Wow God is still very much alive in the community". And just like that, God gave us 2.5 acres to work with in order to help build up the Conevisa community in Christ. David is messing around with the physical blueprints of the building... two floors or one with a central plaza... who knows! As long as it is structurally sound and as disaster preventative as possible then it's aaaaaall good. The dental clinic served another 20 students and adults today. Again, these kids are brave and are taking the time to take care of their teeth. They all come out of the chair smiling those gorgeous smiles. In honor of the kids, here are a ton more photos (most of which were taken by them)~

Genesis 1: 9-10

And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear". And it was so. God called the dry ground, "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

Dentistas, Montanas, y Ninos

The dental clinic was in full swing today. Between Doc and Julio (with much assistance from Angie, Mari, and Mary) they were able to serve almost 20 kids and adults in their portable-traveling-clinic! Those were some brave kids getting fills, extractions, and cleanings all on their own today. Donnie, David, and I went to survey the land that was donated by the cocode (the board of the community). It turned into a hike up the mountain through the jungle... the area has received A LOT of rain since late June and the brush was very overgrown. As Donnie, David, and I were making our way up (in a not-so-graceful-way) the kids were scurrying up and down while playing tag in their flipflops. David says that although it will not be the easiest of builds, it can be done. As of now, the largest obstacle is getting clean water to the top of the mountain because the spring that flows into the wells that the community depends on, are running low. A portable water tank might be the solution. This post is short, sweet, to the point. More to come tomorrow!

View of Conevisa from the Future Mission Community Center

Burros

Cesar Jr. (he is getting so big!)

God is Love

Lyrics from Carrie Underwood's song- So Small:

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing,

is just a grain of sand...

Live from Zacapa!

A full day of travel and a full day in Zacapa have been accomplished! I cannot believe that it has already been three months since my last visit. Where to even begin, besides at the start. Traveling from Chicago to Guatemala City went without a hitch- thank goodness and just before the snow came? Oh Chicago. None off our luggage or dental equipment got lost and the security check points were not an issue. Allow me to introduce you to the team:

Donnie Stubblefield- Youth and International Missions Pastor for Crossroads Community Church; Conevisa land proposal information update, community update, leadership update

Angie Ardis- (my best friend’s momma) Youth Coordinator for Crossroads Community Church; all travel and logistical plans, volunteer dental clinic assistance

Mary Malik- active member at Crossroads Community Church; volunteer dental hygienist assistant

Brian O'Donovan- (aka Doc) His private practice, at the Fox Moor Plaza in Aurora, Illinois has been open for 27 years; the lead dentist along with Julio for the dental clinic

David Merlo- Graduate student at Judson; architecture of the Celeste Mission Center

Omar DeLeon- Pastor and missionary; leadership training and community liason

Julio and Mari- an incredible couple! They are from Guatemala and have joined our dental team!
Herbert- our mover and shaker... literally he is our transportation guru
Nilss, Karla, Nilssletto Morales- Nilss is our CALMS leader for the week, his wife and son joined us in Antigua. What a beautiful family

and myself- undergrad student at Loyola University Chicago; researching Conevisa, architecture/land updates, community updates, business plan, 501c3 information

As a group, we headed to Antigua for the evening (10-4-14). An absolutely beautiful city in “the bowl” of the volcanos. Check out the pictures!

"Mountain Cross"

Nillsletto informed me that there are 37 volcanos in Guatemala alone, as we were watching smoke puff from the top of one early this morning (10-5-14). For a church service, we went to the top of the “Mountain Cross” that overlooks Antigua. Again… check out the pictures! Our devotions for the week will be the readings from 1 Thessalonians. Then we were all off to Zacapa of which we will be staying at Pasabien Santa Cruz. We all made a game plan for the rest of the week and are ready to get the dental clinic up and running early this morning (10-6-14)

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' Faith

Pastor Donnie

Updates Here, There, and Everywhere

 A lot of headway has been made over this past week in regards to completing this project. On the legal end, I have contacted a personal family friend who is a tax attorney for Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins Ltd. and received excellent advice. Until this organization in incorporated (again, I am not sure if I will file) I am not liable for anything. Thank goodness! In regards to protecting my final binder/idea, I do not have to copyright but can have on file Confidentiality/Disclosure Form(s) if I do present to an already well established organization. Again, very good advice! On the academic end, Professor Berger who is overseeing my work, suggested that I "keep on keepin' on" with my work and to begin the academic research on the area of Zacapa once I return from my upcoming trip to Guatemala. Which leads me to my next point...

On October 4th I will be traveling to Guatemala along with a group of dentists and members of Crossroads Community Church. I am hoping to get a lot accomplished while in country. For my work, my goal is to perhaps conduct interviews of those who live in Conevisa. The purpose of these general interviews is to get a further understanding of the community to evaluate the conditions. Academics can only go so far in research and I truly believe that having an academic understanding of any world problem is not enough to accurately address the issues. You need to be on the ground talking with the locals and not just reading an article about them. (Side note- this has been a hot topic of discussion in my International Studies Capstone course) Another goal I have is to complete/type up the general business plan. For the purpose of my project, the business plan I am defining as: the outline of how a church is to do a trip to Conevisa i.e. what to expect, the schedule, the packing list, the area where they will be serving, contacts, etc. Any international mission organization has their own business plan, so this is nothing "new". I think that this will be the most fun to type up! While in Guatemala, I am not sure how great the internet connection will be... I will try to blog as much as possible if there is indeed a good connection.

~Please keep our team in your prayers~

It is fitting to quote Ignatius of Loyola today:

Go Forth and Set the World on Fire

Time to Clarify

I would like to make it clear to all readers of this blog that the overall purpose of the work that I am doing is to create a binder that includes the process of how to create a nonprofit corporation and the historical impact that missions has had on Guatemala from the colonial era to present day. This binder is my final project in order to receive my BA in International Studies and minor in Latin American Studies from Loyola University Chicago. I will have the tools/layout to create a nonprofit that will focus on creating connections with churches in the USA and communities in Guatemala, but IF and WHEN that happens depends on a lot more than just having the tools and a degree by the end of 2014. The legal process alone could take over nine months (and that is being optimistic) and the federal/state/legal fees alone I cannot take on at this exact moment.

With all this being said, what I will further be posting in regards to the legal process of forming a nonprofit corporation will be the basics. If you, as a reader, want to take the time like I am to learn the fine details then here is the link to Attorney Anthony Mancuso's book: Amazon  which I have been sharing throughout this blog. I am cutting down on the details because I have to essentially protect my final work that I will be submitting at the end of the semester. Plus, I do not want to be liable in some way pertaining to a nonprofit that does not even exist. I still believe that this idea for a nonprofit that helps churches in the US to connect and build long term, sustaining relationships with communities in Guatemala and then allowing those relationships to grow on their own, is needed.

Alrighty, here are the basics of Mancuso's work that I have learned:
1. Forming a corporation is the first step to obtain nonprofit status because it has to be in existence when applying for federal and state income tax exemption.
2. Mancuso provides a list of sequential steps in naming and filing the Articles of Incorporation.
3. The steps to even obtain a name is a legal process.
4. The Articles of Incorporation seem relatively simple, in my opinion- the secretary of state even provides outlines of how to meet the statutory requirements.

Thank You for Reading and God Bless

My favorite Bible verse so reposting it:

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him

and He will make your paths straight.

Guatemala is on the Horizon

Starting off with exciting news is always a wonderful. From October 4 to the 11th, I will be in Zacapa, Guatemala along with other missionaries who are hosting a dental clinic to the city of Coneviza. Although I have absolutely zero knowledge/skill for dental work, I will instead be meeting with the community leaders (cocode), the school board, and pastors in the area to discuss the plan in creating the Celeste Mission House as well as a nonprofit organization in Guatemala that will be like a sister to the one that I am creating in the U.S. It would be easiest and safest to create organizations in each country, especially for liability purposes. If internet is available then I will be much more active in posting each day while in Coneviza. The photo below is the view from the mountain that the Celeste Mission House could be built:

Matthew 7:24-27 Build upon the Rock

Back to business. A week's worth of nonprofit learning involved a lot of terminology and math (disclaimer- my undergraduate studies only required one math class, so I am a bit rusty). Here are the basics from Mancuso's text:

Chapter 4

• Public Charity Test- must be obtained along with 501(c)3 tax exempt status
• 1. Form a nonprofit that automatically qualifies
• 2. Derive most of the support from the public
• 3. Receive most of the revenue from activities related by tax exempt purposes
• Public Support Test- meaning: the nonprofit is classified as publicly supported, and the public charity must regularly solicit funds from the general community
• Must receive substantial portion of the funds from broad based public support sources
• Note to Self: May not meet because will rely on few private donors and/or grants, but can let the IRS decide
• The 1/3 or 1/10 figure of public support (math time!)

(high) --> public support 

(low)--> total support figure

= % of final public support

or

public support/total support figure = final public support %

• Public Support- the funds from private and public agencies and contributors from corporate and individuals donors
• "Normally"- is that the organization must receive either 1/3 or 1/10 of its total support from public support sources
• Government Unit- is considered public support (Ex. federal or state grants)
• Membership Fees- are public support if the member does not receive anything of monetary value in return
• Exempt Activities Support Test- the status of a 501(c)3 if not a public charity or a public support test candidate
• 1. Receive normally more than 1/3 of total support in each tax year as qualified public support (Ex. gifts, grants, contributions, membership fees, or gross receipts)
• 2. Must normally NOT receive more than 1/3 of its annual support from unrelated trades, businesses, gross investment income(s)
• Gain public support from: individuals, government agencies, other 501(c)3
• Note to Self: there is one major limitation which in any tax year, receipts from individuals or government units from the performance of exempt purpose service that exceeds $5K or 1% of the organization's total support for the year must be excluded from the organization's qualified public support figure
• Note to Self: the IRS will classify all 501(c)3s as private foundations so MUST change/apply to be a public charity
• Foundations are extremely restricted and monitored

The next chapter was about tax beneits and reporting requirements. To spare ya'll the explanations here is relative information:

• Nonprofits can apply for exemption to corporate income state tax
• Usually automatically exempt with 501(c)3 status
• But may have to notify the Department of Revenue
• IL- automatically recognized and can apply for sales tax exemption
• TX- separate application required but determination follows federal ruling (a.k.a. if given 501(c)3 status by the federal government then the state must follow suit with the tax)
• Generally have to report yearly to "register" existence (a.k.a. that the nonprofit is still alive)

I will close with a few questions to whoever is reading this blog (and thank you for taking the time out of your busy day/night to glance over this post!!!!) Any questions? Any thoughts? Any concerns? Any suggestions/ guidance/ words of wisdom that you would like to share? Want to be involved in some way? You interested to learn more about Zacapa, Guatemala? (If this is so, then do not worry because in a few weeks I will be researching all about Guatemala and how missions/the history of missions began in the area)

Matthew 7:24-27
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall,
because it had been founded on the rock.
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell,
and great was the fall of it.

If it were an "Info-mercial"...

The amount of information that has been filing my brain about how to create a nonprofit is enough to make an info-mercial. Hence, this post will be a rather long list about the basic knowings of how to create a nonprofit. All the information thus far comes from chapters 1-3 in How to form a Nonprofit Corporation 8th Edition by Attorney Anthony Mancuso. Get it here on: Amazon Also, I am learning about how the paperwork varies from state to state... having to think about whether to establish in Illinois or Texas (there is a difference in being a domestic versus foreign corporation as recognized by the states).

(fyi- highlighted blue is "new" vocab.)

• Initial Incorporation Documents:
• Articles of Incorporation
• must limit the groups' corporate purposes to one or more allowable 501c3 purposes (a.k.a. 501c3 organizational test)
• Bylaws
• Minutes
• Filing taxes annually:
• report returns with the state tax or revenue office and the attorney general
• State attorney general oversees 501c3.. religious corporations have a wider flexibility in managing internal affairs
• IRS
• Lesson Learned- hire nonprofit tax advisor/attorney
• Payroll
• Double Entry Accounting Procedures
• Status:
• First- Legal: the state corporate filing office done by filing articles of incorporation
• Second- Tax: obtain corporation income tax exemption with the IRS
• Start-Up Fees:
• $300 for federal tax exemption application fee
• Total can range from $350-400 because additions $350 if anticipate $10k gross receipts
• Lesson Learned- hire attorney for forms and to create bank account for the organization
• corporation is NOT legally required to have a specified amount of money in the corporate bank account to start (Good!)
• Finances:
• Initial money can come from:
• Contributors
• Grants
• Dues
• Lesson Learned- do NOT take start up funds from a bank because I will have to secure the loan with personal assets
• Again, can have a "reasonable" salary
• Can make money from related activities
• Lesson Learned- fine line of looking like a for-profit if generating a large amount of money and is consuming the majority of the time; can NOT substantially engage in activities unrelated to the group's tax exempt purposes such as o produce "substantial" income
• Have a Board of Directors:
• IL- need at least 3, no residency required
• TX- need at least 3, no residency required
• Term of being a Director is set in the bylaws
• No specified number in IL or TX
• Quorum- specified number of directors of the corporation to be present to take action at a meeting (usually majority)
• IL- majority/not less than 1/3 or else specified in the articles
• TX- majority as stated in the corporations certification of formation or any number (not less than 3) and having a proxy does not count
• Lesson Learned- can have a meeting over the phone but will have to check with IL and TX nonprofit corporation law and must consent unanimously if this is allowed
• Important Notes:
• None of the gains, net, profits, or dividends of the corporation can go to individuals associated with the corporation
• compensation can be challenged by the IRS and may lose 501c3 status
• can have a 'reasonable' salary for directors
• Dissolution- any assets remaining after the corporation debts and liabilities are paid must go to another 501c3
• Can NOT participate in political campaigns and can NOT engage in legislative/grass root political activities
• I probably will stay away from offering formal membership

Most Importantly: I have GOT to create a name for this organization! Any thoughts?

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make your paths straight.

And here we go!

An Introduction

As of this August, I am in my final semester in undergrad at Loyola University Chicago of which I will be receiving a BA International Studies and minors in Spanish and Latin American Studies. In order to graduate a semester early, I will be taking part in an Independent Study under the supervision of Dina Berger (no relation) who is the Director of Loyola's Department of Latin American and Latino Studies. For this Independent Study, I will be creating a framework/business proposal of a nonprofit organization focusing on Latin America- specifically Zacapa, Guatemala. The goal of completing an Independent Study is to conduct research and acquire skills that can be used in post-graduation life, and Professor Berger suggested that I do a study that will help my career life after 2014.

The Idea 

(and how it came about)

For quite a few years now I have been involved in international missions at Crossroads Community Church. Beginning with six trips to Juarez, Mexico to build houses with Casas por Cristo, and jump starting trips to West Liberty, Kentucky, and organizing the very first trip to Zacapa, Guatemala with C.A.L.M.S. all of which directed me to attend Loyola University and study international regions at the maco and micro level. With having gone on so many mission trips and starting up missions to Guatemala, I want to create my own organization that does God's work in Latin America. The problem that I have been encountering is that after going to the same area for consecutive years, the relationships have been formed between the international community and the churches stateside, thus there is not really a need for a third party organization to provide connections and trips. What my idea is is to create a nonprofit organization that helps connect churches in the U.S., that want to commit to long term missions, with the communities in Zacapa, Guatemala. Each mission will be projects that the community specifies with me such as: medical/dental, natural disaster relief, clothing drives, ESL, teaching training, general workshops, construction/building projects, etc. Instead of making a plan by the churches on what they think has to be done in the community, the churches will be informed on what needs have to be addresses by the local community. Once the churches and communities have built their direct relationships (which may take 3-5 years) then my organization will step away and allow the church and community to work together in Christ without full assistance. That is my idea in a nutshell.

The Plan

Starting a nonprofit organization is by itself difficult, to do it internationally is even harder (in my opinion). I have never started an organization before so this is a completely unfamiliar process. Just from basic Google searches, I have found the very general steps in how to create a nonprofit:

1. Make sure your idea/nonprofit does not already exist

2. Make a business outline

3. Hire a lawyer for 501c3 for all federal/state/local regulations

For Step 1- I have not found an organization yet that builds long term relationships then "steps back". Creating a name has been a struggle because the ones that I have though of are already taken.

For Step 2- that is where I am now with creating the business plan.

For Step 3- I do know a lot of lawyers and CPA's so when it comes to launching the nonprofit, I got that covered.

Another avenue I could go is to work/volunteer for a similar kind of nonprofit organization and have my project be sponsored by that organization. Just a thought...

I will be continuously blogging my Independent Study through 2014 and will create a new blog and/or website once the organization is fully formed. Until then, please keep me and my close friends (who are helping me in this journey) in your prayers. God does amazing things!