Casaverde Ministries
Casaverde is a ministry of Church on the Rock in Melbourne, Florida. The ministry is located in Peronia, Guatemala, a very poor and high-crime area on the outskirts of Guatemala City. Casaverde means “greenhouse” in Spanish. We see Casaverde (CV) as a place where children and youth can be cared for and nurtured in the Lord. At present we own four properties in Peronia.
“Our desire is for each child to receive from the Lord and have seeds of His Word planted in their hearts on a regular and consistent basis. As the ministry grows, our prayer is that each person touched by this ministry will continue to grow into a spiritually mature child of God.”
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Casaverde 1, our first building, is a ministry to children and youth that provides a safe and nurturing environment for over 150 children of Peronia. Many of these children are being raised in intensely difficult situations. Although poor in the eyes of the world, they really are treasures in the eyes of God. At CV 1 services are held throughout the week. Each evening the service is geared to a particular age group. The services are much like modern church services with opening prayer, praise, worship, and a Bible lesson. There is usually an activity or game after the lesson and then a very simple dinner is served. For most of the children, this meal is more than they would receive at home. This building is also used by the local church for its services, small group meetings and other ministry activities.
Missionary, Janet Moutray, works with us part-time in the areas of music and prayer. She is the director of our music school, Casaverde Worship Academy. Qualified teachers give classes in guitar, keyboards, drums, bass, and voice. These classes are provided free-of-charge to the children and youth of Peronia with the vision of raising up worshipers among them - not just musicians. In addition to the actual lessons, our facilities and instruments are made available to the students throughout the week for practices. Our first year of operations yielded over thirty graduates, the majority of which, have moved on to more advanced classes and/or other instruments.
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Casaverde 2, our second building in Peronia, houses a private Christian school called “Colegio Rhema”. The school became a reality through collaboration with the local church and the pastors are responsible for its administration. The vision for the school is to offer to the community a Christian education option at a much reduced cost so as to make it available to many who otherwise would not be able to afford it. Soon we will be entering into our sixth school year of kindergarten through the sixth grades. Together we are making it happen!
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Casaverde 3, our third building in Peronia, was purchased in June of 2005. It is currently under construction as we add a second story to the building. The upstairs of this building will become a multi-purpose facility. The plan is to use this room for church services, overflow from the children's program in CV1, activities for Colegio Rhema, etc. Downstairs will be a kitchen, storage areas, etc. This property also has a separate building that we hope to offer to the community as a medical clinic once the CV3 construction is completed.
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Casaverde 4, is a small city lot located directly behind CV1. This area has been concreted and is used as a safe play area for children as well as a place to hold outdoor community events and church meetings. This area is also used by our school for physical education classes and recesses.
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Missionary, Chris Schoff oversees our ministry in Guatemala. Chris was born-again in March 1986 at New Covenant Fellowship, renamed Church on the Rock Melbourne in 2006. While working at Harris Semiconductor Corporation, he participated in three short-term mission trips to Guatemala. In September 1992, at the age of 34, he moved to Guatemala permanently. During his first five years in Guatemala, he worked for two other missions already established in the area. In September 1995, he was given legal custody and subsequently adopted Raúl, a Guatemalan boy that had been abandoned by his parents and had been living on the street. In July of 1997, he assumed a struggling children’s ministry in Cuidad Peronia - now known as Casaverde. Each year the ministry prospers as Chris and his staff strive to bless the children of Guatemala. We truly serve a God that makes a difference!
As God continues to open doors, our vision is to have several other houses in Peronia and to give more children an opportunity to know about the love our Lord has for them. We want to increase our ministry to their families and eventually establish a church community in Peronia.
COTR Melbourne generally sends mission teams to Guatemala twice a year to offer assistance, minister, and provide support to the local community. These trips can be a life-changing experience, particularly if you have never been to a third world country. Many have testified of the impact these trips have had on their lives and have returned to Guatemala on subsequent trips. It is a wonderful opportunity to be a blessing to a very needy people, as well as establish meaningful relations with the people of Guatemala.
