MEET RONALDO

Meet Ronaldo, or as he is lovingly known as “Rocha”.

Rocha was born in the city of Ocotlán, just a few miles up from our village communities. This region being known for its gang culture and cartel influence. He is one of 3 boys and 2 girls in his family.

We first met Rocha when he started coming around as a little kid for a sandwich and an orange. That simple interaction and impact of empowerment, simply feeding a starving child, changed the coarse of his life.

Today nearly 5 years later, he is one of our greatest assets. He joined the MARKED soccer team, stayed in school and today is studying carpentry to one day start his own business.

He serves the community, runs errands and helps with whatever is needed.

His heart is massive, and his desire to know more about God is contagious.

We could not be more proud of him. The transformation is evident.

MEET POCHO

Meet Ismael, or better know as “Pocho”, head of maintenance and right hand to Paty.

Ismael was a home birth in our little village town of La Peña. He has 4 sisters, 5 brothers, and is the oldest of the brothers. Though his personal story isn’t for the faint of heart, we have seen such growth in him over the past 2 years.

Pocho showed up at our kid’s day event in May 2018, he followed Jaclyn around as though he had never seen a “güera” (blondie) before. If he was going to follow he was going to be an extra set of hands, thus she put him to work. Since that day, he has not left. He joined our MARKED soccer team right after, chose to leave the gang life behind, jumped into being mentored (fathered) by Carlos and Karlisa and this last year came on as a staff member.

Though you will still find him quietly staring at you from a distance, sometimes even close up, he is leaning into this new way of life. He asks questions, and genuinely desires to change. Each month he has been given more and more responsibility, and every time he rises to the occasion.

We asked him what his favorite memories are as a kid and he said,

“one of his best memories was swimming in the lake. I also dreamed about being a truck driver. “

This year, we are going to teach him how to drive!

When we asked him his favorite thing about MARKED, he said,

“I love coaching the little kids in soccer, I love being part of the Marked family. I see in 10 years young men like me not doing drugs, people doing good deeds, grass soccer fields, have my kids and playing on the MARKED soccer team.”

MARKED Christmas Gift Guide 2019

Trying to get your Christmas gifts purchased before the rush of December hits? With just a few days away, we wanted to help make your gift giving a bit easier before the busy hustle and bustle begins.

So in the spirit of ease and treasuring the Christmas season, we put together a list of all our favorite, go-to Christmas gifts. All of these items come from companies we believe in, and many of them are items handmade by close friends and family. We believe in shopping with intentionality and purpose, and we are so happy to stand by every one of these companies, who share our hearts and carry a message that we are happy to partner with. 

Without further ado, happy shopping!

**NOTE: Shopping AMAZON, did you know you can type in Smile.Amazon.Com and select Marked by Heaven as your charity of choice. Amazon then gives back a percentage of your purchase to MARKED without any added cost to you! 

Turbans for Tots:

• Handmade goodies made in NorCal by our friend Jenna. Bows, headbands, hats, scarves and more for both adults and kids alike. Check out their website www.turbansfortots.com or their instagram handle @turbansfortots

The Coastal Kind

• Handmade clay jewelry and textile design made by our friend Lauren. The perfect gift or stocking stuffer. Check out her website at www.thecoastalkind.com or her instagram handle @thecostalkind

The MARKED store

• Give the gift of coffee this Christmas. One time orders or a monthly subscription are available. In addition you can shop for fun leather items to put in stockings or give as a gift as well as our MARKED cookbook. www.marked.org/store

Pink Ever After

• Personalized items, jewelry, gifts for men with a heart for missions. Rumor has it that they may even have some MARKED leather bags for sale! Visit their website, www.pinkeverafter.com or visit them on instagram @pinkeverafter

Wild Willow

• “Beautifully crafted handmade earrings for every type of Woman.” Check out our friends at www.wildwillow.co or on instagram @wildwillow.co for some really fun unique earrings!

MEET MARICELA

Meet Maricela, our receptionist and program coordinator P.A.,

Maricela is 36 years old, and was born and raised in the community of San Pedro. Married for 18 years, though raising her 3 boys as a single mama as her husband crossed the boarder years ago and has not been back since.

Maricela joined the MARKED team as a volunteer a little over a year ago when her son was invited to play soccer with our team. She was the first mom in this particular community to begin to volunteer with us.

She is soft spoken, a servant at heart and dedicated. Kindness should be her middle name. She shows up early and stays late. She will try anything and is determined to grow in her skills.

She is the first face you see when you come into our community center. Welcoming all that enter. She tutors the younger kids during the week and is available for anything else that is needed throughout the facility. Though many of our other staff members come from a neighboring village, they have welcomed Marisela as part of the family, and family she is. If you come and visit, you will fall in love with her as quickly as we all did.

Meet KARLISA

Meet Karlisa, Jaclyn’s executive assistant and right hand on the ground in Mexico.  

Karlisa and Carlos were Micheal and Jaclyn’s answer to prayer! After the Miller’s had to leave Mexico so suddenly, the Lopez family came into our lives not long after.

After connecting with a dear friend of the Miller’s through Karlisa’s work as a teacher, she would be the one to ultimately connect their family and hearts to ours.

She and Carlos joined Jaclyn’s parents on one of their trips back to check in, jumped in with both feet and the rest is history. They volunteered for MARKED for 1 year before Karlisa flew out to Georgia to meet the Miller’s where they would officially become staff.

Though a mama to their bio kids first, Karlisa has a huge heart to create family for those who most would deem unable to be “mothered”.

When we asked Karlisa what she loves about MARKED she said,

“What I love about MARKED is the love that is felt the moment you are around anyone in the MARKED family.” 

Happy 8th Anniversary MARKED

Happy 8th Anniversary MARKED!

Celebrating 8 years of empowerment, 8 years of moving towards sustainability, and 8 years of transformation. 8 years of miracles. 8 years of provision. 8 years of His faithfulness.

Thousands of lives forever impacted all because of YOU! 8 years of you showing up and saying YES! We could not thank you enough.

To help us celebrate our 8th anniversary. Would you share about us with 8 of your friends today?

Meet the MILLER'S

For those new to MARKED, let us introduce ourselves. We are the Miller’s.

Micheal and Jaclyn.

We founded MARKED back in November 2011 after a vision the Lord had given Jaclyn when she was in middle school. From there the seed was planted, and ultimately grew into who we are today! You can read more about that on our website in the “about us” section!

Jaclyn still runs MARKED full time as the managing director both in the U.S as well as Mexico while Micheal fills in when needed or desires as he also runs multiple businesses and works for a large financial institution in the U.S.

Fun fact: The Miller’s do not and have never taken a salary from MARKED. We are fully funded personally outside of the organization. Meaning all financial gifts and donations go straight to the work we do in Mexico.

Together we are a team seeing that MARKED thrives to the best of its abilities and that we carry the vision and strategies well. We believe in empowerment and sustainability and believe that those 2 values are ultimately what brings about transformation in the Nations.

Meet PATY

Meet Paty, our Village Kitchen Coordinator.

Paty is in charge of all our MARKED kitchens. From meal planning, gardening, shopping, teaching and everything in between.

Paty is an excellent chef and baker: from chocolate flan and her famous Christmas dinners, Paty knows how to wow a hungry crowd. She is the friend in the group who when they offer to bring something to your house for dinner, you say yes, every single time. Not only can she make something delicious out of nothing, but she hosts people so well. When you walk into Paty (and Sam’s) house you feel at home. Together with Sam, they have 3 beautiful children.

She is lively, has a mamas heart and loves people well.

She has a new favorite hobby of swimming and enjoying life in a small town, being at home, as well as buying and taking care of the gardens.

Paty began as a volunteer for Marked because it was a dream her husband, Sam, had to help this community after his first time visiting: where he fell in love with the heart Carlos carried for people, the vision of MARKED and where he found a new love for the people of Chapala.

When asking Paty about her first time volunteering she said,

“I remember the date exactly, December 21, 2015 for our annual Christmas Party in the villages. That day I saw the moms with their little kids, how excited the kids were to receive a gift and it was like a missing puzzle piece that I knew I would get to play a part of.”

“What I love most about working with MARKED is the deep connection I have with the women in the community where every home feels like home.”

Paty has a dream to go back to school to study nutrition as she has been growing and taking over our MARKED kitchens.  

We love Paty and are thankful she is apart of the MARKED team.

Meet SAM

Meet Sam, our village coordinator.

Sam volunteered for Marked for a year and a half before jumping on board after meeting Carlos and Karlisa. He and his wife Paty of 12 years, along with their 3 kids; Suri, Booz, and Mateo have now been on staff with us for almost 3 years.

Their favorite pastime is swimming and watching their kids play soccer. 

Sam really enjoys getting to know the people who make up our Marked community; listening and hearing their stories and ultimately doing life with them.

Last year, Sam and Paty moved their family to the town just outside our village communities so that they could be closer and be more apart of our communities everyday lives.

“I dream that our communities will be radically transformed by Jesus.”

He sees the Marked community growing as a family, a family that would thrive as each person discovers their part to play. His principal mission is to demonstrate to the community a reflection of their ‘true self’, the way we see them, but ultimately the way God sees them. He resonates with MARKED’s message of bringing hope and encourages the dreams lying just beneath the surface when you wipe away the tears, poverty, pain.

Fun Fact: Sam considers himself a “frustrated” musician, who at one time explored percussion instruments (bongo drums, cajon, djembe, drums). He hopes to one day dedicate the time and effort to play.

Meet CARLOS

Another fun fact: Carlos loves menudo…

Carlos, was born and raised in a town on the outskirts of Guadalajara. He eventually made his way to the United States where he would come to know the Lord and also meet his beautiful bride of 13 years, Karlisa. After a few years raising their family of 3 in the States, they felt a pull to move back to Guadalajara.

Not too long into their move back to the city, they were connected to MARKED by B.E.S.T Academy, one of our strategic partners, because he had a heart to see people come to know the Father. For one year, Carlos volunteered faithfully with MARKED before officially asked to come on staff. This past August we celebrated 4 years of Carlos being on staff with us!

Carlos if our Director of Soccer Operations and also heads up our entrepreneurial side of the organization locally.

Though he is known among the community for coaching our boys soccer team, Carlos recently began playing soccer for a team made up of the dads from his daughters middle school.

Fun fact: Carlos played 3rd division soccer for Atlas as a goalie when he was just a teenager/ young adult.

Carlos loves the role he gets to play in the lives of the young men in our community.

He always tells them “I am going to dream big for you until you start dreaming big for yourself.”

Those dreams have led to a transformation of vision, culture and language among many in our communities.

MARKED would not be where it is today without the leadership and heart to serve that Carlos brings every single day to work. Carlos is a father, and he is fathering our communities well.

SURPRISE!!! Micheal is BACK!!

After 5 and a half years. MICHEAL IS BACK!

A big shout out to Jaclyn’s parents who flew to Sacramento to meet Micheal for the flight in, and to a generous partner who made it all possible.

For those of you know our journey, you know it has been a long and often scary battle.

For those of you who don’t. The short version was that while we were living in Mexico we had hired an attorney IN Mexico to complete our visas, and that attorney ended up being corrupt. Stealing Micheal’s identity and falsifying a lot of documents using Micheal’s name.

We figured out something was wrong when we few back to Seattle for an event and upon return Micheal was detained and deported (in Mexico, you are guilty until proven innocent)…. This happened twice before realizing he was in trouble.

BUT GOD. This past year (actually a couple months ago) we WON our case with the supreme court of Mexico. (This is MAJOR!) Clearing his name and allowing him to obtain his temporary resident card!

We have all our attorneys to thank, but especially our liaison (now attorney) Darren who worked SO hard and SO many hours to see this come to pass.

Fun note: Darren became an attorney in Mexico during this process and is now apart of the MARKED team!

So this past weekend we CELEBRATED!

Micheal flew in with Jaclyn’s parents and was welcomed by a group of us! Celebrating his arrival! From there we all headed downtown for Chilaquiles and an early breakfast. We spent the next 3 hours at the immigration office where we began our process of obtaining our temporary residency!

Back to the same “dirt road” where it all started, only this time it is paved!

The rest of the weekend was spent with our MARKED board, staff, communities and friends!

We had parties, ate more tacos than we can count and laughed a lot!

Such sweet sweet redemption.

What the enemy meant for evil God used for good. These past 5 years we have seen the tangible evidence of the Father in all that we do. What should have tanked our organization only grew it by the thousands.

We cannot thank those of you enough who have stood by us, prayed for us, financially partnered, visited our bases and staff and loved on our communities.

It takes a village and boy do we have an incredible one.

Can’t wait to share more soon.

Meet CHUY

Meet Chuy, she was born in La Cuesta (Mezcala). She is one of 8 brothers and sisters. Mari being one of them! She herself has 4 boys and 1 girl. For those who have followed along with us for any amount of time, you may recognize one of her sons, Lisandro and her daughter Luciana (Lucy). Chuy was married to her husband Luis Alberto, for 14 years before her husband tragically passed away of liver disease after being ill for nearly 3 years.

“I came to help hand out the oranges, I stayed because it felt like family.”

Chuy volunteered with us for a couple years in the kitchen, helping prepare and cook all the meals for our community until a year ago when she officially became our local kitchen lead.

In addition to the kitchen, Chuy comes in on Saturdays to make sure our facilities are clean and cared for, ready for the week ahead. Chuy is one of the most dedicated people we know.

“I belong, and see how the young adults have changed so much and the younger ones are following in their footsteps.”

We asked Chuy what she would like to learn. She said,

“I would like to learn how to ride a bike.”

I think we may just need to make that happen.

Meet MARI

Maricela or Mari as she is endearingly called throughout our bases, was born in San Pedro, she is 1 of 8 brothers and sisters. Mari has 5 boys and 2 girls of her own Joel, Asuncion, Ramon, Anahai, Heriberto, Juan Diego, Omar (Paquito), and is a grandmother to 3. We first met Mari when her husband was very ill while she was caring for him and their children. They were married for 11 years before her husband passed of cancer. Not long after her husband had passed Mari began to volunteer for MARKED. She spent two years as a volunteer, 2 years working part-time for us, and in just a few months we will celebrate a year with her as a full time staff member.

Mari is now over our Artisan room, creating all the beautiful hand made leather goods. When you purchase a pair of earrings or any of the leather goods, you are empowering her to provide for her family.

Mari says, “Marked is my family. I love everything I do with Marked from cleaning, preparing food and working in the artisan room.”

In her free time she likes to knit napkins and create different decorations.

NOAH & MARCIE: Our State Side Staff

Since so many of you are new to us, we thought we should re-introduce you to our staff who make what we do on the ground possible! So over the next few weeks we are going to be highlighting them!

This week we wanted to introduce you to our state side team, Noah and Marcie!

First, meet Noah.

Noah (or prince Noah as our kids so endearingly call him) is a talented graphic designer from southern Michigan. In just a few short weeks, we get to celebrate Noah as he marries his best friend since middle school, Caitlynn! Noah found Marked on Instagram from an ad in early 2018 and has been working as our lead designer ever since. He is in charge of creating the visual content you see; ranging from booklet designs, social media graphics, photography coverage, and video promotional material.

Noah has a massive heart for our communities and we are so thankful he reached out and joined the MARKED family!!

"I love Marked because it's about changing entire communities for the better. Starting with empowering the locals, transforming their lives, and giving them the tools to sustain themselves." - Noah

Next, meet Marcie.

“Hi I'm Marcie! I'm a Wife, a Mom, Disney lover, world traveler and Pug owner!
My son Noah is 21 and My husband James and I have been married for 21 years!
I have been serving with Marked for about a year and a half and have been on Staff for almost a year!
If you have ever needed a credit card updated or order Marked Coffee - you have most likely spoken with me or we've corresponded via email!
I was connected with Marked through a conference about 2 years ago that was being held at my church. I not only felt a kinship with the Miller’s, but I fell in Love with the mission of Marked to empty orphanages by empowering lives to break the cycle of poverty.
This is a statement I would love to see around the world in all nations to break the cycle of poverty and let the word orphan become something future generations only read about in history books. As someone who has traveled to multiple nations, I wanted to see how Marked was achieving this goal on the ground in Guadalajara and 6 months after meeting the Miller’s I was on a plane heading to Mexico. I got to see first-hand what it looks like to empower a child through simple things like proper hygiene, coloring, preparing a meal, playing soccer as a team and eating a warm meal before school. While that may not sound glamorous or exciting - simple, consistent things bring about change throughout a community.
The biggest take away I got from my trip there and one thing that I have seen firsthand from Marked is their desire to "Go Low" with those in the communities they work in. They don't shy away from the dirty work or the hard work. It’s not easy changing mindsets, but someone partnering with them to provide hope can be a life line to kids and families .” - Marcie

I Know We Talk About Coffee A Lot, But Here's WHY...

I know we talk about MARKED coffee a lot, but here’s why…

It offers sustainability.

It’s a way for people like yourselves to get involved with something that is already apart of your every day life. And by yours, I mean most of us.

It’s coffee with a purpose. It doesn’t cost more than your average bag of high end coffee, it ships directly to your door for convenient sake, it’s roasted by an award winning roaster and it is packaged beautifully which could also be used for a fun gift!

If you haven’t purchased the coffee yet, can we encourage you to give it a try? Buy it for yourself or a friend and let us know what you think!

One time and monthly subscriptions are both available!

We Are Getting Closer to Launch!

A few months back we shared with you about our new leather line that will be launching soon!
Well, this past month we had the privilege of hosting Angel, one of our MARKED partners, again to help oversee the project.

These past few months, the moms have been working on practicing sewing straight lines, cutting and measuring.

This week they showed off their new skills, practiced more under the supervision of Angel, and they began putting their first few bags together.

Though these won’t be for sale for a little while longer, we are exited for what the future holds for our mamas and our leather line!

This first bag will be named, The Marisela. After Mari who has been hard at work perfecting her craft.

We cannot wait for more community members to learn the craft of sewing to help provide sustainability for their families and future generations.

Gardens, Gardens and More Gardens

One of the most exciting things that has taken place over the summer is that our community is learning how to grow their own garden? 🌱

Not only how to grow, but how to compost, harvest the seeds and replant.

We had the privilege of hosting Operación Bendición for a few months while they studied the local agriculture and then helped teach our staff how to best serve the community in the ways of gardens. We planted what we know they use, but also what grows best in the region.

Everyone from the moms, to dads and kids in the community got involved. It has brought excitement in a new and a fresh way! And we too couldn’t be more excited.

We now have multiple sections throughout our base and community center filled with fresh garden goodies! 🥒🥕🌶🌽🌱🌾 Though we have already begun to harvest certain items, we cannot wait for the bounty that lies ahead!

What is in your garden this summer?

Did you know?

Over the next few weeks on our social media platforms you may see a “Did you know?” caption that starts out the post like the one i’m going to post below. We thought it might be helpful to have you meet some of our staff, learn more about our programs, as well as learn some statistics of what we are working to change.

We hope you find these posts helpful and even educational.

We hope they help you feel empowered to engage in our story a little bit more.

Here is one of those posts:

Did you know?

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"Sicaritos are children who are assassins, 13 or 14 years old typically. The cartels give them a weapon to use. It's easier for a boy. If he's older, he thinks too much — he may think about the consequences. But when you're young, you think you can take on the world."*

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But did you know that by partnering with MARKED you are helping change this?

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Say YES to partnership. Say YES to a future.

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You see the region we work is targeted for situations much like the statement above. But through our programs, we are giving new opportunities like this one right here. Carpentry. We have partnered with a local company who is committed to helping us change this statistic. Giving opportunity to learn how to build and create. To dream again. And to hope for their future.

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This is the face of hope.

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This is the face of transformation.

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#SourceNPR* #transformation #change #bethechange #endabuse #mentorship #life #endsuicide #sayyes #partnership #orphans #nolonger #adopt #savelives #family #wholeness #empower #sustainability #transformation #impact

YOU ARE INVITED!!!!!

IMAGINE | THE CONFERENCE
AUGUST 17 2019

WE CULTIVATE A GLOBAL COMMUNITY AND CONNECT YOU WITH OTHER LIKE MINDED INFLUENCERS WHILE RECORDING AND RELEASING NEW EP’S. WITH 3 DAYS OF COMMUNITY AND TRAINING, WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE COULD HAPPEN?

THIS YEAR WE WILL BE IN NASHVILLE, TN! CREATIVITY, INNOVATION AND WORSHIP, INTENTIONAL SESSIONS, PANELS AND EXCLUSIVE Q&A’S WITH LEADING VOICES.

AUGUST 17, 2019 

(INCLUDED IN PACKAGES) STARTING AT $29
WITH MORE TO COME,
SOME SESSIONS INCLUDE:

Creativity In Business — Creativity In The Marketplace

Musicians & The Band — Learning To Play Beyond Yourself

Song Writing — Melodies, Lyrics, Hooks and More

Writers & Poets — Poetry that moves the heart

Digital Arts/Design — Leading In a Digital Age

Creativity in Culture - How Creativity Transforms Culture

Power of Connection - A Culture Of Family NOT Family Business

MANY MORE!!!

More info or to get your ticket: https://www.resurgentsound.com

Summer Courses

We LOVE Summer!!! I know we have said that before! But genuinely we do.

This past week we did a “soft launch” of our summer classes, but before word got out, we wanted to see how many kids would show up when “nothing” was planned. And show up, they did! When our staff arrived Monday morning, there were 84 little faces waiting for them to simply hang out. What the kids didn’t know was that we would be breaking them into groups and hosting the first day of “camp” so to speak.

This summer we are partnering with the city of Poncitlán to host courses all summer long. Everything from science to sports, “ethics” aka Bible to music. The kids will daily get to spend a 2 hour window with us, with a hearty and healthy snack included.

We cant wait to see what the weeks bring, and how many more kids show up as soon as word hits the street!

Happy Summer!