I never imagined that cleaning hotel rooms would change my life. One day, as I was tidying up a guest’s room in Boca Chica, I noticed a small paper on the nightstand titled “The Most Important Question of Your Life.” I picked it up and began to read. As I read each word, something stirred in me a sense of conviction and curiosity.

My name is Manar. I’m a pastry chef, a mother of three–ages 10, 11, and 12–and a widow for eight years. When my youngest was still a toddler, my husband became a believer in Christ. I, however, wanted nothing to do with it. In fact, the more he talked about his faith, the more resistant I became. I dug in my heels and eventually declared myself an atheist.

Last month, the jungles of Petén, Guatemala–once home to longtime BMA missionary Marvin Loyd–were alive again with the sound of laughter, joy, and gospel hope. Through Everlasting Smiles Shoeboxes, the ministry that began years ago in this region continues to bear fruit for the glory of God.

My story begins in one of the hardest seasons of my life. I was battling stage 4 breast cancer, and I was full of anger and bitterness. My life had been hard, and now this diagnosis felt like the final blow. I blamed God for everything–my pain, my struggles, and my cancer.