Miracles Take Time: Building Confidence and Hope for Young Women

Rev. Karen Castillo, president of the Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala (ILAG), describes her church’s work for women and girls not as something miraculous, but as a gradual awakening within their communities.

ILAG, one of the Lutheran World Federation’s newest member churches, joined in 2018. Today it has 17 congregations in three regions of Guatemala, most of them in remote areas serving indigenous communities where female leadership has not traditionally been welcomed.

From the beginning, ILAG has been shaped by a commitment to education and equality. That vision started with Castillo’s parents, who founded the church 29 years ago, and it continues today through Casa Milagro, or Miracle House—a boarding school for girls on ILAG’s campus in Guatemala City.

Casa Milagro houses 15 girls, ages 10–20. Its purpose is to help young women repair their self-esteem, become empowered against abuse, and prepare to support themselves through education and small-business training.

“We listen. Our policy is to never tell congregation members what they need. We listen to what they want. Our ministries come from the needs of the people,” Castillo explains.

Through this listening, Casa Milagro was born. While families were initially hesitant to send their daughters, trust slowly grew. Today, girls at Casa Milagro not only learn that abuse is unacceptable but also gain the courage to speak up, return to their villages with confidence, and share their experiences with their communities. Each girl attends alongside a “buddy” from her village, ensuring mutual support when they return home.

Castillo acknowledges the challenges of leading in a male-dominated society but points to the slow transformation of both men and women in the church as they studied scripture together and discovered a vision of equality rooted in God’s love.

Casa Milagro graduates are visible signs of this transformation. They return to their communities not with superiority, but with humility and strength, modeling new possibilities for girls and women across Guatemala.

At LCR, we are honored to partner in this work. You’ll have an opportunity to support the Milagro Women’s Education Center at our upcoming Guatemala Gala on Friday, September 12, 2025, 7:00–9:00 PM at the Atlanta Country Club. Join us for dinner, speakers, and a raffle benefiting this life-changing ministry.

Read the full interview with Rev. Castillo at lutheranworld.org/news/guatemala-miracles-take-time-and-trust