Lauren (Kelly) Quintanilla || Director of Operations - USA || Reading Teacher

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Lauren, a Kansas native, serves as our USA Director of Operations. She attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where she earned a Bachelor's in graphic design. After working several years as a graphic designer, she felt God calling her to something more. She went on her first mission trip in Central America in 2013 and fell in love with the latin culture, the Spanish language, the slower pace of life and the gratefulness with God that the people exuded. In 2016, she moved to Guatemala full-time and has been serving in Santiago Zamora ever since. Lauren and her husband, Jonathan, have been Directors of Elévate Guatemala since the end of 2018. They have greatly enjoyed watching the programs, staff and number of attending kids continue to grow over the years. 

Jonathan Quintanilla || Director of Operations - GUA || Bible Teacher

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Jonathan, born and raised in Guatemala, serves as our Director of Operations in Guatemala. He grew up as a scholarship student attending a local program similar to Elévate and was fortunate to have had amazing sponsor who even made it possible for him to study business administration at the Universidad Mariano Gálvez de Guatemala. Jonathan also played professional soccer in Guatemala, but after living a bit of a celebrity life, he felt that God was calling him into ministry. He began working in ministry in 2012 and began with Redeemer's House International in 2014 (which became Elévate Guatemala in 2018). Jonathan is passionate about helping other Guatemalans rise above their family's situations to become the successful people God created them to be.