Hope and healing in the name of Christ

In January 1988, Tim and Doris Spurrier and their children, Joe and Amy, left Canton, Ohio, with everything they owned packed into a 1972 Ford pickup truck. After five days of driving through the United States and Mexico, they crossed into Guatemala, where Doris turned to Tim and said, “I feel like we’re home.”

For the next six years, they served in Quetzaltenango, planting seeds of ministry and building relationships. Over the following decade, they worked tirelessly to raise funds, gather resources, and lead the effort alongside Guatemalan leaders to build Hospital Shalom in the remote Petén region—a place where families could find high-quality medical care close to home.

Over the following decades, the Spurriers worked alongside Guatemalan leaders to turn vision into reality. They rallied support, raised funds, and navigated the complexities of building a hospital in one of the most remote and underserved regions of the country. It wasn’t easy—but slowly, one wall at a time, Hospital Shalom took shape. When it opened its doors, it became a place of dignity, healing, and Gospel witness for families who had never known accessible, high-quality care.

Today, New Covenant World Missions and Hospital Shalom work hand in hand to serve the people of Petén through surgical, prosthetic, and outpatient care, rural medical clinics, children's programming, and spiritual development. We continue to seek God’s guidance for new ways to support Guatemalan families while sharing the hope of the Gospel in every interaction.