Personal 2024
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Familia Love Guatemala
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Our Board

Amy Goldsmith
Board President

Amy Goldsmith serves as the treasurer at Love Guatemala.  She studied Biology at the University of Evansville and earned a Master’s in Health Administration from Indiana University.  She served as an administrator at the Marion County Health Department in Indianapolis and then as the Vice President of Operations at Artrageous with Nate, an art education video production company.  Currently, Amy serves as In-School Program & Impact Manager at Elevate Indianapolis, a youth mentoring organization. She is passionate about loving and serving others, particularly in educational settings.  She especially wants both teachers and students to be valued and recognized.  Amy and her husband Scott and their five children attend Indy Metro Church.

Ben Kunkel
Vice President

Ben and his family (wife Jennifer and 8 kids) have lived and served in Guatemala for 10 years. They helped establish Love Guatemala in Magdalena. Ben has served as a Pastor, Missionary and Church Planter for over 10 years. He is passionate about helping people come to know, love and follow Jesus. He is grateful to continue serving Love Guatemala through being a part of the board of directors and providing coaching for the new leadership team at Love Guatemala.

Janie Friedlein
Secretary

Janie Friedlein retired from the Foreign Service, U.S. Department of State after 25 years of service in South and Central America.  Janie served at several posts in Mexico and Columbia and had an extended special assignment in Cuba.  She retired as Consul, Bureau of Consular Affairs.  Janie brings great familiarity with both the Spanish language and Central American culture to the Love Guatemala board, as well as a caring, compassionate spirit.  She and her husband Mike live in rural Virginia near their children and grandchildren.  They are avid history buffs, and most of their travel in the U.S. and abroad centers around visiting historic sites.

Jared Huckstep
Treasurer

Jared Huckstep is the Pastor of Indy Metro Church and currently serves as the treasurer of Love Guatemala. Before becoming a pastor, Jared was a high school math teacher for 11 years and holds a degree in Mathematics Education from Purdue University, a master’s degree in Mathematics Education from IUPUI, and a certificate of urban church planting from Indiana Wesleyan University. Jared has a passion for discipling people to follow Jesus and believes that a clear calling of the modern day church is to love those who are marginalized and disinherited. Jared and his wife, Carissa, have been married 13 years. They have 2 children, Madelynn (11) and Maxwell (9) and are licensed foster parents.

Rich Irish
Board Member

Rich Irish serves as a board member of the Board of Directors for Love Guatemala. He has been a supporter of Love Guatemala for many years and currently sponsors ministry leaders, a school, teacher and student. Rich heads the Deacon Board at Indy Metro Church where he serves as the deacon of pastoral care, leads a 1st Impression Team and teaches in Metro U, an adult Sunday school. He is a retired Army officer having served 23 years and holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a MBA from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

Jake Schlegel
Board Member

Jake first became involved with Love Guatemala through Indy Metro Church on the eastside of Indianapolis where he serves as a Pastor on staff. Jake and his wife Emily share a passion and love for Latin American people and culture. They are currently licensed foster parents for unaccompanied minors at the border.  In their free time they enjoy eating at local pupuserias and playing with their gigantic but lovable German Shepherd, Clark.

Carlos Lopez
Board Member

My name is Carlos Enrique Lopez. I have been with Love Guatemala from when it first began. I have worked in different areas and I have seen how God, in the midst of his mercy, has been in each project we have carried out. He has worked in the lives of the schools, the students, the staff, with my family, but specifically with me.

My current role is Director of Training. Every year I prepare the training project for the staff and for the final year students. I do all this with the support of Guatemala Prospera, which is part of John Maxwell’s team in Guatemala, and of course with the support of teachers to give training to students. I also work with a leadership training program for all Love Guatemala staff. This helps me to be able to lead because I learn with each training I give.

Every year we receive missionaries from all over the United States. They come to serve in the community and do different projects. Another part of my job is organizing, planning and executing the different activities that we are able to do with them. I appreciate all the support you give us, thank you for your prayers for the Love Guatemala ministry and for my family.

Daniel Godbey
Board Member

Daniel serves as a missionary with Red Nueva Vida, a global organization forming disciples of Jesus and planting churches in the Hispanic world. He is a native of the state of Kansas, a pastor’s son who found direction and the calling of God while serving for eight years as a missionary to Mexico. He skillfully handles Spanish as a second language and especially excels in diverse cultural contexts. He served in Hispanic ministry with the United Methodist Church in Kansas and Nebraska for ten years before moving to Indiana to serve with Red Nueva Vida in 2018. He has experience and extensive training in coaching and facilitation methods. His prayer is to use these gifts and graces to advance the Kingdom of God in bold new ways. Daniel resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, with his amazing wife, Marina, and his two music-loving children, Caleb and Melissa. When life and work allow, you will find him fishing in the nearest river or lake.