July 2014 • Issue 2

GuatemalaNews of hope

Table of contents

Editorial .......................... 02

Special Visits ................. 03

Life Story ........................ 04

Briefs of hope ............... 06

Finishing Well ............... 08

Meet our Staff .............. 10

Media pieces ................ 11

Welcome to Guatemala ..................... 12

Credits

Editorial Board:José Carlos PremWendy GámezEricka PortaIsi Salazar

Information provided by Compassion Guatemala Program Implementation Team

email:cigt@compassion.com

Fighting child abuseCompassion Guatemala believes that children are the most vulnerable citizens in our society, which is why we advocate against child abuse.

In Guatemala, every year, there are 3,000 to 3,500 accusations of child abuse and it is calculated that 52% of the cases are not reported. Out of all the accusations only 6% is judged and ends up with a court decision. There are four types of child abuse: sexual abuse, physical abuse, abuse by neglect and socio-emotional abuse.

We strongly believe that the life of the younger ones is of great value before God’s eyes. This is why we encourage our Implementing Church Partners to have the courage to advocate, speak upand help boys and girls who are going through any type of abuse.

Through awareness campaigns, we have shared with churches and children information about how to identify and report the problem.

Pray with us that our efforts help to decrease the number of abuse cases. Also, pray that all those experiencing abuse find the courage to speak up and find the resources they need to stop suffering.

We believe that we owe children a life free of violence and fear.

José Carlos PremCountry Director

3News of Hope • Guatemala

SpecialVisits

Our president, Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado visited Guatemala last May. He was looking to share time with the staff and his sponsored children.

For GU Staff, this visit was a privilege that we all enjoyed. “This visit gave me the opportunity to see the simplicity and humbleness of brother Santiago. I learned from him” said Billy Ramírez, Accountant Assitant.

During his visit, Jimmy inspired the staff to be passionate about the work we do in this ministry. He visited the main office in Guatemala City and one of the two regional offices.

Jimmy and his family had a precious time with their sponsored children. They ate, chatted, played and prayed together.

A time to strengthen relationships with the field

Jimmy with Billy at the office tour

4 News of Hope • Guatemala

Life Story

For them it is similar to having a small piece of their sponsors with them. Unfortunately, most of Compassion’s beneficiaries will get only one letter during their entire time as sponsored children.

Every Child Development Center in Guatemala celebrates “Letter Day”, the day children will receive letters from their sponsors. Children are excited because they will be sharing a special meal and they will all receive a gift that the staff of the development

center has prepared for them. However, what they are really excited about is the fact that they will get fresh news from the people who love them. As many miles are between them, just the possibility of getting a letter and maybe even a picture of their sponsors, reassures them that they are not forgotten, they have someone who loves and cares for them.

For Meylin Moreno (GU879-0473) Letter Day is a happy day. She is one of the few kids that

Children should never feel forgotten

By Rebeca Amado de Armas

When a sponsored child receives a letter from their sponsor, it is like getting a valuable treasure they can hold on to during rough and joyful times.

Life Story

5News of Hope • Guatemala

will most likely get a letter. “I want to see the pictures my sponsors will send me this time! I love to see them so happy in everything they do”, says Meylin, while she waits for her name to be called to get her letter. As expected, Meylin got her letter and her face lit up with every word she read. She was very proud to show her classmates the pictures of her sponsors.

Unfortunately, not every child at GU879 is as lucky as Meylin. The tutors and director of the development center make their best effort trying to encourage children who did not get letters this time keep a good spirit, they also teach the children to pray for their sponsors and to feel grateful they are part of their lives and because they keep sponsoring them. “When praying for the sponsors it is common to hear expressions such as: Thank you oh Lord for my sponsor, please remind him to write me a letter soon” explains Ivonne Mazariegos, director of GU879. There are tutors that write encouraging messages in Bible bookmarks for the children that did not get letters, but at the end of the day explaining children the reason why some of them get letters and pictures while others do not, is a very hard task to do.

Among the group of the oldest children at the development center, there is a bright and smiling young boy; his name is Pablo Andrés Aquino (GU879-0438). He is the one that his classmates go to so he can read them their

sponsor letters in English. Children enjoy reading the Spanish translation but they also want to hear it in English because they want to listen to the words that their sponsor actually wrote.

When finished, Pablo sits back and stares at everyone reading and enjoying every little detail of the paper and words sent to them. Pablo did not get a letter. In fact, he has not received a single letter for the past six years. Although sadness is no longer present in his eyes, there is still a hint of disappointment in them. “No matter where my sponsor is, or what he is doing, if I could only have the chance of telling him one thing, it would be; thank you and I love you!” says Pablo.

From this experience we learned how important it is for a child to receive a small piece of their sponsor, through a letter.

Life Story

6 News of Hope • Guatemala

“…and nursing babies you have created praise”. The Lord rejoices in a genuine adoration and He let the children stand before Him. On a worship afternoon, beneficiaries from Child Development Center “Ebenezer” GU-986, located in Guatemala City, had an encounter time of praise and worship in which the children expressed their heart to our great God.

Child Development Center “Bethel” located in Chimaltenango GU-992, close to Guatemala City, has been working a poultry initiative. More than twenty beneficiaries in levels 4 and 5 are in charge of feeding and taking care of the chicken and selling eggs. The profits are being used to pay school tuitions for some of the middle school beneficiaries.

Out of the mouth of children

The small ones call the shots

Briefs of hope

Children from level 2 in Child Development Center “Semillitas de Amor” (Love seeds) GU-414, located in Guazacapan, Santa Rosa, southeast of Guatemala City, painted traffic signals in their community. This activity was carried on as a way to give back to the community and it was also intended to restate their knowledge of road safety education.

Painting safety

Eggcellent News

At the Child Development Center “Jesús El Maestro” (Jesus the Teacher) GU-465 in Nebaj, Quiche, children from level 1 are being taught since an early age in the core value of “exemplify servant leadership”. The tutor created a board in which 6 children will assume different roles: The role of the President is to help serve the snacks, the Vice-President of maintaining order in and out of the classroom, Secretary to support the distribution of materials for personal hygiene, the Treasurer is in charge of raising small offerings and members to support their peers in other tasks.

Generating IncomeChild Development Center “Cainan” GU-470, located in Guatemala City in alliance with the Mayor, is giving a certified training in imitation jewelry making to 25 mothers of the beneficiary children. The local authorities provided the instructor, Compassion

provided the materials and the church provided the facilities, furniture and food. Each mother received a diploma and a set of special tools that will help them improve their craft. This training will give them the opportunity to generate more family income.

7News of Hope • Guatemala

You cannot be too young to start preaching about Jesus and a clear example of that are the beneficiaries from Child Development Center “Jesús El Maestro” GU-465 in Nebaj, Quiche. They organized an evangelistic activity focusing on children and teenagers that work as shoeshine boys in parks and the surrounding areas of the town. Many shoeshine boys and also people who were observing the activity accepted Jesus into their hearts. When the activity ended, they received a snack and a souvenir of a day that changed their lives for better.

Sharing God’s love

Run to fight malnutritionOn February 23rd, 40 beneficiaries, parents and staff from the Child Development Center “Vida Abundante” (Abundant Life) GU-457, located in Guatemala City, participated in a competition to raise awareness about issues of hunger and malnutrition faced by children in the area. To register, participants had to bring nonperishable food, which was later distributed to several non-profit organizations. The activity was very successful as it got media coverage from a national newspaper.

Briefs of hope

Link of national newspaper that published the article of the race http://digital.nuestrodiario.com/Olive/ODE/NuestroDiario/Default.aspx?href=GND%2F2014%2F02%2F24&pageno=40&view=document

8 News of Hope • Guatemala

Life Story

On a chilly Saturday morning, among giggles and excitement, 18 young adults wearing graduation robes were standing in line, getting ready to make their big entrance to an auditorium full of proud parents, sponsors and fellow LDP students.

On June 28th, we celebrated the 11th LDP graduation. A group of young adults with

individual dreams, struggles and difficulties fulfilled a great achievement and celebrated it together.

What a success! Obtaining a university degree in a country where less than 1% of the population has access to higher education.

Finishing well

Do something great with your life

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;

and all these things shall be added unto you.

9News of Hope • Guatemala

Guatemala counts now with 18 new professional in fields such as Engineering, Graphic Design, Accounting, Law, Nursery, among others.

However, this is just the beginning; these youth will now face the professional life. They have the great commitment to represent the servant leadership character in their careers.

The reality the graduates will face in the professional life is challenging, but we are deeply convinced that their journey with Jesus and their participation in the Compassion program have equipped them to face it.

The message of the speaker

Compassion Australia´s CEO, Tim Hanna was our special guest in charge of sharing a message of encouragement during the ceremony. Under the title of: “The adventure of the rest of your life” Tim challenged them with the question: “What will it mean to follow Jesus?”

Do whatever He says: resist temptations and trust with all your heart and lean with all your understanding.

Go wherever He leads: Sometimes is not an easy path, but “He will make your path straight”.

Live with a single focus: Focus on God, in His purposes and design for your life.

Finishing well

10 News of Hope • Guatemala

• It is a privilege and a great blessing for me to work in Compassion.

• It is rewarding to know that my work is a small contribution in the transformation of the lives of children.

• During these 6 years, Compassion has enabled me to grow in different ways. It has helped me to strengthen my faith in Jesus through the principles and values of the organization, and acquire new knowledge and experience in working with Child Development Centers in different regions and cultures of Guatemala.

• For all that, I can say that working in Compassion has been a very enriching experience that has blessed my life and my family.

Leonel Valdez

SDS Senior Associate

Guatemala

Meet our staff

11News of Hope • Guatemala

Can you imagine the meaning of knowing that someone from another country, with another language and another culture cares, writes and prays for you? For a child living in poverty, having a sponsor is a life changing experience.

But, have you ever thought about how hard it might be for a child that has been part of a Child Development Center for months and is still waiting for someone to care, write and pray for him or her?

In Compassion Guatemala we have children that have been waiting for a sponsor more for than a year. Help us pray that these children might experience what having a sponsor means.

We want to share with you 3 videos that explain the impact of waiting for a sponsor, follow the links to watch them:

The impact of waiting for a Sponsor: Former beneficiary testimonyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcCnPGzqmGU

The impact of waiting for a Sponsor: Church perspectivehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybVBIsFcrqI

The impact of waiting for a Sponsor: Field Office perspectivehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq6u3LM-gdM

The impact of waiting for

a Sponsor

Mediapieces

12 News of Hope • Guatemala

Alta Verapaz:Semuc Champey

Welcometo

Guatemala

Semuc Champey is a natural monument in

the department of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, near the Q’eqchi’ Maya town of

Lanquín. It consists of a natural 300 m limestone

bridge, under which passes the Cahabón River. Atop the bridge is a series of

stepped, turquoise pools, a popular swimming

attraction.

Compassion impacton this area

Projects Beneficiaries30 7,415

www.compassiongt.org