Many of my friends are aware of the organization that I have fallen in love with here in Guatemala City. I feel like I can never say enough about the wonderful things that Hope for Guatemala does for the families in Zone 18. This was my second trip to the ministry to visit and learn more about the children from this impoverished part of the city. In Zone 18 most children quit school by the age of twelve to go work to help support their families. The area has very high gang activity and crime including murder and robbery. Many of the children have seen someone close to them die. Jose Armas grew up in the neighborhood and heard a calling from God to help educate and spread the Gospel. So in 2004 he began Hope as a vacation bible school which quickly grew into a an after school program that now feeds over two hundred children five days a week. They also provide fresh fruits and vegetables to the families of these kids. Every child enrolled in Hope must attend school. And this year they had their first young lady graduate from high school. Vanessa is now working as a secretary and earning a salary three times more than if she had not completed her schooling. She wants to continue on to college.
Elvis and I baked over two hundred cookies to take to the ministry. We served our cookies with the meal for the day. It is a very special treat for them to get anything like chocolate chip cookies. We were thanked with many hugs and kisses, the greatest reward a person receive from another.
After returning from my trip in May this year I immediately signed up to sponsor a teenage girl named Veronica. Her story, like the rest of the children, has so much tragedy and heart break in it. In spite of all of the obstacles and sorrow in her life, she has managed to return to school and will enter the 8th grade this year. In her world gangs, drugs, alcohol, and abuse threaten to pull her into the cycle of life in Zone 18. What has drawn me to her is that in spite of everything going on around her she knows the difference between right and wrong and she chooses the right path.
Elvis and I were invited to her house so see what a typical home was like. She and her mother have a two room cinder block home with a sheet metal roof. There is no running water therefore no kitchen sink or bathroom. They do not have a refrigerator and the stove is a gas stove and rarely is there enough money to fill the tank. I also find out from Jose that she and her mother are at risk of losing their home to the government. I take the opportunity for the first time to ask Veronica what she wants for her life. Her first answer is simple. I want peace in my family. This, I know is beyond me. So I ask her what it is she wants for herself, what are her dreams? She tells me that she is studying to be a secretary in school, but what she really wants is to be a fashion designer. Immediately an idea comes to me.
Elvis and Jamie are good friends with Edwardo Figueroa who is a successful fashion designer from Guatemala City. We immediately call Edwardo and make plans to take Veronica to his shop to meet him. Saturday afternoon we take her to the Oakland Mall to look in all of the designer shops. We tour the VIP Cineopolis Theater. And we take her to lunch at a nice restaurant. Even though she speaks no English and my Spanish is limited, we manage to learn a little about each other. Veronica has never been to Zone 10, which is the wealthy part of town, and she has never seen anything like the Oakland Mall. After lunch we go to Edwardo's studio where he inspired all of us with his drawings turned to dresses. He talks to Veronica about his education, the process of making his designs into clothes, and even invites her to come spend a day in his shop.
I hope that I have helped this incredible girl realize that education is the key to her dreams. And I hope that her dreams can keep her on the right path. There are many other children in the ministry that need sponsors. If sponsorship is not within your means I encourage you to make a donation. And should you ever find your way to Guatemala City, the children of Hope would love for you to come visit them.
Please read more about Hope for Guatemala please visit http://www.hope4guatemala.org
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