Lemonade @ NC State

Corrugated tin.

For us it's used as a backdrop to make our presentation.

For those in La Limonada it's called home.

I can't help but notice the stark contrast as these 2 different worlds collide.

This week we (Bill, Cherie, myself and great friends who joined us) had the privilege of setting up in the brickyard at the NC State campus for International Week.  We will simply talk to anyone who wants to hear about this amazing work that is happening in Guatemala City and how valuable and necessary it is.

And that's exactly what we did.

Students came asking what we were about and left asking how they could help.

Plans are being made to raise awareness, show the documentary, and talk more about trips there to help.

A very exciting thing to us.

And by us I mean everyone who supports, prays for, or even has a passing thought about La Limonada.

Everyone plays such a vital part in making this work possible.

In combining what feels like 2 different worlds, with love.

Maria's Sponsor Child

Jeremiah from Vineyard Central has been in La Limonada for the past week. When we were in Cincinnati with the VC community in August, Maria was one of the people from the church to make the commitment to sponsor a child.

Jeremiah lives in the same neighborhood as Maria and knows about her commitment to pray for the young girl she is sponsoring, so when he was in La Limonada with Tita they sought out Maria's child. Here is an excerpt of an email Jeremiah sent to Maria from Guatemala yesterday:

So you'll never guess who I met in La Limonada today?! [Child's Name Withheld for HerProtection]! Tita took us to her house just to see if she came back and she was there. I told her that her sponsor was praying for her and that Tita would deliver your letter next time she goes. She was so happy about that! She asked if you could pray for her safety and for her brother. The reason they had to flee was because her 16 year old brother is in a gang and killed someone, and needed to be away for protection. Her brother is now in prison. [She] hopes to go back to school soon, but may need to remain in refuge for awhile longer in case of gang revenge. She needs your prayers now more than ever. Thanks for your support!

See you soon,

Jeremiah

Unfortunately this type of situation is not rare among the families in La Limonada. But, it is amazing to see the redemption of the struggles they face when a child returns "home" and to "La Escuelita".

Thank you Maria. And thank you Jeremiah.

Emergent Village Weblog Post

Thanks to Steve Knight, the Emergent Village Weblog includes a post today about our work in La Limonada. Please take some time to check out the post and leave a comment:
http://www.emergentvillage.com/weblog/loving-and-befriending-the-poor-in-la-limonada

Thanks so much for sharing in our passion for the work of Lemonade International!

Art Camp

BuildaBridge together in partnership with Estrategia de Transformación is conducting an Arts Camp for more than 80 children from La Escuelita in La Limonada.The camp will take place from November 24-28 at a beautiful retreat center near Puerto Barrios, Guatemala (about a 5 hour drive from Guatemala City) on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

There are 6 artists making the trip to Guatemala through BuildaBridge who will be teaching visual arts, drama and dance... and another 15 volunteers from Guatemala that will be making this time possible. Churches and individuals have giving generously to Estrategia de Transformación to help make this camp happen and this will be a time the children will never forget!

The children pictured in the slideshow below will be attending the Art Camp. If you donated to make this camp possible by sponsoring a specific child, please click on the slideshow which will take you to the web album where you can click on the photo of the child you sponsored and download it (some of the children attending the camp are not pictured in the slideshow). You are encouraged to print the photo and pray for the child you sponsored as they experience this amazing opportunity to learn about God's love through the arts.

If you have sponsored a child through Lemonade International whose photo you see in the slideshow please take some time to pray for them as they prepare to leave their families for a few days and experience "camp" for the first time in their lives.





Estrategia de Transformación seeks to equip the church in Latin America to serve at risk youth and their families in difficult places.

BuildaBridge is an arts education and intervention organization that engages the transformative power of the arts to bring hope and healing to children, families, and communities in the tough places of the world.

House Concert

We just got back from the home of a family here in Raleigh who hosted a "House Concert" with Joel Close the Worship & Arts Pastor from Lifepointe Church here in town (where Sommer is also a staff member). The people of Lifepointe have been incredible this year as we have begun the work of raising awareness and support for the work in La Limonada... and tonight was no exception.

Joel sang about 8 songs and before the final song gave us an opportunity to share about Lemonade International for a few minutes and to show our short film "Such A Medicine Is Love". We set up a table in the dining room for people to stop by following the concert and it looks like about 5 more children were sponsored!

Thanks so much to Joel and for everyone who came and supported the work in La Limonada in various ways. It was a great night!

The Edge - Atco, NJ

This past weekend I had the opportunity to be with the The Edge in Atco, NJ - where my childhood friend, Dennt Sant, is the pastor. What a great group of people... with a heart for their community and for the world.

So far, three more children were sponsored from our time together... and our network and connections were expanded to include this awesome group of people from South Jersey (who are still celebrating the Phillies World Championship).

Thanks so much to Denny, Lora and The Edge for your hospitality and support for the work of Lemonade International among the people of La Limonada!

"How Do My Kids Get a Padrina?"

Leaving La Limonada is always an emotional experience. After all that happens in the days while we are there... our hearts and minds are racing... trying to process it all... and dreaming of how we can do more for the community.

At Lemonade International we have committed to make child sponsorship our top priority for at least our first year of existence. And while we rejoice over the fact that almost 70 children have been sponsored in the three months since we officially began matching sponsors with children, there are still about 200 children that need sponsors.

When we were walking out of La Limonada with Tita on this last trip, a mother stopped her and began to talk to her. Tita told us that the lady was asking, "How do my kids get a 'Padrina' (godparent/sponsor)?". She said she had four children and none of them had a sponsor yet. We encouraged her to pray that God would put it on the hearts of people here in the States to sponsor her children. As we walked away she told Tita, "We are going home and we are going to start praying for that today".

These families are all about relationships. They are not so concerned about the monthly donation that supports La Escuelita. Their hearts are filled with joy that there is someone here in the States that is praying for them, thinking about them, and sending them cards, notes and gifts.

Kids like Reina are grateful for "padrinas" like Ron and Mary Voss, who have been married for 45 years and have 4 children and 9 grandchildren (ages 2-23). Two of their grandchildren know Spanish and are excited to translate the letter that Reina has written back to them.

Would you consider joining people like the Vosses by sponsoring a child today?