I only want to work .
I only want to be somebody.
I only want to find my place in the world.
“V” is sixteen years old. His mother is in the Unites States and nobody knows where his father is. His mother left, to provide a better future to her children … but she didn’t realize that her presence and love is what makes a better future, that this is from the hand of God.
Sometimes I think that people really think that God is a “gringo” and if you can only make it to the United States, you’ll be able to prosper. Oh, but if my God has a skin of all colors and identifies with all races, then He is not limited by space, time nor place. He is here in Guatemala, here in the prison, here in La Limonada, here in Sector 11, everywhere! He is always ready to love.
“V” just got out from being in jail for ten months. He does beautiful work that requires a lot of time and, of course, patience, but he could only do it in jail because there was nothing else to do. It is very boring and tedious… Read the Rest of this Entry
Central American women in politics are featured in this August 28 article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch by Tim Johnson:
GUATEMALA CITY — In a country where machismo is still the rule, Sandra Torres doesn’t cut the demure figure of past first ladies.
She doesn’t host social events or boost charities. What she does do is give orders — lots of them.
Torres oversees President Alvaro Colom’s huge state program of social assistance, which involves anti-poverty handouts to hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans. She oversees the work of several Cabinet members.
Now there’s talk that Torres will try to succeed her husband in the presidency in elections late next year. The talk has raised a flurry of heated debate.
“She’s a person who generates a lot of passions,” acknowledged Fernando Barillas, a spokesman for the ruling National Union of Hope party, which Colom and Torres founded.
Torres hasn’t openly declared her candidacy, but if she does, she’ll follow in well-trod footsteps around the hemisphere. Even today, two other active first ladies — in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic — are pondering presidential bids, and in Peru, the first daughter of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori is a front-runner in… Read the Rest of this Entry
Meet Edgar. He’s been working with the children at Escuelita Limon for 2 months now. Without pay. When asked why he was working at the school, he responded “I am working here to serve.” His entire life has been spent receiving from other people and now, he feels, is his time to give back. Prior to his coming to La Limonada, he had worked as a chef, preparing food for parties and banquets out of his home. Since he has been spending his time in the ghetto, he no longer has time to work as a chef, because his days are spent serving the children of Escuelita Limon.
He knew when he started working with the children that the school could not afford to pay him. His heart of sacrifice and faith led to him to a place where he knew that he would be provided for somehow. Edgar is teaching Bible classes to the children, his own faith recently becoming central in his life. He had an experience with his Savior, and is now yearning to share that with the children of the ghetto.
Endless examples. Endless examples of sacrifice, accepted hardship, generous hearts. Endless stories of people… Read the Rest of this Entry
The following post is from Kerry, a Lemonade International intern working with the children at Escuelita Limon in La Limonada. It is re-posted from her personal blog ¿Dónde están mis pantalones?. We’re grateful that Kerry has chosen to move to Guatemala and invest her life in the people La Limonada. As you’ll read in this post, she is great example of someone who is humbly opening her heart and allowing herself to be impacted by the beautiful people there.
Everyday in La Limonada there is something to smile about, something to cry about, something that brightens your day, and something that breaks your heart. If we are lucky, these things don’t happen all on the same day… at least not in this order.
There are so many situations that have impacted me… I hear a new story everyday that opens my eyes and heart just a little bit more. Lidia is a very special 9-year-old girl. I can honestly say that Lidia affects me every single day. She is the saddest little girl that I have ever seen in my life. I consider it a personal challenge everyday to make Lidia smile. Most days it doesn’t take much to do… Read the Rest of this Entry
It seems each time we turn around in La Limonada there is another story about the sacrifice and love of the people there. Extreme poverty is everywhere and work is hard to find. And still, those involved with Las Escuelitas in the ghetto are willing to sacrifice on a level that would be hard for most people to understand.
Yaneth is 20 years old. She recently graduated high school and has hopes of studying human rights at university one day. She has been working at Escuelita Mandarina for about 5 weeks without a salary. She knew ahead of time that the school could not afford to pay her, but she chose to spend her time there regardless. Her main responsibility is to watch over the Juarez children, the four children who we had talked about being left home alone several months ago. Because of their parents inability to watch them while they are working, they spend the entire day at the school. Yaneth loves on them, feeds them, and gives them the extra attention that they so desperately need.
Yaneth not only sacrifices her salary, but each time she crosses the ghetto to go to La Escuelita, she is… Read the Rest of this Entry
