“Mi Casita” (My Little House)
The volatility of a place like La Limonada creates an environment that is most harsh on the children of the community. They are the innocent victims in a sub-culture of poverty, drug abuse, sex trafficking and gang violence. There are countless situations where children in the community are subjected to malnutrition, abuse, neglect and abandonment.
These precious, innocent victims are desperate for a family and a safe place to call home. The Mi Casita Safe Home currently provides 18 children with unconditional love, healthy nutrition, and a nurturing support structure from house parents.
Take some time to watch this video to learn more from Tita about the Safe Home:
Meet some of the children who are provided what every child deserves:
Joselín*
Joselín is precious. She is two years old and has been sexually abused by her father and her brothers. Her father struggles with alcoholism and her mom does not understand the damage that has already been done to her children. Prior to the Guatemala team’s involvement in her life, Joselín would not talk and she would not smile. She had never received genuine love or care from anyone.
Now, after several months of being with the team all day at one of the schools in La Limonada, she talks, she expresses herself, and she knows that she is special and loved. Mi Casita is a place where she continues to learn to receive and give love.
Lukas*
Lukas is seven years old. He has had to endure far more than any boy his age ever should. He was abandoned by his family and has no memory of his birth-father and his mother is more concerned with building a family with her new husband than making sure Lukas knows he is loved and taken care of.
Lukas is smart, handsome, and charming, but abuse from his step-father has taken its toll. The false sense of family and belonging that gang life provides has become appealing to him. Mi Casita is a lifeline to a loving, caring environment where he is learning that he is highly valued by God and others.
Dilan*
Dilan has such incredible hope for his future. Abandoned by both his parents, he has already lost two siblings to drugs and gang involvement. Even though he has seen much violence and loss in his young life, he still imagines a better life for himself. The love and care he receives at Mi Casita provides him with the security he needs.
Through a prayerful selection process, children like Joselín, Lukas, and Dilan are identified and placed at Mi Casita with the goal of reuniting them with their birth families if at all possible. In cases where that is not possible it is a place to call home where the children are raised to live full lives. The home provides a safe haven for children who are in need of short-term care as well as for those who require the long-term care provided by a family environment.
Supporting Mi Casita makes it possible for children like Joselín, Lukas, and Dilan to be cared for and given the opportunity to reach their God-given potential.
To help support these children you can “Sponsor Mi Casita For a Day” by giving a one-time donation of $240 or a monthly donation of $20. Lean more.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the children