TheHansonsinGuatemala

We are so proud of Casa Shalom's kids. As you already know, a few nights ago, we at the orphanage received 8 new children ranging in age from 1-year-old twins to twelve years of age. The kids were in terrible shape when they arrived - they were all filthy, with lice-ridden hair, and they were obviously malnourished and some were barefoot. The smallest children wore no diapers, and were covered in urine and feces. Despite this, the young people of Casa Shalom stepped up to help the staff take care of these new children. Tears rolled down our faces as we watched Martin, 15, Hector, 19, and Edwin, 16, fed the new toddlers and babies who were unable to feed themselves. Andea, 12, and Maria, 15, washed and picked lice from the new girls' hair. Clemente, 16, and Carlos Chali, 16, served as translators when we learned that many of the new children spoke primarily Kachikel, a local indigenous language that Clemente and Carlos also speak. Enma, 17, and Karen, 13, gave up their Saturday morning sleeping in and got up at 5 am to help care for the new babies. Juan Carlos, 10, showed the new little boys how to brush their teeth because they'd never done it before. The amazing thing is that these young people all stepped into help without any adult asking them to! The photo above is of Martin, 15, feeding Maria, one of the one-year-old twin girls that came with the family.



We at Casa Shalom have never been more proud of our kids and teenagers. No one asked them to help, but they all pitched in with willing hearts and made a difficult situation easier. We praise the Lord that the kids of Casa Shalom are being raised to have tender hearts and to show the love of God to children less fortunate than themselves. What a powerful testimony of the miracle that the Lord has done in the hearts of the children of Casa Shalom!