The Mejia Lux siblings, one year later

Just over 1 year ago, late one night, we posted an urgent prayer request for a group of 8 children we'd just taken in. The kids, ages 2 - 12, had been abandoned by their parents months earlier and had been trying to survive on their own. 12-year-old Maria tried to keep her siblings alive by feeding them raw tortilla dough and the 3 boys worked long days in the coffee fields to provide for the family. The children arrived at Casa Shalom near starvation, filthy, sick and lice-ridden. None had ever attended school or been to a doctor. What a difference a year makes! Now, the 5 oldest children are attending school and the oldest 4 are literate. All have received quality medical and dental care and the oldest 3 have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior! A big thank you to everyone whose donations and prayers have allowed us to minister to these amazing children for the past year.

Welcome David and Maria!

Meet little David, one of Casa Shalom's new children. David has been hospitalized for extreme malnutrition since October of 2011 - his doctors said that in October, he arrived at the hospital as a 1-year-old but was no bigger nor more advanced than a newborn. David's 7-year-old sister, Maria, was hospitalized along with him for the same reason and the same amount of time. The children's mother is mentally handicapped and didn't realize that her children were near starvation. The two were released from the hospital last week and came to Casa Shalom. We are happy to report that while both are very small for their age, their health is improving. We thank Jesus for the chance to pour into these two precious lives! Please pray that God will bring healing to these children in mind, body and soul!

Layo and Santiago come to Casa Shalom

Last week, two new children came to Casa Shalom from the town of Alotenango. Brothers Layo (pronounced Lie-oh) and Santiago were removed from the home of their alcoholic and abusive parents by social services this morning. Social workers report that the family's home was constructed entirely of cardboard with a dirt floor and was in the worst condition they'd ever seen. The boys are malnourished and have only ever worked instead of attending school. They will start school this week! The boys have already said that they don't believe in Jesus and that their parents have taught them that God doesn't exist. We are thankful that we have the chance to minister to these precious boys and we are praying that He reveals Himself to them in a powerful way!

A praise report from Walter

A praise report - Walter is home from the hospital! A few weeks ago, we asked for prayer for a new child at Casa Shalom, Walter, age 8. He'd been severely burned by his stepfather and had been hospitalized to receive skin grafts and surgery to repair damaged muscle tissue in his leg that was causing him to walk with a limp. Walter came home from the hospital today and we are so happy to report that the surgeries were a success. He's not only walking without a limp - he's now running! A mere 30 minutes after coming home from the hospital, his house mother was chasing after him on the soccer field, trying to convince him to stop running around and to rest. Praise God for a successful surgery, and please keep Walter in your prayers for continued recovery. In the photo on the left, Walter happily hugs Burrito, one of the orphanage's dogs.

Casa Shalom t-shirts for sale!

Want to support Casa Shalom's kids? We have an easy way for you to donate! For a $15 minimum donation, we'll send you a Casa Shalom t-shirt in one of the designs on the left. To donate, please click this link below:

Donate and receive a shirt!

In the "special instructions to seller" box, please include the design you wish to receive, the size, and your shipping address!

Design #1 - available in sizes Medium, Large, XL and XXXL (XXL not available at the moment). The yellow in the design is actually neon green in person.

Design #2 - Available in sizes Small and Medkum

Pennies from preschoolers

Now this is true giving with a pure heart! The preschoolers at Cross Community Church in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, are doing a great job of being missional! They designated January “Pennies for Orphans” month and brought in their change (and yes – some of them emptied their piggy banks) to buy food for the children of Casa Shalom Orphanage in Guatemala. When asked what they hoped their money would buy they responded: bananas, apples, cereal, rice and pasta. They collected $61.03!