Keily's big day

It is a big day for Keily, age 12.  Today is the day that she leaves the house of the "Estrellitas," the young girls at Casa Shalom. She will move in to the house of the "Estrellas," the teenage girls. We are proud of Keily and the beautiful young woman that she is becoming!

A Guatemalan garage sale

This is what a Guatemalan garage sale looks like!  A few times per year, we collect all the items that have been donated that we can't use at the orphanage (adult clothing and outdated items) and we have a yard sale that's open to the people from the nearby village.  This past week, we sold enough items to do some much-needed repairs in the orphanage's kitchen!

Mynor's birth certificate

 For the first time in Mynor's two-and-a-half years, he has a legal identity!  Mynor was abandoned in a ditch as a newborn and was brought to Casa Shalom at a few days old.  He's been with us ever since, but because his mother abandoned him, he was never registered with the government and didn't legally exist.  There are many children like this in Guatemala, and they are vulnerable to human traffickers because they don't exist on paper.  We are so happy to announce that after a long struggle to get Mynor registered, he now has a birth certificate and a legal identity!  This identity awards him full privilege and protection as a Guatemalan citizen. We thank God for this important step in Mynor's life.

Recycling

Here's a new way to recycle - our little boys have been collecting plastic bottle caps to make "racetracks" for their toy cars.  We love when our kids get creative!

Gulf Hammock COG has arrived!

This afternoon, the short-term missions team from Gulf Hammock Church of God in Gulf Hammock, FL, arrived safely at Casa Shalom.  According to Senior Pastor Eddie Johnson, this is the church's first international missions trip! We praise the Lord for sending the team from GHCOG to Casa Shalom.

The gift of coffee

Yesterday, Casa Shalom received a great blessing in the form of 400 pounds of coffee!  The beans were donated by the Church of God in the Guatemalan region of Huehuetenango, which is known for producing some of the best coffee in the world.

Hard at work and play!

The short-term missions team of alumni and chaperones from Life Academy is doing great!  The team members are working hard painting and laying brick and are enjoying reconnecting with Casa Shalom's kids.  Please continue to keep the team members in your prayers as they minister at the orphanage.

Life Academy is on the way!

We at Casa Shalom are excited about and ready for today's arrival of the short-term missions team of the alumni of Life Academy in Bloomington, Minnesota.  The team will be starting some brickwork on the orphanage's bakery, painting, and possibly laying some paving stones on the work-in-progress road that runs through the property.  Please keep the team members and chaperones in your prayers as they minister to Casa Shalom's kids!