A special visit

Yesterday, we were privileged to receive a visit from Olga Gonzalez, a former director of Casa Shalom. Hermana Olga was director many years ago, but we know that she touched the lives of countless children who came to Casa Shalom during that period of time. We are grateful for all the previous directors, staff and volunteers who sacrificed and paved the way for Casa Shalom to be what it is today!

A beautiful mural

The toddlers pose in front of the incredible new mural in their living room, which was painted by last week's short-term missions team from Wings of Faith Church in Ocala, Florida.

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times per year, we collect all the items that have been donated that we can't use at the orphanage (adult clothing and outdated items) and we have a yard sale that's open to the people from the nearby village.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.