Trumansburg, New York is Casa Shalom-bound!

We are excited by tonight's arrival of a team of 30+ members from Trumansburg, New York! The team of young people and their chaperones will be doing all kinds of work at the orphanage, from painting to roofing. We know they will be a big blessing to Casa Shalom's kids and we can't wait to see them interact with the children!

Angel

Angel, 4, shows off his silly side! The little boy and his siblings came to Casa Shalom in February after they were removed from their home because their mother couldn't afford to take care of the 8 of them. Neighbors report that the children use to go door to door begging for food - but all 8 are now happy, healthy, attending school and receiving great medical care.

Today, Casa Shalom received an amazing donation! A young teen girl in Bloomington, MN, wrote us a letter explaining how she and her friend felt led by the Lord to sell doughnuts to raise funds for Casa Shalom - so that's what they did. And they raised $423.90! Her humble letter giving God the glory for the money raised was a testament to this girl's love for the Lord and desire to serve Him by blessing Casa Shalom's kids. We are grateful for this young lady's hard work and sacrifice and know the Lord will bless her abundantly!

Only in Guatemala!

Can you imagine discovering a giant sinkhole under your bed! That's what happened recently to a lady in Guatemala City. As we missionaries in the country often say, "Only in Guatemala!" Check out the article via the link below.

Woman finds giant sinkhole under her bed

Big boy Mynor!

What a long way baby Mynor has come! When he arrived at Casa Shalom a year and half ago, he was a sickly 5-day old baby who had been abandoned on the side of the road at birth. Here, he works with Casa Shalom's psychologist on early stimulation and development.

Thanks for ExploFest 2011!

Thanks to over 20 individuals who sponsored their entrance fees, the teens of Casa Shalom got to enjoy the 3-day ExploFest Christian music festival in Guatemala City in June! The teens wanted to express their appreciation to all those who helped them attend, and send a big "Gracias!"

Clinton, 12

Alfonso, 11

Marlon, 13

Kevin, 13

Alejandro, 16

Marvin, 15

Maria, 16

Colim, 12

Flora, 17

Karen, 14

Big Alejandro, 16, gives little Alejandro, 7, a piggyback ride during a recent field trip to the zoo in Guatemala City. The older kids at Casa Shalom take joy in helping out with the younger children!

Poverty around the world

Check out some important stats on orphans and poverty around the world. This is why our theme scripture is James 1:27 (Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.)

Facts on Today's Orphan Crisis

From Florida to Guatemala to minister!

Today, a team from 5 churches in Florida, including Cross Community Church and Ridge Community Church, spent their 4th of July traveling to Casa Shalom to minister to our children! The team will spend the week painting the outside of the educational complex, and building much-needed storage space in the clothing warehouse. The 22 team members are also bringing nearly 2,000 pounds of shoes, clothing and medicine to donate!