The Secret to the Great Escape from Poverty | Guatemala Update
Projects that give life and dignity and replace negative experiences with positive ones–like our recent trip to the beach–are possible because of people like you.
One of our teams at Village of Hope sponsored a field trip in February to Montericco Beach, which is about 4 hours away. A Guatemalan Road Trip is much like an American Road Trip! We packed a cooler full of snacks, the kids sang songs and played games, and we even had to take a potty break on the side of the highway for one of the kids.
“¿Cuanto tiempo falta?” (How much longer?) was a popular phrase that day.
However, there are a few differences: most cars here max out at 40 MPH, we were never more than 5 minutes from hot fresh tortillas, and we had to stop 5 or 6 times on the side of the highway to pour water on the engine of our bus.
The kids LOVED the beach! They had fun finding shells, jumping in the waves, building sand castles, and learning to swim in the pool. This was the first time many of our kids had seen a pool or the ocean. We love being able to get everyone outside of the Village of Hope gates so they can experience more of the world!
These experiences bring with them much dignity and healing.
Montericco is on the Pacific Ocean side of Guatemala. It is a black sand beach, and the sand gets so hot that it will burn your feet if you walk on it without shoes. Most of our teams bring donations when they come, so we were able to give each kid a well-fitting swim suit and flip flops. Without our awesome teams and donors, this trip would not have been possible!
Meet Monica
Monica is one of our outreach friends from the village. She is just twelve years old, but hasn’t been to school in over a year. She used to go, but she was constantly made fun of because she couldn’t afford the typical Mayan dress and had to wear her older brothers pants. The other children teased her, called her names, and beat her up. She tried to be brave, but the abuse became more than she could handle. She left school never to return … and no one seemed to notice or care.
Statistics show that in 2016, 2,518,000 minors in Guatemala went without any type of education.
Lack of education is linked to domestic abuse, poverty and early pregnancy. In order to break the poverty cycle, receiving an education is crucial. Unfortunately Monica’s story is quite common in Guatemala. We realize she is only 1 out of 2.5 million. But we believe EACH child matters. We are excited to announce that Monica is now enrolled in the Village of Hope School! This will provide her with a Christian education, dignity, and a chance to break the poverty cycle. Our hearts are to come alongside her and give her a chance to dream and to live out her God-given purpose. Would you consider sponsoring a child like Monica to give him or her HOPE for the future?
Give a child the gift of education and a future.