Needed: Someone to Care
The Rescue of Guatemala's Street Children
by Gene and Jean Easley
When
you look at these boys, it is difficult to comprehend that just a year ago
they were living in the Guatemala City dump, eating food that had been tossed
out and looking for things to sell in order to buy
food. There was not one person
to care for them or who showed any interest in bringing them out of that
situation. You might say, “I
just can’t believe there was no one there to love and care for them.”
Well, there are an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 young boys and girls
just like them who are still living on the streets of
capable of housing about 50 homeless or orphaned children. It also
has or will have facilities for the adult care
providers. The director,
Victor Orantes, is wanting to fill this home and get it established with
appropriate staff and equipment and
then to begin work on building other facilities to house more of these
needy children.
One of Director Orantes' greatest needs at present is to have people who will pledge monthly support, which will allow the Home to not only feed and clothe the children it has, but also enable it to receive more children.
It has been a blessed year for the children, who readily insist that most of all they love the food provided for them by Bro. and Sis. Orantes. It has been blessed because these youngsters have for the first time been genuinely "cared for" by others. It has been blessed, also, because an unknown benefactor has generously supplied big bags of rice, beans, and sugar on their doorsteps while the Orantes are not at home. This has happened not just once or twice but numerous times throughout the past year. The Orantes family would return home, and the bags of supplies would be there, the donor unknown.
It has also been a trial for the Orantes family because they have not been able to receive more children yet due to the lack of pledges and staff. The Orantes have temporarily moved into one of the two dormitories until they can acquire land and build a residence nearby. It is never easy--the wait to see one's dreams fulfilled, especially when you are wanting to alleviate the pain and suffering of more children.
But, they are reaching out to people like you and me to care about the suffering of these innocent children and to be moved with compassion to share with them our resources so that they can have a better life. Feed them, clothe them, give them warm beds for the night, school them, and train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord--it is the call we hear and share with you. Will you help?
Victor and Thelma Orantes, founders and directors of the home, with two of their children, Manuel and Analiss, and the three orphan boys: Adolfo, Cesar and Alejandro, who are the first three children to live in the new facility. April 2007
Missionaries Gene and Jean Easley with Cesar, Adolfo, and Alejandro and Analiss, the daughter of Victor and Thelma Orantes.
