Dear Friends
Thank you for your church’s gift of £488. Your giving is helping transform the lives and futures of people like Melvin in Guatemala.
In Melvin’s community, as with many others in Guatemala, young people feel frustrated and discouraged. A severe lack of job opportunities, or space to participate in the decisions that affect them, leave many feeling powerless. Most young people are also unable to finish their education because their parents cannot afford it. As a result, some risk their lives and migrate to the USA to find better opportunities.
But, thanks to the generous giving of churches like yours, there is hope. Our local partner is working with young people like Melvin – teaching them leadership skills, working to help them build self-esteem, and supporting them to continue their education. ‘Before joining [the programme], I thought that I was nobody in life, that I couldn’t do anything,’ says Melvin. ‘[They] encouraged me to be great and to exercise my leadership.’
One of the things Melvin has been proud to be a part of, is a campaign for the prevention of pregnancies at an early age. ‘Unfortunately, in my community girls get married at 13 or 14 years of age,’ Melvin explains. ‘The slogan of the campaign was, “Live Your Life Before Creating Another One”. We spread it through social networks, and I believe that the information reached young people.
‘We know that without God we are nothing. It is important to keep it in our hearts… I managed to recognise that God does exist and works miracles in our lives.’
Thank you for your prayers and support as we work together to share the love of Jesus, in the most practical ways, with communities like Melvin’s.
Yours in Christ
Chris Blizzard
