Last news from Alastair in Guatemala:

This was an experience that required a good head for heights. A whole very steep valley had been built up with houses on both sides. The access was extremely dodgy having, only last week, lost half its width when the rain washed it away! We climbed down along a path less than half a meter wide and at least 20 meters above the ground where there was tin and other various building materials – not of a soft nature – this was the only access to this house. Originally the house was built of concrete blocks, but is now made of tin because of the rain when Hurricane Stan struck Guatemala – the rain demolished the block house. The rain runs through the tin house and can be several inches deep inside.

The treacherous path to the tin houses

In the house was Maria Luisa who told her life story. Her mother died when she was very young. She had been abused by her father who also died. Her Grandfather then sold her to a Policeman in Belize where she was raped. She had a son with this man and when registering the birth obtained necessary travel papers for herself and moved to Guatemala, unknown to the Policeman, never to speak to him again. Since then she has had 3 husbands who have beaten her and her children and she is really hopeful that the man she is with now continues to be a good man. She had a daughter living on the street who became involved with gangs, drugs and drink who died in June 2008. Maria says ’she is at peace now – she was not on the streets and was unreachable’. She said ‘I am thankful EL Castillo found my other son’ who likewise lived on the street, called Jesus.

Maria

Jesus is in an El Castillo home and the re-integration team are working with both Jesus and his Mum. The man she is living with is supportive of her and attentive when he is not working. The work that EL Castillo are doing restoring a child from the street life of drugs and crime is very effective. Prayer is an important part of this restoration. At the same time the re-integration team are working with Jesus, they are also working with Maria and it is hoped that soon Jesus will be re-integrated with his family. He can be restored and free of the street and drugs and crime. The street values can be replaced with values that will give him life.

The tin town

Maria explained all this through tears and declared she prayed everyday that Jesus will come home. It would be good news if this lady could have some joy in her life and even more good news that a former street child is restored into a good family.

Alastair is now back in the UK, but keep up to date with more news from Toybox by checking the blog – stories will be posted here first!

An amazing eyewitness account from Alastair of God’s love in action…

raining on the street

This evening we went out with the Street team. Being the rainy season it usually rains every afternoon drying up at about 5-6pm. Today was different it kept raining into the evening which makes the street quite a different place as it does not allow time for Street Children to get dry before the night if they cannot find a dry place. We were due to go back to the rubbish dump we went to at the beginning of last week. I said then this was the worst place I have ever been but tonight the rain made the smells even stronger (did not think that was possible!) the children dirtier and everybody wet! The two families that the Street team are working with were there, as usual, finding plastic among the rubbish to sell which would then be made into hosepipe. The plastic sheeting which made their home had finally deteriorated to the point where it would not keep rain out. With the rats competing with people for somewhere dry this was not a good place to be, for both them and us.

The street team were able to provide drinks and sandwiches

These two families had come from a village outside Guatemala City. Their husbands are in prison for stealing and they came to Guatemala City to live. They have become entrenched in their life on this dump seeing no way to change. Even 400 Quetzals (the local currency – about £32) per month for accommodation for the two families is out of reach. In the not too distant future, with the rainy season continuing for at least another 4 months, it is highly likely that these mothers will begin sniffing glue. At the moment, thankfully they are not. This is great early intervention work from the team and the best opportunity for re-integration back to their village community.

This evening we found the 6 children (aged 6-8 years) wet, cold and considered at high risk of becoming permanent street children. A few phone calls and a conversation resulted in asking the parents if they would be happy for the Children to come to the El Castillo office for the night where there is temporary emergency accommodation. The Children were loaded into our van having eagerly responded to their mother’s question if they wanted to go to El Castillo, in the dry, for the night with a loud chorus of ‘Si’. Hearing this ‘Si’ was good to hear because it meant that the street team had built a sufficient relationship of trust for the mothers to allow their children to go with the street team. Kidnapping of Children in similar circumstances is common in Guatemala so this is a great example of how the street team has built up trust with these families.

warm and dry!

When we arrived back at the El Castillo office the children were quickly bathed and given fresh clothes before ending up in bed. They are used to sleeping in 1 bed together but usually with two adults and their 14 year old sister with her baby as well so tonight they have loads more room! Unfortunately nothing could be done for the adults and with more room and more blankets, without the children, they will be able to protect themselves from the rain.

Tomorrow the El Castillo re-integration team will begin investigating the circumstances of this family and begin working towards them going home away from Guatemala City. In the meantime temporary accommodation will be required. A room will have to be found for them to live in whilst the re-integration team work out the process for going home and making sure they can sustain themselves. The room cost will be funded half by the 2 families and half from donations. This will be done like this so dependency is not encouraged and the 2 families contribute. The Street team, themselves, have offered to support this personally …. Now that’s commitment, and that the Street team will personally do this … what a challenge! £16 per month would be all that is required to fund the half not paid by the two families!

6 children, safe and off the streets...

Tonight 6 children are now safe, warm and dry and this will begin the opportunity of restoration and hope for them as they begin the journey of moving towards returning home, with their families, in a sustainable way. I wonder how many more families are in this situation tonight across Central and Latin America where Toybox works towards its vision of seeing a world with no street children. Whatever number there are, 6 more children are safe tonight. Please pray for these two families that they are restored soon and any other families or children living on the streets are likewise restored.

More from Alastair soon…

Jonnie, Marvin and Alastair

Alastair and Jonnie continue their travels in Guatemala. Here is the next installment!

We were privileged enough to be around for the ‘reintegration’ of Marvin back with his family. It was just brilliant being the ultimate aim for any Street Child. Marvin has been in Maranatha & Jireh homes during the last 6 years having run away to the Streets from his parents. He is a now a young man any of us would be proud to have as a son. His life on the Streets was so bad before he came to El Castillo experiencing all the excesses and available to him. There were plenty of tears of joy and such a special day as Marvin met with his Mum again.

The Sonrisas gang

We also met with a new project – ‘Sonrisas’ – Smiles. The project works preventatively with Children who work manually with their families in the municipal cemetery. This work is among the many tombs where the Children with their parents clean grave stones and water flowers for bereaved families. Approximately 50% of the Children at the project actually live in the cemetery, but even so, were very happy to see us and played many games of ‘Duck, Duck, Goose’ where I found myself showing a turn of speed!

Julieta

Another very special friend we met is 9 year old Julieta. Julieta lives in Escuintla in a corrugated tin house. Her home is next to a river where the Children usually bathe. The river is surrounded by tin houses with no means of routing drainage appropriately leaving the whole family to bath amongst rubbish and unclean water. She decided to sit on my knee and just chatted about anything. Suddenly she decided to tell her story…

Her father was drunk and fell in front of a car and was killed when she was two years old. Her Mum has had several men living with her since then and the latest tells her she is not his when she asks him something. Her mother beats her when she returns from the market selling candy to make a living for the family because she has not sold enough. Her Mother has also threatened to throw her in front of a car. As Julieta told me her story her eyes filled with tears as did mine. I then ‘changed the subject’ and told her about my daughter Becky to which she responded ‘why is she not with you?’ Fortunately my mobile phone has a cheap rate to the UK and she was quickly talking with Becky to Julieta’s great excitement. Seeing Julieta so happy and excited was so very special and the few pence for that call to see her so happy was well spent. Please pray for Julieta that she suffers no more beatings and that her life improves. She is considered to be at High risk of going to live on the Streets of her own choice. I am told that if circumstances do not change in the next fortnight Julieta may have to be removed from her mother by the Guatemalan courts and El Castillo will be asked to take care of her. Please pray that she will be safe, wherever she is.