Dear Founding Families and friends,
Eight years ago, when Pastora Mercedez initiated working with children at her home, she would gather 50+ children from the garbage dump area and would share Bible stories to children living in the surrounding areas of the garbage dump.
The children’s parents trust Pastora Mercedez by sending their children to be supported at her home. Most of the parents knew Pastor Mercedez since she was a little kid and they understood her main intention was to help in any possible way. Soon, Pastor Mercedez realized the children still struggled with the similar situations she struggled when she was a little girl, such as, not having secure food every day, not having a place to call home, and spending several days without access to sanitation and without support to get basic education.
It was hard to talk to a little kid about the love of God without assisting their basic needs first, so she decided to initiate the feeding center. Today, Transforming Futures in partnership with Pastora feed an average of 350 children every day, help the educational development of 25+ children and provide spiritual education.
Spiritual education for Pastora Mercedez is the most essential aspect of what we do because it allows us to show children that despite what they can be living at home, God loved them first and He has a great plan for their lives. Many children come from homes where they are physically and verbally abused by their environment and they have never been told that they are important, loved and that have so much potential. Sharing Bible’ stories have been an effective tool to teach children how the love of God can reach you no matter who you are.
Many times we dressed up like Bible characters and share from their perspective their struggles and stories of how God intervened in their lives and saved them. Despite all the different activities, it can be challenging for children to understand the truth of what God thinks about them because of the completely different message they get from the environment they live in.
We take one day a week as a team to pray for our children and we ask God to reveal himself to them so that He can transform their lives and futures. We know we can love the children by providing for their basic needs, but we can’t ever replace the provision and love of God.
Transforming their spiritual life is a key part of what we do in our program. We want to reach each child living in the surrounding areas of the garbage area of Guatemala. We estimated there are more than 2,000 children. Partner with us today and help us continue to transform the spiritual life of many more children.
About us: Transforming Futures is an organization that is feeding 400 children every day in the biggest garbage dump located in Central America. A place where most people depend partially or completely on recycling materials and collecting food waste to survive in extremely poverty at the garbage dump. We are a 501c3 organization based in Fenton, Michigan. We were established in 2019 to transform the futures of children and adolescents living in poverty and vulnerable situations in Guatemala, by investing in their nutrition, education and personal development.
