Dear Friends and Partners,

We are about to open our 6th feeding center, Praise the Lord!  We thank each one of you for helping us carry forth the vision of reaching the unreached.  One way that we do this is through the feeding centers.  The pastor of the church where we are about to open our newest feeding center wept on the last day of the construction of the kitchen/feeding area.  He told how this new center will enable him to reach his community and have credibility in the eyes of the unbelievers as he tells them of the love of God.  We are so happy to partner with Pastor Arnoldo as he reaches out to his village with the saving message of the love of Christ.  Our feeding centers need more support though, as we open more, obviously we need more finances to run them.  So, we ask that you please pray that the Lord would provide for these children. 

In one of my feeding centers I recently lost all of my chicken because power went off and when it came back the refrigerator didn't come on correctly.  One of the women of the church helping the pastor's wife cook, didn't know any better and prepared the spoiled chicken.  When the pastor's wife arrived and found out all that had happened began to throw the food away.  The children had already arrived and begged her not to throw it away, they wanted it anyway!  They told her, "we are sick all of the time anyway, it doesn't matter, we are hungry, please let us have it". 

Oh, my heart broke when I heard that!  Even the mothers said it didn't matter, they hadn't eaten in 2 days and were hungry.  You see, our feeding center only feeds every other day.  they said that they would pick out the meat and that it couldn't be that bad!  Well, she did not give it to them, she couldn't.  but she did go to town and fed the following day, giving them beans that she purchased.    Below are several newspaper headlines and excerpts that appeared in the La Prensa Newspaper here in Guatemala.  Please take the time to read them and let God touch your heart for the children of Guatemala.  



          "Malnutrition causes intellectual retardation" Guatemala, October 18, 2006

                Index of chronic malnourishment in children is 49.3 percent.

49.3 percent of children suffer chronic malnutrition in the country, which will cause them certain intellectual retardation.  "Chronic malnutrition causes loss of neurons in the brain and is irreversible damage, caused by inadequate feeding during the first three years of life of the child"  According to the Census of Low Stature of Students, of the 2003, 48.6 percent of     children between the 6 and 7 years presently display chronic malnutrition.

           "Loss of geniuses"
                The Secretary of Sesan, was sorry to announce that because of the high index of chronic malnutrition, the collective loss of intelligence is of an equivalent to 250 thousand geniuses.  

            ***After Haiti, Guatemala is the Latin American country with the highest index of chronic malnutrition.  And on a world-wide level, only Yemen and Bangladesh surpass to Guatemala in infantile chronic malnutrition, details the report of the relater of the UN.


                On an average more than a million children do not count on suitable feeding. 

    "Will there be results in 2007?" Guatemala, Sunday July 16, 2006

            "Has there been a reduction in the number of people who suffer malnutrition?"
 

            Not yet.

 

                What we can say is that for each 1000 children born, 43 die before turning a year old. We recognize that half of the children suffer from chronic malnutrition.  In addition, 70 percent of the indigenous population also suffer from it, and that is worrisome.   Also, two third of the Guatemalans are too poor to feed themselves suitably.

    "Chronic Malnutrition" Guatemala, March 4, 2006

            Relater of the UN on feeding notifies of it's conclusions

            At world-wide level, only Yemen and Bangladesh surpass to Guatemala in infantile chronic malnutrition, details the report of the relater of the UN.

            He points out that the more serious cases of malnutrition occur in the northeast of the country, although after the crisis of the lack of work for coffee pickers caused more poverty.

            Chronic malnutrition, according to the World-wide Food Program, restrains physical and mental development, debilitates forces and decreases the immune system.

            50 percent of minors of 5 years suffer, Of those, 70 percent are indigenous.

               

            The report blames Kwashiorkor in the country, a disease caused by lack of proteins causes mental disturbances and distresses, depression and apathy.

 

            The ones affected by the hunger predominantly are, natives who live in the rural area. "the subsistence agriculturists do not have access to quality land, and fight to survive in the   microproperty of miserable earth,  would need 25 hectacres of fertile earth to adequately feed their families".

We are doing all that we can to change the future of Guatemala, and just wanted to remind you that

together we ARE making a difference! 

Thank you for being the greatest partners in the world! 

 

Larry & Marla Johnson
Flames of Fire Ministry