FOLLOW UP

THIS JUST IN:
AS A FOLLOWUP TO OUR POST LAST WEEK ON THE FOOD SHORTAGES IN GUATEMALA AND THE EXTREME SITUATION WITH SOME OF OUR CHILDREN.
PLEASE MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS I AM ASKING FOR A SPECIAL OFFERING TO HELP US DO OUR PART IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
BLESSINGS
TOM A



Thousands in Guatemala face food shortages, UN says
Source: CBC News
Posted: 09/13/09 12:54PM
Filed Under: World
Thousands of families in Guatemala are desperately short of food after a combination of dry weather and poor soil has resulted in the failure of corn and bean crops in the east of the country, a United Nations official says.
Guatemalan authorities said the food lack is said to be greatest in a "dry corridor" in six provinces, a region that has had little rain in recent months due to the effects of El Nino. About 25 children have died of malnutrition in the region this year, authorities said.
Up to 54,000 families who live in the corridor are affected by the scarcity. High food prices are exacerbating the situation, the UN World Food Programme said.
The Red Cross said Friday that its staff in Guatemala are getting ready to draw up a plan to deal with the food shortage before launching an international appeal for funds. Aid workers said they want to determine the scope of the problem first.
Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Programme, said in a statement from Rome on Friday that the food shortage is of "deep concern" to the UN agency, which has already distributed food parcels to more than 400,000 people with the help of local authorities.
"Women and children have been caught in the vortex of this hunger crisis and are in a desperate struggle for survival," she said.
Last week, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom declared what he called a "state of public calamity" in a bid to elicit funds from other countries.
"This will help access resources from the international community that are generously offered for this type of situation and to mobilize national resources more rapidly," Colom said in a statement issued from Guatemala City on Tuesday.
More than 90 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition were admitted to hospital in the province of Jalapa in August, three times higher than the same month last year. And of the 117 children taken to hospital between January and July for malnutrition, 17 have died, the World Food Programme said in a report last week.
In Guatemala, a country of 13 million people, 50 per cent of children under age five suffer from malnourishment.
The World Food Programme said the food shortage has been intensified by low food stocks due to previous crop losses, as well as falling exports, foreign investment, tourism revenues and access to credit.

Bud Williford setteling in at HFTCM.

Bud Williford has given His heart to Hearts for the children ministry. Bud will spend the rest of September working at a variety of jobs to help Tom and Elizabeth with the daily activities at HFTCM. Bud will spend 40 hours of one on one Spanish classes. He will return to HFTCM some time early January 2010 with intentions of serving for a longer period of time.Bud is the first of the new vision volunteers HFTCM and it's board members envision will come to Guatemala for long term service at HFTCM and take over some of the day to day work from Tom and Elizabeth. It is an exciting time for Bud and HFTCM. Please keep him in prayer.

Ernie Marton and Elizabeth Allan leading to the Lord

At a recent Friday morning Church service and breakfast for the street people at the HFTCM Mary Magdalena house in Guatemala City Ernie Marton and Elixabeth Allan lead 5 souls to Jesus. "Praise God"

Scott Williford from GA. presents a leadership conferene

Hearts for the children ministry sponsored the 2Nd. annual men's conference in Guatemala. This years Theme was LIVING THE MESSAGE. Scott brought his brother Bud, and Ernie Marton, who over 4 days delivered inspiring and uplifting messages. There was awesome praise and worship music led by Juanito, a contact of HFTCM, perfect interpretation by brother Diego Cruz another contact of HFTCM. The Holy spirit moved in powerful ways over the 4 days and the conference ended on Sunday morning with a wonderful breakfast and a powerful celebration. Last year we had 15 to 20 men attend this year we had somewhere up to 45. We are looking forward to this as an annual event and have a vision of some day having hundreds of men from all over Guatemala come and prepare to be Christian leaders of leaders in Guatemala. There were many who testified but one stuck out. A young man from Mount Zion Church testified that His boss wanted him to work the second night but the young man insisted he had a men's christian conference to go to, the boss said that if he did not stay to work he would loose his job, the young man replied so be it. "Praise God" The young man did not loose his job.
We thank God for servants like brother Scott: The other photo is of some of the men praising our Lord

FOOD DISTRIBUTION

The food lines continue to grow at HFTCM: The Mary Magdelena house in Guatemala City is stretched to feed the lines.The same situation at the Ministry House in San Lucas where up to 150 children come to eat.

Hungry children and mothers

Dear friends in Christ:
Christian greetings in the name of Jesus from beautiful Guatemala!
Many of you have heard and read about the drought in Central America this winter season and particularly in Guatemala. Our Country relies on the rain to begin in May and continue through to the end of October. Without that rain our crops that sustain most of the population have withered this season.
To complicate this, the global financial crises have put a huge pressure on the budget of Guatemala. Add this to a continuing surge in the exchange rate of the US dollar to the Guatemalan Quetzales now standing at Q8.30 for 1US dollar, compared to one year ago when the exchange was Q7.75.
All of this has resulted in a very high unemployment rate and greatly reduced the national disposable income.
You have probably heard about the extreme hunger that is affecting our children. Our National Hospitals are saturated with under nourished children.
As we at Hearts for the children are struggling to maintain our food programs for the children, widows and single Mothers and our street people, we are not sure how much longer we can sustain these programs. February of 2009 was the first month that indicated our financial support was beginning to fall. The first four Months of the year saw a drop of %3o, now in the Month of September we are faced with a %65 fall out. It is very hard for Hearts for the children ministry to even think about aborting these food programs and disappointing so many Mothers, children and street people who have come to depend on HFTCM for at least one good meal a week.
To this extent you realize that the Allan family has been affected by these financial crises also.
Weather experts are predicting a continuing dry winter and if that happens Guatemala will be faced with a severe long term hunger situation. The Ambassadors to Guatemala from The USA, Sweden and Canada are urging the President of Guatemala to declare a national state of emergency.
Tom Allan is asking all of the faithful to weigh in on this critical situation. First for prayer, along with a special offering.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said “I have compassion for these people; they have been with me a long time and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way :”(Matthew 16:32).
Thank you for all you do for Him and us and may you continue to experience the full blessing of god’s grace and love and if for some reason we are not able to communicate before Jesus returns then, we will see you in heaven.
Sincerely in Christ,
Tom, Elizabeth and Cheryl Leigh Allan
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