Giving something back

Christmas was a time of giving as well as receiving for the boys in our Rehoboth Home in Guatemala, as they visited the local elderly people’s care home to give gifts and food at Christmas time. The children also performed a drama for the residents, and the visit brought a smile to many of the elderly folk’s faces.

The children then visited a nearby men’s rehabilitation centre and performed the drama sketch there, sharing the story of Jesus’ birth and giving out Christmas bags of food. It brightened up the holiday season for the men to know that others, including Jesus, loves them; it can be a particularly lonely and difficult time of year for the men at the centre.

The Rehoboth Home enjoyed a variety of celebrations for Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve they attended a special service at the local church along with the rehabilitation centre members and had a wonderful time. They were served tamales (a steamed, corn wrap) and ponche (fruit punch), Christmas Eve food and drink traditions in Guatemala.

Christmas Day was a turkey dinner feast with all the trimmings, just how we celebrate in the UK. Chici, our home Director, prepared the meal with help from another Stand by Me colleague and they invited 20 guests to join them on the day. What a wonderful demonstration of hospitality and kindness for the children.

Two new brothers, Walter and Oliver, joined the Rehoboth Home just in time to enjoy a Stand by Me Christmas celebration and our children were blessed by the arrival of these two kind little boys. For Walter and Oliver, it was the first time they had decorated a tree and received gifts for Christmas. At Stand by Me we hope to give all our children the childhood that they deserve.

If you are interesting in writing to a child and telling them how much you care, why not take a look at our child sponsorship page to see how you can get involved.