[flagallery gid=9]We met this baby when we were visiting family in Guatemala.  The baby belonged to a family living in the neighborhood that had 7 other children.  The family was very poor and Mary out of compassion offered to help take care of the baby, even though her financial situation was not the best.  She showed the little boy love and compassion that he otherwise probably would not have received.  The baby looked a little malnourished and we asked what she was feeding him.  All they had was juice.  There was no money for milk or formula.  So before we left, we prayed over Mary and the little baby boy and made sure that she had enough money to buy the baby formula and milk until he was stable enough for other foods.  We left our contact information with them if there were any further needs.

Later we found out that the family took the baby back and moved out of the neighborhood with all 8 children.  There has been no further contact with them until the father came by drunk one day and offered to sell the baby to them for 100Q about $13 US dollars.  These are some of the issues that are unheard of here in the US but are a normal way of life in Guatemala.  Unfortunately children in most cases have no value to an already starving family.  UNICEF estimates there are 370,000 orphaned children in Guatemala.  This is why my heart cries with compassion to help the least of these.