Getting Lidia’s Voice Back | A Story of Resilience in Guatemala

The young mothers and children we serve have experienced the unspeakable. Many have suffered abuse and struggle to know what love is.

But by God’s grace and your support, our team is providing respite, healing, and community for these young, vulnerable mothers and their kids, a true place of HOPE for the orphaned and vulnerable.

Thank you for partnering with us to give these girls, whose voices have been stolen, a fresh start where they can begin to flourish.

—Guatemala Team

---

At the age of 16, Lidia* found herself the mother of two.

She does her best to take care of them while trying hard to keep up on her studies. Her goal is to become an attorney so she can bring justice for girls like her, who desperately needed someone to protect them when they were silenced.

Lidia’s father left when she was just a little girl.

She wanted so badly to remember his face and voice, but all she had was a torn, faded photo that she kept hidden under her mattress. Her mother once warned her sternly to never mention him again so she didn’t. But deep inside, she held onto the dream that she would see him again.

When Lidia was 9 years old, her mother’s new boyfriend moved in. He was gruff, angry, and unkept. No matter how hard she tried to be perfect, it was clear she wasn’t welcome anymore in her own home. And after school, when her mother wasn’t home, her stepfather became abusive.

Her first son was born when she was 13.

At first, Lidia hid the truth, but a year later, when Lidia found herself pregnant again, she bravely begged her mother for help. But her mom became physically abusive, threatening Lidia should she ever blame her stepfather again. Lidia’s daughter was born a few months later.

Someone at the hospital must have known the truth, because shortly after her daughter was born, a social worker met Lidia there. The social worker asked many questions before transporting her to the courthouse in a nearby town. Lidia sat in a room, clutching her baby girl with her son at her feet while the hearing took place in the next room. The next thing she knew, the social worker told her she and her children were going to live with our team in Guatemala.

As they pulled up,

the front of the building was brightly lit with hundreds of hanging lights that looked like stars sparkling in the sky. Flowers decorated the walls, and she was immediately greeted with a warm hug, the first time in a long time someone bothered to hug her.  

Lidia and her children were handed plates full of warm food, as well as bags of clothing and shoes for each of them. And over the next few days, Lidia began receiving therapy and attended parenting classes, church, and school.

At Lifesong, we stand by a 4-part pledge to the children we serve. The second part of the pledge affirms our commitment to providing holistic care to orphaned and vulnerable children so they don’t lack food, clothing, medical care, and shelter.

Lidia will soon be 18 and will graduate this year.

As she transitions into adulthood, she will live at The Well transition homes, where she can continue studying to achieve her dream of becoming an attorney. She is surrounded by a community who sees, knows, and loves her, just like Jesus, her steadfast source of Hope.

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the children we serve.

---

Will you help vulnerable mothers and children in Guatemala experience the hope of the Gospel?

When you give to Lifesong, you show orphaned and vulnerable children they are seen, known, and loved through Gospel-centered holistic care. Thanks to TMG Foundation, 100% of your gift goes directly to helping orphaned and vulnerable children.