What keeps your spirits up when everything around you seems to be pulling down? How do you keep going when you feel so unmotivated? I cannot say it was easy to come to my home a few weeks ago and see that many of my belongings had been stolen. It was not any easier to know that after I had moved out the house was broken into again, the thieves taking everything left behind including the doors. It is never easy to understand why? But I have to remember the Limonada is full of people in desperate situations making desperate decisions. This was risk I ran over 2 and 1/2 years ago when I moved into the ghetto and it was not until a few weeks ago that I was broken into for the first time. Most of these people have only been taught to steal in difficult times. I have told many of you on mission trips to the ghetto if your mom or dad never got you out of bed for school when you were little would you have gone? I know I would not have, I hated going to school if I remember correctly. Well, most these teens and adults never had anyone get them out of bed to seek a good life. Many of these people had their parents get them out of bed to work at a young age or to teach them the gangster street lifestyle. I know that I am who I am today because of my parents and all of those mornings they got me out of bed. The nights they stayed up late and worked on homework and studying for crazy spelling tests as I hung upside-down on the couch not wanting to take anymore. Unfortunately most of the children and youth of the ghetto and dump do not have parents encouraging them at home to seek a brighter future or showing them Christian values. If the parents want to change and give their kids what they did not most of them do not have enough education to help their kids with their homework and tests.
My house being broken into is one more reason why these people need the organization that I am starting. Parents need a place to learn practical work skills and hope of finding a permanent job. Children need a place to get homework help and tutoring. The youth need a distraction from the streets at the gym, arcade and internet cafe that will be in the community center. I believe we can see this community and many others change through education, job training, job opportunities, provisions and access to basic needs (clean water, food and shelter) as well as basic humanitarian relief.
Below is the letter from a woman from a ghetto like the Limonada who is in prison:
A card from a desperate Mother
 
First before anything I want to tell you a little about my case. Well, I was the friend of a lady and I did her a favor to earn some desperately needed money for my family. But when I was doing the favor someone filmed me and I was captured by the police for the crimes of extortion and assailant. I have a lawyer and I have already paid him a small part of the fee, I have a lot more to pay but anyways...
I want to touch your noble heart and ask that you help me. I have four children and I am a widow now for almost five years. I was the only one who had a job in my house to provide a living. I lived with my parents but they were to old to find any work. My parents are the ones who are caring for my children while I am here in prison. I am really not sure how long I will be here because I have not had my hearing yet. I am asking of your good heart if you could extend a hand to me with some kind of help. My oldest son is --years old his name is Angel Rigoberto* and currently he is the only one with a job in the house. I cry a lot here because I lack many things but it doesn't matter because at the end of the day I can at least eat the prison food. But I am not sure if my family at the end of the day has eaten or not. I cry as a mother because my children do not have the help of any other family members, we only have each other. What can I do from here for them? I can only ask God to have mercy on me and my family and that He will help me get out of here. I mostly suffer for my family. I don't care about myself or my needs it is for them that I am reaching out for help, as embarrassing as it may be. I don't want the other woman here to know that I am writing to you because they may make fun of me for asking for help. You know how it is and know that I am changing my life. I am reading the Bible everyday and I am asking the Lord that someone helps me.
Maybe one day you will have some free time and you could call my second to oldest son Miguel Antonio* and you could encourage him during this difficult time of not having his mother. I would be so thankful. He really wants to work during school vacations and he is currently looking for a job because he wants to help me and the family. He is -- years old and his number is 5555-5555 if you wish to call him and encourage him.
I have a daughter whose name is Kimberly Maribel* she is -- years old, she is a young lady that also needs a lot of guidance and words of wisdom. My youngest son is -- years old, his name is Jose David.* My mother's name is Ana Guadalupe* and she is -- years old. My old man's name is Carlos Enrique* and he is -- years old. All of them depend on me and I am here without the ability to do anything because I am locked up. What more can I do than ask for the help of someone? I thought of you because I don't have anyone else who can help me. Sometimes I go hungry because the prison food comes filthy and I cannot eat it and I have to fight the hunger because I have no money to buy other food. My son and father do come to see me but they cannot bring me anything because they only have enough money to pay for the bus. It does not matter because I want to see them and they want to see me too. They cannot let the week go by without seeing me. That is why I am like foreigner here but with a family because I have no one to bring me food.
My oldest son quit school to work to support the family. He wants to help me also and that hurts me inside because I know he has the dream of becoming an accountant but he left it all to help his brothers, sisters and I. He is the only one helping my family during this time.
Ashley, please I ask you to help me but I don't want any of the other women to know because I am very embaressed.
If you do not believe my story please call my house and talk to my family and son. That way you can go to visit my humble home it is made up of only tin slabs. We do not have electricity or running water because it was cut off because at the time no one had a paying job. If my family needs water or lights my neighbor sells buckets of water to them and runs an extension cord to the house for a price. I hope you can understand why I robbed. I wanted to give my family a better life, but I couldn't and now I am here behind bars without anyway to even help them get food. I tell you this so that you will believe me. My address is -----, a ghetto much like the Limonada.
  
If God puts it on your heart please call my son and tell him how you know me and if he will take you to the house. When you go you will see that everything I have told you is true. I hope you can respond to me soon.
May God bless you and take care of you for the great person that you are. Te Quiero Mucho.
Azucena Ariceli
Here is my ID number --- so you can look up my case number and see that what I have told you is true and hopefully you can help me.
For women like this I want to be able to have a job training program in the prison with possibilities of earning money through a small job to support their families. Everybody deserves a chance in life. Through our new organization Hope Renewed International has the mission of being dedicated to improving quality of life, renewing hope by providing relief to those in need and providing opportunities to those who may not otherwise have them.
If you are interested in supporting our effort or participating in a mission trip that includes working in the ghetto, dump, orphanages and prison please write to Hoperenewedinternational@gmail.org
*Names have been changed for the safety of the prisoner and her family.
Special thanks to Jordan, Lynn and Carolyn for your photos :) | 
