Happy New Year Everyone!  Well, last night I had a chance to call the kids in Guatemala and they are all very excited to be starting a new year.  Their school year starts again at the end of this month and goes until October, then they have their "summer vacation."  Since this is my last summer before I go to college, I'm not sure if I wanna go back to visit the kids again or save up my money for the school year.  As of right now, I'm praying about what God wants me to do and getting together a team of people who are interested in spending some time living in a Guatemalan orphanage and ministering to the kids there.  Every time that I have gone, it's been awesome and God has really done so much in me and through me while there.  If any of you don't know where you wanna go for the summer, pray about going to "Songs of Joy."  Email me if you all have any more ideas:  Oh, btw, thank you so much for all the interest in writing letters to the kids.  You can email me any time you want to write anything to the kids and I will send it to them.  I know since most of us dont have money to spend to sponsor a kid, I figure, the least we can do is write them b-day cards on their b-days.  So... I will be posting upcoming b-days and will send cards/letters to them for their birthdays.  I've been sending cards by myself for the past few years, but so many of you have shown interest, so I'm opening it up to all of you!  For those of you in the area, my pastor (Chris Patraut), is taking a bunch of teens to Peru (probably Lima - cuz that's where he was born) to do missions and all.  That should be a really awesome trip!  I may go from that trip and take a detour by Songs of Joy and then visit some friends in Honduras and El Salvador, but I'm not sure yet.  So, please keep me in your prayers!  Thank you all so much for all your love and support, it has not gone unnoticed!  God Bless you all and ¡Próspero Año Nuevo!

Hey Everyone!

Thank you so much for all your prayers.  For those of you wondering, the dream is not dead!  Currently, I am working on sending out letters to corporations and bringing in some funds.  School takes up a lot of time, but this mission is always on my heart.  Basically, I cannot do too much without raising some money - and as a teen girl, money is definitely hard to get (and hold on to!)  lol.  Please spread the word to all your friends.  Any way that you can help would be so appreciated - more than you know.  Also, I am putting together a package to send to the kids for Christmas.  If any of you would like to send letters to the kids (in English or Spanish) or want to send toys or sponsor one of the kids, please email/IM me and let me know!  More news... I'm planning on going down to visit the kids during the summer.  If any are interested in going, you know what to do!    The Songs of Joy Website is FINALLY back up, so if you want any more information about Guatemala, the kids, the organization, anything, check out:  www.songsofjoyhome.org.  THANK YOU ALL!!!!!

Dear Friends,

Throughout our lives, we are given many opportunities to make a difference in someone else’s life.  Sometimes, we turn our heads and pretend not to notice, while other times, we try everything we can bring about change.  As a seventeen-year high school honors student, I decided to take that opportunity when last summer, I devoted two months of my life to bring change to the lives of abused and orphaned children in a small village in Guatemala.

In a third world country, dreams are all that most children have to hold onto.  Hopes for the future remain impossible, and yet such a vital part of persevering through life.  With no homes, no families and no future, children survive off of their dreams.  I spoke with the children about these hopes and dreams.  One abused little girl said that if she could have one wish, she would want to meet Cinderella.  She explained, "Cinderella came from a home where her mom was mean to her - just like my mom was mean to me.  God took care of Cinderella, and she became a princess.  Maybe one day, I'll get to meet her and be a princess too...”  This little girl is not alone.  Another child wanted to meet her “hero” Pocahontas and run free through the woods.  Many of the boys have dreams of riding on the roller coasters at Disney World and being free to have fun without feeling the fear of gangs and oppression that they have in their own land.

Every night these children pray that somehow, someway, their dreams would come true.  And every night, they fall asleep knowing they probably won’t.  In a society where so much is given to us, the only thing that would be right for us to do would be to give back - especially to those who will never have the opportunities that we, as Americans, do.  These orphans in Guatemala do not ask for much out of life, but together, we can give them the little that they do ask for - and that is a chance to come to Disney World and escape for a short while the pain and struggle of their own lives.  Together, little by little, their dreams will become a reality.

Many people have rallied together to help make this trip possible.  My parents are going as leaders of the trip and we have 40 counselors who are committed to going (one child for each hand), as well as, a leadership team made up of myself and four other college students from Liberty University.  However, we cannot do it on our own.  After plane tickets, Disney tickets, food, clothes, passports, transportation, and everything else that needs to be done in order for this trip to happen, the total cost will be about $2,000 per person - much more money than we could ever afford on our own.  The children’s dreams can never become a reality without the help and support of people and businesses like yours.  I am a mere teenage girl with a dream - that theirs would come true. 

So, today is your opportunity.  Will you be one of the many who will turn their heads away from the desperate cries of these poor, abused children?  Or will you be the one who does what he/she can do to help make their dreams come true and make a difference in the lives of 80 Guatemalan children.  Anything you do - be it large or small - will make an impact on these children in ways that you could never even imagine.  Above everything, I covet your prayers.  God promises that if we ask, we shall receive (Matthew 7:7).  Today, I am asking you to support this mission in any way you feel the Lord leading.  God also tells us to “bear one another’s burdens”.  As members of the body of Christ, God reflects to us that we are not meant to live and survive on our own, but that we do indeed need each other in order to accomplish the amazing plans that He has for us!  By helping to contribute to this mission, you will not only help make 80 children’s dreams come true, but mine, as well.  Thank you so very much for your prayers and support.

May God Bless You!

Angela Harders

P.S. If you would like to support or help out, please e-mail me at aharders@hardersfinancial.com or IM me at NateColeisWOMH. I would love to hear from you!

You can also send ideas to:

Angela Harders
PO Box 4907  
Silver Spring, MD 20914