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Our work has continued to grow and expand reaching more young people. Based on our three key aims of Rescuing, Restoring, and Rebuilding the lives of the most at-risk young people, we have seen God’s hand at work healing young people from the depths of street life and bringing them into trusting relationships with trained mentors. In partnership with a street youth project, a residential home for teenage girls and a school for children from families working at the town rubbish dump, our Youth Mentoring Programme is now helping 120 young people in Guatemala as they transition out of these projects and navigate towards a healthy transition into adult society. As well as support from a mentor, these young people are provided with an education, are taught key life values, and when applicable invited to enrol on our Youth Mentoring course to be trained up as a mentor. During 2021, these young people through volunteering in their churches and communities together reached out to 2,228 at-risk children and youth per month. Youth Mentoring Programme Our coordinated Youth Mentoring Programme in Guatemala has informed the next phase of our work. In 2018 we started developing Community Connect partnerships with churches and other projects in Guatemala; training and equipping youth leaders and volunteers as mentors of at-risk young people in their own churches and communities. With our 15 church and project partners in Guatemala, those of whom together are providing mentoring to 285 young people, were provided with personalised training and one to one consultation meetings. Our partners are supported to create and implement their own mentoring programmes so they can reach the most marginalised and lonely young people in their projects and communities. The four Training courses we offer are: Youth Mentoring and Life Coaching, Youth in Transition, Counselling for At-Risk Youth, and Developing a Youth Mentoring Programme. We believe that dedicated and intentional relationships between mature, Christian mentors and at-risk young people provide safe spaces in which these young people can learn, grow, mature, and thrive. Our partners provide a place for at-risk young people to not only professionalise and grow personally, but also to learn how to form trusting relationships and to socialise among their peers and supportive adults. Our partners walk with and orientate their young people as they develop aspirations, a sense of stability and, in turn, as they become the leaders and mentors of tomorrow. Online Training Platform and virtual partnerships The experience of running our Youth Mentoring Programme and Guatemala Community Connect partnership programme has helped inform the start-up of our Online Training Platform and virtual partnerships into other Latin American countries. In 2021 a group of 20 people from a group of Anglican churches in Chile were trained and certified in Youth Mentoring and Life Coaching so that they can mentor youth in a children’s residential home. At the end of last year we gave an intensive course, "Developing a Youth Mentoring Programme", at the Latin American Orphan Summit organised by CAFO (Christian Alliance for Orphans). 186 people from across 13 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean attended. This has widened our database of contacts and increased potential opportunity. This year with a group of staff and volunteers of a residential home for youth in transition to adulthood in Cuzco, Peru, we are starting to train them in Youth Mentoring and Life Coaching. Thank-you Once again, we at Nicodemus are thankful to God as we look back over the years and see lives changed as passionate people have been trained up as mentors and have then gone on to significantly impact at-risk and vulnerable young people in Guatemala and other Latin American countries. Jonathan Welford Latin America Director

Gersi, 23, grew up in an abusive and disintegrated family in a red zone suburb of Guatemala City. When Gersi was 11 years old, shortly after the My Special Treasure girl’s protection home opened, she moved into the home. “Gersi is a very calm person and she prays a lot. Whenever I share something in particular that is happening in my life, she always says she will pray for me.” – Andrea, Gersi’s mentor. Gersi helping at the Education Center (above) Each Saturday morning the children of the My Special Treasure girls protection home with Cesar and Carol (the directors of the home) went to the Chimaltenango town rubbish dump to give classes to the children working on the rubbish dump. They taught them to read and write, played games, did Bible studies and worship. Also, once a month a doctor from a ministry clinic in Guatemala City would go to the rubbish dump to provide a mobile medical clinic to the children and families who work on the rubbish dump. Experiences such as these inbuilt into Gersi and the girls at My Special Treasure the value are commitment to love and serve those in need. For Cesar and Carol, the directors, an important value to them is that the girls become mission focused as they are with them at My Special Treasure. “My mentoring relationship with Gersi has developed gradually over time. We both enjoy our friendship and we trust each other.” – Andrea, Gersi’s mentor. Since leaving the My Special Treasure girls protection home, Gersi joined Nicodemus’ Youth Mentoring Programme. Gersi has been an active member of the Youth Mentoring Programme – participating in group social and community outreach activities (see video above) and is being mentored. Since moving back home, Gersi did not immediately find a church, but two years ago she found one where she feels at home and has been an active member since. Nicodemus provided Gersi with education support to complete her secondary schooling and now we are supporting her education scholarship to study law at university. “My dream is to become a lawyer. I want to help people who need legal support but do not have the means to pay for such services.” – Gersi During the last couple of years Gersi’s situation at home has become harder. Gersi and her family do not get on well. There is a lot of family conflict and many of them are not on speaking terms. The job opportunities extremely limited job opportunities meant Gersi was struggling to find work. She worked for a few months in a stationary store being paid £90 per month and working 12 hours a day every day of the week. One time in the street where Gersi worked a fight broke out between two gangs and her shop was shot at. Thankfully Gersi ducked and was ok. Despite countless difficulties, Gersi still demonstrated faith and desire for a better life. Recognising this, with Nicodemus sponsoring her ministry apprenticeship, Gersi is now working at a medical clinic in Guatemala City which is part of a church ministry that serves the local population that work on the Guatemala City rubbish dump. This is the same ministry that go to do the monthly mobile medical clinics on the Chimaltenango rubbish dump. Gersi is so happy to be working in a ministry environment where she can not only work and receive a salary but also serve those that most need help. The ministry has been so happy with Gersi’s dedication at work and have continually given her more responsibilities. As well as support from the Nicodemus Youth Mentoring Programme, our partners with ministries such as the “Rays of Hope” medical clinic and our willingness to provide sponsorship for salaries to young people in transition in need, like Gersi, provide a mutual benefit to Gersi and her economic and developmental needs (spiritual, physical) and a benefit to the medical clinic project itself with having Gersi working for them. “I am so grateful to Nicodemus for being with me and walking with me these recent years. I do not know what I would be doing without your support.” - Gersi

Wow, that was a year to remember and learn from. Navigating Covid practically, resource-wise and how to maintain and improve what we do for our beneficiaries was a challenge. Our staff in the UK and Guatemala have been extremely hard working navigating many covid emergencies and creatively adapting our support for our beneficiaries. In Guatemala we have found that covid curfews occurred but ‘working to live’ frequently caused the breaking of these and consequential fuelling the pandemic. A number of our beneficiaries needed specialist support which thanks to the response to our “White Flag appeal” we have been able to provide. Our “White Flag appeal” had this name as the Guatemalan Government were telling people to stand on the side of the road waving a white flag if they could not buy food! The use of virtual mentoring has become essential and has enabled contact to continue. The 87 young adults and mentors we support through our Youth Mentoring programme have progressed well. 14 Youth Mentoring programme members have been given support with integrating into working mainly for different community projects where their life experience can benefit those they serve. Youth Mentoring Programme Our street rescue team have worked throughout the pandemic taking many precautions. Their environment was/is a massive challenge as these street living are not cared for at all, health-wise, so have been hit particularly hard with Covid. Despite this, we have supported 308 to leave street life for rehab, to join our youth mentoring programme or to return to their families. Unfortunately, we have supported 78 funerals of street living young people. This number of deaths is an illustration of the desperate needs amongst this population of street living young people. Allowing dignity of burial is important and causes much reflection amongst those who are alive! Two former street living young people who have been and remain in our Youth Mentoring programme now work for the street team. Time of Rescue street rescue The Girls home (20 girls) has managed to keep clear of Covid during 2021. This is a credit to the staff managing difficult circumstances. The girls have continued to ‘heal’ from their life experiences, many of which were extreme abuse. They have managed to keep their education going through this year. 2 girls have left the home, having been engaging with the Youth Mentoring programme during the last 2 -3 years in preparation for this time, and joined our Youth Mentoring programme. Girls Home joining with Youth Mentoring Programme The school serving 278 children from the local rubbish dump area has been a big challenge. The curriculum has, thanks to free data availability for WhatsApp, been handled over WhatsApp. Work has been delivered to a central point and lessons conducted virtually. 2 older pupils have now joined our Youth Mentoring programme following 2 years of engagement through school. Young Adults from the Education Center join Youth Mentoring Programme In the UK we have supported 75 churches and charities with their community projects. These projects predominantly impact young people in a variety of ways for example x y z . Our support has been to provide training courses and 1 to 1 training support that assist with how to deliver their projects and make them sustainable through good practice and fundraising. Our experience with our Youth Mentoring programmes both in the UK and Guatemala has been brought together to produce courses benefiting both UK (via our Nicodemus Training website) and Guatemala churches and charities. We are committed to sharing our knowledge and experience with churches and charities as we believe this will produce maximum impact. We have encountered many people with passion in churches and charities and we are delighted to help support them. 2021 has been a costly year for us all that has brought focus on the future. Nicodemus looks forward to helping many many more young people in 2022 as a result of the continuing support of our donors.

Today at Nicodemus, we want to celebrate what God has done in the life of Jossy in Guatemala. Six years ago she was rescued from the street by ‘Time of Rescue’ crisis support team, a project we partner with, and continued the transformation God had planned for her life. “I saw a chance to be off the streets and have a better future.” Jossy completed her school education and went on to train as a ‘bombero’ (firewoman/paramedic). Now she is volunteering with a bombero group and with them is attending the tragic results of 'Storm Eta' at the weekend that caused massive landslides and the loss of lives in central Guatemala. “I could not afford to study but when Jonnie told me about the opportunity to study I got really excited about furthering my education” Jossy is a great example of how a person can realise the potential God has planned for every individual by using the gifts and talents He places in us. “I believe that my testimony is helpful to my old friends. I tell them “You are important. You can also leave the streets” Nicodemus believes in young people and together we can do more to enable the transformation in the lives of many more young people in latin America. Please take a look around our website to discover how you can use your God-given gifts and talents to make a difference to someone else today. From my hear, thank-you very much, for your support and believing in me”

Thanks to your support, we have been able to help young adults from our Youth Mentoring Programme in Guatemala with groceries during this challenging time. We're so happy to be able to be a part of their lives even during this time; supporting and mentoring each one of them. Because of your generosity, Nicodemus has been able to act immediately to help those in extreme poverty in Guatemala by giving out 130 food parcels so far. With your generous support some of those who have been forced by the impact of Covid-19 to resort to waving a white flag, indicating they are without any food, are now having this need met for themselves and their families. Please pray for our mentors as they continue to mentor at a distance, providing friendship and advice. We are so thankful for them! Thank-you

After living the first few years of his life on the streets with his mother, who was deaf and unable to communicate with him, Pablo was taken into a children’s protection home. However, on reaching adolescence, Pablo had to leave the home. Pablo struggled to integrate into society. As a teenager, he worked in a motel in order to earn money and support his mother. This left little time or energy for study. At the time Nicodemus came into contact with Pablo, aged 17, his schooling had not progressed beyond primary level. Nicodemus supported Pablo with a scholarship to attend secondary school, a mentor and somewhere to live, and life began to improve. Pablo has often been pressured, through friends, to get involved with drugs and alcohol but, thanks to the support of his mentor, has been able to refuse. Pablo still struggles economically to support himself and his mother but feels hopeful for the future. ‘When I feel alone and frustrated at not finding a solution, my mentor motivates and supports me, reminds me of what the gospel is and that gives me peace,’ he says. Pablo and his mum have now learnt sign language through their local church and are able to communicate together. Pablo is currently studying English with the aim of applying for a job in a call centre when he qualifies. ‘Through my experiences, I hope I can help by mentoring someone else,’ Pablo Pablo’s life has turned around and he is now keen to use the situations that he has been through for good. ‘Through my experiences, I hope I can help by mentoring someone else,’ he says.

Dear Nicodemus family, We hope you are all doing well. What an amazing 12 months we have had with many partner churches and organisations getting the necessary funding to be able to impact their local communities. A strong community is so essential in these unique times. Charles Spurgeon wrote "Hope itself is like a star- not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity". We should not be moved but what we see or hear, with so much fear and panic going on, Let us remember God's words in 2 Timothy 1:7 For I have not given you the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. We've spent intentional time planning, preparing and praying for our strategic plan for the upcoming three years. We are excited, as a community of diverse churches and organisations, that we are able to meet the needs of the community. However in light of the growing global concerns and precautions of the spread of COVID-19, and upon recommendation of our Health Secretary, we will respect their decisions as the right ones and will continue to work with our partners, communities and stakeholders virtually, which means that you will be able to do this from the comfort of your own home, phone, tablet or laptop. The steps that Nicodemus will take to support you are: - All meetings that we are running can be undertaken virtually through Teams or Skype - Our Staff will be working from home but will be contactable during usual office hours - If partners need any support or guidance as to how they can continue their projects in the midst of the pandemic, then they can contact Sophia Lipska, our Delivery & Development Manager, who will support them through this. As we write this message, we are not discouraged: we know that God does his greatest work in the darkest of times. God bless you all through this time, and may we all continue to pray for each other; for our communities; for our families; and for all who are affected by Coronavirus at this time. Bless you, Alastair & Debbie Welford CEO's

Do you remember a season, activity or event that you anxiously wait for, that you even count down the days to in your diary? I do. I remember when I used to count down for the next school year to start, although with such an excitement that probably disappeared a couple of months after school started. Maybe for others that time was Christmas, summer or another season. However, not everyone has opportunities to find places for recreation, or time to go out on a trip, or simply to hang out with friends. In Guatemala there are just a few public areas for recreation and in many communities where these public areas are, they are not safe for people to go walking or to play. Furthermore, depending on your circumstances, for many their priority will simply be to survive day to day, so there is no time for relaxing and no place to do it safely. It is here that Nicodemus provides an opportunity; our annual camp where young people have the chance to laugh, play, sing, talk, learn and build relationships for life. For many of our young people this is “the event” of the year, where they can go to a safe place, enjoy healthy laughter, where there will be food on their plate and because of that, they will rest and be distracted to focus on something else. “The Nicodemus camp is a special time because, as a mentor, you get to relate with your mentee from a different perspective. You can see your mentee relating with others and it is a great opportunity to share with him or her in a different way. The camp helped me to not only develop the mentor – mentee relationship with my young person, but also a true solid friendship” – Andrea, mentor. Some participants have saved the date in their diaries since the first time they heard about the camp, and others count down the days to the weekend. Others reorganized work and school schedules to be able to go to camp. Why? Because for two days they can see and spend time with friends, mentors, and other young people from different places and contexts. For many of the young people these relationships go back to 5 or 10 years. In 2020, our camp hosted 130 young people from 12 different partners including the oldest partners - Tiempo de Rescate (Time of rescue crisis support ), Casa Hogar ‘Mi Especial Tesoro’ (‘My Special Treasure’ Girls’ Protection Home) and Centro Educativo ‘Mi Especial Tesoro’ (‘My Special Treasure’ Education Centre). Also, young people from Guatemala City, Chimaltenango, San Miguel Petapa, Villa Nueva, Escuintla and other surrounding areas could gather together with the same purpose. Over this short weekend we organised indoor group games, challenges, teamwork activities and opportunities to develop leadership roles. We shared meals together and enjoyed an interesting mix of short sections of movies and other reflections. At the end of the day we sat around a campfire to worship and listen to testimonies of how God has transformed the lives of young people from projects and partnerships supported by Nicodemus. The next day included a group devotional, and more outdoor games and fun activities. “The camp was a wonderful time. I will always remember the time when as a group we were all sharing together about how God has made big changes in our lives. The camp was an important time for us to get away from our routines and relax a little” – Nataly, mentee. The objective is clear. We wanted to create a space for young people to have fun without depending on substances, bad influences, and for others, to give them a break from their daily routine so they can focus on seeking God and pay attention to what he always gives. A space to worship God, to come back to Him, to remember He keeps loving despite wherever we are. Relationships matter and for Nicodemus that means to be able to Rescue, Restore and Rebuild those broken bonds; knowing we all serve the one who has the power to transform lives. We only provide the space, platform and hands. He does the work. So next time you find yourself waiting agonisingly for an event, remember we do too. We wait every year for our camp to meet and hug friends, because we care for them no matter where they come from and because we know that together we can make a transformation in our communities.

"I began to truly believe my life had value" Gladys' Story Below is Gladys’ story. She wants to share with you exactly how God has transformed her life and her thoughts and dreams for the future, from a childhood that seemed devoid of hope. Gladys with her daughter and Debbie, 2019 Born into a family of seven, Gladys and her siblings rarely had enough food to go around, and resources were limited. From the very start of her life, Gladys had little belief in her chances of getting ahead in her studies and becoming self-sufficient. Her mum suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father, and so her home never felt safe. When she was very young, her dad passed away from alcoholism and it wasn’t long before her mum found a new partner and had two more children. Tragically, the new partner began abusing Gladys when she was only five years-old, and it didn’t stop until she left home when she was 15. “It was hard, because I was a kid, and I just wanted to play, study and have fun. My heart got filled with hate and resentment. My thoughts became very negative.” Gladys contemplated suicide often, and on one occasion, drank rat poison to try to end her life. Her life didn’t end that day and looking back, she wholeheartedly believes that God rescued her. When she turned 15, she went to live in a children’s home consumed by negative thoughts, feeling good for nothing, and having very little faith in God. Living in fear, with no hope, she remembers praying “God, if you really exist and want to do justice, I ask that not what I want but that your will be done.” When Alastair & Debbie visited Gladys at her home in 2012 and offered to support her through Nicodemus, she broke down. She couldn't believe that someone wanted to help her and believed she was worthy of support and her life had purpose. She didn’t stay long in the home, as her heart remained hard and closed to change. She got a local job in the hope of gaining independence. However, this turned out to be another turn away from the right path; the friendship group she became entangled with were into drugs and drink, and this quickly became part of her life too. Before long, she moved out of her mum’s home and moved in with a guy she had started dating. Feeling independent, with no one to tell her what to do, she started to consider what her future could hold. It was at this time that she was offered an education scholarship by Nicodemus, which she initially met with resistance. She had little confidence in her ability to shake her negative thought patterns, to apply herself to her studies and to make the scholarship worthwhile, yet with minimal self-belief and hope, she tentatively accepted the offer, and took a step forward onto the path set before her. With Nicodemus’ help, Gladys finished high school, along with a group of young adults who left the children’s home when they turned eighteen. Gladys with a girl who lives on the streets, listening and encouraging her to take the step to leave the streets and drugs behind. Shortly after, some of Gladys’ church friends started speaking to her about Jesus and she was able to accept and hear the words for the first time. She’d heard it all before, but this time, she was receptive, curious and wanted to hear more. People in her past had sown the seed, and it was now beginning to germinate. “I knew God was healing and cleaning my heart, and I simply couldn’t explain it. God was working within me, and when I turned 21, I gave my life to Jesus.” Her negative thoughts began to change, “I began to truly believe my life had value, that I'm God’s daughter, and that He has a path for me.” Throughout this time, Gladys was mentored and discipled by Daniel and Deborah, a Christian couple from her local church, and they supported her as she came off drugs and drinking. Daniel used to be the lead singer in a heavy metal band, and is a recovering addict himself, so from his firsthand experience, was able to help her significantly. They discipled her on a weekly basis, counselling her, calling her on the phone and regularly visiting her. They played a key part in Gladys’ transformation. “I’m grateful to God for all of them, I now have hopes and dreams for the future. I want to learn English fluently, to become a bilingual secretary. Gladys graduated from high school as a bilingual secretary and wants to keep improving her English to increase her chances of finding a job. Gladys (right) with her mentor and some friends from the Youth Mentoring Programme in Guatemala The rest is in Gladys' words: “I now feel happiness rather than hate. I thought I’d never get married, and that I’d always be alone, but God gave me a husband and a daughter, and I have learnt that He is the King of my life. Learning about God’s forgiveness whilst studying the Bible, has taught me to forgive my mum and leave what happened in the past. I now spend regular time with her, we are affectionate with one another and have a much better mother-daughter relationship. I’ve learnt the power of gratitude. I could see what people were doing for me in the past but couldn’t appreciate it and show how thankful I was. As God healed me, I could embrace the love I’d been shown. Gladys and the Young Adults from the Youth Mentoring Programme reaching out to street living youth.

By Alastair Welford, Nicodemus CEO: When I first met Jason in 2005, he was only eight years old and spent his days and nights living on the streets in Guatemala City, a city which is particularly dangerous after the sun goes down, with robberies and muggings being commonplace, along with a rife drug and gang culture. He had run away from home in order to escape the abuse that he suffered there. Jason (far right), on the street where I first encountered him in 2005 Shortly after I first encountered Jason, a charity rescued him from the streets and he was placed in a children’s protection home for several years. They helped to reunite him with his family, who he returned to live with in his late teens. Heartbreakingly, he suffered the same abuse he had run away from all those years before. Circumstances hadn’t changed; he had no other choice but to return to the streets. Jason (middle), in childcare, six months after being rescued from the streets He was quickly integrated into a group of street-living youths. Drugs, including solvent sniffing, marijuana and coke together with alcohol, were readily available to a teenager in his circumstances. Gangs use these addictive drugs to ‘capture’ vulnerable young people like Jason and then control his life, effectively replacing his family, leaving a confused young adult unable to take a decision to change his life. Jason, just after leaving childcare in 2010 He struggled to believe that living from day-to-day, feeding his drugs habit by washing car windows, mugging and running parcels for gangs, could change. He felt trapped. However, despite his hopelessness, Jason knew there was the Nicodemus street rescue crisis support team who cared about him. They visited him often, attending to his first aid requirements (he frequently needed attention), cutting his hair (dealing with any unwelcome visitors in there) and caring for his feet, washing them and treating inevitable problems from living on the streets. A relationship and trust slowly began to build, along with a significant level of understanding that he had a purpose to his life. For someone who had had such a tough life as a child and teenager, being led into addiction and crime in order to survive, discovering purpose was utterly transformative and life changing. Incredibly, he has a faith, which remains the one constant thing in his life, also fuelling his personal desire to change and take responsibility for what comes next. I always ask street-living youths what their future plans are, and whether leaving street life is part of them. Jason’s response was, “I want to change but I can't!" This is a phrase I have heard from many street-living youths, but “I can’t!” is indicative of a desire to change and is predicated on fear: the fear to stop using drugs, the fear of gang control, or the fear of losing their street family, which for many, replaces their biological family, so the bonds run deep. Jason, in 2013, with his friend from childcare, back on the streets again If these fears are quelled, there is hope. Six months ago, I saw Jason again, and his health had remarkably deteriorated. Worryingly, he was behaving very like his sister, who went to live on the streets with him when he was a child, remaining there until she died from HIV and Hepatitis. His sister is at peace now, and her death made Jason feel that changing his own life was near impossible. When I saw him, he could barely stand up and was leaning backwards in an awkward position (the primary cause for his physical state was substance abuse). When asked about his dreams on this occasion he said, “I have none!”. To be honest, I felt he was heading the same way as his sister, and that this would be the last time I would see him. Jason was one five young adults living on the streets, who always greeted me like a long-lost friend. All five had been rescued from the streets, been placed in childcare, restored and returned to their families, before returning to the streets once more. Meeting these five young adults in this way went very deep and was one of the reasons we started to support young adults in Guatemala. One of these five died, one remains street-living and three have left the street, including Jason six weeks ago. These five have personally affected my wife and me greatly – they know the names of our children and always ask after them when we see them. They welcome us every time we visit and have never asked us for anything. They have always demonstrated a respect and care to us (the same as we experience from young people in our work in the UK). We have frequently spoken with these five young people about how their lives could change and their dreams for their future, but wherever addiction is involved, it needs the individual to decide to change. We returned to Guatemala this month and Jason’s condition had deteriorated even further. However, with the little strength he had, he took the decision to make a change and leave street life. He now lives with his Aunt and is supported by regular visits from the Nicodemus street team. Jason, with the Nicodemus street team, his Aunt, my wife Debbie and me (Alastair) He continues to shake from drugs withdrawal and has to eat high energy food to restore his body as much as possible. Without a miracle, he will have physical consequences for the rest of his life. Throughout all of this, his faith remains a personal inspiration to us. The gratitude he has for his God is profound. Jason and me, after he'd moved into his Aunt's house He is doing as well as can be hoped for and is resisting the pull of drugs. I asked him once more about his dreams for the future, and through tears he said, “That is difficult for me as I never imagined I would be not taking drugs. I need to get healthy and then study.” He is aware that he has a long way to go but this is very positive. A degree of shaking could be with him for up to a year, but he remains committed. He also understands that persevering now, means survival with the support of others. Jason, in his Aunt's home, after his decision to leave the streets We hope and pray that one day he will have the support of our Nicodemus Youth Mentoring Programme offering mentoring, education and further transition support to him, once he is sufficiently stabilised. For now, he is ‘one more off the street’ and is doing his very best to accept help and make progress. Please pray for Jason that he can remain strong in his commitment to leave street life and that his future dreams will be fulfilled – this is a massive step for him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jason was one of the young adults whose life God used to inspire us to start Nicodemus. We are thrilled to see how he has progressed since that night in 2012, when he first tapped me on the shoulder. Little does he know, that this one action led to work that now extends to many hundreds of young people in Guatemala, with a wider impact into the thousands through their voluntary work. His action also prompted us to work in the UK, where we support many churches and communities to fund and successfully run their own projects with young adults.

On the International Day of Friendship, Nicodemus chats to International Director, Jonnie Welford (pictured right), on the importance of friendship – and mentoring – within Nicodemus… Jonnie, did you have a best friend growing up? I was part of a big group of friends at school. Two of my best friends were a couple of South Korean boys that moved over to England. We did all the usual stuff that boys do – hanging out at each other’s houses, playing football, Playstation… When I got to secondary school, I made friends with a boy from Hong Kong. I was always interested in where people had come from – I was always conscious that these people had come to a completely different country – having to learn a new language, learn new sports, coming in to British life not fully knowing the rules but getting involved anyway! What friends mean a lot to you now? I’ve moved around a lot and met some really special people along the way. Having lived and worked in Guatemala for quite a few years now, I’ve made lots of good, solid friends within the churches and projects that Nicodemus is a part of here. We’ve shared a lot of experiences together, learnt a lot together. Being able to count on people from different countries and different places means a lot. How important is friendship in the work that Nicodemus does? It’s very important. It’s what we strive for. We’re passionate about equipping churches to get marginalised youth together – to get to know one another, spend time together. A lot of young people come to our groups with the attitude that they can’t open up straight away – there’s a lot of mistrust as a result of the 36-year civil war in the country. But it has been great to see people starting off from that standpoint and then breaking in and getting to know each other – meeting up with other young people and coming to an activity together. Lately, we’ve been speaking to young people in our YMP (Youth Mentoring Programmes) a lot about friendship – about what it means; encouraging them to share their emotions and explaining why we support mentoring. I’m glad you mentioned mentoring: it’s a really important part of what Nicodemus does in the UK and in Guatemala. But what’s the difference between mentoring and friendship? There’s a lot of crossover. But mentoring is about intentionally getting alongside people, putting an arm around them, and working through the big issues of their life with them. A lot of the young people we work with have come off the streets or out of childcare and they’re worried about what’s next – they’re facing a future without hope. Nicodemus bridges the gap from later teenage years into adulthood and, for our young people, having somebody to walk this path with them is something they didn’t expect but, when it does happen, it’s a gift for them: to be placed with an older person who’s willing to invest time and energy into their lives – a mature Christian, who can be calm in a crisis and offer guidance. It’s beyond friendship in that sense. Mentoring can be a challenge to some young people at first as they’re not used to people being so forward, but what we see with our young people is that they thaw out and come alongside their mentors in a special way. They become so grateful for their mentors who have stuck with them when they’ve made mistakes, given them support and guidance and helped them through the big decisions of life: where to live, what to study, boyfriends and girlfriends… to have a mentor with you through all of that is invaluable. When we train our mentors, we talk with them about how we are able to mentor because Jesus did it first – he put an arm around us when we didn’t want to know him. We can be mentors because we realise there is someone much greater than us who chose to mentor us first: to be friends with us, to save us and get alongside us. Recognising this enables us to extend that hand of friendship and mentoring to others.

For many of the girls living at the My Special Treasure Protection Home that Nicodemus helps support, their bodies are a means of survival or the focus of abuse. ‘Many of the teenage girls have experienced difficult situations,’ explains Kim, Nicodemus’s Community and Transition Coordinator. ‘They may have been abused, or have had to work from an early age.’ So when Nicodemus staff and volunteers spent an afternoon at the My Special Treasure Protection Home armed with nail polish, make up and face packs, they had a very specific agenda: to show these girls that they are loved, and to reinforce the value that God puts on them. ‘We prepared a spa afternoon so that they could have time to relax and pamper themselves,’ says Kim. ‘The teenage girls really enjoyed it. Some of them had never had their hair straightened or curled their hair. Others had never painted their nails. But they loved doing these things together and telling each other how beautiful they looked.’ During the afternoon, the girls were reminded of the verses from Psalm 139 about being wonderfully made by God. ‘We want them to love who they are, remembering they are a wonder of God’ ‘God created the girls beautifully and formed every detail of their body,’ says Kim. ‘Due to their difficulties, many of the girls think of their bodies negatively. We want them to love who they are, remembering they are a wonder of God. No matter the colour of our eyes, hair, skin or weight of our body, the interior is what creates our outer beauty.’ Please pray: · For the continued healing of the hearts and minds of these girls who have had difficult lives. · For energy and wisdom for the staff and volunteers helping to care for the girls.