Following Jesus ~ Serving Others
Helping The Vulnerable Thrive
Providing Physical Resources
We are currently providing resources for +150 orphaned & vulnerable children as well as multiple widows and single moms in need. These resources include: healthy food, clean drinking water, help with construction projects, basic medicine, household goods, cleaning supplies, Christmas & Birthday presents. These necessary items help in the day to day care for those we serve. Every orphanage we assist has different unmet needs and we work closely with the directors to fill in the gaps and ensure that all needs are covered.
(Left) Caleb going to take his first shower after we finished the water project. Previously he bathed out of buckets of water. Now he has running water for the toilets, water to wash his hands & warm showers.
Providing Quality Education
The best way to break the cycle of poverty is to invest in the education of the future leaders. Without a quality education most of the children from tough places will end up repeating the cycle. For many kids they have no hope of a good career and they are often exploited as they have no voice and no one to advocate for them. We work to ensure they have the resources and support needed to get educated and open doors for a brighter future.
Neftali's Freshman orientation. He is working on a degree in journalism and wants to work in news/media when he graduates.
Please pray for his continued success.
Dana with her new princess wand & bible. She knows she's God's little princess.
Spiritual Discipleship
We are intentional about sharing God's love for His people. Many of the children & women we serve have a distorted view of God as Father because of a broken relationship with their earthly father. When we see God as a perfect loving Father, there is tremendous healing that takes place. We realize that we are loved and created to love. We can accept hard things know that our loving father is in full control and will make all things work for the Good of those who love Him.
We know that God is the giver of every good thing and we help share this by providing Spanish Children's Bibles, as well as other, age appropriate, teaching resources to help work through the bible. We are seeing some amazing transformations in the lives of the children we serve. As we pray, demonstrate God's love & share His truth through the Word, eyes are being opened and healing is happening. Please pray for the Fatherless, that they would know and love the perfect Father, our God.
Providing Emotional Care
Children from hard places have unresolved trauma that deeply impacts their thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes. When we see behavior, we realize that there is an underlying cause for that behavior. In effort to help them with their trauma we work to identify triggers that could lead to behavior problems. We also work on providing a calm and disciplined approach to helping these children find their voice. When children feel loved, have structure, and know that their voice is heard it dramatically reduces the amount of behavioral problems. Being trauma aware allows us to better identify and understand what they might be dealing with.
​
We are constantly learning more in this field of study and trying to better understand how the brain works and how to best care for children with traumatic backgrounds. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we seek the best quality care for each individual child.
Carlos was left at an orphanage after his mom was arrested, she is addicted to heroine and HIV+. Please pray for Carlos as he tries to make sense of his situation.
Caring For Social Needs
Oswaldo & one of our volunteers working on a craft together.
Teaching children about appropriate social interactions empowers them to respect themselves and others. Orphaned children are at greater risk of being exploited & taken advantage of. We know that teaching them these valuable life skills and re-enforcing them consistently will help them learn how to navigate social interactions and ensure they have the tools to be successful. Allowing their voice to be heard & giving them opportunities to negotiate will help prepare them for the world they'll face as adults.
We help by teaching the children & our teams about the appropriate interactions, behaviors & healthy touch that is acceptable. We also look for opportunities to say "Yes" as much as possible. We believe this builds the child's voice & sense of self-confidence which will better equip them for adult life.