Tobasqui: Our bright and photogenic ball of energy

By Michael Carson

-TOBASQUI IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS!-

Tobasqui just finished his second grade year at Santa Monica, and he will start third grade in February. This kid can certainly be a punk when he wants to be, but he's easily the most photogenic child I have ever seen. Seriously, if we're going for "Most Likely to be the BC Child Model," our little Tobes wins.

We have worked hard alongside Tobasqui's mother to better his behavior in school. His mother isn't exactly a disciplinarian, and his father died years ago. We have to push Martha to push Tobasqui to better himself. She often wants to baby him, since he's the younger of her two children. But when he gets in trouble, she does her best to teach him consequences. Since the beginning of the year, we haven't received any more calls about Tobasqui's behavior. We're proud of this fact. We hope we can keep Tobasqui motivated because he's extremely bright. If he keeps up his behavior, he could do very well as he gets older.

Please pray we can help Martha be a good mother to Tobasqui and that Tobasqui will grow up learning discipline and responsibility. Please consider sponsoring Tobasqui's trip to Amapala with our BC family this year.

Henyi: Forging ahead and succeeding in middle school

By Michael Carson

-HENYI IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS!-

Henyi finished her first year of secondary school in 7th grade just a few weeks ago. We’re proud of this girl and how far she has come.

We have had to work through some teenage girl drama for sure this year, and that has proved difficult for our team. But the bright spot in Henyi is she is always willing to ask for forgiveness. None of us are perfect. God’s grace washes all of us clean on a daily basis. We believe in giving Henyi and other kids in our program that same chance. Many times this requires a major attitude adjustment, reminding them of how blessed they are to have this opportunity and sometimes a whole lot of Jewish mothering. But hey, whatever works, right?

Henyi is a fighter, and as long as she is willing to pick herself up, apologize and keep on trying, we’ll be right there with her fighting along the way. We look forward to seeing the rest of high school for this smart girl. We hope she stays on the right path to being different than the rest of her family.

Please consider sponsoring Henyi for Beach Christmas 2016!

Leonardo: Following his parents' example of hard work and respect

By Michael Carson

-LEO IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS!-

Leo entered our education program for the first time this year. He’s the son of our house parents, and we have enjoyed seeing his responsible demeanor influence the rest of our kids in the program.

Leo will begin his second year in our program as a ninth grader in February at Santa Monica. While he struggled in math, Leo behaviorally was one of our best. He came from schools who didn’t have as difficult of math classes, and thus had to adjust accordingly. But he kept fighting and trying, and sometimes that’s all you can ask for when something is so new. Oscar and Alba, his parents, instilled honorable values in him like respect and hard work. Leo is very fortunate to have such positively influential parents, because some of our other kids don’t have such a luxury.

We hope Leo will continue his success in our program over the next few years, and we look forward to seeing this happen. Please reward Leo’s hard work with a trip to the Beach alongside his parents and the rest of our BC family!

Oscar: Our hardworking house dad

By Courtney Sullivan 

-OSCAR IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS!-

Oscar and his wife Alba have been house parents at Breaking Chains since the beginning of 2015, and the impact they have had on our young adults and our ministry is immeasurable.

They are a presence at the building to make sure that the young adults behave and have everything they need, but they are also so much more than that. They are confidants, counselors, teachers and authority figures. They check on grades. They give godly advice. They lead by example. Oscar can be a little gruff and serious, but his wife balances him out well. Together they are able be firm when limits need to be set, and give grace and comfort when it is needed.

Oscar is also a bit of a handyman and he has done several projects for us around the building this year, including replacing many of our broken doors and window sills. Our ministry building overall looks so much better because of his hard work, and we are grateful for Oscar’s heart and dedication.

Oscar was like a little kid on the beach last year. I think he enjoyed his time in the ocean just as much as the rest of our BC family. Please consider contributing to give this hard working house dad a wonderful trip with the rest of our family.

-If you are interested in sponsoring Oscar, please click on the blog title and leave a reply in the comment section. The full cost of sponsorship is $150. You can contribute online via the donate page of our website. You can also send check donations to P.O. Box 20454 Oklahoma City, OK 73156.-

Martha: A single mom giving it her all

Martha (with hands raised) praying next to her niece, Escarlen, and sister, Edis, before last year's Beach Christmas trip

By Courtney Sullivan

Martha and her children Henyi and Tobasqui have been a part of our Breaking Chains family for the last few years. Martha’s husband was killed shortly before we met the family, and Martha has been working out how to be a single mom ever since.

Martha struggles at times to find work and make sure her family has everything it needs. But she loves her children fiercely and would do anything for them. She works hard to manage everything this world throws at her, and genuinely wants her children to have a better life than she did. She pushes them to succeed, tries her best to reinforce positive habits, and is actively involved in all they do.  

Martha is at church nearly every Sunday, Bible in hand and eager to hear the word of God. She takes comfort in the grace and peace of God, and she wants her children to have a relationship with Him as well. For one of her Christmas presents this year, she asked for a dress because she wanted to have something nice to wear to church. Being present with her believers is certainly a priority in her life. 

-If you are interested in sponsoring Martha, please click on the blog title and leave a reply in the comments section. The full sponsorship cost is $150. You can contribute online via the donate page of the website. You can also send check contributions to P.O. Box 20454 Oklahoma City, OK 73156.-

Rosie: A big personality and an even bigger heart

By Courtney Sullivan

-ROSIE IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS!-

We have many shy children in our BC family. Rosie is not one of them.

Rosie has never met a stranger. She easily makes friends with kids her age, and has an uncanny ability to befriend and see the needs in older people as well. When we pass out food on the street, Rosie can usually be found running around and laughing with the other kids. But it is not uncommon for her to also be found sitting beside someone on the curb who looks like they need a friend. God has given her a unique ability to see people how God sees them, rather than how the rest of the world sees them. 

The way Rosie has been and continues to be raised around our ministry gives her a different perspective and understanding about life than most children her age (and even many adults). She sees all different types of people in her daily life. She sees them struggle, fall and try to get back up. She sees them exude life but battle demons at the same time. She has a longing in her heart like the rest of us do to will people to push forward in life and create a better future. She has learned to deal with disappointment and loss, and seek God’s wisdom and understanding to get through it. And she has learned that God’s grace allows us to love people and give them second chances, even if we can’t always control the outcome. 

Rosie is full of energy and has a quick wit, which can sometimes get her into trouble. She can be a lot to handle, but she also has made a lot of room in her heart to help handle the burdens of others. We are so excited to spend another Beach Christmas with this little girl who is full of love and personality. Please consider sponsoring her this year.