Amber Michel: Our photogenic baby

Originally posted November 20, 2013

By Amber Foster

-MICHEL IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS 2013-

Both Michael and I were so very honored when Michel’s mom decided to name her after the both of us (Amber Michel), and our pride grows as we watch this little princess grow up.  She is a sweet baby with a beautiful smile and one of the most photogenic kids I have ever met. She is the princess of the family and it’s a joy to watch her sisters and brother dote on her.

Last year was Michel’s first Christmas with us, and it was a joy to watch her play in the sand with her siblings. And to see her family enjoy a relaxing time of togetherness without the stress of their day-to-day city lives.

Eugenio: A strong, silent father

Originally posted November 30, 2013

By John Carson

-EUGENIO IS SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS 2013-

I really appreciate Eugenio’s smile. I usually see it when he is laughing at something I am doing – that gringo who’s still fighting to learn Spanish. The smile he has is filled with happiness. I remember when I first saw that smile; it was at the first Beach Christmas two years ago. On that day there was so much joy on his face as he played with his son Melvin on the beach.

Eugenio’s life is all about his family. There is a deep love in his eyes when he holds them and loves them. He works odd construction jobs for about five dollars a day. It is hard to get a lot of words out of him, but it’s the easiest when he’s bragging on his kids. He is the epitome of the strong, silent type.

I am grateful his children are blessed with such a great dad. More so, I am grateful for a father who wants his family to know Jesus and a better future.

Eric: Don’t judge a book by its cover

Originally posted November 30, 2013

By Courtney Mathews

—-ERIC IS SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS 2013!—-

Sometimes, outward appearances don’t necessarily reflect the person inside. Such is the case with Eric. If you passed by him on the street, you might never guess that the tall, long haired, tie-dye wearing, bracelet making, Bob Marley fan was interested in anything academic. But you would be wrong.

Eric, for all of his outward perceived hooliganism, is one of the brightest young men I know. When given the material, he is an insatiable reader. We purchased The Hunger Games in Spanish, and Eric had read nearly the whole thing within a few days. And he has conquered books about Christianity, history and other themes with the same voracity. When we think of reward gifts to give the teenagers, we typically think shoes or clothes. But for Eric, we think books.

Eric just completed and passed his eighth grade year of school. He has had a couple of rough moments during the course of the year in which he made bad decisions that resulted in him being kicked out of the building. But no matter if he was inside or out, he always went to school. Because he loves learning.

If you ask Eric what career he wants to pursue, he will tell you archaeology. But we are sure that, if he dedicates himself, Eric could succeed in a variety of fields.

Eric has his ups and downs and struggles with his vices like many of the teens we work with, but he has the capacity to truly outshine his circumstances – if he wants it. Please help us give this special teen a truly special Christmas.

Axel: Our little chatterbox

Originally posted November 20, 2013

Axel (right) with Dayana following Kindergarten graduation

By John Carson

—AXEL IS NOW SPONSORED!—

On the days that I am the one to pick up the kids from school, Axel is the most difficult to find. He is always running around the school with all of his friends. He loves to be at school, and he loves to play with his friends there. Axel is great at being motivated to do his homework (probably because he wants to go play so badly). Most of the time he does it by himself without any help. Then he runs up and says in English, “I finish!” He doesn’t always have it perfect, but he’s open to correction. His teacher’s biggest complaint was that he talked too much.

I cannot wait to see what he grows up to become. His family is supportive in his education and they were beaming at his kindergarten graduation last Saturday. They are happy to know that he has the possibility for a better life for him and his future family. Axel will start first grade in bilingual school in February with all his friends.

Please consider celebrating this little boy and making his Christmas one to remember. Would you please sponsor him for Beach Christmas 2013? He will be ever so grateful, and he’ll definitely give you a hug if you ever get to meet him.

Martha: A fighter to the end

Originally posted November 20, 2013

Martha with her children Hengi and Tobasqui at last year’s Beach Christmas

By Michael Carson

-MARTHA IS SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS 2013-

We have always had trouble with single mothers successfully entering and leaving our ministry. We find it is exceptionally difficult for them to find independence instead of becoming dependent on us. Being a single mother in Honduras is more than difficult; it can be debilitating. Martha is a widowed mom of two who fights those single-mother struggles every day.

What would you do to feed your kids? What lengths would you go to just to give them what they need? What if you didn’t have any help – no one? I think you would probably feel sheer desperation as so many parents here do. Many mothers in Honduras go to bed every night wondering how they will feed their kids the next day. Most single mothers lay awake wondering if they can even keep a roof over their kids’ heads. That is the life of women like Martha.

Martha has struggled not to become dependent on us. She hasn’t had an easy road, and it hasn’t always been easy for us to help her. But she has kept fighting. We told her when she moved in we wanted her to enter into some type of educational program to better herself and have a better, more reliable chance at a job.

Martha graduated from the beauty program with fellow ministry Mi Esperanza in October. She began her first job at a nearby salon this month, and her plan is to move out of our ministry house by the end of the year.

We still want her, her sweet daughter Henyi and ornery son Tobasqui to come with us to Amapala this year. We plan to continue to help her kids have a better education to break the chains of poverty in their family, and we hope we can maintain the relationship with Martha and her kids. 

Beach Christmas 2013 is here!

Originally posted November 20, 2013

When most people think of Christmas, they picture lots of snow, food, family and gifts. Maybe some picture a vacation in paradise. But we doubt many people picture camping on the beach with 10+ teenagers, five adults, twelve kids and four babies. Beach Christmas has become what all of us at Breaking Chains, including if not especially our staff, look forward to throughout the year.

Every year we take our Breaking Chains family to the beaches of Amapala, where we eat, laugh, swim and open presents together. We take a rented bus from Tegucigalpa to the coast, and then take a boat to the beaches of Amapala. A family we know in Amapala cooks all our meals with kind grace, and we’re able to provide some income for them to feed their own kiddos.

Most of our kids jump from the boat to swim before we even reach the beach. The boat ride is easily the most giddy you will see our teens and families all year. We arrive on the beach to a fish or chicken meal (depending on personal choice) directly on the beach, and we spend the rest of the day swimming and laughing. The calls of the street melt away, and our kids get a sense of what Heaven might be like – love, family and pure joy.

As the sun begins to set, we call our residents up one by one to open presents. As our BC family chants his or her name, each child, teen or adult erupts with innocent laughter and they tear away the paper from the package. If within lies that jacket or pair of shoes most desired, you can count on a scream of shock and excitement. As the moon shines over the waves, we all relax, and the kids huddle in excitement to compare gifts. We then all take turns roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire. Once it’s late enough, we throw our mattresses down under a concrete pavilion we rent and talk until we can’t stay awake any longer.

The next morning, some of our kids and teens have already jumped in the water before the sun has even risen. Most of the kids eat breakfast quickly so that they have optimum swim time, but several of the parents stay back chatting, relaxing in the sun. We spend the final hours before lunch enjoying the waves, laughing at everything and forming even stronger connections within our little community. Another fish meal for lunch marks a delicious end to our Beach-Christmas event. We always have trouble convincing everyone to climb into the boat to leave. But the wonderful part is the bonds made on the beach don’t end, and our family becomes a little tighter. God makes such beautiful connections between our residents during Beach Christmas. It’s so incredible to watch every year.

We will celebrate our third-annual Beach Christmas December 19-20 with three families and twelve teenagers. We’re also so blessed to be able to take our five Ochoa kids with us this year. We can’t wait to spend this blessed time all together as a weird, loud family full of love for each other. But we need your help. Each resident needs $125 for transportation, food and gift costs. Please prayerfully consider spreading Christ’s unconditional love this Christmas by sponsoring one of our family members in our Beach Christmas 2013.