Another way to give this Christmas! Please consider sponsoring items from our new teen room wish list.

Originally posted December 11, 2014

By John Carson

We are grateful and amazed to have received such an amazing response to our Beach Christmas event this year, and we would like to open up yet another opportunity to include BC in your holiday giving! An exciting project that we are currently undertaking at the Breaking Chains building is creating a teen room for both Sunday Bible classes and to serve as an educational room.

Our teenagers enrolled in school programs often have the need to use the Internet and to print whatever they may need for homework. Because we don’t have the necessary resources on site, we typically have to send the teens elsewhere in the market to complete their tasks. That method quickly becomes inconvenient and expensive. We are also continually seeking ways to better engage our teens spiritually. With computer access in the building, we will be able to:

1. Save money (by not having to continually pay for outside Internet use and printing costs)
2. Have the educational tools necessary to help the students maintain their grades or catch up in school
3. Provide more teaching methods (video, audio) for both Bible and educational classes

We would like to install two computers along with a video projector to provide the desired access. Our youth minister, Wualter, is very excited about being able to use video materials in his lessons with the teens. I personally think this addition to the building will be a wonderful tool for us to grow our teens educationally, and most of all, spiritually.

If you would like to help with this project, the total cost has been broken down below into items that can be “sponsored” to complete the room. So feel free to buy a keyboard, a month of internet, or half a computer!

If you see an item that you would like to sponsor (in part or in whole) please leave a reply on the teen room wish list page or email mail@bchonduras.org with the desired item and the amount you would like to contribute.

You may contribute online via the “donate” section of this blog or send check donations to “Breaking Chains Honduras” at P.O. Box 20454 Oklahoma City, OK 73156.

Thank you for helping us open up new opportunities to our children and teens in the coming year!

Miguel: Battling and pressing onward

Originally posted December 10, 2014

–MIGUEL IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS!!–

By Amber Foster

Miguel and I have a long history of fighting battles together. This kid has a heart of gold but has come from an incredibly dark past. His addictions have led him to places that only God has had the power to pull him from. But over the past year I have had the huge blessing of watching him fall less and less and grow closer and closer to God. I have watched him allow forgiveness into his heart and begin to realize his own self-worth.

Miguel has spent the last four months living in the country, renting a room and working to save money up to move back into the city. It is a struggle for him to be away from those of us here that he considers family, but he knows that it is for the best. I am so proud of the changes I’ve seen him make.

We talk weekly about dedicating his life to God and being baptized but there is something holding him back. He is hungry for forgiveness but still struggles to believe that he is worth saving. I love this dear boy as a son, and he has taught me so much about my own relationship with God and my need for forgiveness. Miguel puts on a tough front, but when he allows himself to love he commits completely and is loyal to a fault.

Skarleth: Seeking hope through brokenness

Originally posted December 10, 2014

–SKARLETH IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS 2014!!–

By Amber Foster

I have worked with a lot of broken girls through my time with Breaking Chains, but I fear Skarleth is one of our most broken. Her ability to hide her feelings and put on a happy face allows her to easily recede into the background. Despite her struggles, Skarleth is able to maintain a full-time job cutting hair, which means I don’t get nearly as many opportunities to sit and talk with her as I do the other kids. Skarleth has been sorely mistreated and abused throughout her past but has great goals for her future. I just wish she could see how strong she is.

The times that we do get to talk are often long and full of alternating angry attitudes and desperate tears. Skarleth is currently three months pregnant and terrified about the future. When she told her mother that she was pregnant, her mother’s response was “it’s about time”. As a young woman, Skarleth is not prepared for this little one, but we are working together to make sure she knows what she needs to know and that she knows she has a family around her that will support her in her fight to succeed.

Even though Skarleth struggles with her emotions, she has shown herself to be very responsible, holding down her job and helping around the house. When Skarleth opens herself up she is very caring and quite funny. I enjoy the time I get to spend with Skarleth, and I pray that she is able to accept God’s love and forgiveness as she moves forward.

Jonathan: Our intelligent, caring mischief-maker

December 10, 2014

–JONATHAN IS SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS 2014!!–

By Amber Foster

10-year-old Jonathan is, like most of his siblings, a complete ball of energy. Without direction, Jonathan will drive you and everyone else in the room insane. But give him a job or a way to help others and he will happily work all day long.

I love watching Jonathan seek out ways to serve others. He loves to help cook in the kitchen or help me with the little ones when we are all together.

Jonathan is also extremely bright. I believe his attention issues are a direct result of his above average intelligence. With that intelligence comes a hilarious wit that is a joy to be around. Jonathan can hold his own in a conversation better than kids much older than him, often getting himself in trouble with his off-hand remarks.

But my favorite thing about Jonathan, and the thing that I will thank God for for the rest of my life, was his dedication to caring for his little sisters when they were in the children’s home. When the kids first came home, I would often find myself telling Jonathan that he could let go. He didn’t have to be their protector anymore. God has blessed Michael, John and I with that job now but we are infinitely thankful that Jonathan was there when we couldn’t be.

Diestafano’s family: Our gracious beach hosts

Originally posted December 9, 2014

By Courtney Mathews

There are a lot of things we love about our trip to Amapala. The beach, the quality time, the presents. But right at the top of the list is the food and the family that so graciously prepares it for us.

We met Diestafano’s family years ago and they have become dear friends to us since then. This humble family makes their living in the fishing industry and also has a small beach shack/restaurant on the shores of Amapala where they kindly host our meals for Beach Christmas.

When we arrive for Beach Christmas, Diestafano’s younger children will excitedly greet us as we get off the boat. Then a while later, we’ll all gather under the shade to eat a wonderful meal of fish, chicken or shrimp that has been prepared by the women in the family.

We’ll share a couple of other meals together, but the rest of the time will just be spent in fellowship. We love getting to spend time just catching up with one another and seeing how much their children continue to grow. We are grateful for their continual kindness and friendship, and we excitedly look forward to seeing them every year.

For all the ways Diestafano’s family blesses ours, we would like to be able to bless them as well with some Christmas presents again this year. Please consider a $125 donation to help us give gifts to our gracious beach hosts.  

Dixon: Our funny, hardworking teen

Originally posted December 8, 2014

 –DIXON IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS!!–

By John Carson

My friend Dixon has lived and the BC building for about a year now, and I have enjoyed getting to know her in that time. Like many teens in our building she comes from a broken and painful past; the death of her mother, a difficult father, and just generally chaotic living situations.

Dixon may be one of the funniest teens in the building, in my opinion. She is always cracking jokes with me and laughing about something that is happening around her. She has such a spunky nature about her and is so fun to watch interacting with the kids.

When Michael and I need someone we trust to babysit our children, Dixon is our go-to person. Dixon is also a hard worker. I often see her leaving the building to go for job interviews around town. And she even has a part-time job that contracts her when they need her help. I felt very proud of Dixon a while back. She chose to give some of the money that she had earned from working to Breaking Chains for future rent when she moves out on her own. It is a rarity for something like that to happen.

Please consider supporting this sweet, hardworking girl this Beach Christmas. She is working hard to reflect the love of Christ in her caring way.