Eugenio: A quiet family man

Originally posted November 28, 2015

*EUGENIO IS SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS 2015!

By Courtney Sullivan

Being the head of a family is tough. Trying to hold everything together through the ups and downs of life in urban poverty in Honduras is even tougher. In a city where many children never know the presence of a father in their lives, having a strong, consistent paternal figure is such an incredible blessing to a family. And that’s exactly what Eugenio is.

Eugenio has been a part of our lives for the past few years. He is a quiet man, but he loves his family fiercely and strives to provide for them in the best way he can. Eugenio works construction and other odd jobs to support himself, his wife Edis and his four children (Nayeli, Escarlen, Melvin and Michelle).  His life is not easy, but he knows the weight of his responsibility and seeks to give everything he can to his children.

Eugenio’s school-age children are all sponsored and enrolled in private school in the city. As they continue to progress, all of the children will far exceed the education level achieved by their father. They all have the potential to break the cycle of poverty for their family, and having a solid support system at home through Eugenio and Edis is so important to their success.

Eugenio has joined us for Beach Christmas a few times over the years. We love watching this quiet, often serious man relax and let loose with his family on the beach. As Eugenio laughs and plays with his children, you can see the contentment on his face from having his family all together – happy, healthy and progressing on toward their goals.

Please consider sponsoring Eugenio and giving this family man another wonderful Christmas with the ones he loves!

Nayeli: Finding her worth

Originally posted November 28, 2015

*NAYELI IS ALREADY SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS 2015!

By Michael Carson

Nayeli has always struggled to find herself in other people. Since I first met her four years ago, I could sense how badly she wanted and needed approval. She needed so much love. But this year has proved her best year yet.

Nayeli finished the last school year, and I wasn’t sure she would be back for another. She was becoming rebellious with her parents and was showing too much interest in boys. I sat down with her at the end of last school year and explained the sacrifices being made for her. A family in the States was sacrificing their hard-earned money so that she could have an education. We weren’t going to watch her throw that away, and she needed to make some decisions about what she wanted.

Nayeli began to cry and told me desperately how much she wanted a better life than her family has had. We explained to her she had to change her behavior and show us she wanted to be different. Older boys didn’t care about her, only her looks. A good boy would one day respect her for her intelligence, strength and heart.

Nayeli began the school year in February with a much better attitude. She worked hard and made good grades. She just finished her sixth-grade year at Santa Monica. I’m so proud of her choices to respect herself. She is worthy. God created her to be someone special.

Will you help us celebrate Nayeli’s good choices by sponsoring her for beach Christmas this year?

Erika: A joyous, dedicated mom

Originally posted November 28, 2015

*ERIKA IS SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS 2015!

By John Carson

Erika is always laughing I think. Every time I see her or talk to her it ends in laughter. I appreciate her joyfulness and admire her hard work to make a better life for her family. Her children are some of our kids that are in Santa Monica school. I still remember Erika’s house build as one of the most fun I have had. We laughed and had so much fun that day with the group.

I recently visited her out at her home and we laughed and talked with our Honduran ministers as we checked out her fantastic garden she has created around her house. Two of Erika’s kids are in my middle school class and are quick to answer any question I asked. I love watching when our parents work so hard to make a better life for their families and want their kids to know Jesus and have a brighter future. And these are things Erika truly wants for her and her children.

Please consider sponsoring this dedicated mom for our beach Christmas celebration!

Maholy: Our quiet sweetheart

Originally posted November 28, 2015

By Michael Carson

Sweet Maholy doesn’t speak much when you’re first getting to know her. She’s the middle child between Marjorie and Francois in Erika’s family. Her family along with one other are our two new families added to our private-school group in our ministry.

Maholy started private school this year in 5th grade. I loved watching her enthusiasm continue to grow as the year continued. She never lost the light in her eye that told you how grateful she was for the opportunity given to her. Her heart is evident in everything she does.

Throughout the year Maholy made good grades and worked very hard. We’re so proud of her determination and heart. She’s very quiet, but we believe she can do great things with a lot of hard work. We look forward to seeing her continue to flourish. Please consider sponsoring Maholy and her first trip ever to the beach!

Beach Christmas 2015 is coming!

Originally posted November 28, 2015

It’s that time of year, friends! The Honduran school year has wrapped up, the year is drawing to a close, and the sandy shores of Amapala are calling. It’s time for Beach Christmas 2015!

The quiet waves on the shores of Amapala are a far cry from the noise of the city, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. This annual tradition has become a treasured time for our BC family members. For a couple of days, our BC teens and families get to escape the hustle and worry of the city and trade it in for the serenity of the island of Amapala. Escaping the distractions of everyday life allows teens to clear their heads, families to reconnect and gives everyone a chance to thank God for the blessings of the community he has given us.

This year, Beach Christmas will take place Dec. 20 and 21. Early that Sunday morning, we will load up a couple of busses with people, mattresses, luggage, coolers and presents and set off for the two and a have hour drive to the coast. From there, we’ll load everyone and everything onto a couple of boats and take another hour-long ride across beautiful waters to reach our home away from home for the weekend. Our wonderful beach family hosts will greet us at the shores as we unload everything into the pavilion which will serve as our shelter.

From there, everyone will scatter to jump in the ocean, play soccer on the beach, or simply grab a coke and relax in the shade. After some time of playing, we’ll all come back together for a wonderful lunch prepared by the beach family we have come to know and love. We’ll take a minute to thank God for his blessings and constant faithfulness to us again this year before chowing down on some delicious fish, chicken or shrimp.

Following lunch, we’ll play in the ocean some more until it looks like the sun is about to set. Then, per tradition, everyone will gather their chairs in a circle. We’ll thank God again for his blessings as one by one our BC family members move to the center of the circle to open gifts provided for them by our generous sponsors. In addition to food and transportation, each individual’s sponsorship provides them a new outfit, new shoes and an additional gift (headphones, earrings, additional shoes, etc).

Following the gift giving, we will end the night by roasting hot dogs, pulling our mattresses together on the outdoor pavilion floor and listening to the waves crash as we fall asleep. The next day we will rise, eat breakfast and lunch and squeeze in as much time on the beach as possible before the boat arrives to take us back to shore and our journey back to the city begins.

We’re lucky this year to have several Beach Christmas veterans as well as some first-timers. We can’t wait to reminisce with those who have been before and to make new memories as well. We love Beach Christmas for many reasons. Of course, it’s a fun location and everyone gets presents. But more than that, we love what it stirs in our family- feelings of hope and renewal, of community and gratitude, and a humble acknowledgement of the Creator who has made everything possible.

We would love for your family to be a part of this experience, and we need your help to make it possible. In order to make the weekend happen, each individual will need a sponsor of $125. That cost covers food, transportation and gifts for the whole weekend. Additional gifts of any amount would also be a blessing to help with incidentals (beach toys, wrapping paper, etc.) or gifts for other families we would like to help during the holiday season.

If you are interested in contributing, please visit the Beach Christmas 2015 page to learn more about the individuals needing sponsorship. We will be posting the profiles of each individual available for sponsorship over the coming days, so please keep checking back to see who still has need.

Thank you for your support! We can’t wait to share in this experience with you!

Seeking help for our loving house parents

Originally posted November 19, 2015

Hey Breaking Chains friends! ‘Tis the season, right? As the holidays approach, we have a need among our Honduran BC team that we would like to let you know about and seek your support.

As many of you know, we have been blessed for the past year to have the help of our two BC house parents, Oscar and Alba. Oscar and Alba have been a godsend to us in many ways. Not only do they stay at our building overnight to keep an eye on things, but they have become mentors, counselors, disciplinarians and pillars of stability in the lives of our young adults. In many ways, they are very much like parents, seeking to provide the structure, love and Godly influence so crucial to healthy development.

Oscar and Alba own a home and live with their pre-teen son in a part of the city called Loarque.  Just like any homeowner, Oscar and Alba are responsible for paying for the repairs on their house. And just like any homeowner, sometimes big repairs come up for which they are not entirely prepared. Oscar and Alba have encountered a need that requires prompt attention: their roof is in disrepair and must be replaced.

Oscar and Alba are hard workers and would very much like to take care of the problem on their own, however, the cost for the project is very high – about $1050. Since the couple has only been working with BC since January, they have not yet built up a great amount of savings to cover the costs. In order to help pay for the project, they have had to take out a loan from a bank which charges a very high interest rate,  drastically increasing the overall cost from what it would be if they could just pay cash for the repairs.

The couple could only take out a loan in the amount of around $700. They still lack $350 in order to get the project rolling. We would love to be able to help them cover these costs.

If you are interested in making a one-time donation, your contribution will first be used to help cover the $350 needed in order to begin the project.  Doing so would allow them to at least get the immediate physical need taken care of and eliminate that element of stress in their lives. After that amount is raised, further contributions will be used to help Oscar and Alba pay off their loan amount in order to reduce their payments and the amount they will lose in interest.

If you are interested in making a one-time contribution, you may do so through the “Give” section of our website. You may also send a check donation to P.O. Box 20454 Oklahoma City, OK 73156. Please emailcourtney@bchonduras.org if you have any questions.

We would love to be able to help this family who does so much for our BC family. Please consider making a one-time gift to help this deserving couple.

Bendiciones,

The BC Honduras team