Juan: A proud papa

By Michael Carson

Juan is one of the quieter dads in the education program, and that’s saying a lot to tell the truth. He’s incredibly humble. When we asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he said, “Whatever you would like to get will be a blessing.”

Juan is quiet, but he loves his family fiercely. Any time his girls Allison and Jennifer have an event at school, he is so proud to watch them perform whatever it is. He just sits there in the audience and beams. Then when it’s over, he praises them so sweetly.

Although he continually struggles to find work, Juan is always searching for a way to provide for his family. He never gives up searching when he’s without work and works hard to keep the job when he does. Juan is a man of few words, but we’re proud to know his gentle, hard-working spirit.

Please consider giving this man the break with his family he deserves, and sponsor him for Beach Christmas 2016!

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

Maholy: Our joyful and excellent student

By Michael Carson

   -MAHOLY IS SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS!-

Maholy doesn’t say much, and often she fights her shy nature just to tell me when she needs something for school. I always know she needs something when she’s standing close to me acting a little nervous. Despite her shy nature, she is one of our most responsible students in the program.

Maholy’s grades are always consistently good. She consistently behaves in school. The most her teacher ever tells me is that she talks too much in class, which I find slightly ironic considering her few words in both Sunday school class and with me. Her teacher always tells me how well Maholy does in class and how responsible she is.

I look forward to seeing Maholy’s success as she continues in our program and what she chooses to do with her success in the future. Help us reward Maholy’s responsible nature and sponsor her for Beach Christmas 2016.

Victor: Becoming a part of the family

Victor (left) making bracelets with Ricardo and Bryan

By Amber Foster

-VICTOR IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS!-

We’ve known 19 year old Victor for years. He has struggled mightily with his own attitude and with poor decisions that wouldn’t allow him to accept the love being offered to him. Victor has come to talk to us multiple times about having an opportunity to stay, but we never felt like he was in a place to put forth the effort it takes to say no, every day every moment, to the call of the street.  

When Victor came in the fall to talk to me, again, I really didn’t hold out a lot of hope. He seemed different. He seemed like he wanted to change, but we weren’t sure. He was so deeply entrenched in the “freedom” that is found on the streets that we weren’t sure he would be able to follow the rules daily and treat others and their belongings with respect. We were all happily wrong. 

Victor is doing wonderfully. He is kind and loving and eager to start back to school next year. He is responsible when given the opportunity to succeed, and he is openly affectionate and grateful for the love being offered him.

Victor has bounced around a lot and struggles to accept love, but he’s trying. He has his moments when his past catches up to him but quickly corrects his bad attitude when he’s reminded of it. 

Victor is our newest family member and I’m so excited to share our family beach trip with him.  Help us show him that family is about love not biology and family is forever.

Melvin: Our boy of few words

By John Carson

-MELVIN IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS!-

Melvin is our quiet little one around our education program. At this point in my time with Breaking Chains, I think the total word count Melvin has said to me is about fifty. That’s how shy he is (or how intimidating I am). 

Either way, he is a true boy. Every time I see him around church he is running with his cousins and siblings and playing with some sort of ball or game. He is doing much better at speaking in school and with his grades which is great even if he still runs away from me like I have the plague. 

Please consider giving this quiet and growing boy a great Beach Christmas this year! 
 

Dixon: Overflowing with love and personality

By Michael Carson

-DIXON IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS-

I have so many strong, proud feelings when I think of Dixon and how far she has come. We have loved watching her blossom into the responsible, beautiful soul she has become. Dixon now only has one year of high school left. If she continues as she has, she will start college in 2018.

Dixon has always struggled with accepting authority, especially from males. She has a huge heart and an attitude to match, but we have enjoyed watching her learn what expressing humility looks like. She knows accepting authority is part of life, and some day she will need to do so from a future boss. She has also worked hard to keep up her grades all year and has improved her math skills tremendously.

I love Dixon’s heart the most and her willingness to help any of us. She is friendly to a fault and is frankly just hilarious. Her personality beams through her eyes and her huge smile. She is always happy to watch my kids for me any time I ask, and I’m so grateful for her willingness to help us out. I can’t wait to see how Dixon continues to grow in God’s image over the next year.

Please consider sponsoring this feisty girl with an infectious personality to celebrate Christmas with her Breaking Chains family.

Bryan: Our resident old soul

By John Carson

-BRYAN IS NOW SPONSORED FOR BEACH CHRISTMAS-

Bryan is our little old man teen at the building. He has requested a button down shirt, dress slacks and New Balance tennis shoes for his Christmas outfit. Not making that up. It’s like he is Steve Carrell’s character in “Crazy, Stupid Love." Bryan is funny much of the time and at some times, a little annoying. There are these times that he will just walk up and stand there, just to be near you. As annoying as that is sometimes, I try to remind myself that he is doing that because he needs someone. He comes to us from children's homes and the street with no one to really deeply care for him. He has never had a love shown to him like we try to show.

I was really concerned at one point this summer when Bryan was being extremely rude and ridiculous, which resulted in him being kicked out for almost a week. That was scary because he has severe epilepsy which can give him a lot of seizures if he isn’t taking his medicine. I remember talking to him when he came back in with bloody wounds on his face and arms from falling during a seizure. I remember saying to him, “Bryan, you have a great opportunity here to be loved and to make something good of your life; but if you decide on continuing out in the street with your medical condition, you could die. Nobody here wants that, and I don’t think you do either, but we need you to love and help us as much as we love and help you.” 

And I’m grateful that he has chosen to love and help us since then, and I hope he will continue to do so. He is always quick to come to the workshop to work with me on projects and is very excited about the opportunity we are exploring to be able to make and sell woodworking and other things here. I hope that you will consider making Bryan’s first Beach Christmas with us a special one and let us continue to shower him with love he’s never known.