Karen: Seeing the world differently

--KAREN IS NOW SPONSORED!--

By Amber Foster

Karen is a special gift to us. She teaches us to see the world through different eyes and to reach out to people wherever they are. She came to us at the beginning of the year after a lifetime of pain and failed placements. Karen is deaf and also has some undetermined mental deficits. She has very little language and very little desire to acquire any. But she is funny and theatrical and quick with a smile if she feels she can trust you.  

We have spent the past year learning sign language as a family, perfecting our mimicking skills, and reaching out to Karen in our own ways. We have seen trust begin to grow into her eyes and through her interactions. We have seen her grow as she works each week with a private tutor to practice life skills and also learn crafts that she may be able to sell one day.   

Karen and Alba (our house mom) have a very special bond. Alba will often take Karen home for the day and even invited her along on their latest family vacation. Karen flourishes in the family setting and loves to help out in the kitchen. It is our prayer for Karen that we can find an older family that will take her under their wing and allow her to be a permanent part of their family. In the meantime we will continue to love her as part of ours.

Help us share our family Christmas with Karen and continue to heal the hurts of her past.

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If you would like to sponsor Karen, please leave a comment below. The cost of sponsorship is $150 to cover food, transportation, lodging and presents for the weekend. Donations can be made online at bchonduras.org/donate or by sending check contributions to Breaking Chains Honduras at P.O. Box 20454 Oklahoma City, OK 73156. 

Beach Christmas 2017 is coming! Please consider supporting

It’s that time of year! Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is on its way, which means we are gearing up for our annual Beach Christmas celebration!

This is the sixth year for Beach Christmas, and it has become an annual tradition that our BC family looks forward to throughout the year. Each December, we take a couple of days to get away from the hustle and stress of the city in favor of a more relaxed environment. We spend quality time together as a family - laughing, sharing stories, and praising God for a year filled with His love and faithfulness. And we share some great food and presents along the way! (Click here to view photos from last year’s celebration).

Beach Christmas is such a beloved tradition because it allows time to stop for a couple of days while we focus on what is important. We love seeing our teens enjoy themselves and feel proud after putting in the hard work to finish the school year. We love watching parents spend time with their children and be in the moment without having to worry about putting food on the table for a couple of days. And we love seeing kids get the opportunity to be kids -to laugh, be carefree, and enjoy the sun and waves the way they were meant to be enjoyed. 

This year’s celebration will take place December 17th and 18th. Each individual attending will need a sponsor of $150 to cover their costs of food, transportation, lodging and presents for the weekend. 

Individual profiles will be posted throughout the coming days. If you are interested in sponsorship, simply comment below the profile of the individual you would like to sponsor. You can also email courtney@bchonduras.org to indicate your desire to contribute.

Donations may be made online at bchonduras.org/donate or by sending check contributions to Breaking Chains Honduras at P.O. Box 20454 Oklahoma City, OK 73156.

Some of our fondest memories as a family have come through our Beach Christmas celebration, and we can’t wait to make more memories this year. Please consider supporting! 

Individuals available for sponsorship: 

Any

Lorna - SPONSORED!

Marisol - SPONSORED!

Erika - SPONSORED!

Aroni and Ian - SPONSORED!

Oscar - SPONSORED!

Eugenio - SPONSORED!

Juan - SPONSORED!

Wualter - SPONSORED!

Ricardo - SPONSORED!

Karen - SPONSORED!

Edis - SPONSORED!

Antonio - SPONSORED!

Alba - SPONSORED!

Maira - SPONSORED!

It's #GivingTuesday! Thank you for your support!

It's #GivingTuesday - a global day of giving annually following the Thanksgiving holiday! As a nonprofit, we rely on generous contributions to make the work in Honduras possible, and we are so grateful to have such incredible supporters! 

In honor of #GivingTuesday, we wanted to highlight a few easy ways your contributions, big or small, can make an impact. All proceeds donated today will go toward supporting our mission of serving those in urban poverty in Honduras through our four main initiatives: spiritual outreach, education, street outreach and young adult ministry. Here are a few examples of simple ways you can choose to give today and throughout the year: 

• $20 covers one session of extra tutoring for a BC education student or young adult
• $25 covers the one-time costs of most individual benevolence needs among our BC church family
• $35 covers one month of transportation for our BC preacher to lead Bible studies in local communities
• $50 covers the cost of one Friday night meal on the streets
• $70 covers one month of internet at our BC building so our young adults and education students can have the online resources necessary to succeed in school 
• $150 covers one month of the remainder needed for BC preacher salary support
• $600 covers one month of salary support needed to hire additional BC house parents

These are just a few examples. General one-time or recurring contributions of any amount can be put toward our overall ministry costs and would be extremely helpful as we enter another year of ministry in 2018. 

To give, simply visit the donate page of the website and follow the tabs to make a one-time contribution or sign up for monthly giving. You can also send check contributions to Breaking Chains Honduras at P.O. Box 20454 Oklahoma City, OK 73156. 

Thank you for all of your support! We pray that God gives you grace and peace this holiday season, and we look forward to sharing 2018 with you.

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Just as a refresher, here are the four main initiatives in which Breaking Chains serves:

Spiritual Outreach:
The driving force behind Breaking Chains is our love for Jesus Christ and our desire to share that love with others. His grace extends to everyone regardless of circumstance, and we seek daily to be ambassadors for our heavenly Father. The ministry hosts weekly worship services every Sunday from our BC building. It is also open during the week as a safe place for people to come share struggles and joys, seek counsel and pray. Breaking Chains has a full-time youth minister and minister who are dedicated to sharing Christ's love with the community. 

Education:
Our BC education program currently sponsors 24 children for local educational opportunities. Through the education program, the children receive the opportunity for quality schooling while having all of their books, school supplies, uniforms, monthly tuition, transportation and tutoring costs covered. We firmly believe that a quality education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and building the confidence children need to succeed. 

Street Outreach:
Breaking Chains began when its founder, Amber Foster, decided to cook some food and share it with the community downtown. Ever since then, we maintain the roots of the ministry through street outreach. Every Friday night, our young adults prepare a meal of rice and beans or sandwiches and share it with our friends downtown. The food is an important element, but the relationships are where we place the highest value. Our goal is to communicate love, worth and humanity to those who are not accustomed to receiving it and, in doing so, communicate the love of the Father. 

Young Adult Ministry:
At any given time, Breaking Chains houses between five and 15 young adults in periods of transition (trying to get off the streets, having aged out of a children's home, seeking respite from poor family situations, etc.). During the time with the ministry the BC team seeks to provide support, share the love of Christ, and connect the young adults to education or career opportunities with the goal of helping them move toward independence. 

Check it out: Summer 2018 Lead Internship Description and Application

Hey college students! If you are interested in urban ministry and want to spend the summer working in Honduras, consider applying for one of our lead intern positions. Lead interns spend the entire summer working alongside our BC team to serve in a variety of ways and build lasting relationships. Take a look at the job description below, and consider applying! Applications are due by December 31, 2017. 

Job Description:

Breaking Chains is seeking individuals to serve as lead interns for a summer-long internship. Lead interns will be responsible for:

●     Assisting in day-to-day ministry needs (teen engagement, educational needs, etc.)
●     Facilitating volunteers’ projects in the Breaking Chains building
●     Traveling with and helping facilitate day-to-day activities for mission groups
●     Helping lead/coordinate Sunday school classes for worship services
●     Participating in weekly meal service on the street
●     Spending time at the Breaking Chains building to build relationships and better understand the work of Breaking Chains and urban ministry
●     Participating in and leading (at times) weekly Bible study with BC team members and other interns
●     Planning and leading a weekly devotional for the ministry’s teens/young adults
●     Participating in regular ministry meeting with BC team members 

Lead interns must be available all summer and will stay in the home of one of our ministry team members. Each day, interns will travel with ministry members to work at our downtown facility or join the U.S. groups in their various work and relational projects.

Following an application and interview process, the selected lead interns will each receive a $1,000 scholarship. The scholarship will be transferred directly to the student’s supporting church congregation for use in aiding with fundraising costs for the summer internship or whatever other area the student deems most appropriate. 

Guidelines:

The ideal candidate should...

●     Have a strong, personal faith in God
●     Have experience leading others
●     Have a strong interest in missions and/or urban ministry
●     Speak Spanish or be interested in learning
●     Enjoy learning about and experiencing other cultures
●     Be able to work independently on projects
●     Exhibit a personable demeanor in order to interact with and help lead visiting missions groups
●     Be able to interact with people living in tough circumstances (immense poverty, drug abuse, etc.) and be willing to show grace in giving others second and third chances
●     Be ready and willing to work every day during the week
●     Be willing to stick to a schedule but not be overwhelmed if nothing goes according to that schedule.
●     Maintain a good attitude and continually serve as a good ambassador for Jesus Christ
●     Be willing to lead others but also be willing to take direction
●     Be willing to provide any help to on-the-ground ministry members

Requirements:

●     Interns must be college-level students. Preference will be given to individuals with an interest in missions and/or urban ministry.
●     Ability to speak Spanish is not required, but preference will also be given to individuals who already speak or are pursuing learning the language.
●     Internship length: 2.5 months. Must be available to intern beginning May 15, 2018 and ending July 31, 2018.
●     Interns are responsible for raising their own funds (outside of the $1,000 scholarship).  A typical 2.5 month internship requires $2,500 to cover the cost of airfare, rent and utilities contribution, and food and leisure costs while in the country.
●     Applications must be submitted by December 31, 2017. All lead interns must submit an application, and complete an interview and background check. ·   

If you are interested in applying for a lead internship position, please download and fill out the application below and return it to courtney@bchonduras.org. Upon reviewing all submitted applications, a BC team member will contact each applicant to notify them of a decision or request for more information.

Download the application here: 2018 BC Lead Internship Description and Application

Check out the latest BC newsletter!

The latest newsletter from Breaking Chains is now available online. In this issue, we share our excitement for the new bilingual school year, introduce our new education assistant, recap summer missions, and reflect on our relationship with a wonderful local community. 
 
We also ask your prayers for our young adults as they head into the final months of the school year and look toward future opportunities. 

Our entire BC family is so thankful for your continued support and prayer. We are humbled that you choose to engage in relationship with us, and we pray that God continues to give you strength as you serve and care for others in Honduras and at home. 

Bendiciones,

The BC Honduras Team

Bilingual kids head back to school!

Our bilingual school kids headed back to school last week! We are so thankful to each of their sponsors for making these smiles possible. We sent them off with tears of joy to see how much excitement the previous kids had introducing our new kids to Integrity Academy! Please continue to pray for these children throughout the year as they grow academically and personally. Please pray that God fills them with strength, patience, humility and motivation. We are so proud of each of these kids and can't wait to see what they accomplish this year!

To see more photos, please visit our album on Facebook.