Finishing strong and looking to the future: Ricardo and Eunice

By Michael Carson

This season is a busy and exciting time at Breaking Chains for many reasons. Holiday celebrations are coming, faces we’ve missed have returned home, and two of our BC teens, Ricardo and Eunice, are finishing up their last semester of high school to graduate in December. Graduating high school is a huge accomplishment, especially for students in Honduras from their life circumstances. It marks years of hard work and persistence, and we are proud to watch them realize their achievements.

Ricardo and Eunice have different stories and came to find a home with BC in different ways, but they are both an integral part of our family

RICARDO:

We work with a lot of jaded young adults. The darkness of this world has struck them down time and time again, and they have a hard time believing it can be any better. Ricardo, however, despite having lost so many people in his life, has maintained his innocence in a way I have never seen before. 

Ricardo has lived with us for three years, and he came to us both very innocent and also very immature. He lied often, grasping for attention by making up elaborate stories. But he has matured. He has continued “la lucha,” the fight over the years, and next month we will watch Ricardo graduate. He will graduate having studied technology and having done his required internship in the tech department of a local hospital.

Ricardo has dreams of recording music, and that’s where his true passions lie. But he also knows making a living at that is difficult. He wants to begin 2020 preparing for the entrance exams to attend the public university here. Depending on what he scores on that entrance exam, he will determine what he is able to study. Ricardo isn’t perfect, but his sweet, still somehow innocent heart leads him to keep fighting, keep moving toward the person God intends for him to be. We feel blessed to be a part of it.

EUNICE:

We have a phrase around our ministry we use about new kids who walk through our doors. They usually begin very sweet and seem perfect, but then they “flip the switch” once they become comfortable or feel like we are getting too close. Obviously, none of us are perfect. But one of the few people to never “flip the switch” is Eunice.

Since Eunice arrived at our doors in 2018, I don’t think I have ever seen her give anyone attitude, get angry or even seem very upset. She came to us because her mom couldn’t afford to pay for her schooling and needed extra support. She is the sweetest child and never bothers anyone. She also studied technology and had her internship in the tech department of a local hospital.

Eunice wants to pursue the military after graduation, and we hope to help her fulfill that dream. We hope whatever she ends up doing in life she never gives up on the sweet nature God gave her.

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We are grateful to the sponsors who have made Ricardo and Eunice’s journeys with us possible, and we can’t wait to cheer them along in whatever path God leads them on next. Please join us in praying for both of them over the next few months.

Welcoming our lost sheep home

Brian Jesus and Amber the day he came home.

Brian Jesus graduated high school last December, and we beamed with pride to watch him do so. Then within weeks we lost him to the streets and drugs. We begged him for months to stop using, to come home. We worried when we wouldn't see him for a few days, that maybe something had happened to him. When he would reappear, he would be so high we wondered if he could ever be sober enough to leave the streets.

But then something changed. Unbeknownst to us, Brian started attending an AA program. Then he came home to us, his family, a little more than a week ago. We have no idea what will happen with Brian, but we know he knows his family is here. Even after months of using drugs, he knew our doors stood open for him to walk through them.

God is faithful. God fights every day for that one lost sheep, and we thank him for allowing us to play a small part.

Brian has been doing well since being back. He has goals of entering the Honduran military, but he will need some time to recuperate and get his strength back from his time on the streets before he applies in March. In the meantime, he is been spending time with our BC house parents and other staff to heal, stay busy, and plan for the future.

Brian still has an uphill battle, but we are so grateful that he has chosen to let us fight that alongside him. Please join us in praying for Brian to keep fighting as much as he wants to right now. Please pray that God will give him strength, and that Brian won’t let negativity and Satan’s lies have a foothold in his mind and heart.

Welcome home, sweet boy. We love you.

Luis Fernando welcoming Brian Jesus home.

Celebrating Independence

Last month, many of our BC teens and education students participated in celebrations for Honduran Independence Day. September 15th is marked with parades throughout the country in which schools march to show their Honduran pride.

Students from both Santa Monica school (where our non-bilingual kids attend) and Morada de Sion (where the teens attend) participated in the event.

The students practiced after school for months leading up to the parade. In addition to celebrating their country, the practice also gave them a productive outlet to occupy their free time and grow in confidence. The students enjoyed spending time with classmates and working toward a common goal.

We are proud of the students who participated for all their hard work. We love seeing them smile and stand tall. Thank you to all of the sponsors who gave to make these opportunities possible!

Henyi paraded with Santa Monica school.

A great start to the new school year

Our 19 bilingual students started their school year at the end of August, and they have had a great first several weeks!

One of the biggest blessings of the school year is that all the kids get to ride our new bus! We purchased the bus this summer which served our visiting mission groups. Now it is picking up and dropping off all 19 students (ranging in age from preschool to ninth grade). The bus provides much needed consistency and support for our students, their families, and the ministry as a whole. Plus, our good friend Rafa is now our full-time driver! We love being able to count on him and see him interact with the kids every day. We are so grateful to all the donors who made this incredible gift possible!

The new school year has already been full of celebrations. In August, the kids celebrated being back to school by taking fun first day pictures with their classmates and teachers.

Photo credit: Integrity Academy

Photo credit: Integrity Academy

In September, they had their first of many celebrations by honoring their country with Flag Day.

Photo credit: Integrity Academy

Photo credit: Integrity Academy

Then, they reveled in the joy of being kids by celebrating Dia del Nino (Children’s Day) with games, food and costumes. Children’s Day takes place in Honduras every September as a well to celebrate and honor the joy of childhood and the light that kids bring to the world.

Photo credit: Integrity Academy

Photo credit: Integrity Academy

Finally, they celebrated Independence Day and their Honduran heritage with a Feria Catracha. The students wore traditional dress or Honduras-themed t-shirts as they played games, listened to stories, and ate Honduran food in celebration of their country’s history.

Photo credit: Integrity Academy

Photo credit: Integrity Academy

We love this school and all the ways it pours into its students and instills them with pride for themselves and their country. Thank you to everyone who gives generously to make these opportunities possible for our BC Kids!

Known for love: Serving in memory of Antonio

Last September, we mourned the life of a sweet soul gone too soon. This year, on the anniversary of his death, we honored his life through one of his favorite forms of service - building a home for a family in need.

Antonio at Beach Christmas 2017.

Antonio came to live at Breaking Chains in his early teen years. He had a lot of anger and a tough outer shell that he wouldn’t allow to crack. Over time, that shell softened and we saw light break through to the loving soul inside. One day he came to us to say that he was struggling with addiction and asked to go to rehab. After he resiliently completed rehab, he went to live with our friends at Mountain Top Ministries so he could live further away from the temptation of the streets. At MTM, Antonio thrived even more. He completed his elementary education, learned to cut hair and worked various construction jobs. He remained clean and sober, and he shared his joy of life with all he encountered. When he was killed on the way home one day, it left a hole in all our hearts.

To honor Antonio on the anniversary of his death, we teamed up with MTM to build a house in the community of Chaguite. It was a beautiful way to serve a family in need while also remembering the heart of a young man who loved to serve others, especially through building houses.

Earlier this year, MTM made shirts with a drawing of Antonio’s silhouette inset into the phrase “They will know you for your love.” Antonio certainly showed God through his love to all he encountered, and we hope to carry that love with us in service to others.

Thank you to the donors who allowed us to honor Antonio and made this day special for both ministries!

Please consider sponsoring one of our bilingual education students!

***UPDATED***

This year, our bilingual program has grown to 18 students. We can’t wait to see the ways in which God continues to grow them personally, spiritually, and academically in the coming months. The 2019-2020 school year begins later this month. While we are blessed that the majority of our students have their full upfront and monthly costs covered, we still have two students in need of additional monthly support.

A solid education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty and opening up doors for the future. We are blessed to see how each year in the program the kids grow not only academically but in their confidence and outlook as well.

Please take a look at the profiles below and consider a monthly contribution! Any amount contributed, if not a full sponsorship, can be paired with other donors to cover the full costs for a student. It would mean the world to these kids, their families, and the ministry as a whole. If you have any questions, please email mail@bchonduras.org for more information.

Please continue to pray for these students as they begin the new school year. We are grateful to everyone who invests in their futures, and we are excited to see them continue to grow.

Click here to make a contribution toward Dibry’s monthly needs. Or email mail@bchonduras.org.

Click here to make a contribution toward Marlon’s monthly needs. Or email mail@bchonduras.org.