From left to right: Alexa, the program specialist, Karen, Luis and Maricella
Wednesday night we had dinner with three of Compassion Hondura’s Leadership Development students and the program specialist. These young adults are exceptional graduates from Compassion’s child sponsorship program who have been given the opportunity to get a university education and become Christian leaders in their communities and country.
Karen joined the sponsorship program at nine years old and says it was a place of great blessing. She graduated from the program at 18 and is now studying Psychology at the National University of Honduras in Tegucigalpa.
“[Psychology] lets me serve Christ and talk to people about Him, [and] to tell people how valuable they are to God.”
Luis is 20 years old and is studying to be an industrial engineer. He joined the sponsorship program at 7 and graduated at 18. “The tutors taught us to be clean and healthy, but I may have been coming just for the food. I got to like it and had fun. I only had one sponsor, a Presbyterian Church in California. Many people wrote me often.”
Leaving home to continue in his studies is hard for Luis (to get the courses he needs, he has to move to another school). The church he grew up in was where he learned about Jesus. It was where he was baptized. “But I’mm going to miss my mother and her cooking,” he said with a smile. “My mother is a great cook.”
“I want to graduate and the first thing I’m going to do is buy a house, because ours is in bad shape. When I get my degree I want to work, help my family and build my house.”
Maricella is getting a degree in international commerce. Her story is one of the most tragic; her older brother died two years ago at the age of twenty-one of a degenerative disease; her younger brother is confined to a wheelchair by the same illness. She wants to graduate because she feels that she’s the only hope there is for her family, her church and her community. She wants to own her own business so she can help her family.
What stood out to me the most meeting these students is their commitment to serving Christ, helping their families and loving people. It was inspiring to see these young men and women who had nothing growing up and now have an opportunity to help change the direction of their nation.
I think they can do it.
Pray for them.
