So what is life like for the young people of GiveHope2Kids?  Our number one priority is always family, so our teens are still an integral part of the families here -- the big helpers.  Most of our teens have been here for several years, so they see their house-parents as mom and dad and they love the younger kids as their siblings.  After family, an education comes next on our list.  Our teens are studying in school, learning through classes we're teaching (jewelry making, sewing, and chess as examples), taking music lessons, and participating in our Friday night Hope & Healing Ministry, from acting in skits, to singing on the worship team. 

We are proud of the young people they are becoming.  From rambunctious preschoolers, to thriving teens, we've been through a lot with these kids.  It's a beautiful thing to watch as the love of God and family shape these lives and propel them towards a success.

We're so excited that our Transition Home is now up and running.  This is thanks to Earl & Sharon Washburn, our long time mentors, stepping in as the parents there.  We feel it a privilege that we can offer this home to several young people who are studying, including our first high school graduate.  Grisel now has a chance to stretch her wings, and take flight at university, while still having family to come home to at night.  ​

This year has been a big year for getting things rolling on our 2nd campus of GiveHope2Kids.

At our new Roma Campus we initially bought 20 acres.  Then we went through a period of dreaming, seeing big things for the future:  Could we expand into a hospitality trade school?  A counseling center?  Along with what other possibilities?  While we're not sure exactly how God will have us walk through these new doors, we realized that more land was the right idea.  So now we own just over 50 acres.  We're currently developing our infrastructure (think power, water, and roads), planting fruit orchards, and constructing homes for kids.  We're also remodeling a house for the Furrow Family that will also help us host groups for the next couple of years.

Along with the two staff families already living at the Roma Campus, this winter we'll be revving up our Transition Home to house our university students and their house-parents.  Actually, it's important to insert a note here:  We are so very thrilled to have Earl & Sharon Washburn joining our team as house-parents to our young adults!  The Washburns launched and administrated the high school Instituto El Rey for many years and have long been our mentors.

Thanks to everyone who gave towards this land or it's homes, or who came and served here in 2018!  We are grateful and so excited to watch things progress.  It's amazing to look around here and glimpse a future of laughing, playing children, who are learning that they can belong to a family again.

 But one week of care isn't our goal.   We're in this for the long-haul.    If we can reunite a child with family, that is obviously our ideal,  but for most of our kids that's just not possible.    For as long as a child is here, we are raising them in the best family-environment that we can.   We will educate them and prepare them to  support themselves as independent adults, and not let them go until they're ready to fly.     We want to be their forever-family.

Seven sisters are now living with Grandma Gladys.   We will be their home and family for as long as they need it.    

Will you help us do this?    We were already  needing sponsors and adding  in 7 more kids makes our need for sponsors that much more urgent!    Be a blessing to these kids.    Help us a make a difference in their lives!

This year has been a year of adding finishing touches to our myriad of building projects from the past 8 years.  Too often when we urgently need to get to the next project, we've rushed past the finishing touches our spaces need.  So this year we've painted walls that have never seen a coat of paint before, trimmed windows, and added on a much needed storage shed.  We've finished off our community areas better too, which makes things run smoother for our Friday Night Youth Group.  Currently we're finishing a road for better access to our agricultural projects and we're expanding and improving housing for our pigs.

School is in session here at GiveHope2Kids.    For the 2016 year, our 14 elementary students will attend homeschool every day here on the property.   They start at 7:00am every morning by singing the Honduran anthem and then off to classes they go!   In the mornings they're studying their main subjects and then after lunch, they have electives.  

The kids' favorite new  class is called "Oficios," which is kind of like  shop class.   It's really the kick-off of our Trade School dreams.   Twice a week our kids get to work on a new skill, which we hope will help them to develop into independent adults. The kids have responded so well and are constantly asking: “Clase de oficios hoy?”   That means: “Trade School class today?”   (If you would like to come and teach in our Trade School, please do! You can learn more about coming down for a short-term trip here.)

​We really feel that our teachers are going to do such a great job this year.    Both of our house-moms are helping to teach, along with  two of our university scholarship students, Katy and Doris, and our volunteers David, Amy, and Josiah.      Our teachers are so excited to have a brand new curriculum to teach from.   (Thank you to those who donated to make this happen!)   Ms. Sharon, our long term mentor from our IER days, has been helping us prepare for what will be our best year yet.   We are so excited to see how our kids continue to learn and grow.

We now have 7 students going to Instituto El Rey every morning.   We were very excited to have 3 new 7th graders starting there from GH2K.   We’re so proud of all these kids and we believe that they have an incredible year of learning ahead of them!  

Dia del Niño, or Kid's Day, is probably every kid's second favorite day of the year (after Christmas).   For this fun-filled Kid's Day, all the kids in the village met at the elementary school for a morning of games, fun, food, and—of course—candy.   But the highlight of the morning for all the kids, was getting a turn to hit the  piñata.   And we didn't  just have one, but three whole piñatas!   There were so many laughs and so much  sugar. 

September 15th is Honduras' Independence Day.   All the school kids get a chance to march in a parade through their town.   This year our kids participated in many special roles in the parade: Miss Independence,  the Beautiful Indians, traditional dancers, and cadets.   Our awesome house-moms worked hard putting together all their special outfits, and our volunteer Daniel, made ceremonial wooden machetes and rifles for  the march.   They looked incredible!   The march started up at the Urraco school, and the kids paraded the length of the village and back again, with a crowd of family following behind. 

For more than a year now, we've felt led to branch out and add a new facet to our ministry.   We're starting a Trade School!  

We see the difference that education can make in the lives of young people, through our years of working with Instituto El Rey, village elementary schools, and our After School Program .   But we've also seen that the majority of young people never make it either to 6th grade or beyond in school.   We feel like we need to take a dramatic step of faith to give local young people more options for post primary education.     The most practical step for us to take is to offer classes in specific trades.

To learn more about this Latin American tradition of quinceaneras, click here.

I thought that we should retrace our steps a bit and recap the last  several months.   Per usual, it's been a very full and wonderful season.

In September, we had an awesome group that visited us from Emmanuel  Christian Center in Minnesota.  They worked really hard, but knew how to play hard too.  They built an aqauponics system (to grow fish and vegetables  together),  helped us finish our community kitchen, and  brought some fun crafts  to do with the kids.   We really enjoyed  our time with these guys!

The holidays were a special time here.   We utilized our fantastic new kitchen facilities to make the traditional Christmas fare: tamales.   It was an incredible feast!   And of course, the kids  were pretty excited about their presents too.   (Thanks to all the sponsors who sent a little something extra for their kids!)

Thanks to our  donors, our Christmas Gift Catalog was a success!     With the gifts given we're now purchasing 4 more dairy cows and we're able to continue teaching English and computers for our village school.   Others helped us  towards the purchase of our solar project and our bus.   

So far this year we've  prepared to homeschool our kids on-site (that's for another post) and we've installed our solar electric system.   We just received the final components for the solar project and  as soon as they're installed, we'll be ready to flip the on-switch.    This is such a HUGE step for our long-term sustainability!