23 Apr Two mission houses for transitioning orphans to adulthood
Ty and I have always been concerned about the kids after they leave Copprome Orphanage. Most of the girls become unwed mothers and the guys just live in various settings…(I just ran into one of the girls that graduated 2 years ago yesterday in a store….she has a baby due in July with her boyfriend, whom she promised me was good to her….she needed a transition home….my heart was excited and sad for her all at the same time) Our heart and prayer has been to establish a way to help them transition into adulthood…maybe that will be finding a job…or maybe going to college…or maybe both! But they have no guidance and no help. They must have a place to live and they need some encouragement and knowlege on how to budget, how to interview for a job, how to feel important enough and have the confidence to become successful and honest hard working adults.
We began our first home in November when Gaby graduated from High School. She was our first child to transition…she moved into the 3 bedroom house we rented for Shelton so he could help guide her….She now has a great job at a dental/eye clinic in town and wants to train to be a dental assistant….we enrolled her in college, but now she wants to wait a year so she will know better what she wants to do. (I am trying to adopt her, but the laws in the US tell us she is too old) We knew the next one to move in would be Keice (who Ty and Lisa sponsor)…she graduated in December from Cosmetology School and we worked hard finding her a job…She seems happy and is trying to build up her clients so her income will be sufficient….in the process of all of this…16 year old Gabriel (who I am also trying to adopt) begged us to let him come and live in the mission house. He was not happy without his brother Shelton and sister Gaby…so we went to the judge and got joint custody with Copprome and moved him in. This house is really for kids who have already graduated….but God planted Gabriel there…against our earthly plans…and he is doing great! So the 3 bedroom house was overflowing…
Then came Tuta…a sweet girl that used to live at Copprome…she moved in with her sister to finish High School several years ago..but her sister has 5 young kids and she has been just living with different friends the past few months and looking for a job….we just met her in January….we started using her to help us as an interpreter and she does a great job….she wanted to move into the mission house…but…there was “no room in the inn”. . . Gabriel was sleeping in bunk beds in the hall. . thats ok when you are on vacation. . but it is tough as a permanent home. . I couldn’t stand the thought that we had an 18 yr old girl from Copprome who needed a place to live…..the only places she could find were neither safe nor healthy….we decided 2 weeks ago to move her into the mission house and find another house for the boys….
SO….the past 2 days we have been moving stuff from one house to the other….and buying things for each house… WE NEED YOUR HELP! The rent on these two places is $625 per month (together). We are praying for some people to see this part of our ministry as a way they can help out. We would like to cover the rent on the houses and the kids will pay for their food and all of their utilities. We are stepping out in faith knowing that this is what God wanted us to do…we have not raised the funds yet to continue covering the rent…but how can you say no to an 18 yr old girl who is smart and wants to go to college this fall…she deserves a safe and clean place to live so she can better her life…she had no choice where she was born or who her parents were…2 of her sisters were adopted out and live in the US…but she is here without family to help her…until 3 weeks ago..one of our mission trip families wants to sponsor her to help her with food, utilites and college in the fall….she graduated from High School and speaks great English…she is now living in the girls house…we went yesterday and bought her a bed and the stuff for her room.. she was overwhelmed and excited to see that she not only has a safe place to live…but her own bedroom! It is so much fun to watch her get it all set up! I am sitting here in one of the bedrooms of the girls house writing this…they are excited about their own place…they are excited about planning who cleans what and who is going to go pay the electric and water bills…they are excited to have an opportunity that they never imagined would come after all of their years living in an orphanage….It is so sweet to watch them as they giggle and plan….these are God’s children and He wants them to have hope and the chance for a bright future…now they do….
So we now have 3 girls in the 3 bedroom girls house…and we have 2 boys in the 4 bedroom boys house…Jonathan will move in when he graduates in November and we have another boy, Carlos, who will be moving in soon…so both houses will be full! We do not have anymore kids graduating in the next couple of years….so hopefully we can get all of these kids transitioned and successful before a new crew moves in!!! Please email me at rhonda@hearts2honduras.com if you would like to help us fund this project… If you have a heart for teen orphans and can contribute on a one time or a monthly basis…any amount would help….THANKS SO MUCH!!
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