Transformation Tuesdays Blog
By Eduard Juarez, FLM Honduras Accounting Administrator
We have reached the ninth month of the year, and we can say with joy and gratitude in our hearts: That the Lord helped us so far!
We believe that God will continue to provide the means necessary for Family Life Missions to continue working on behalf of vulnerable children and families. This work entails healthy stewardship in everything we do. We honor God by being good stewards of the goods and resources that HE has given us to serve the children and families of our community.
As I think of the word "stewardship," I reflect on several passages in the Bible where it teaches us on this subject. One that catches my attention is the book of Genesis chapter 1:26-28, when God creates man and commands them to lord over the whole earth. It is clear that man was created to work, and work is the good stewardship of all creation. God establishes man in the garden to work and care for it.
A Fundamental Right for Institutionalized Children
by Carmen Solis, Coordinator of Holistic Care and Social Worker
Family is very important to God; in fact, the idea came from Him. God could have created us to live in isolation, but He didn't! We need each other not only for the procreation of the human being but also to support, build, and bless the place where God has placed us. When writing this, the scripture Psalms 68:6 NKJV (our mission) comes to mind: “God sets the solitary in families.” Knowing that many children have had to be separated from their families by different circumstances, we all have the call to take action to return to the original model of God.
At Family Life Missions, we believe that reunification means more than simply supporting children to return to live with their biological families. It means doing actions to ensure that the families we work with have, at least, the minimum resources they need to live together. And this is before, during, and after the official legal procedures have been carried out by DINAF (Honduras Children Services). After the family reunification is carried out, with the FLM team in charge of holistic care, we ensure that the families have timely comprehensive follow-up with spiritual, social, psychological, physical and educational services. It is gratifying to know that in doing so, we help reduce the risk of families falling back into vulnerable situations.
By Lisa Steele, FLM Executive Director
Growing. I love this time of year where we have planted seeds and are seeing them sprout with beautiful flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Every year my family plants tomato plants that we diligently water during the hot and humid days we have in Middle Tennessee. The fruit of my labor is beginning to show this year with many flowers appearing and then tiny, green tomatoes. Over the next several weeks I will continue to grow, water, and weed my tomato garden until we can enjoy delicious, juicy fruit! This process takes time and no matter how well I plant the seeds or water the plants, I cannot make them grow any faster! As we grow in our daily lives, we see the same thing. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
At Family Life Missions we are planting and watering seeds so that God can grow in the lives of vulnerable children and families in Catacamas. It is exciting to see how God is growing and moving in Honduras through our ministry. In the past, we have focused our growth on our Por Los Niños Residential Homes and our Holistic Care Center that serves children who have experienced the trauma of abandonment and/or abuse. Along with this mission, we have seen God provide other opportunities for us to grow through our PLN Bilingual School, Family Preservation, and Foster Care. By strengthening families, we are providing a foundation for growth. This growth empowers families to thrive in their country with safe and affordable housing, education, and tools for bettering their lives through our family workshops and resources.
By Marcio Matamoros, Education Coordinator
The Covid-19 Pandemic, although it sounds paradoxical, has also been an opportunity to make strategic changes. We must think that every crisis has a solution, an expiration date, a life changing experience. At Por Los Niños Bilingual school we have learned to be a lot more organized, punctual, tolerant, and even miss the noisy school environment. We had to make immediate changes and adjustments, urgent alternatives for educational continuity, and seek for the best options as an educational institution, which led to challenges and essential changes to continue giving education to our students.
