Pete Leija Installed as Special Projects Coordinator for Honduras

Installation of Pete Leija as Special Projects CoordinatorPete Leija was installed as Special Projects Coordinator during the recent rededication of the Willingham Center at Faith Home in Honduras.

Pete serves as a deacon at the Morehouse General Baptist Church in Morehouse, Missouri.  He has made many Mission One MVP (M1) trips to Honduras and is well-regarded by the pastor’s and leaders in Honduras. Pete spent 40 years connected with the US Army dating back to the Vietnam Conflict and also serves as mayor of Morehouse, Missouri and as a general contractor.

The Special Projects Coordinator is a volunteer position responsible to coordinate capital improvement projects of Faith Home and the Honduran Churches with the Mission One Coordinator, Dr. James Pratt, and Mission One team leaders.

Pete Leija - Special Projects CoordinatorIn a very short time, Pete has already been able to complete several projects from money that had been donated by various teams over the last couple of years.

Raised in a migrant workers home in Texas, Pete’s father spoke English and Spanish but his mother spoke only Spanish.  From that background he made his way through the ranks of the Army National Guard, married, and made his way to Morehouse, Missouri. There he became connected with the local General Baptist Church and started a contracting business. He even became mayor.

Pete has a huge heart for Honduras and loves Faith Home and the ministry of our General Baptist Churches in Honduras. He will not only serve the churches in Honduras, but will host most of the Mission One teams coming to Honduras. Pete will be a great asset to our Faith Home Director, Christina Massey.

Grains of Sand: An Update from Faith Home

By Christina Massey

sandHow did November come so quickly?  The past few months have flown by and been filled with so many special moments that it is hard to process them all.  With so many kids involved in different school activities and events, sometimes it is hard to keep up.

One of my favorite moments during the busy last few months was a field trip with our 7th graders to the beach and Botanical Gardens.  This group has blossomed this year since they first walked out of our gates to attend Emanuel (a private Christian school) in San Manuel.  These previously shy children have matured and grown into amazing teenagers. As I watched them interact with their new friends at the beach, I thought about how far each of them have come this school year, and how all the little moments of their lives have built on each other like grains of sand to bring them to this point in their life.  As I watched Emerita writing ‘I Love Jesus’ in the sand along with her school friends, I was so proud of her witness and her love for Christ.

The children and young adults at Faith Home have each experienced so much in their lifetime.  The pain and sadness of their pasts mix with the laughter and joy they have experienced at Faith Home to create the amazing young men and women of God they are becoming.  God is sifting those moments and memories and helping them to become stronger as He is writing His name, not in sand, but on their hearts.  It’s a blessing to see Him shine through each of them as they interact with others at school, church events, and out in the communities.  We are thankful for every moment and blessing as the sands of time pass and we see God’s plan unfolding in each of their lives.

 

Independence Day Parade:

Groups of Faith Home children represented the outside schools they attend in FH kids in paradethe Independence Day Parade in San Manuel.  The day concluded with all of Faith Home marching together.  Our kids received applause when they continued to march in formation even though it poured down rain.  We were even presented a plaque in the stadium at the end of the parade-the kids were so excited and we are so proud of them!

 

 

 

 

FH childrens dayChildren’s Day:

Children’s Day was celebrated at Faith Home with a water slide, piñatas, games, and refreshments.  The younger children got to go to the swimming pool, and the older kids celebrated with popcorn, sodas, and the movie, ‘God’s not Dead’.

 

Shining Lights

From Faith Home

Faith Home was founded with the vision of raising up children with the love of Christ so they can go out into the world and be a light to their country.  We continue to see the hope of Christ ignite in the children here, as many are now living out that vision in their place in the world outside.

Here are a few examples of how our Faith Home young adults are shining lights in their workplaces, just as God intended them to be.

OdalinOdalin

A couple of people that work with Odalin cam to visit Faith Home recently, to see the place where she grew up.  One shared how she met Odalin:  “I saw her at work and thought to myself, ‘there is something different about this girl.’  It was as if she had a light within here that made me want to know her more.  The more I got to know her, the more I was impressed and inspired.  I wanted to see the place she grew up, and that taught her how to be this amazing young woman.

 Jose RicardoJose Ricardo

During a visit to the workplace of Jose Ricardo, his boss asked us if we had any more young men like Jose.  He said Jose is an excellent, honest worker who is a joy to work with.  Jose is currently active in a local church where he loves to sing in the band.  He has grown into a very responsible young man with a passion for telling others about Christ.

BelyBely Karina

Bely has proven herself to be such an honest and responsible employee that her boss entrusts her with the keys to open and close the beauty shop everyday and handle the money.  Bely currently lives in San Manuel where she attends a local church.  She visits Faith Home often to help the Faith Home drama group she started last year.  She is an amazing Christian example to the rest of the children.

What is Faith Home to me?

By Odalin

The day I sat in the green van, I had no idea where they were taking me.  The man (David Kelle) was driving and I desperately wanted to know where we were going.  When we finally got there and got out of the van I didn’t know that it was going to start a marvelous chapter of my life.  My life completely changed at that moment.

The day we arrived at Faith Home, there were only 3 other children there, besides my brothers and sisters and I.  I was 5 years old at the time and only thought about toys, food, and playing jokes on others.

Days later, I was very sick and the doctors didn’t think that I would live through the night, but we have a marvelous God who gave me another opportunity at life and allowed  me to live.  Each day when I got up and went to devotions, I saw Martha Kelle walking with all of our medicine and I received a kiss each morning before I left for school.  I knew I was loved.

I grew more each day, studying and living in a safe place where I ate well, praised God, and enjoyed the company of many other children.

Now I am 20 years old and have left Faith Home.  I live in San Pedro.  Now I see why the house parents and missionaries corrected me when I didn’t obey or did things wrong.  They wanted to prepare me for this part of my life.  I am thankful for that.

I never imagined that God would give me the great opportunity to grow up in a place like Faith Home.  I am thankful to God and all of the people that He used and is still using in that place.  God chose me before I was born-and not just me, but all of the children who are still in Faith Home or have left to complete His purpose in their lives.  It doesn’t matter what our past is.  What matters is what our future will be with Christ.

This place is not only an orphanage for children, it is a place that transforms lives and gives hope.  This is Faith Home to me.

I don’t usually share my thoughts, but God tells us to share and not hide the marvelous things that He has done for us.

-Odalin