2020 HEART4CHILDREN END OF YEAR LETTER
First and foremost, we want to give a giant thank you to everyone for walking with us through 2020! Like you, we started out the year with all kinds of plans, goals, hopes, and dreams. We envisioned another year of new opportunities to serve the children at Niños de la Luz boys home and community school. Unfortunately, COVID-19 hit the entire world and changed everything. We soon began to see God had different plans.
Hurricanes Eta and Lota have recently brought devastation and massive flooding in Honduras. (As I write this, the major airport of San Pedro Sula is still under water.) Both COVID-19 and the hurricanes brought death, destruction, and homelessness to our struggling country. These unpredictable circumstances have left us with such desperation, yet we continue to hold onto hope through God’s strength.
Desperation
Personal:
Tamara and I were in Honduras just before all travel closed due to Covid-19. Travelling anywhere, even between cities, was impossible. Tamara had just returned to the States, but I was stuck there and running out of my life-sustaining medications.
Financial:
All Heart4Children in-person fundraising events had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. COVID-19 hit all of us hard. In Honduras, it has resulted in untold numbers of lost jobs. Already high unemployment rates skyrocketed, and many families are destitute. More than ever, families are on the street begging for money or food.
Boys home and community school:
Despite all precautions, several of our Honduran staff contracted Covid-19. A faithful and beloved educator/house parent for our boys for 17 years, Walter Bonilla, died of the virus in August. Our director, Mary, lost her mother. One of our board members in Honduras lost two loved ones. Grief has stressed those in the Heart4Children circle as well as the entire country.
Due to pandemic restrictions, our community school had to be closed for in person classes, impacting the education of about 140 girls and boys in the area. Our boys in the home have been confined to the campus since March, and this has created frustration and lack of motivation for them to do their schoolwork in a “homeschool” way. Stressful for all!
Rules of the child protection agency in Honduras resulted in our needing to move boys 18 or older out of the boys home. Sadly, this meant three of our college boys had to promptly leave. We have long had a dream of starting a transition home for our older boys, but we have not been able to due it for lack of financing and staff. It was another blow to our year.
Hope
Personal:
Through the efforts of many people in the private and governmental sectors of both Honduras and the USA, I was able to return home just in time (think Jason Bourne stuff!). Even the United States Secretary of State talked about my adventure in one of his press briefings. And so, the year started off with God bringing about a miraculous event! Click here for the full story.
Financial:
Much of our budget is covered by in person fundraising events. By June, we anticipated our funding would run out in October. Noe, our director of finance and operations, cut expenses to bare minimum while keeping every employee employed. In addition, a month-long virtual fundraising event was implemented, and thanks to your generous support, our social media campaign raised the equivalent of our annual events. This provision brought tremendous encouragement and hope!
Boys home community school:
We have been able to continue education for the boys and girls in the community as well as the boys in our home. Tania, our director of education, took charge to create a system to educate students through WhatsApp. Most families have a cell phone (few have computers), so the students could receive their assignments and be in communication with their teachers. In addition, we have been able to continue to employ all our teachers. As the year ends, we are praising God for getting us through a very tough school year!
Thankfully, the college boys who left the home found secure places to live and are continuing their schooling online or have recently completed their degree. The boys at the home persevered and completed this school year with mostly good grades. Despite the boys’ stress and pent up energy, Mary and the staff were diligent in managing the schoolwork and creating ways to channel their energy. One gracious donor sent money to purchase three bicycles. Such an unexpected and welcomed gift!
2020 has been a tumultuous year. Yet every step of the way, when we saw situations of despair, we also saw God brought situations of hope. You partnered with us, and we are tremendously grateful for your prayers and support. In this season, we are thankful to share and celebrate with you the hope of Jesus, one born at the lowest rung of society who brings the eternal hope for all mankind.
Merry Christmas and a hope filled New Year!
Jim Cook
Chairman of the Board
Although we will finish the year strong, we need your help to meet the overwhelming demands of continued COVID-19 challenges. We are once again facing a shortfall for our new year. God has provided this year, and we believe he will again as we work to meet the needs of our children in Honduras in 2021. Many of you are making plans for end of year donations. If you can help financially care for the children at Niños de la Luz, please donate by clicking here (heart4children.com/donate). You can also mail a check to: Heart4Children, PO Box 47, Tomball, TX 77377. Thank you!