It’s not fair!
Anyone who has
worked with kids (or adults, for that matter), has heard the cry, “It’s not
fair!” repeatedly. We hear that when
we’re working with kids quite a bit, and it has sparked a lot of interesting
conversations with the family. It is easy to start thinking that our situations
aren’t “fair” and usually we spin things to favor ourselves – we aren’t getting
enough or the quality of whatever we are receiving isn’t good enough. Rarely do
we use the “unfair” cry when we feel we are getting too much or what we are
receiving is more than we deserve, but isn’t that more often, the case?
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Fatima’s House
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Is it fair that
I was born into a loving Christian family who wanted me and took care of me,
took me on vacations, bought me everything I needed and most of the things I
wanted? Is it fair that Fatima was born
to a mother who has repeatedly told her that she wished she had never been
born, who never has taken care of her in any way? Is it fair that at six years
old she was left alone with only her seven year old brother, to take care of
herself? Which situation is more fair? Did I do anything that made me deserve
the privileged life I was given? Did Fatima do anything to earn her station in
life? In reality, we all probably “deserve” the life that a lot of the kids
down here live.
Although we
came here because we felt called by God, and we know that we are being used to
help reach the people here and bring them hope, being here has also been an
intensely life changing experience for each of us, and helped us view life in
an entirely different way. I believe that I am no better than any of the people
here and it is solely by the grace of God that I was given a much easier life.
The people here have touched our lives and shown us new ways of thinking, and
convicted us of many things that we have had to change in our personal lives.
Sometimes the challenges seem almost more than we can handle, but sometimes the
blessings just seem to overflow, and the road is easy.
A lot has been
happening here in the past month! Gordon and Chantalle returned from their time
in the states, and it has been great having them back. They were able to visit
with a lot of family & friends and had a nice time traveling around. We
dealt with a huge strep outbreak in our community, and had several sick
children stay with us because they either had elderly people or babies in their
home, or they didn’t have anyone to care for them. It was a draining time, but
by serving the kids in this way, we have developed closer relationships with
them and their families.
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| Our new mission house, just down the street |
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Tuesday night church, with up to 30 kids!
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We have not
moved into our new house, and things have been delayed due to lack of finances,
but we are slowly getting things done. We don’t have to start paying rent there
until March, so we are hoping to complete everything by then. Some of the kids’
dads have done a lot of tile work and repaired the walls, and most of the
painting is done. We will be beginning the electrical rewiring soon, and that is
one of the biggest projects. Jennifer, Chantalle, and I will be doing most of
the work ourselves, and we have a couple of men who have volunteered to check
our work and make sure that everything is done correctly.
We have done a
lot of preparation for our new programs, and will be kicking off the new
programs while our kids are out of school. Our “summer break” is from December
until February. Here are the programs that we are working on:
*Feeding
program for indigent elderly people – we are starting with one day a
week and hope to be able to do more days later. Some of the children are
collecting food donations from neighbors, and the children are helping with the
cooking and delivery of the food. We are also keeping track of anything that is
needed, and the older kids will be helping with projects around the house as
needed.
*Preschool program – Natalie is teaching
some of the kids who are not yet in school, and they come every day to learn
colors, numbers, shapes, and the basics of reading. They are learning a lot,
and really look forward to class every day.
*Tutoring – this is the first thing that
we started, and kids come every day after school to get help with their
homework and to use the internet for educational reasons. Kids also enjoy
having time to color and play with our toys.
*English classes – Chantalle is teaching
English one on one to the kids who have shown the most aptitude and interest in
learning, and they are also using Rosetta Stone to advance their learning.
*Bible studies – we have an English
Bible study for local ladies and a Bible study/craft time for children under 12.
We also have a study for girls 12 and up, and we would like to add more studies
soon.
*Lunch program – some of the kids who
don’t get adequate nutrition at home can come and get lunch every day.
*Baking program – Jennifer is working
with some of the older girls in a program where the girls bake cupcakes,
brownies, and cookies, and the girls go out and sell their baked goods to bring
more income to their families. The girls are all very excited about this, and
it will be great for them to have skills to bring more money into their
families.
*Bead making – We are working with
several of the kids at making jewelry that we can sell when we are in the
states, so that they will have skills to help with their family income.
*Schooling – We have found sponsors to
help send several kids to school, and we make sure that all of the sponsored
kids are doing well in their classes and taking their studies seriously. We
feel that education is very important, and encourage the kids and their
families to stay in school, study hard, and think about their futures.
*Children’s Church – In addition to the
programs in our community, we are in charge of the Sunday children’s programs
at our church. We have about 40 children, birth to 12 years old, who we teach
lessons to, do crafts with, and love on.
*Worship team – Also at church, Natalie
and Chantalle help lead worship for Friday and Sunday services. They have
really enjoyed being able to serve in this way.
Prayer needs:
*Please continue to pray for our kids.
Franklin, Kevin, and Daniel are still struggling, but we have made some headway
with Franklin recently, so we are encouraged by that.
* We are only lacking one sponsor right now, and that
is for Cecilia, whose father died recently, and her family does not have a lot
of money to send her to school.
*We are praying
about starting a very small private
school. This idea came about because there are a few kids who are extremely
far behind in their education, and will not be able to complete even elementary
school without intervention. There are about 6 kids who we are considering
schooling. There are two girls, who are 12 and 13 and both just in first grade,
and another 13 year old who is in fourth grade, as well as some students who
are struggling in the Honduran system of education, where there are often 60
children in a small classroom with one teacher. It is a big commitment, and we
want to make sure that the children as well as we are able to fully commit
before we decide to do this. We are looking for sponsors to help pay for the
cost of the materials & the fee that the government charges for starting
this kind of a program (very much like home-schooling). We are hoping to start
with 3 families, and see where things go from there.
*Monthly sponsors – Every month it is
extremely hard to make ends meet, and we are dependent on people from the
states sending in support. We have a few people who have been very faithful supporters,
but we need more people to join with us.
*Money for our new home – Please pray
about helping us get our new home finished. We still have a lot of work to do,
and have volunteers available, but are just lacking the funds!
*Mission teams – we would really like to
have multiple mission teams come here to see what we do and to help us
accomplish some bigger goals. If you are at all interested in this, please
contact us!
If you are
looking for a Christmas gift for someone, consider sponsoring a child in their
name. We try to have the students write letters to their sponsors regularly,
and this is one gift that won’t be forgotten! Contact us for more information!
Thank you to
everyone who supports us in our ministry! We hope that you are able to enjoy
the Christmas season!
Love, The
Eytzen family J
If you would like to contact us, our contact information is:
Lisa
and Gordon Eytzen
c/o Roberto Diaz del Valle
9 KM. Carretera la Guama a Pena Blanca
Hotel Finca Las Glorias, Pena Blanca
Santa Cruz de Yojoa, Cortes
Honduras, Centro America
c/o Roberto Diaz del Valle
9 KM. Carretera la Guama a Pena Blanca
Hotel Finca Las Glorias, Pena Blanca
Santa Cruz de Yojoa, Cortes
Honduras, Centro America
Please take a few minutes to read about some of the children we would like to help!
Student Profiles:
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| Fatima Gisele |
Fatima Gisele – Fatima is a lively 13 year old girl who
has had a rough life from the beginning. Her mother tried unsuccessfully to end
her pregnancy with Fatima, and she has been repeatedly told that it would have
been better for her not to have been born. She has been passed from relative to
relative, and lived with only her brother for almost two years when she was 6-8
years old. Her rough life has made her into a very determined young lady, and
she wants to be able to complete school and have a better future. While she was
on her own she wasn’t able to attend school, so she is currently only in the
fifth grade. We would like to be able to enroll Fatima in our private school so
that she can receive the one on one instruction that she needs to catch up.
Esly Eneyda – Eneyda is a very spunky 11 year old girl who
is one of 12 children, and doesn’t get a lot of attention. She is extremely
small for her age, even in Honduras, and is the size of an average 5 or 6 year
old. Because of her size and a learning disability, Eneyda is often teased in school,
and punished by her teachers when she doesn’t understand. She is very bright,
and has shown a real gift in speaking English, and we are excited to see what
can happen for her when she is given the attention she needs to learn.
Gisele Kellin – Kellin is very sweet and quiet, and is Eneyda’s
older sister. After their father lost his hand in an accident last year, she
has had to mature and help more at home with all of the children. She is a good
student, and enjoys learning. She often gets sad and has trouble opening up to
others. We are hoping that she will get a sponsor to enable her to have the
smaller class size that she needs to fully reach her potential.
Danis – Danis is one of the youngest in Kellin and Eneyda’s family,
and he is not off to a very good start in school. He was not allowed to attend
Kindergarten or first grade because of his test results, and he shows signs of
a learning disability, but responds well to one on one instruction. For Danis, the only hope he has of academic
success will come from private schooling, and we are hoping to be able to
provide that for him.
Jefer – Jefer is a small, sweet boy who has moved around within his
family throughout his short 8 years. He struggles in school, and is facing his
third time going through first grade, unless he is able to be homeschooled or
attend private school. He is a bright boy who enjoys learning, but has some
areas that he struggles with. In the Honduran system, if a child fails one
class, they have to repeat the entire grade, which has really held Jefer back.
There are three other
students who we are praying about at this time, and if we receive sponsors for
these, we will pursue finding sponsors for Deinis, Cindy, and Estefani.
The cost for each student is
$30/month or $360 for a year, and includes meals, clothing, and all educational
costs.
