Holiday Season - MVP Shoutout

What an incredibly busy time since my last blog. I really think the months of November and December are two of the busiest of the year. This says something considering we don't have near as many visitors as we do in the summertime, but lots of activities within JEC because of the boys' year end schedule.

November marks the end of the public school year for the majority of our boys. This means exams, class parties, etc. This year all but two passed all their classes in high school and all our elementary boys are continuing on to the next grade.

Three baptisms in the month of November!!

This may seem like something expected in the US, but here in Honduras this is an incredible feat. Where the education system is sub-par, many times it is expected of students to fail at least one class in high school and possibly repeat grades (multiple times) in the younger grades.

Renovations on camps - big things to come!

When I first joined on full time at Jovenes, there were several boys who could not read nor write and had repeated lower grade levels several times. And because of God's never-ending goodness and the hard work of our houseparents and education director, those boys can now read (including a 20 year old who never learned to even write his own name), write, and not be ashamed to attend class and be made fun of by others.

Our on site advisory board meets every month, but the November meeting has the possibility to go either way. It can be super uplifting or even a little discouraging. This year we were so blessed to have seen the growth in each boy, including a special case of Selvin.

Had to use Selvin's headshot - never lets you take pics

Selvin was one of those boys who could barely read or write when I first arrived at JEC. He had repeated grades a few times, and you could tell he wasn't exactly happy. Selvin, two school years later, is passing with flying colors. This year he even finished on the honor roll. We could not be more proud of the change he has made in his life. It took some hard work, but with the support and encouragement of everyone around him, you can noticeably see he is proud of himself. It warms my heart to know this was a changing point in Selvin's life - to see the challenge, overcome it, and change his future forever. The best part is Selvin's voice is starting to change... reminds me he's not this little baby boy I used to know anymore, but rather growing to be a young man with an incredible future ahead of him. So proud of you, "Chocolate".

Back when Selvin let me hold his hand :)

While I'm giving out MVPs this year, I have to give a shout out to another boy. Jose Carlos (15) really had a tough end to 2012. His older brother, Luis Alexander, decided he no longer wanted to be at Jovenes. So Luis left to return home with his mother (who lives in extreme poverty). This was obviously extremely difficult for Jose Carlos considering his only family (by blood) left him and chose to leave him behind.

We were worried this would have a negative effect on Hueso's (Jose Carlos' nickname) grades and attitude, but he humbly proved us wrong. This boy is so talented. He realized at a super young age the opportunity he had been given, and he is taking full advantage of all that Jovenes has to offer. He attends carpentry shop in the morning and has become an incredibly talented carpenter (please see our JEC promo video and see Hueso talk about what carpentry has taught him). He made great grades this year in high school. And on top of his good behavior and talent as a carpenter, he is taking art classes on Saturdays in Tegucigalpa (the capital of Honduras). He rides a bus with 3 other boys by themselves each Saturday morning to take classes there. His next goal on his to-do list: learn english.

And by all means, I know this boy can do anything he puts his mind to. 

Jose Carlos, I am so incredibly proud of you and humbled by your outlook on life.

I am currently home for Christmas until the 30th of December. I will return to spend NYE with the boys. We will have our summer interns down to ring in the new year, so the boys are ready to party!

While you are spending time with your families this Christmas, please remember our boys and staff. Many would say "poor things don't have any family", but this is a common misconception. We are a family of 56 boys and 25 staff members. Jovenes is home, and we are each other's family. We simply ask you thank God for the people He uses daily to keep this home open and changing the lives of these sweet, sweet boys.

Merry Christmas to all, and happy new year!!