A Dream Come True

When I first moved to Jovenes, I lived in the green house with the oldest boys for a year. Obviously I had a lot of changes and things to get used to in the first few months. One was sharing a bathroom/kitchen with the couple who were here at the time. They were very reserved, and sometimes I felt like a nuisance.

Santos and Maria's new home

Then soon after God sent two angels to Jovenes en Camino. Santos and Maria had been serving Jovenes as substitute houseparents for several years when the full time houseparents had two weekends off a month. God then opened a window and allowed them to come work here full time.

I remember one of the first things I came to appreciate and love about this couple was their contagious spirit. They are both so welcoming, humble, and outgoing. They instantly made me feel at home with them, as if I was part of their own family.

Chad and Ronald turning over the house

I remember after dinner one night we were having one of our long, nightly talks, and Maria mentioned that they did not have a home of their own. They had rented a house before moving to live full time at JEC, so on the weekends they had off they usually had to stay with friends or rent a hotel. The point of this time is to relax and rejuvenate since their job is so taxing. And in my opinion, being a guest in someone else's home or a hotel is not always so relaxing in a family of four.

Genesis and Sara (Maria and Santos' daughters)

Fast forward to this week (about two years later), and God's grace is so prevalent. Yesterday our executive director stateside, Chad Hedgepath, turned in the keys to a brand new house here in the valley. Chad and Ronald planned, fundraised, and brought down a group of 10 men from Heritage Church in Franklin, TN to construct the house. Maria and Santos saved for years to buy their own plot of land, and as soon as that was purchased things got moving.

Hermitage COC group turning over the keys to Santos

The boys in the green house also played a large part in helping prepare the land, construction, and a lot of manual labor. Other Jovenes en Camino employees also helped in many ways - such as the cooks preparing food daily to send over to all those working hard in this hot sun. I think this made yesterday so special, because we had all played a part in helping Santos and Maria's family. We all felt the pride and joy of this house being finished. We were able to see their dream come to life.

Part of the Jovenes en Camino family with Santos and Maria

I think Santos said it best when he said, "God is so good, even though I am not. He has worked through others, through the boys, and through us. For that I am grateful for His grace."

This is one of my favorite things about Jovenes. We are one, big family. We help each other out when times get rough. We know we can't live this life alone, so we lean on each other. I'm so grateful to be 25 and have experienced such an incredible story of grace, selflessness, and love.

Thank you, Lord. You are so good to us.