A ChildHope Christmas
Rod and Sherry Boyd

Latin America ChildCare became ChildHope just two years ago. The new name completely captures the essence of this ministry that is all about compassion, education and transformation. These three elements make up the formula that has brought hope to children and youth for more than two generations. This year during our Christmas parties, more than in any other years, we were reminded what makes ChildHope so special... real hope offered to each individual child!

We were asked to serve as Latin America ChildCare coordinators for Panama shortly before arriving in country in 1995. One of the first things we did was choose a child to sponsor. Janeth was in the second grade at the Las Mananitas Good Shepherd School. We were privileged to help her for 11 years, until she graduated from high school. That young girl became a fine christian young lady.

Another boy we were helping graduated last year that meant that it was time for us to choose another child. We reviewed the applications of children in need and discovered that Janeth’s daughter Danna was now attending the Las Mananitas school. We are now privileged to be her sponsor and just a few days ago were able to personally give her a Christmas present!

We’ve kept a close eye on Kenneth over the years who attends the Villa Grecia Good Shepherd School. Kenneth was in kindergarten when the school opened in 2007. He’s completing 11th grade this year. Thanks to a visionary pastor and wife who serves as director of the school, the school has grown from 40 that first year to 515 this year! The church and school are sacrificing to build four new classrooms for next year so that Kenneth and his class can graduate. We were honored to present Kenneth with a Christmas gift from his sponsors.

Perhaps the best example of giving a child hope is Valery, a fifth-grader also at the Villa Grecia School. Valery has been sponsored for just two years, but very important ones! Valery’s father is in prison. Her mother works to make ends meet while caring for Valery and her brother. She is on special medication. Once again, we felt so honored to be able to present a Christmas gift to Valery on behalf of her sponsors.

In each one of these cases, it’s ChildHope that finds a caring and compassionate sponsor, willing to help a child or young person. The extra touch of giving a birthday and Christmas gifts is a direct expression of compassion, beyond the monthly sponsorship given to help cover much of the cost for providing an education for that child or young person. Families, schools and churches make up the difference to make sure that each child or young person receives a quality Christian education. He or she is inspired by a loving teacher, challenged to become a Christ follower, what we believe to be the only path that leads to life transformation. This is ChildHope!

We say thank you to the hundreds of sponsors that are helping the children and youth of Panama experience true transformation. This Christmas we say thank you to the churches and individuals that sponsor us to be missionaries in Panama. And we say thank you for standing with us these last few years as we build the Latin America Resource & Training Center to empower leaders, train teachers and provide them needed resources.