A Place to Lay His Head
| Photos by @davey_gravy and Josela Lopez
Whether large or small, family gifts are another way sponsors can bless their sponsored child and their family. For one growing boy in Honduras, his sponsor’s gift brought a new sense of dignity and comfort.
An Empty House
The family spends days at José Fabián’s grandmother’s house nearby, where Dunia helps her mom run a pulpería, a tiny neighborhood grocery store. At night, José Fabián’s older brother stays with their grandmother, while José Fabián and his little sister return with their mom to a house that once belonged to their great-grandmother. The two-room, cement-floored house covered with faded advertising signs is almost empty of furniture.
For a long time, the three of them have been sharing the only bed they owned.
Dunia explained why they have never been able to buy another bed.
“Honestly it’s not so hard to get a bed for some,” she says. “’But there’s so many other priorities that every time I thought we can finally get that bed, one of [the kids] got sick. So that money that I was saving for a long time for a bed, I had to use it to take them to the doctor. And a lot of other circumstances always happened, making getting a new bed almost impossible for me.”
A Welcome Surprise
Little did they know that their uncomfortable nights were about to end when Dunia received the news from José Fabián’s Hope Center that his sponsor had sent a special gift to the family. It was enough to buy José Fabián a bed of his own. Their dream was about to become a reality, and soon they would all sleep more comfortably.
José Fabián’s excitement was obvious.
“I used to feel uncomfortable sleeping all together in one bed,” he says. “But thanks to my sponsor, now I feel calm and relaxed in my new bed, with nobody squeezing me.”
A bed may seem insignificant to some families, but for José Fabián’s family the gift has meant sound sleep and a sense of dignity for a boy nearing his teens.
Shared Struggles
The sponsor’s gift was also a great encouragement to Dunia, who faces the constant struggle of supporting her family.
In Honduras, families face many challenges, but one of the biggest is the lack of job opportunities. Unemployment compels thousands yearly to leave, seeking a new life and opportunities for their families.
As he entered his teens, José Fabián felt uncomfortable sharing a bed with his family.
“Here in my community and in Honduras there is a big lack of job opportunities,” says Dunia. “Wages are very low, and the food is very expensive. These are some of the factors that force people to leave our country. Thanks to God we are still here, but we do not know what the future holds for us.”
Dunia added that the Hope Center has been a huge source of help for her and her family.
“The Hope Center has been a big support for us. During the pandemic and through all these years we’ve received constant help from them. It’s been a blessing. Also, they are guiding our kids along the good path by teaching them the Word of God.”
A Light in the Darkness
Hondurans are going through a rough time. But with the support of sponsors, Hope Centers are there to provide for families’ needs and give them the hope they’re looking for.
“I feel grateful to the Hope Center for keeping us in mind,” says Dunia.
“When the secretary of the Hope Center came and invited me to go to the center with Jose Fabian’s documentation to register him, I was rejoicing. Because here we can feel helpless; nobody supports us. But the Hope Center does. We are very grateful.”
Hope Centers are a light in the darkness of daily hardships for the families of La Ceiba. And this light is fueled by the selfless hearts of sponsors like José Fabián’s who give of themselves to bless others.
The struggles that Dunia and her family face are shared by thousands of families around the world.
We offer these glimpses into the world of kids like José Fabián to help bring sponsors closer to their sponsored children’s realities and the power that even a small gift has to transform and impact a family.
José Fabián is happy to have a bed of his own, and he takes very good care of it.
