Making a Splash

Here in Honduras, most families dedicate some time to go to the beach and enjoy the beautiful ocean. But for us in landlocked Tegucigalpa, it takes between five and eight hours to reach a Caribbean coastal town! And for our scholarship students and their families, who...

A Vision Worth Fighting For

Ever since he could walk, our son, Jacob, has been by my side, and I his. When he was two years old, we spent hours organizing our garage. It was a cool fall day, and he never complained or got in the way. About one-third of my size, he walked next to me all day long...

A Brave Heart

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share news no one should ever have to write. It’s a story not only of sorrow, but also of tribute to a young life marked by quiet strength and unwavering courage. Our scholar here in Ethiopia, Yitayal, fought silently through...

A Father’s Example

Darlin shows his strength and commitment to his family and community every day. He is the father of two of our Samaritan Scholars in the El Ocotillo community, near San Pedro Sula, Honduras. To support his family, he works tirelessly at the municipal landfill,...

Our Samaritan Ohana

Last week I had one of those days that ends with a full heart and a grateful soul. Here in Villa Guadalupe, we invited twenty girls in our Samaritan scholarship program to see the movie Lilo & Stitch at the theater. The girls and some of their mothers gathered at...

Life Camp

Last week, our team in Uganda brought together 85 Samaritan Scholars, ages 7 to 23, for a three-day boot camp under the theme, “Growing Through Life – Learning, Reflecting, and Connecting.” From the moment the scholars arrived, there was an air of excitement. We...

Finding Her Path

Life is not easy for mothers like Kendy. She lives in the El Buen Samaritano community next to the city garbage dump in Teguicgalpa, Honduras. Here, most of the homes are led by single women.*  After losing her job and not being able to find another one, Kendy has...

Weigh the Evidence

Over the last few weeks, you may have read in these Weekend Reflections about how the Resurrection is being celebrated across the world, from bringing food to the elderly in Ethiopia to flower-filled streets in Guatemala to fasts in Jamaica. Last Saturday, even a...

Expressions of Easter

In Jamaica, the Easter season starts with a public holiday on Ash Wednesday. For our program director in Jamaica, Sonja Robinson, and her family, that Ash Wednesday church service is the first of many they’ll attend during Lent. “It’s a very religious time for us,”...