by International Samaritan | Jul 2, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
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...
by International Samaritan | Jun 20, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
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...
by International Samaritan | Jun 13, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
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,...
by International Samaritan | Jun 5, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
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...
by International Samaritan | May 23, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
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...
by International Samaritan | May 16, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
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...
by International Samaritan | May 7, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
In the heart of Nairobi, Kenya, lies the Dandora dumpsite, one of Africa’s largest landfills. It’s not just a place of discarded waste but a daily battleground for survival for many, especially children. Young boys and girls, often out of school due to...
by International Samaritan | Apr 25, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
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...
by International Samaritan | Apr 17, 2025 | Jamaica, Weekend Reflections
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,”...
by International Samaritan | Apr 10, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
In my home in Guatemala, Holy Week doesn’t start on the calendar, it begins with a scent. My mom always says her favorite childhood memory of Holy Week, Semana Santa, is the smell of corozo and incense. It’s a fragrance found in streets adorned in purple and...
