Family Life Missions is working hard to raise children with solid Christian values. Our children are taught from the day they arrive at PLN, that they have been blessed. We want them to realize this is hope for a better life. These blessings are from Christians who love them and have a generous spirit toward helping the less fortunate. All the children in our care are expected to have the same benevolent nature and help others. Our older children are expected to help the younger children and those children in high school and in the University are expected to give back to the community. Everyone has routine chores around the village that benefit the village family.

In a meeting with local University officials, the Executive Director of Family Life Missions/Por Los Niños sparked some interest in the University President to see what this was all about. He wanted to try influencing University students to give back to the community and build a good relationship with those around them. The immediate beneficiaries of this effort were the Por Los Niños children. A large group of University students made a day of helping, playing and cooking for the PLN village. Students working on their teaching certificates assisted in our school or tutored the children who needed help. Our young children gained big brothers and sisters while the older children made new friends. Enjoy just a few of the pictures taken that day.

Dec 28, 2011 - During Gene Green’s last visit to Honduras, he was approached by long time Honduran friends and supporters of Por Los Ninos, Suyapa and David Chacon. David’s life is spent “planting” the seeds for new congregations around Honduras, and Suyapa owns a small restaurant in the town of Catacomas. Their hearts were heavy with concern for a family at their church whose father had died suddenly. David and Suyapa’s natural benevolent spirit prompted them to seek help for this family. Suyapa described the grim circumstances facing the mother and children. The father’s death left the mother and three (3) small children without an income to support them. The Chacons asked for the help of Por Los Ninos.

Please meet the three (3) newest family members at the Por Los Ninos village: Jorge, Junior and Selvin

As you can see from the pictures, living conditions were already bad enough for this family. Now without a father and the meager income he produced, the family’s future seemed hopeless.

We have taken these children into our PLN family to give them hope of a better future. These children don’t have sponsors and are in desperate need, please consider helping. Please...give the Gift of Hope.

by Carol Echols

Nov 22, 2011 - My first trip to Honduras in 1998 was helping a work team with the construction of the first cottage on the property. Ever since then, my heart has belonged to the children of Por Los Ninos. Sick, malnourished and homeless children have been given hope and a future within the PLN Village. Now with 4 cottages and a school for grades 1-6, the Village is a bright light of Christian love that shines in the town of Catacamas.

When I was asked to be a FLM board member in 2006, I readily agreed so that I could be more a part of this great work of God. In preparation to serve on the "Board" I spent a month in Catacamas getting to know the children and their everyday life. The children are warm, loving, and immediately endearing. My prayer for each one of them is to become a healthy, happy Christian member of society, showing others the real meaning of the Kingdom of God.

Oct 27, 2011 - Sometimes inspiration comes to us when we're quietly meditating ... or when we're observing or listening to something intriguing or beautiful... or in the case of PLN work team member, Michael Rivas, when you're on the roof of a cottage in Catacamas, Honduras. His love and affection for the children was nurtured by and is a natural extension of the love and many years of hard work that his parents (Dr.Mike & Dr.Darlene Rivas) and grandparents (Harry & Sarah Hodges) have devoted to PLN.

So this spring, Michael was once again working at PLN, this time with a Harding University work team whose goal was to replace the roof on one of the cottages. As he was up on that roof he started watching and thinking about the children who are rapidly growing into young adults. Being a young man himself, he recognized they were on the cusp of making their way into the world on their own and wanted to do something to help prepare them. He approached his parents with his concerns and help with developing a plan. They started by building a team of professionals with the skills necessary to mentor and aid these young adults. Along with themselves, the team included Dirk Smith, Alex and Krista Cone, Sijle Immerstein, Tracy Clark and Taryn Smith, each of whom brought their unique skills & talents as seasoned professionals & supporters. Their overall goal was to begin a mentoring process to help them recognize their talents and skills and to use them responsibly for God, family, community and themselves.

Their plan came to fruition this spring when they held a week-long mentoring workshop at PLN with the older children/young adults . They had focused workgroups on many subjects some of which included how to actively & purposefully become a positive role model in the lives of the younger PLN children & how to foster mutual respect with their house parents as they strive for independence. The end result was a week of intense interaction resulting in a greater understanding of the talents, responsibilities, and blessings they have been given by God and by everyone who supports and prays for them.

Sept 23, 2011 - Seven year old Addie Echols learned about Por Los Niños when Gene Green gave a PowerPoint presentation for the Kingdom Builders Class at church. She fell in love with the children and wanted to help them by raising money to donate to Family Life Missions. She came up with a plan to create special artwork to sell to friends and family. She has her own art gallery where anyone coming to her home may view and purchase her art. The money is then placed in a special collection box she made and the proceeds will be donated to Por Los Niños at the end of the year.

See Addie's letter to the children of Por Los Niños 

Thank you, Addie, for your special love for the children of Por Los Niños!

Experience the joy of helping those in need!

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 (NIV)

The house parents of Por Los Niños are strong Christians providing day-to-day care and oversight for a house full of needy children. Each set of house parents has up to 10 children in addition to any biological children they may have. Most of us can only imagine the difficulty of routine problems they face each and every day. Our house parents are also faced with being the role models for these children. They are encouraged to better themselves in every way possible to set an example we would want the children to follow. We currently have three house parents in school, attending evening or weekend classes to set a standard the children can see and aspire to follow. Of course, there are many ways to improve yourself as a role model; going to school isn't the only way.

Family Life Missions/Por Los Niños proudly announces the marriage of one of our children, Yuni Yissel Hermandez.

Yuni and Carlos joined hands in spirit and in love on May 7th, 2011 at Por Los Niños village.  See Yuni's thank you letter to her sponsors.

When Yuni joined us at Por Los Niños, she was 3 years old, but only the size of an 18 month old child. She was born severely malnourished. Yuni spent the first month of her life in a hospital in Juticalpa. She never fully recovered until Por Los Niños became her home.

Yuni was admitted to Por Los Niños unable to walk and speaking only a few words. She suffered from malnutrition, parasites, and reoccurring chest and ear infections. She was admitted along with her sister Letty, and the two of them remain very loyal protectors of one another (though Letty is now an adult and no longer lives at PLN).  Their mother passed away of cancer after the two girls were admitted to Por Los Niños.

This is what our ministry is all about.  Thank you for supporting us so we can celebrate lives that have been changed like Yuni's!

July 7, 2011

Just like that, June is a thing of the past.

Kevin and I went to Texas from June 13-20. Our travel plans made the month pass even more quickly. Kevin had his annual appointment at Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, TX.

Kevin received medical treatment for his hip. His appointment went well and his Doctor's gave him a clear bill of health and set an appointment for a year from now. Kevin and I spent the rest of our week traveling around Dallas and over to Abilene where we talked to plenty of great people about the work going on at Por Los Niños. I look forward to partnering with more people, bringing in new teams and child sponsors because of our travel. Thank you to all the lovely folks in and around Dallas who were our hosts and hostesses on our trip.

Kevin and I flew into Tegucigalpa and met our Executive Director, Gene Green, his wife, Carol at the airport along with a mini-work team from McKnight that included the President and Vice President of the Board of Directors.

Greetings from Catacamas! It seems as though the month of May passed by in a blur. May marks the beginning of rainy season here in Honduras, and the grass, the children, and the Village Ambassador are very grateful for a break from the heat. Rainy afternoons mean playing indoors and enjoying a cup of coffee.

The Village chickens hatched a new brood of chicks that can be found strutting their stuff around the houses. The children are enjoying learning from house mom Elda about taking care of the chickens. We look forward to being able to supply all our egg needs right here at the village.