My Newest Mission Field

Meet Jarina!

Jarina is the younger sister of one of the women who has joined us in teacher training this year. Her mother died early this year in February as one of the three deaths within a month that hit Helene hard. She had been away living with an aunt in La Ceiba for five years. She left Helene when she was about eight and we just celebrated her thirteenth birthday. When I met Jarina at the end of July, she was running circles around her sister and the rest of Helene like a crazy doing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted with no influence or authority over her life. I asked who she was and why we weren't trying to get her in school. She had never learned English in her life at twelve and didn't know the alphabet from a stick. Her sister kind of looked at me like I was crazy for wanting to try and tame her but encouraged my interest as a possible last resort for some discipline and consistency. So, Jarina came to school...and never leaves my side. The staff have had to be downright mean in running her from the property as every minute of every day she comes yelling for me and my attention. The first few months, she was out of control and completely unteachable but now she is coming around, learning boundaries, and even responding with some self-control with other students and becoming dedicated in her studies. She has only been in English school a few months and is picking things up fast.

If you remember, say a little prayer for Jarina. She is a tomboy at heart who loves the adventure of life and people and relationship and playing. She is struggling to figure out how to grow up at thirteen - what that means or is supposed to look like. With no real upbringing or teaching and no loving influences, she is another wild Helene child making it on her own in her own way. I pray that with HCES and the love the Lord has given me for her that she will rise up with a hope and a future.