Berenice was used to seeing the same narrative play out around her growing up: a life marked by poverty, wealth inequality, and barriers to education. Most families in her area in Oaxaca, Mexico have traditionally come from smaller villages in search of a better life and are facing severe unemployment and dire housing conditions. Instead of just focusing on daily survival, Berenice often pondered a different way. She was determined to not follow in the footsteps of many of her peers, and knew God had big plans for her.
The pivotal point in Berenice’s life came through Forward Edge’s Trigo y Miel program, which opened wide the doors of education to her. Although Berenice was once subject to extreme poverty, the Trigo program along with her sponsors gave her the gift of hope: to rewrite her future, dream bigger than before, and be equipped with resources to take action. On July 24th, 2021, she realized one of her personal dreams and graduated from college (the first in her family to do so) with a degree in Tourism Business Administration!
In our experience, seeing how God weaves miraculous stories of hope in the lives of the children in our programs is deeply encouraging. Berenice is the first to recognize and credit God’s loving hand, provision and grace by bringing her to Trigo y Miel, where she was fed spiritually and first connected with her sponsors. Berenice’s sponsors have been able to encourage and pray for her throughout her time in the program and her educational journey. Berenice’s sponsor, Amy, was even able to travel from New York to attend Berenice’s graduation (pictured together below), she shares, “It is a blessing to see how God used us to make a life impact on Berenice thousands of miles away.”
Throughout her education, Berenice faced adversity in the form of health issues and financial hardships, but it was in this process that she began to know how deeply loved and cared for she truly is, not only in the eyes of her sponsors, but by God Himself. After her graduation, Berenice shared, “I am full, for the great blessings of God and for having taken one more step in my life. I am happy to be able to share that moment with my loved ones. I will never forget what each person contributed to this stage of my life.”
Amy’s prayer for Berenice is, “That her faith continues to grow strong in the Lord. That she would be patient, wait on the Lord and walk through the doors He leads her through.”
We strive for a similar future for all impoverished children in Oaxaca and around the world: that they know their inherent worth, are given the resources to overcome poverty, and thrive in God’s plan for their lives. Congratulations on your huge achievement Berenice!
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Before embarking on your first mission trip, there are a variety of things you can do to prepare yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually. This article will focus on some of the practical steps you can take to ensure you get the most out of your experience. Here are four things
Nancy, our Director of Development and long-time short-term missionary, shares her experience with the “Women of the Word” program in Kampala, Uganda. These resilient women, who migrated to a new area after facing unimaginable hardships, have come together to build a supportive community and empower one another. Discover how their journey of faith and perseverance is creating lasting change in their lives and in their community.
This November, Forward Edge International celebrated 40 years of fruitful ministry at our annual Worth & Purpose Benefit for Children. As part of the celebration, Forward Edge’s Program Directors were invited to attend from around the world. As preparations and accommodations were being made, I learned that our Haitian Program
6 yrs. old
Entered the program: May 2024
Lynsa lives with her parents and sister in a new home with a sheet metal roof built by Forward Edge after the August 2021 earthquake. The kitchen and latrine are both outdoors. To provide for the family, Lynsa’s mother sells foodstuffs on the street and her father does masonry when he can find work. They usually have only one meal a day.
Lynsa's big sister, Angeberline, is also in the Kids Club program.
