Three Elements to Changing Futures

Two Lives Forever Changed 

Adriana and Itzel both grew up with difficult home lives but everything changed for them when they joined Trigo y Miel, Forward Edge’s program in Oaxaca, Mexico. As children, they didn’t have many material possessions, but because of the program they were privileged to hear about God’s love regularly. They also were given the opportunity to graduate high school and attend college. All while receiving letters of encouragement from their sponsors, reminding them of their value and God’s amazing plan for them. In short, they received the three elements of all Forward Edge programs that directly contribute to transforming the lives and futures of children. 

Meet Adriana

Ever since she was little, Adriana had a very difficult life. Her father died in an accident when she was 7 years old, and she quickly became the caretaker for her sister and soon after another baby sister. Her mother was unable to care for them as she battled depression and was looking for a job. 

At age 10, Adriana’s mom left a toxic relationship with a man, and the family moved to the community where Trigo y Miel is located. Here Adriana heard about God and began attending the youth meetings. She and her mother later accepted Jesus as their Savior! 

She will begin college this August, and is the first woman in her family to study for a degree. She is planning to get her Bachelors of Education in hopes of becoming a teacher. “I want to be an example for my younger sisters,” Adriana explains. “That inspires me. In Trigo y Miel, Pastor Victor and Lety inspire me to succeed in my life.” 

Meet Itzel

Itzel has been a part of the Trigo y Miel program for a long time. Her family used to live in a rented two-room house with an outdoor kitchen and bathroom, but thanks to Operation Enduring Homes (a ministry of Forward Edge), they now have their own home with indoor plumbing and running water. 

Itzel’s father is a school teacher in a small village, and is often gone for weeks at a time. He has children from a previous relationship and half of his salary goes to support them. Itzel misses having him around. 

She went through the scholarship program, and while there, received Jesus as her Savior and was baptized! She now attends the weekly discipleship program and is in her last semester of college studying to receive her Bachelors of Education.

Hearts to Serve and Give Back

Despite the hardships Adriana and Itzel have faced, it’s remarkable to see the joy they have as they serve and give back to their community. After being discipled and invested in, they now choose to be active and engaged in the community that poured so much into them. 

Currently, Adriana is helping the Child Sponsorship Coordinator, Raquel, with her duties. They help the children write letters, update photos, complete assessments, and much more. Raquel shared, “Adriana is a very hard working girl. She is very responsible and tries to get things done she needs to do. Her help has been very good to me as she is very dedicated to getting the job done.” 

Itzel is now a 1st grade teacher. The Director of Siloé School, Julian, shared: “She has had quite significant achievements as a teacher, as she has managed to get all her students to learn to read and write. Itzel not only teaches reading and writing, as a teacher she teaches all subjects, such as Spanish, Mathematics, Science and Values.  Itzel can understand firsthand the importance of education for the children of Trigo y Miel and how it transforms people’s lives.” 

What a delight to see these girls who were once in the sponsorship program now working at the program in different capacities. Having their lives changed by three important elements of Forward Edge programs—exposure to God’s love, education, and the support and encouragement of sponsors—they now want to equip and enrich the lives of those around them. 

In what ways have our lives been transformed by God? How might He be calling us to invest back into the lives of others?  

community development

Create Hope Ghana – Living Up to Its Name

It’s an exciting time at Forward Edge as we announce the launch of our brand new program, Create Hope Ghana, alongside our 40th anniversary celebration. We’re thrilled to witness the positive impact this program has already made on the lives of 75 children and their families residing in 10 different

Go to Blog »

Viola’s Story

Viola lives in the slums of Kampala, Uganda with her parents and five siblings. Living conditions in this area are cramped and unsanitary. Viola’s family lives in a small, brick, two-bedroom house. The whole family shares one room and the other one is used to house chickens and a goat that

Go to Blog »
nicaragua

AIDS Orphan Dreams of Being a Doctor

Imagine a child, seven years old, living in a garbage dump and watching both her mother and father die slowly of AIDS-related illnesses. This was reality for Erminia before she joined Forward Edge’s program for at-risk girls in Nicaragua called Village of Hope. If Erminia had continued to grow up

Go to Blog »
child sponsorship

4 Tips to Grow Closer to Your Sponsored Child

As a child sponsor for over 3 decades, and now as the Child Sponsorship Administrator for Forward Edge, I am often asked (and challenged myself) about how to best communicate with a sponsored child. In almost all cases, the children we sponsor live in other countries. We do live in

Go to Blog »
Transform a Child's Life Through Sponsorship

Habari (hello), my name is Joseph

  • location

    Kenya

  • 7 yrs. old

    02-16-2018

Entered the program: September 2022

Joseph lives with his grandmother and 5 cousins in his grandmother’s three-room timber house with a dirt floor. They have electricity for light and use firewood for cooking in an outdoor kitchen. They use a pit latrine and fetch water from a nearby borehole which they boil to drink.                                                         
Joseph’s mother was abused by Joseph’s father and ran away with his younger sibling, abandoning Joseph to his grandmother to raise him. Joseph’s grandmother is a small-scale farmer and relies on food she grows to provide for herself and her 6 grandchildren.

Sponsorship Level What's this?

Three $38 sponsorships are needed to cover the complete holistic care of one child. Cover one, two, or three sponsorships.