7 Years old with a bright future ahead

"I love Homes of Hope, because for my family, it wasn't just a home, it gave us the opportunity to develop."

Hello, my name is Mike and this is my story. On September 28, 2003 my parents received a Home of Hope. I was 7 years old and the oldest of my three siblings. We had moved to Tijuana from Southern Mexico with the intention of going to the United States of America as a family, but my parents decided not to risk crossing illegally, so we began to settle into life in Tijuana.

We were able to buy land but the living conditions were extremely difficult: our house was made of tarps, making the nights very cold, and we had no water or electricity. Despite all of this, we were happy to be together as a family. After a few months of living this way, my mother heard about Homes of Hope and a miracle happened, we were approved to receive a home!

Even though I was young at the time, I will never forget the moment of dedication and the moment when we first entered our new house with the smell of fresh paint. There was such a sense of a beautiful new beginning. God had moved on our behalf and provided a home for us through the generosity of the team.

I am currently 23 years old and am now full time staff with YWAM San Diego/ Baja. I have been able to help to build more than 30 Homes of Hope and counting. This past weekend, 16 years exactly from the day my family and I received a Home of Hope, I had the opportunity to build a house for another beautiful family- a single mother Blanca, and her two children, Axel and Erick.

Axel is 7 years old, the same age I was when I received my house. I never imagined that I would be here, 16 years later doing the very thing that changed my life, for other families. The feeling of being on the other side of the story is something I can't describe and I am thankful each day for the privilege of serving in Homes of Hope!

A Home for the Holidays

For years, the Hernandez Dominguez family had plans to move to Tijuana from Southern Mexico, in the hope of a better life. Plans changed when Daniel’s wife was diagnosed with cancer, and most of the family money went instead toward expensive medical treatments. Sadly, after a long and painful battle with cancer, Daniel’s wife passed away.

Using what little he had, Daniel brought his children to Tijuana in search of a fresh start but found the new life to be full of fear and uncertainty. Just when his eldest daughter Brenda was on the verge of dropping out of school to help pay the bills, Daniel found a job as a chef on the graveyard shift, often working until 4 AM in the morning. 

The long nights at work leave Brenda, Omar and Sandra to fend for themselves in the small shack that they used to call home. 

This last month a team built the Hernandez Dominguez family a new home and for the first time in more than two years, Daniel’s children slept on real beds. 

Daniel shared at the house dedication ceremony,

"I was struggling with nightmares of losing my children or even my own life and I didn't have much hope left. It was in that dark moment when God showed himself in my life and I came to know him. I'm so ready to see my children with a better place to live. I've done all I can do but I'm afraid it's just not enough for what they need. I've been struggling but when I heard you were coming, I knew that the Lord had heard my cries. Thank you so much, as the father of my family I am very grateful for your lives and what you've decided to do for us. God Bless.”

This Holiday Season Daniel and his children will not only have a shelter from the cold—but a Home of Hope to make memories in. 

Help us provide more homes for families like Daniel’s.  Click here to find out how.

More than Four Walls and a Roof

Meet the Sanchez Family: 

Gabriel, Francisca and their three children spent their nights cramped on a single mattress in an old, abandoned trailer, while the grandparents slept in a tent outside, exposed to the cold, rain, dust and insects. This is hardly the way three generations of a family, or anybody really, should be living. 

Gabriel works hard for to provide for the needs of his family. He works as a nighttime security guard in 12-hour shifts and raises chickens as additional income. In addition to normal family expenses Gabriel works hard to cover the bills of his daughter Gabby’s surgeries.

At only eight years old, Gabby has already undergone six surgeries to treat her cleft lip.  Despite this hardship, she doesn’t let her disability hinder her—her spirited smile says it all. 

Francisca, Gabby’s mother, also has this condition in common with her. She works hard as a phone operator to help provide her daughter with the treatments that she herself was not able to afford.

Last month, a team came to build the Sanchez family a new home. We visited with the family just a few weeks later to hear how they were doing in their new home.

“I feel so much more secure leaving my family home when I go to work the night shift… I know they are safe.” — Gabriel, father

“Before, all five of us shared one bed… Now my sisters and I have our very own bed! …thank you for my new home!” —Gabby, daughter

The new home also means that the grandparents no longer have to live in a tent either, and they have since moved into the trailer. Gaby had her surgery last week and now she is able to come home to a safe place that is clean and has space for her to rest and recover. 

Both Gabriel and Francisca work very hard to provide their daughters with a better future. This home helps them do just that. It’s more than four walls and a roof—it’s a home that brings them hope for a better future to come. 

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One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.  Proverbs 19:17

Going Above and Beyond for Hope

Meet Mariana.

Born with a rare sun allergy, she suffers from severe burns covering her face from years exposure to the intense rays of the Mexican sun. We first heard her story last year when her family received a home of hope, that provided her with the necessary protection from the sun for the first time in her life.

Last year, Mariana, her mother and baby sister headed to America with some of our staff for a surgery that replaced the skin around her eyes.

This rare allergy has long kept Mariana from enjoying any form of a normal life—to the point that she has never gone to public school or played with other children in her neighborhood.

Partnering with Fresh Start, a surgical gifts organization local to San Diego, Mariana was able to receive the help that she was previously unable to afford.

Our staff often visit Mariana to play board games and encourage her throughout the whole process

Over the last year, she has since had a full-face graft and has been taught how to protect her skin. Although she will still encounter struggles, she has a new perspective on the future and is no longer in pain from the scarring. With the help of a new wardrobe of protective clothing, she will be able to attend school for the first time in her life.  

Today, Mariana holds on to HOPE. She is growing into a beautiful young woman full of confidence and with a bright future.  Recently we taught Mariana how to apply a simple makeup foundation to her face to help protect her skin and cover her scars.  As we finished, she began planning the makeup she would wear on her wedding day.  

In some cases the families we build for with Homes of Hope need more than just a home.  It is our joy as staff of Homes of Hope to be able to go above and beyond- helping families to not just survive—but to thrive. 

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“…The Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor—to comfort all who mourn, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. (Isaiah 61:1&3)

Bringing Hope to a Distant Land

All the way to Jinja, Uganda, in fact.

In Jinja, much like Tijuana and Ensenada, countless families live without the most basic protection of a home. These families are exposed to searing heat, driving rain, venomous snakes, and, in some cases, thieves who take from the most vulnerable. But it doesn’t stop there …

Meet Ruth. She lost her husband to HIV and yet despite her loss, she cares for 14 children in her deteriorating mud hut. Her situation can feel overwhelming. Ruth decided to put off marrying again so she could care for her family. It is our desire to enter into this struggle for people like Ruth and hundreds like her — building not just houses — but Homes of Hope.

Here is what’s left of their old house

A team of 12 students from around the world joined together to do just that—bring hope to the hopeless. Applying the concepts they learned at our Compassion in Action Discipleship Training School with YWAM San Diego/Baja, this team is partnering with YWAM Jinja to help pioneer Homes of Hope International on the other side of the world.

We have adapted our HOH structure to the climate and conditions in Uganda

In a few short days, Ruth’s life will completely change, and the hope of a brighter future for her and her children will be restored. She is set to receive the 4th Home of Hope in Uganda.  The walls are going up and hope is on the Rise!

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11