Dream Heroes

Meet some young people in rural Guatemala who are fighting - and winning - against adversaries of hope.

Can any good thing come from a country still reeling under the weight of a brutal past? For 36 years, Guatemala suffered through a civil war (1960-1996) that left its people with shattered dreams and an uncertain future. Thirteen years later, the memories are still painful and peace remains fragile, but in many indigenous communities where Food for the Hungry works, hope is rising as a young generation - schooled and ambitious - stakes a claim at a positive future.

Food for the Hungry began its work in Guatemala in 1976 in response to relief needs after a major earthquake hit the country. Since then, Food for the Hungry has been reaching out to the Mayan population with practical and sustainable solutions to poverty and health issues while at the same time inviting them to come to the knowledge and love of God.

Here, four young Guatemalan adults share their bumpy past and how they have come a long way in their resolve to build a better life for their families and communities.

Angel Mo, 24, Teacher
I was a sponsored child with Food for the Hungry [FH]. I grew up in the community of Saraxoch, in the municipality of San Cristobal. My parents never went to school and they always struggled to find a stable work, but they made my education a priority. That's why I studied hard to prove to them that they were not wasting money on me.

There is no middle school in Saraxoch, so when I finished sixth grade, FH helped me and the other children in my class continue our studies through a study-at-home program in partnership with an institution called America Latina. After graduating from middle school, FH provided me a scholarship so I could go to the city of Coban to finish high school.

I graduated from high school with a specialty in bilingual education and, almost immediately, found a job as a primary teacher at a school in my community. But I did not stop there. I enrolled in the university to get a higher degree, supporting myself with my salary as a teacher. I am the first in my community to reach this level of education. Today, I am a middle school teacher. I help support my younger siblings so they can also achieve their dreams.

I thank Food for the Hungry for all the support and encouragement that I received since I was in grade school. I won't forget that very crucial moment when a staff read Joshua 1:9 to me. [Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.] I memorized this passage as a child, and it was the hope that carried me through some very difficult times. It's my all-time favorite verse.

Victor Jom, 27, Food for the Hungry Staff
My mother was pregnant with me during the civil war. It was one of those chaotic days, all the families were leaving town, running for their lives. My mom - who was about ready to deliver - also fled, not knowing where to go. She ended up giving birth to me at a park in San Cristobal.

When I was 18 months, my mother died. My father decided he could not take care of six children on his own, so he remarried. But my stepmother had no love for me and my siblings. As a child I was always sick. One family, however, wanted me badly enough to adopt me. My new family allowed me to go to school, but I did not have time to do my homework because I was always working. I felt more like a slave than a son.

I learned about Food for the Hungry when I was in fourth grade. Some Americans and staff members came to my school to teach us and play with us, just like what our promoters do today. But during that time, the older people in the community did not want us near any Gringos. They told us that Gringos come to town to eat children. But I did not believe these threats. Besides, Food for the Hungry workers were nice to me. They encouraged me to continue my studies. They reminded me that God loved me and that there was hope for me.

When I finished sixth grade, my family said that was it. They warned that if I continued going to school they would kick me out of the house. I decided to follow my dream and left home. By God's mercy, an American missionary took me in and supported me through two years of middle school. Then I enlisted in the military, where I learned English.

After five years in the military, I returned to San Cristobal. I decided to visit FH just to thank the staff. But God had a blessing waiting for me: FH was looking for a security guard, and decided to hire me. In that same year, I got married.

After a year as a security guard, I became a promoter and was assigned to the community where I used to live. I started working with seven women who were interested in learning how to do handicrafts. By the end of the year, there were 40 women working with me.

Working at Food for the Hungry allowed me many opportunities to learn about God's love and His plan for my life. I was able to gain knowledge, but I also understood that I needed to put action to my faith. By God's grace I have since reconciled with my father and adoptive family, and everything is peaceful between us.

Right now, my goal is to finish university and for my wife to finish middle school so we can be good examples to our community. But as we wait, we continue to gladly share God's love to young boys and girls in the community. I pray that God would also use me to make a difference in someone else's life.

Marida Lopez, 23, Bilingual Teacher
I was a sponsored child with Food for the Hungry since first grade. When I was in fourth grade I received news that my sponsor, Dr. Brad Titus, would come to see me. I got scared because I didn't know what to expect. But I was very happy to meet him.

I was a very shy person, but as I started to have friendship with my sponsor and the FH staff, I became more confident about my uniqueness and what God could do through me. My favorite sports are soccer and basketball. I like to run. At my school I always took first place in sports.

When I finished primary school I wanted to continue my studies, but my parents hesitated because they believed that a woman' job was to get married and raise a family. A Food for the Hungry staff came to visit my parents and explained to them that I had the same rights as a man, and that with a good education I could have a better future.

Finally, after lots of prayers and discussions, my parents allowed me to continue in middle school. My sponsor was very happy to learn that I was back in school. Every year, he came to visit me until I finished middle school.

After graduating from middle school, I wanted to go to high school and have a career. The cost was more expensive, and my father didn't have a job. But my older brother understood my desire and he supported me to the best of his ability. It was a difficult time, but I persevered. Today, everybody is very happy with my accomplishment. I was the first one in my family to finish high school. I am now a bilingual teacher, teaching in Spanish and Pokomchi, my native language.

I am very happy because I have accomplished something that I knew God had planned for me. But I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of Dr. Brad Titus, my sponsor. I have a lot of gratitude and respect for him. Because of his love and generosity, I too can be an example of courage and hope to many young people in my community.

Carlos Lem, 36, Food for the Hungry Staff and Local Pastor
I started working at Food for the Hungry when I was 19, one year after I got married. My first job at FH was as a promoter. I had finished only sixth grade when I was hired, and I soon understood the importance of continuing my studies.

A big part of my job as a promoter was visiting families and encouraging parents to support their children's education. It became a challenge to me as well, and so even though I had a busy job and a growing family, I decided to finish high school, after which I went to the university to become a professor.

My parents never went to school, not even first grade. But because of my example, my family's perspective changed. My younger sister and younger brother finished high school and they now are teachers.

I wasn't a Christian when I got a job at Food for the Hungry, but someone at work lovingly and patiently shared with me the gospel and it impacted my life. Back then I had no vision for my life; I was just going around in circles. God used him to open my mind so I could understand that God had a plan for me and my family.

My wife, like most people in the community, came from a family that didn't understand the importance of education. When we got married, she had finished only second grade. But she had a dream as well. At age 24, she enrolled in third grade. She was 28 when she finished primary school; at 31, she finished middle school. She is now 35 and plans to finish high school.

Food for the Hungry is leaving San Cristobal to move to another community that needs our help. We've served San Cristobal for 19 years, and we have seen change. The communities know that the time has come for them to do things on their own. The foundation has been laid for them to build on. I know they will continue to embrace the values that they learned from FH.

I never thought I would be doing what I am doing today. The Lord also called me to be a pastor of a church in my community of El Rancho. I have been pastoring for 6 years now. What I learn at FH, I share with my congregation. My church is not big, but we have many professionals who are active members.

Working with FH is exciting. I don't get tired. I consider it as my ministry. My prayer is that God would continue to use me and that through His work on my life, others may be drawn to Him.