A Paragraph in Andre’s Story

André in the hat.

André is 15 and in his second-to-last year of high school. He joined Esperanza de Ana at age 6. His father died when he was 4, leaving his mother, Mariela, to care for him and his two younger siblings. Mariela later met Efraín, a neighbor and single father. They created a family together and had another daughter, making a family of seven, with André as the oldest.

Andre’s family, Christmas 2017. André is on the left.

At 6 years old, André looked after his siblings while Mariela worked on the pig farm. This was when we first met Mariela and invited her to join Esperanza de Ana. High school has been difficult for André; he has become tough and rebellious. Ana, who mentors our teens and young adults through our Ambassador’s Program, encourages and guides him, helping him to rebuild his self-respect and care for others. Our community offers emotional support to André’s mother to trust in God for his son’s future.

In late 2024, we celebrated André passing all his classes, giving him a chance to enjoy summer. This year, he feels motivated to study more, inspired by his success. We continue to share the love of Jesus with him. Please pray for André's heart to soften and for him to stay open to God’s grace. We trust His plans for André’s future.