📌 Edition #26
📆 November 2022
🌎 Copán Ruinas, Honduras
📸 This month’s Snaps
👔 Youth farewell dinner 🚂 Camp’s final Activities 🌿 Sustainable Agriculture
🎤Raise a Voice
Our AfterSchool Camps are finishing their last activities of the year, and we surveyed the youth who have been with us since February. Among other information, we consulted them about their proudest areas of growth with us.
Of the 21 youth consulted, 18 agreed that one of the areas in which they are most happy to have improved was public speaking. Surpassing other important areas such as leadership, teamwork, punctuality, organization and more.
Why is this area so important to them? More important than knowing how to prepare a Spanish or Bible class; more than managing a budget or improving their grades at school?
The sudden realization that you have a voice and opinion worth hearing is forever striking. This is new for our youth who might go to a school where they mostly take notes to memorize and regurgitate verbatim; maybe they also go to a church where they do nothing more than sit down and listen, or spend their days in a home where they are not listened to.
And then, they come to UPH where we are eager to hear what they have to say.
This must be exciting, nerve racking, and precious to them all at the same time: to be able to organize their thoughts, shaping their personalities in the process. To envision the person they want to be. Just by opening their mouth, raising their voice.
Proverbs 31:8-9 presents a beautiful challenge: “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
These youth will grow up with their own voice. They will see the needs of their community. They will recognize themselves as those who once were mute and will speak for those who aren’t heard. Better still, they will teach them to have their own voice too, to speak publicly the good news of God and his kingdom of justice for all those in need.
One last thing. We asked our youth to give some words to you, our donors; and in 21/21 surveys, each young person is grateful to each one of you, for your effort, for your gifts that allow them to have a place at UPH that has changed their lives.
