From Pain Toward Purpose

When Miguel came to Esperanza Viva in 2004 at age 11, his future looked anything but promising. He suffered physical abuse at the hands of his stepfather and would often run away from home, and his mother had a difficult time with his rebellious attitudes. A missionary friend referred Miguel’s mother to Esperanza Viva Youth Home, and we took him in. As he integrated into the dormitory with boys his age and the supervisors, Miguel had to learn humility and meekness to get along with his peers. As time passed he realized that in order to make a real change in his life, he needed an encounter with God. Upon truly understanding the love and forgiveness Jesus offers him, Miguel put his faith in Him, and this was the beginning of a real transformation. Miguel finished high school a few years ago and now attends one of Puebla’s most prestigious universities, majoring in Communications and Multimedia. He serves on the ministry’s multimedia team, which has him busy during our weekly church services, and he also helps in the office. Miguel loves to run, and has competed on the university’s track team. He compares his life to a race: “God calls us to RUN LIKE CRAZY to attain all that He has prepared for us; to love just as He has loved us, and to live freely, letting go of all the evil that surrounds us.” As a troubled pre-teen, the future looked bleak for Miguel. Today, ten years later, Miguel tells us in his own words, “Esperanza Viva has given me the best 10 years of my life.”