The Story of Luz

Kids’ Stories

One of the most striking things about Luz is the level gaze with which she faces the world. Combined with her practical opinions and direct questions, Luz doesn’t seem like much of a dreamer. However, appearances can be deceiving, because this 20-year-old young woman does have a dream for her life—a dream that she never imagined she would have.

At the age of six, Luz had already witnessed too much of life. Removed from her parents care because of constant abuse, Luz was sent to live with relatives by Child Protective Services in Puebla. What Child Protective Services couldn’t know was that she would sustain worse abuse at the hands of her relatives than she ever had while in her parents’ care. When social services judged the relatives to be unfit as well, Luz arrived at Esperanza Viva on January 10, 2000, as a world-weary six-year-old determined to keep her distance.

Arriving at Esperanza Viva was a strange experience for Luz. She had never been around many children before, and she remembers thinking how interesting it was to see all of them. But what really caught her attention was how the supervisors treated the kids. “I never saw anyone get hit, ever. That was amazing to me.”

Luz describes her first few months at Esperanza Viva as a singular experience. She went to school for the first time, and discovered how much she loved learning. She also learned how to make friends, and had supervisors to love and care for her. These friends and supervisors began telling Luz about Jesus, and finally, after spending some time considering it, she was ready to commit her life to Christ. Luz made the decision to follow Christ at the age of seven, and though she was young, it profoundly affected the direction her life would take. Looking back, Luz can see that because of her faith she has been able to succeed, both in school and in overcoming the trauma of her past. Finally, Luz had the safety to begin to dream, and dream she did.

“I wanted to go to Africa as a child. Not just one part of Africa, I wanted to go to all of Africa. I didn’t really understand how big it was, and I didn’t care. I just wanted to go.” Now, as a young woman, Luz’s goals have changed a little from when she was a child. Although she still wants to go to Africa, she’s okay with not seeing all of it, as there are other places she wants to travel to. Having finished La Viña Ministry Training Center in June 2014, Luz dreams of studying cinematography and would someday like to use her talents to make movies that glorify God. Her goal is to serve God as a full-time cinematographer.

From a battered little girl to a strong, intelligent young woman, Luz gives all the credit for her transformation to God. “Growing up here, without the support of my parents or my family,” she continues, “It would have been easy to feel sorry for myself. But God sent me here for a reason—He has a plan for me. These are my dreams, and with His help, I’ll accomplish them.”