Without a doubt, our current society lacks role models. Many children in Honduras are raised only by a mother and sometimes by grandparents and, as a result, boys and girls grow up in an environment with poor discipline and direction.

In most cases, character is formed on the streets through the practice of bad habits and contact with negative influences that unfortunately take the lives of these boys and girls through the path of delinquency, gangs and crime.

This is precisely the issue that concerns the church in Honduras and that is why our ministry and the church are working together to shape the character and discipline of many boys and girls in the city of El Progreso.

Located in the north coast of Honduras, El Progreso is an emerging town founded in 1927 as a banana trade center. El Progreso grew in the 1970s into a commercial and transshipment center for Caribbean ports.

El Progreso is also the home of five child development centers and a Taekwondo training center that is benefiting more than 250 children through a Complementary Intervention. This extraordinary activity is getting the attention of boys and girls and is a valuable tool that is helping to improve each child’s character.

Every boy and girl is told from the beginning that Taekwondo is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing their life through training of the body and mind; in other words, the right way to use all parts of the body to stop fights and help to build a better and more peaceful world.

According to the instructor Duman, everything started in this city with the visit of a generous Korean man who resides in the United States and comes to Honduras every year to share his Taekwondo knowledge with the young people. Duman was involved from the very beginning and was trained by Master Young along with other young people who are now serving as instructors.

Duman started as a tutor and has conducted the Taekwondo training for kids at the Niño Nuevo en Cristo Student Center for one year.

“This has been a wonderful experience for boys and girls, certainly a great opportunity for the kids to stay in good shape and also keep their minds busy in the sport.”

Children who participate in Taekwondo training have responsibilities and duties to fulfill in order to continue with the course: be punctual with schoolwork, respect everybody, and attend church and the child development center, among others.

Boys and girls are told that it is an honor to be part of the training, a wonderful experience that will not only prepare them to face a hostile situation but also to help them to set rules and goals in life. Parents strongly support these classes because they are keeping their children away from bad things.

Johnny started practicing Taekwondo two months ago with the rest of the boys and girls from his child development center. Like everything new in their lives, children enjoy wearing the Taekwondo clothing and attending the training sessions. Even though there is so much exercise to do, kids are always willing to go through these sessions.

“This is just the beginning, and I know that with the time it will require us to work and practice hard, but I look forward to it because I’m enjoying it very much.”

Johnny is 12 years old and lives with his parents. Currently in 6th grade, he attends the center twice a week where he learns about the sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of mankind. This is also where Johnny opened his heart to the Lord.

Johnny is a white belt just like his friends, but is determined to work hard in order to earn a yellow belt.

For Denilson and his mother, life has been difficult. Denilson lost his father two months ago because of the dangerous living conditions in the city, but the child development center has been with them all the way. Denilson is also 12 years old and is participating in this training where he has found the space to release the tension and anger of losing his father.

Jaison is a bright 10 year old boy who has been training for one year. He is now a green belt and is excited about what is coming up in his life. Jaison comes to the center every Friday and Saturday morning.

“I have learned about the life of Jesus, songs and Bible verses, also to keep a good testimony and to do well to everybody.”

Purple belt Sonia has been practicing Taekwondo for a year now and improves each day through hard work. Sonia, like the rest of the children, also opened her heart to the Lord and learned many things at the child development center.

“I have learned that the Bible is inspired by God and that we have to respect everybody; also we are all God’s children, He loves us and He has a special plan for everybody.”

Kensy and her friends practice almost every day at home but also come to church at least twice during the week for approximately two hours to practice, which is also the case for Luis. Luis tells us,

“This discipline has kept me away from other things, which is good. Instead of spending so much time in front of the television set, I’d rather improve my movements.”

Every Wednesday and Saturday, several groups of children from different child development centers meet in their respective churches for weekly training. Kids ages 5 to 16 attend regularly to improve their skills and to get in good physical condition.

The change has been overwhelming in the children’s attitude and behavior; it has been simply a great strategy to bring out the best of every child and to fulfill the Word of God:

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6, KJV

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The area of Tulancingo holds great history from the ancient Toltec and Otomi cultures. Although the inhabitants are mostly dedicated to farming and agriculture, a few other industries are also in the community. Their major products are dairy, meat, maize, barley and vegetables.

Tulancingo is the community where Proyecto Hormiga has worked with the support of Compassion México for more than 10 years now. They serve nearly 170 children from the community and have raised many children in their classrooms.

Most of the children here come from families with single moms or with parents who work either on the farm, as masons or in the nearby fields. The salaries are too small and the money earned to support the families is not enough.

The Compassion program has been a real blessing in the lives of these children; for most of them it means the opportunity to study beyond elementary school.

In the last year the student center graduated 15 teenagers in two different ceremonies where all families, children and staff recognized the success of these youngsters who have been considered “the pride of the program.”

We interviewed and visited some of them in their new activities. Most are studying for a high school education with a vocational orientation to graduate with a technician degree in the different areas of study they have chosen. Some others are in high school or even at the state university.

These youngsters prove the Compassion development model through sponsorship and the church works here!

Zeydi is one of the most outstanding graduates from the program. She is 18 years old and got into the technological institute from Pachuca, the capital city of the state of Hidalgo. The school she chose is one of the best in the state. Many students apply there but only a fraction get selected.

Zeydi is studying civil engineering. She has already faced challenges with her teachers and professors who do not follow the values she has learned, and she is committed to her studies.

She dreams about building great bridges, tunnels and other great construction projects for the city, state or even for the country, but she knows it will not be easy for her. She is very much interested in physics and mechanics.

Zeydi had to move to a rented place she shares with her cousin and a friend to be able to attend school. The school is actually far from her home and she needed to relocate.

Maria, best known as Lupita, is 17 and is already in her second year of high school in nursing studies. She always dreamed of being a nurse.

She dreams about getting a good job in obstetrics helping mothers deliver or taking care of newborns because she thinks babies are the most wonderful creations.

Her favorite class has been studying all about pregnancy because she is fascinated by it.

“I love seeing babies and learning about their growth in the womb,” she says.

Lupita lives with three older siblings, two sisters and a male brother who works as a mason, and her mother who was left single some years ago.

Keny is 18 and is not in school but is saving all she can to get into school next year. She and her mother were abandoned by her father when she was a little girl. Now they sell homemade tamales to live on and to start saving for her future education.

She would like to become a physical education teacher because she once had severe health problems that were overcome with lots of exercise and by keeping a strict diet. Then she decided to do something to share what she now knows to help others.

Denisse is currently 17 and in high school. She likes to practice tae kwon do and she likes science. She enjoys biology, math and chemistry classes the best, and dreams about opening a cosmetology shop.

When not at school, Denisse can be found practicing tae kwon do or at the Internet café talking online with friends.

She lives with her mom and dad and has an older brother who had to leave the family to find a better life opportunity.

Omar is 17 years old now and works with his older brother as a mason. He wants to study electricity to get a better job. School starts next December.

As a younger student in junior high, he always enjoyed the electricity workshop, and ever since he decided that was going to be his path.

Omar lives with his family — his father, mother and two other siblings — an older brother and a younger sister who attends the student center.

he used to think about not attending school any further than elementary school, but his teachers and leaders at the student center challenged him to finish high school, and he did.

“If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be the same I am now. I know for sure I would have dropped school.”

Jorge is 18 and very happy because he just got his registration for college to study a career in administration and entrepreneurship. He wants to start a small business. His favorite class is math, and he also likes to play sports, especially football.

He lives with his parents and six siblings. His father is a mason and his mother runs the home.

“If it wasn’t for the student center program I could not get to be what I am or what I aspire to be,” he says.

Once, in high school, he was about to quit because he did not have enough money to pay for his studies. The student center provided the resources to cover his education fees.

Before attending the student center, Jorge used to spend entire days on video games. He only needed two pesos to start his game and would not end it until the shop closed.

“Many times I had to sneak home at night, I did not go to school or eat because I spent all many days there,” he say. “But the pastor would make me come to church and would make me come to the program. But now I graduated and I am proud of it.”

Esmeralda is 19 and starting her university studies in agro-industrial engineering. She is studying at the state university and dreams about starting a dairy business to sell yogurt and cheese internationally.

From school she specially enjoys chemistry because she likes the formulas and the reactions the elements make together. Besides school, she likes to read, listen to music and get together with all her friends.

Enedina is a 17-year-old girl who aspires to become a nurse. She is studying in her third semester, and although she still has a long way to go in terms of her studies, she has found the support of an older cousin who is already a nurse and has committed herself to helping her complete her studies.

Her dream is to become a forensic investigator nurse, and she loves the computer classes. Her siblings are all older than her, and her mother is currently working as a cook at a small restaurant.

Elizabeth is a 17-year-old who studies at the vocational high school. She just started a couple of weeks ago, but she dreams of becoming a professional nurse just as her former sponsor from Canada is.

Elizabeth dreams of working at the pediatric hospital in Tulancingo, which treats children from all the surrounding communities.

During the time she was registered at the student center, she was very happy to hear about the work her sponsor did as a nurse and that inspired her to pursue this career.

She got into a high school that offers vocational training on nursing, and although she has to travel 40 minutes by public transportation every afternoon to school, she won’t waste this opportunity.

Her father works as a mason and is highly committed to work hard and make enough for her to go to school and to pay for her school materials.

As a hobby, she enjoys playing with her younger brother and caring for him. She is part of the youth group at church and enjoys talking to her friends. Her favorite class is reading.

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This match was very different from her last one. Siriporn was burdened by the expectation of others.

She was known as a champion from having won her last tournament. Everyone in the child development center and from her province expected her to return home a champion again with a gold medal hanging from her neck. She felt like she could not return home unless it was as a winner. She wanted to bring glory for her hometown and to her family.

However, no one knew that the champion was not prepared to fight.

Siriporn and the Thai Chareuntham Child Development Center had earned a prestigious reputation in her province after they returned from a tae kwon do competition in which Siriporn and other children from the center fought incredibly well.

Even though it was their first competition, Siriporn received a gold medal and her friends at the center won four silver medals and two bronze medals. Seven of the nine children from the center won a medal from the competition.

This year the center sent five tae kwon do fighters to compete in a match conducted by the Sports Authority of Thailand. This match was much smaller compared to the last matches they attended, but the center and the children were eager to attend the games to gain more experience and to prove that they were a force to be reckoned with.

“Before the competition I came to practice every day with the seniors at the center after school for several months,” said a small 9-year old boy named Warrakan. It was his first time competing, so he turned to Siriporn, the experienced champion, for assistance.

Siriporn helped him practice and train at the center. She gave him advice and strategies to improve his fighting. This increased Siriporn’s workload as she now had two jobs: training others as well as herself.

In February, the center brought five registered children and their mothers to a tae kwon do competition. The stadium was packed with hundreds of people including more than 200 young fighters from all over Thailand. The energy and excitement from the spectators could be felt in the air.

Warrakan was chosen first to compete because he was the youngest of all the children.

Instead of rushing to the floor, he first gathered with the other children and the center staff in a circle to pray. They knew that God is the only One who could have brought them this far. They also believed it was God Who enabled them to have the wonderful opportunity to compete as tae kwon do fighters, allowing them to display their talents despite coming from an impoverished background.

The young Warrakan did not fail his teammates. He won his first gold medal and then brought it to his mother, who accompanied him to the match. His mother could not stop smiling and holding him proudly after his final round.

The remaining four children also fought impressively well. Each child received a gold medal, which surpassed the center’s expectation. They had only hoped to win two gold medals and maybe three silver medals.

“I am very proud of my son and am so grateful that he is registered in the center,” said the mother of gold-medal winner Teerapong. “The center has been very good in supporting my child in so many ways. The center has given him the opportunity to play sports, which has given him the skills to know how to protect himself, make new friends, and teach him skills for life. I would like to see this activity carried on further.”

The time had finally arrived for our champion Siriporn to fight her final match. She sat quietly by herself on the bench and tried to collect her scattered thoughts and focus on the upcoming match.

The champ tried so hard to ignore the aching muscle pain she developed from a fever she contracted before the competition as well as from kicks to her body from previous games.

“I was so exhausted. My body was not ready for a heavy match like this.

“I got so little sleep in the past few months studying for my exams. Every day I would go to practice at the center after school for about three hours, then return home to complete my homework and study until 1 or 2 a.m.

“I would wake up at 6 in the morning every day.”

After watching her teammates all win goal medals, Siriporn could feel the anxiety and pressure to win building up inside her. She felt the weight of a million tons upon her shoulders. But it was now her time to step onto the floor and fight with all her strength.

“Just leave all your worries behind and trust in God alone,” Siriporn spoke to herself after she prayed to the Lord.

As Siriporn stepped onto the fighting floor, she could not believe her eyes. Her tae kwon do opponent was overwhelmingly big compared to her petite frame.

Her opponent was categorized in a higher belt rank level and she was the representative from her province, who was going to attend Thailand’s National Student Sports competition in March.

Siriporn felt like she was fighting against a strong wall but she did not lose her courage. She won her first point by kicking her opponent’s side.

Her match was very intense and so full of excitement that it drew hundreds of people toward her fighting floor to watch the match more closely.

Siriporn’s opponent kicked her in the stomach and earned points from it. Siriporn’s opponent smiled confidently, knowing a gold medal was not far away.

But Siriporn lay down on the floor, her hands clutching her aching stomach.

“God I am so tired. Please give me the strength to fight again. I don’t have any energy left to get up. Help me and guide me, Lord.”

God was faithful as he helped and answered the prayers of his beloved daughter.

Siriporn gathered all the strength that was left in her. She was determined to win this match.

After she finished her last kick she ran to a center staff who had been training her. She could not believe that she had won the match! She was so overjoyed but at the same time incredibly exhausted as she received her gold medal.

“I am very proud of my daughter. Last year I did not come to see her match, but this year I wanted to cheer her on and support her.

“I would like to express my appreciation to Siripon’s sponsor and the center. Without them my daughter could not have experienced the glory of this day. She was able to see and experience the fruits of her hard labor.

“Thank you for providing her with this opportunity.”

Siriporn not only received a gold medal, but she also received the “Female Youth Taekwondo Player of Excellence” award, which was awarded only to outstanding competitors under the age of 17.

Siriporn, with a gold medal hanging on her neck and her right hand clutching an Excellence Award, said,

“I want to tell my sponsor, Margaret who is in the U.S., thank you so much for supporting me. Without you, I don’t know what I would have become.

“Thank you for sponsoring me since I was in grade two up until now. You have been supporting me consistently for 10 years now. You have never left me.

[Siriporn cried during the interview]

“Thank you for everything you have done for me even though I am not your physical daughter. Thank you for sending me letters of encouragement and gifts. I strongly wish and pray that God will richly bless you and your family.”

Send a message of encouragement to Siriporn and the other children.

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It was night at the Chiang Mai 700 Year Stadium, and the quiet evening was disrupted by a loud voice coming from the tae kwon do gym.

The spokesman announced the names of the new northern region competitors for the final round of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s cup.

There were many people shouting and cheering in celebration of the finalists who had been announced. Amidst the storm of voices, finalist Siriporn stood still.

She did not hear a single word from the crowd, but was focused on her whisper to God. She silently prayed, “May this competition glorify your Name.”

As she opened her eyes, she was ready for the last battle in the spotlight.

Siriporn is a young girl from Thai Chareuntham Child Development Center, located in the rural area of northern Thailand. While she walked onto the floor, all she was thinking about was that the day she had been waiting and training for had arrived.

Her parents are carpenters who live on a salary of $121 per month. Siriporn is 16 years old and studies in grade 10 at Sung Men School. She has one older sister who is not registered in the child development center.

The center had previously taken a survey to see what activities the children were interested in doing. Siriporn and her friends wanted to learn the art of self-defense: “I am just a little girl, and I want to have some skill to protect myself,” said five-foot-tall, 101 pound Siriporn.

Ratchana, the director of the child development center says,

“Almost all of the activities we conduct are requested and voted for by our children. Learning tae kwon do is something far beyond their reach. The course and the equipment are very expensive, which the parents in this area could not support.”

Siriporn’s dream to learn tae kwon do might be like a bubble in the air if it were not for the strong determination and dedication of Thai Chareuntham Child Development Center staff members to respond to their children’s needs.

Ratchana says,

“Our children have a very wonderful opportunity to learn. Wearing the tae kwon do suit makes them feel proud, because though they are children with less means, they are still able to learn a sport like tae kwon do.

“We have many young girls. I am worried for their safety, so I was happy that they wanted to learn tae kwon do. This is a very new activity for us and we just started in July 2007. In the beginning all the girls were shy to kick or punch, but later on they became stronger and tougher.”

The director admits that she had another reason for conducting tae kwon do. She hoped this activity could be a way of also bringing children to the true Father. Since Thailand is a strong Buddhist country and almost all of the registered children are not believers, she included biblical teaching during the activity. She patiently waited and hoped this seed would blossom in the children’s hearts one day.

Siriporn says,

“Every time before and after practicing, the staff members lead us in prayer. At first I felt weird, but now I am used to it. The staff even call us to lead the prayer. I feel that God strengthens me after praying.”

Siriporn and her friends first practiced on the field, where they ran and kicked with bare feet until their little feet got swollen. The child development center staff members saw the strong determination from the children, so they had an idea to buy cushioned mats but the price was very high. The tae kwon do students began to collect their own money to buy the mats and other equipment.

Siriporn says, with determination,

“We want to learn tae kwon do so badly so we are willing to pay some of our own money to the student center. I collect five baht ($0.15) everyday to help this activity. I don’t think paying is a burden, because this is from our heart.”

Even though the center had tae kwon do materials, they were still struggling with the high expense. The center paid the tae kwon do instructor $202 every month, until they could no longer support the activity.

The center director decided to shut down the tae kwon do activity, but the children showed their strong desire to continue learning. The registered children even gave more money in the box to have enough for their beloved activity.

Tae kwon do students continued to come to practice. Their commitment to an activity they loved broke the center staff’s hearts because they realized they could not shut down this activity, even though paying was a significant problem.

After several months, the tae kwon do instructor challenged students to compete in the regional championship level in October 2007. All the students were eager to go but faced a problem. The children had not completed any rank or “belt” yet.

They had to take a promotion test in which they demonstrate their proficiency, and each child would have to pay $16. Again Siriporn and her other 10 friends had to save some of their money to take a test with the center’s support.

After all nine tae kwon do students passed the test, they were now even more dedicated tae kwon do athletes.

When the day of the competition came, all the tae kwon do competitors from the child development center walked into the gym with both excitement and nervousness. Before the game, we all gathered together and prayed out loud to our God, while other groups were staring at us,” remembers Ratchana with a soft laugh.

Siriporn says,

“I prayed very hard during the competition. For the first match I thought only to do my best, but after I won, I gained more confidence and said to myself I could do even better.”

Siriporn did not only “do it better,” but she did it wonderfully. She was the champion of the newborn tae kwon do of the North Region of the High Royal Princess’s cup. The moment she received the gold medal, she was not a little girl but had transformed to be a tough young woman.

Siriporn’s mother is very happy that there is a child development center in the village. The center fully supports her family in many areas. She says that Siriporn is the only student around this neighborhood who is registered in the development center and she sees a lot of difference between her and other children.

Siriporn faithfully goes to the center, studies hard, is accountable, and is teachable. Siriporn’s mom is very proud of her. Before Sirirporn joined tae kwon do, she was shy, irresponsible, unconfident, and unteachable.

But now she has self discipline, and is brave to lead others, able to control her emotions and feel so proud of herself. She says that learning tae kwon do helps her gain strength in both physical and spiritual areas of her life.

Not only did Siriporn receive the gold medal, but her eight student friends also earned awards. One won a gold medal, four won silver medals and two won bronze medals. There was only one who went back home empty handed.

Ratchana says,

“Siriporn is the one who captivated our hearts. She is a mature and outstanding example to others. She has self-determination, is reliable, punctual, responsible and teachable, and has a good will. She has proved herself by qualifying for the provincial tae kwon do representative. Siriporn has the potential to be a big star because she is very fast and a smart athlete. I am very proud of our registered children.”

Champion Siriporn is going to walk into the hall of fame one day, but she has already entered into the kingdom of God. Siriporn accepted Jesus Christ after she came back from the competition and she is now studying the baptism course. Siriporn says,

“Without this student center, I cannot imagine where my life would be. I might be a mischievous teen who did not succeed in anything in life.

“But thanks to God I am in the student center where I have gained many wonderful things: I receive good opportunities, am connected to the true God, and I have good encouragement and advice from the student center staff.”

Our champion dreams of becoming a tae kwon do champ in a big championship tournament and hopes that such an achievement will become a passport to fulfill her dream of studying at the university level, a dream that many of her neighbor friends don’t dare to wish for because of the poverty and lack of opportunity.

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