Feliz Año Nuevo!

The end of 2017 at The Beehive concludes ten years that we have been helping vulnerable girls in Colombia. Dozens of girls have passed through the home in that time. Without our work and prayers, they almost certainly would have been abused and exposed to situations that would have further damaged their lives. I think we can give a mutual praise of gratitude for the work that God has allowed us to do for children in Colombia. I do not know who has been more blessed, them or us? I believe all of us have been blessed by God.

At the end of this year we are grateful to see that all the girls have successfully completed their school year and moving on to the next grade level. It is also great to see Luz Andrea, the youngest girl in the home, who belongs to the Embera Indian tribe, graduate from preschool. It is significant because women of this tribe mostly do not go to school or learn to read or write. In fact, we have encountered that they often are married as pre-adolescent girls to older men and end up becoming mothers before fifteen years of age. This transformation that is happening with Andrea Luz and her 3 older sisters is opening up possibilities to work more with this indigenous culture and protect more young girls from harm.

Jeimy, the eldest girl, graduated from ninth grade in Colombia which is the minimum level that a student must have to access a technical education. Jeimy will continue her studies through eleventh grade, but as soon as possible she wants to start studying to be a chef. It is exciting to see her full of dreams and aspirations. She continues to trust in God and in herself, believing that the future will be better.

We finish another chapter in The Beehive story, but in 2018, life goes on with a new school year beginning, as well as new girls and new challenges. Thank you for being in this together with us. God bless you. Happy New Year!

In Christ, Pastor Libni Gasca