Our Manos de Compasión team recently returned from Guatemala with hearts full after a meaningful time of ministry, service, and connection. Among the most impactful moments were the personal stories we were privileged to be part of. Hear from team member and Parent Partner Rafael as he shares the story of María, a young girl who left a lasting impression on our team.

“Back then, I didn’t even know how to read or write my own name,” María says. “It made me feel very sad. I would often drink because I would hang out with bad company.”

That was almost six years ago, when she arrived at Esther House, one of three homes in rural Guatemala run by Manos de Compasión (Hands of Compassion), a ministry devoted to helping abandoned or orphaned children and supported by Saving Susan Ministry, a Christ-centered, Atlanta-based, non-profit organization dedicated to connecting children with loving families.

Maria, a member of the Esther House at Manos de Compasión.

During a recent mission trip by a Saving Susan team of volunteers to the Manos de Compasión ministry, María, now 18 years old, said that she has learned how to read and write. Her house parents, Yessi and Darwin, and the staff and school at Manos de Compasión have been instrumental in her growth and confidence, from teaching her the ABC’s to how to become a young woman. And she says she now feels confident enough to allow herself to have dreams. “I want to be a chef and a missionary when I grow up,” she said.

Through Saving Susan Ministry, María has been partnered for several years with Julia Adenaike, a parent partner in the United States. She says that knowing there’s someone who cares enough for her to make a financial commitment and give her spiritual guidance has helped her improve her sense of self-worth, even when she still struggles with shyness and believing in herself.

Maria and her mother, Yessi; Maria opening gifts from her Parent Partners; Maria getting her nails done by Saving Susan trip member, Mac.

María was born in San Juan Sacatepéquez, a city of 155,000 located 30 kilometers northwest of Guatemala City, in the country’s central highlands. “Sometimes I feel very frustrated with myself because I’m not confident enough to talk to other people. Sometimes I feel like they don’t like me because I’m so shy. I grew up feeling isolated and was constantly rejected by the foster families I lived with,” María said.

Thanks to Chris Gatti, one of the Saving Susan Ministry volunteers on the mission trip, María has already taken her first step towards her dream of becoming a chef. Under Gatti’s direction, María and other volunteers worked together to prepare a meal honoring the house parents that manage the three Manos de Compasión homes and take care of their children, starting with going to the nearby market to buy the ingredients and preparing them, to cooking the meal and serving it.

Maria helping Chris prepare a meal for the house parents at Manos.

“I learned how to communicate with others,” María said. “I was still shy about it but was able to work with the team.”

María says that Julia, her Saving Susan Parent Partner, has helped her focus on things that matter even more than her dreams. “The main purpose of being on earth is serving God. My first love is God and then people because God made me and knows the plans he has for me.”

Confident that she’s loved and supported, María now says she’s really looking forward to her 19th birthday on December 6.

“Saving Susan Ministry has helped me move forward and has also helped me develop a love for God’s word. I love reading the Scriptures. Sometimes I feel like I’m still weak in my faith, but I know that I must press on and never forget that God helps me and sustains me,” she said.