Our manager of Angels of Hope has met and bonded with hundreds of children who live in the 117 orphanages that Food For The Poor supports.
For Tricia, each child is dear to her. This is a story of one child who captured Tricia’s heart and lives up to her name Reina, which means queen in Spanish.
Reina first came to my attention at our annual Day of Celebration event in El Salvador. It was 2007 and she was 7 years old. Reina kept approaching me throughout the day and would hold my hand or sit next to me. She didn’t say much.
I immediately sensed her air of confidence and wisdom that isn’t always evident in children her age. She didn’t feel the need to ask me questions or be the focus of my attention. She just wanted to be next to me.
During the next year’s Day of Celebration event she approached me, again. In her mature way, she asked if she could have a word with me. She advised me that two of the songs that had been playing during the event weren’t appropriate for small children. This music was being played in the background from a van of one of our local sponsors who was passing out candy to the children. Reina said the Reggaeton music was talking about topics that Jesus would not want the children to hear. She quoted a scripture for me and asked if I could accompany her to talk to the man about changing the music.
From that moment on, I always searched her out when I was in El Salvador.
Her quiet demeanor, maturity and wisdom amaze me. She has such an incredible faith in Jesus Christ and is very comfortable evangelizing and sharing her faith with others. This child, now 13, is destined to make a difference.
Despite what many may think about orphanages, it’s because of this Angels of Hope home that I believe Reina’s beautiful character was created.
When she came to the El Salvadoran orphanage, Reina came as a daughter of a prostitute and was visibly marked from neglect and physical abuse. Her Angels of Hope home is filled with the love and support of a great staff who encourage the children and teach them about Christ and His love.
These incredible children’s homes that we support are able to take a neglected child and turn her into reina. Help sponsor an Angels of Hope child today.