Gabriela’s Journey to Thriving

Gabriela first came to our campus when she was six, holding tightly to her mother's hand and her older sister's. Their tidy outfits and bouncy ponytails showed how hard their mother worked to help them look their best, and Gabriela's snaggletooth smile caught my heart. That grin hid more pain than I would understand for years.

Instability and conflict ruled their home. When things became unbearable, Gabriela and her sister ran to our campus, looking for a safe place.

The girls became regulars in our after-school program. Alongside their schoolwork, they learned to name what they were feeling and to calm themselves when fear rose, and our mentors, steady adults who stayed, helped them practice trusting again and believe in a better future. Their mother joined our women's group and found hope among women who understood.

Their father kept his distance. He did not trust us, and he did not hide it; for years, when our team came to visit, the girls checked that he was out before letting us in.

Everything changed at that same front door. When our team came to install a water filter, he let us in for the first time. He watched our team care for his family without judgment and without asking for anything in return, and slowly, on his own terms, something in him began to trust. Later he came to a prayer service and told our pastors, "I want to know more about this. If you ever go do mission work somewhere, maybe take me with you."

Today Gabriela's whole family studies the Bible together, and their relationships are stronger and healthier than they have ever been. Gabriela graduated from high school with exceptional grades, and her scores opened the door to university, something her family never believed could happen. She dreams of attending seminary and giving back to a community like hers.

Generous partners made this possible: the clean water, the food baskets and the safe place to run to were all given by people who chose to show up for a family they had never met. Gabriela's story is still unfolding, and it is what it looks like when a family moves from surviving to thriving.