Orphans are Not the Result of Financial Scarcity

I was visiting a Michigan church, advocating for the Mazatlan site alongside staff members, Rodo and Becca Arguello. As someone engaged Becca in conversation, I slipped her baby, Malachi, out of her arms and we walked a few feet away, so she could talk uninterrupted.  I didn’t have any baby toys with me, so I pulled out my phone and we took pictures and played with the lights and music.  I looked down at a picture Malachi had just taken and noticed his dimple.

It looks just like his dad, Rodo’s, and I was captivated by it.  I cocked my head back and was temporarily lost in two decades of memories. 

Rodo was our first male Hope program graduate and along with many other staff, Todd and I were personally very vested in his life.  We drove him to school most days and to be honest, it was not the most exciting part of our day.  But as I sat there reflecting, I realized while we were waking up and heading to the Interamericana, longing to see Rodo be successful, God had both Rodo and Malachi in his mind’s eye. I could only see what I could see from my earthly perspective, but God could see all the generations that would follow Rodo.  He knew that young man would grow to be a husband and then a father to a little boy whose home would have parents who loved him, each other and Jesus. 

We informally surveyed the Hope Program graduates and recently learned Back2Back has 22 “grandchildren”, 21 of whom are living with their parents.

That’s a generational game changer!

I am often quoted as saying ‘orphans are not the result of financial scarcity, that are the result of relational brokenness.’ 

I love that Rodo and the graduates who have followed him have college degrees and the ability to financially provide for their families, but I love even more they’ve learned while living with staff families how to fight and make up, how to stick-with-it and see relationships as worth the work. I love how showing up every day sets an example that presence matters. I most love, that Malachi will one day understand he’s in a redemptive story written by a heavenly Father with big plans for us all.