Fernando says his dad was never a role model for him. He says his dad drank heavily and cheated on Fernando’s mom. A couple years ago, the family dysfunction boiled over.
One night while Fernando was in his bedroom he heard his dad stumble through the door of their little house in Honduras. Like many other nights before, his dad was drunk again.
His dad began to yell and his parents started to argue. When Fernando came out of his room to find out what was happening, he saw his dad chasing his mom.
“If you hurt my mom, you will have problems with me,” the scared young Fernando told his dad.
At that moment, his dad charged his mom and struck her in the face. Fernando couldn’t stand seeing his mom beaten once again. He grabbed a gun in the house and shot his father several times.
Fernando’s father survived, but Fernando knew he could no longer live there, so he ran.
With little education and no job skill, the 17-year-old boy joined an organized drug gang to make money.
“I earned a lot of money, girls, and weapons. I had it all,” he says.
The dangerous and criminal lifestyle soon caught up with the teen, though. He was arrested and sentenced to two years in a juvenile detention center. That’s where his path began to take a different course because of you.
“In this place is where I heard about the Lord thanks to the Orphan Helpers brothers. They share the Word of God with us and provide us with Bible studies. I know God has Orphan Helpers with us here for a great purpose,” Fernando says gratefully.
Fernando is now sharing his new life in Christ with his friends and family. Through his humility, brokenness, and repentance, Fernando has even reconciled with his dad – the man he once tried to kill.