Jorge Zavala had a good life. He was happily married to his wife, Carmen, and had a good relationship with his teen-aged daughter, Sara. He was a leader in his church. He made a comfortable living as a salesman.

Yet something was missing. His heart would break as he drove around San Pedro Sula and saw children out on the streets. He knew they were at risk of gangs, drugs, and exploitation.

Jorge felt God telling him to act. When his church opened a center to care for children in the neighborhood, he left his job to run the facility.

“It was something deep inside my heart all the time, and God made the opportunity,” he said.

Hogar de Zion began as a day center. Single mothers would bring their children, knowing they would be safe for a few hours. When they saw the loving care given by Jorge and Carmen, some impoverished women made the heart-breaking decision to abandon their children.

“The mothers knew their kids would receive Christian education and love,” Carmen said. “They would have nothing to do with gangs, drugs, pregnancy.”

A bigger facility was built in the outskirts of San Pedro Sula, and the center became an orphanage.

“We want to change lives through the love of God,” Carmen said. “We want them to know God, to finish high school, and to start life with a new perspective.”

Jorge and Carmen care for 41 children from the ages of 2-18. Samaritan's Purse provides food, and Bible lessons taught by staff in our Honduran office. We recently began animal and agricultural programs that will help the orphanage become self-sustaining.

“It will help tremendously,” Jorge said. “We are so grateful to Samaritan's Purse for what you do for us.”

Samaritan's Purse is helping Jorge and Carmen fulfill their God-given calling.

“I’m grateful to the Lord,” Carmen said. “I see a big change in these kids.”

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Samaritan's Purse , Honduras , Children's Ministry , Loving Care for Orphans